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Just a few photos of my family this Christmas. They are the light of my life and I hope you feel the same about your family. When do our duty to our own, we do a service not only to them, but for society as a whole! Merry Christmas!                      Christmases Past         
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 What kid doesn’t like Christmas? My four grandchildren certainly do, but I have a 6-year-old grandson, Ryan, who is crazy for the Christmas SEASON! Yes, I said season! He started his celebration on or before November 14th when he serenaded me on his toy guitar, singing Christmas tunes (see video below). The Thanksgiving turkey was still warm when his excitement accelerated faster than my Tesla. He was ready for the decorations, Christmas Specials, snow, music, and especially the spirit of it all. His grandmother, charged up with his enthusiasm, decided to invite Ryan and his 4-year-old sister Juliette to help us put up our tree – way too soon for my liking. They came over, dressed in Christmas jammies with Ryan donning a Santa hat.  As Christmas music played in the background, Ryan and Juliette decorated the bottom third of the tree. Then, Ryan noticed the imbalance and brought a stepladder over, whistling and swinging his head back and forth, shoulder to shoulder to “One Horse Open Sleigh.” Kathy (grandma) laid a Christmas cover at the bottom of the tree, and Ryan exclaimed, “That’s a new one, Yady! (Kathy’s grandma name – long story). I remember last year it was a green one with gold trim.” Indeed, he was correct. I would never have noticed. They slept over and spent the night watching Christmas shows on Netflix and slept with red and green lights on dim.  Of course, their Christmas tree had not yet been decorated, so Ryan and Juliette begged their parents to put it up. The next time we went to his house Ryan, with a big reveal, showing it all with pride, bouncing up and down on his toes as he gave us the grand tour, grinning from ear to ear. It was beautiful, decked out with their favorite ornaments hung with care with only one or two ornaments having fallen. Their tree even rotates, and below is a train that circles with smoke and a whistle, operated by – guess who? One day after school, Ryan wrote a six page book entitled, “How to Decorate a Christmas Tree” – self illustrated!  On our annual Cookie Day, their cousins, Malia and Rosemary, joined Ryan and Juliette - all wearing holiday pajamas. More Christmas music, Ryan dancing to “Jingle Bell Rock,” and all decorating cookies. My two daughters and their husbands had holiday parties to go to that evening, and all four kids stayed overnight. It was a long day! The kids were all into the Christmas spirit and I wondered, “Do they know there are three more weeks to go?”  That night we watched the movie, “Elf” and the kids laughed with glee at the huge elf trying to take a shower in the elf-size shower. Kathy had gifts for them to open, ornaments from Europe where we had just traveled, slippers and more PJs, holiday-themed, of course. Already, presents! Ryan bragged about how many places there would be for him to open presents. He counted five locations, which included our farmhouse, where the entire family celebrates Christmas Eve. I told him I was lucky if I ever had five presents to open, forget five locations! Every year Ryan makes sure we play Christmas Bingo at the farmhouse (B-elf, G-Christmas Wreath, O-ornament, etc.), and the winner gets a “Dollar Store” present. All the kids love it!  Kathy and I watch Ryan and Juliette before school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. One morning they were so excited to show us what they had in their rooms! Their parents had bought each of them a four-foot Christmas tree. They had decorated them to their particular tastes and couldn’t wait to show them off. Two days later, when we went back, Ryan had set up an Alexa Echo under his tree and would listen to Christmas music each morning as he got dressed – and more Christmas music when he got home. Yady helped the kids to make a Christmas chain out of red and green construction paper, starting with 22 links. I was a bit surprised they had waited this long. Every day Ryan wears a red shirt to school to celebrate the season. Yady spoiled him with two more new red shirts to augment his wardrobe.  Ryan and Juliette couldn’t wait for Cha-Cha to show up. That’s their name for their ‘Elf on a Shelf.’ Now, when we come in the mornings, Ryan and Juliette race to show us where they found him that morning. Ryan pretends he’s an Elf with the name ‘Elmo’ and Juliette’s (4 yrs) is ‘Chuck E. Cheese’. Ryan even has a sign on his bedroom door announcing whether the Elf is ‘in’ or ‘out’. They got to see Santa a couple of days ago - major highlight! Christmas morning will be ‘Crazyville’! Now mind you; there are nine more days before Christmas Day. Remember how long nine days were when you were a kid? Ryan seems to not care for the wait; after all, the SEASON will be over, and what fun is that? His birthday is New Years’ Day. His parents are so happy it’s only a week of anticipation!  Merry Christmas! Oh, and don’t forget to check out Ryan’s singing, below!  Our 2019 Christmas  The Smith Christmas Tree I love Christmas! Let me be specific; I love Christmas Day! The days leading up to Christmas can be a bit tense and exhausting for both my wife, Kathy, and me, but for different reasons. At Christmastime, she is the lead reindeer. I, as the reindeer behind the lead, find myself in an unfortunate position!
Kathy does most of the work for Christmas. It’s true! She does ALL the shopping, and that’s fine with me. I can’t be trusted to find what’s on sale, and coupons are so much work. I can’t even shop for her. My record of buying what she really likes is around 1 for 132. She also doesn't like my fallback gift, gift certificates. Kathy truly does almost all the wrapping too. I’ve been told I waste too much wrapping paper. I try to explain that an extra 1” by 30” strip of wrapping paper bought at the Dollar Store isn’t going to wipe out our savings. Trying to follow Kathy’s wrapping rules, I always seem to come up 1/8” short when I pull the paper to the top of the box. Then I have to re-purpose that wrapping paper on a smaller present. And I’m kind of sloppy with my wrapping. Oh, and I learned long ago never to put tape on the box – just the paper. We have every Sears, Kohl’s, Target, and Marshall's box we ever brought home. They fall from the top shelf of our utility room closet every time I open it. You never want to run out of boxes for presents; any day they could stop giving them out for free. BTW, the tape can tear those boxes making them almost throwaway-able. We let our grand kids decorate one on our four trees. At 11, 6, 6, and 4 years of age, most ornaments end up on the bottom half of our eight-foot tree. The younger three kids don’t have the spacing thing down - four ornaments on one branch, and none on others. After they go home, I ‘get to’ re-arrange them. Lights! I hate them! I refused to put them up outside a few years ago. Bah humbug! It’s just that they don’t cooperate with me. In past years, I actually cried when they would only work inside when I checked them, but not when I put them back outside. Even the tree’s dark spots have to be filled in with new lights each year on our pre-lit tree. Kathy places a few lights outside while she curses me under her breath. But I always end up out there fixing them, yet again, anyway! With that introduction, here is my ode to Christmas with my good wife, borrowing the 12-Days theme. 12 Days of Christmas with My Good Wife! On the first day of Christmas, my good wife said to me, “Please bring all four* Christmas trees upstairs” Here we go! On the second day of Christmas, my good wife said to me, “Put (rearrange) the ornaments on the tree, would you.” Notice the lack of a question mark. On the third day of Christmas, my good wife said to me, “Find an extension cord.” Never where we think they are! On the fourth day of Christmas, my good wife said to me, “‘Help me’ put up the Christmas lights.” HA! On the fifth day of Christmas, my good wife said to me, “Please…fix - the - lights!” (again) On the sixth day of Christmas, my good wife said to me, “Put up Christmas Village.” all 12 houses, tiny people, props, and fake snow. On the seventh day of Christmas, my good wife said to me, “Check the cookies before they burn.” I eat 5 of them. On the eighth day of Christmas, my good wife said to me, “Go get the wrapping paper.” Last years' , behind 5 suitcases, four boxes, and 2 large trash bags of something. On the ninth day of Christmas, my good wife said to me, “Help me wrap the presents.” Later she says…”Nevermind!” On the tenth day of Christmas, my good wife said to me, “Find the ‘To-From” stickers. You moved them." (I didn't) On the eleventh day of Christmas, my good wife said to me, “Go buy some egg nog and a wreath.” Or something - each day. On the twelfth day of Christmas, my good wife said to me, “Do I have to do everything?!” Merry Christmas!! Note: Kathy rarely reads my blogs, so please don’t tell her about this one, even though I’m exaggerating - a little! : ) * 3 are smaller trees |
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