How was/were your holiday(s)?

"I've been wrong, I've been down
To the bottom of every bottle
Despite words in my head
Scream 'Are we having fun yet?'"

-- This is How You Remind Me, Nickelback



Which one?!?!?!?

I had five-plus Christmases.

1. Grab bag Christmas with my extended family on Dec. 25.

2. Sort-of Christmas with same family plus some out-of-town stragglers a few days later, disguised as a birthday party. Not to mention the birthday party I had for Jacob a couple weeks before Chirstmas.

3. Real Christmas with my immediate family once my sister and Zoe were back in town.

4. Christmas gift exchange with friends along with dinner.

5. Various holiday functions at work and otherwise, including the boss taking us to lunch and several catered meals in the office.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who had a holiday season that seemed to last F-O-R-E-V-E-R. I'm not even going to go into the New Year's mess we endured.

Tonight when I was tucking in Zoe, she asked about Three Kings Day. She wanted to get up to see if she got any gifts. This is on top of all they taught her at school about Hannukah, and she expected gifts then too. I completely understood she was trying to get a few more "awake" minutes, but I was at a loss to explain to her that we just don't have the money to finance every commercial and semi-commercial and pseudo-commercial holiday that falls within the winter season.

"Zoe, we don't get gifts on Three Kings Day."

"Why not?"

Why not? Why not?

"Because Mommy signed up for Christmas. Because, um..... Santa seemed like the best option to Mommy, and that's the holiday we go with."

"Mrs. Harris gave out erasers for Three Kings Day. I guess she signed up for that one."


Oh dear Lord. Um, I mean, Oh dear Kings. Don't let my kid go to school tomorrow and ask about subscribing to holidays. Thank you.



My favorite gift over the holidays was a handmade necklace from the most awesome daughter I ever had.