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On Christmas proper
Dec. 23rd, 2009 02:31 pm
Here's one thing you have to understand about my family: My mother? Hates holidays. And my sister, whatever she says, tends to be somewhat apathetic about them. I myself love holidays, but it's hard to do much when I'm the only one who really wants to. Every year I say that if I didn't push the whole family to put up decorations and do things, nothing would ever get done, and every year they apathetically argue with me.
So listen.
This year, around Thanksgiving, I mentioned that I felt we really should put up a tree. You know, for the girls. And Jenn was all "Oh, no, it's a lot of work, and where would we put it, and we have a lot of other stuff to do", so I said fine. First week of December, around my sister's birthday, I said that I really wanted a tree, and maybe some decorations. "Oh, you know, we don't really have the money and we have a lot of work to do preparing for Bonne-Maman and it's not that big a deal". Fine. Second week of December, I pointed out that if we were going to decorate at all we have to move on this NOW. "Oh, you know, it's expensive, and who's going to put it up, and it's a lot of work, and it's really not that big a deal". Sure, whatever. Week before Christmas, I pointed out that we'd yet to do any sort of acknowledgement of the holiday, and since it appeared we had just enough money to get the girls some real presents instead of just boots and undershirts it'd be nice to put something up. (We had legitimately worried we wouldn't be able to swing gifts this year, and when we found out we could we bought for the kids first, all of us, so I actually ended up - no joke! - with nothing wrapped for ME for this holiday. But I'll get to that.) "Oh, you know, it doesn't really matter, and where would we put it, and we've been working hard for Bonne-Maman and all...." Now, I knew better, but I dropped it.
The day before Christmas, Jenn comes to me in a panic and goes "We didn't put up a tree! We have to put up a tree! Why don't we have a tree????" *headdesk*
And now, in the future, when my sister or my mother complains that I nag them to put up decorations, I'll point to this year. If I don't make them do it, it doesn't get done.
My father used to get very into the holidays as well, I guess I take after him. Every holiday is my FAVORITE if it's the one coming up :) Not the year after he died (when we all went through the motions), but the one after that, I put up the tree and decorated by myself. At the age of 11. Saddest thing ever and the tree stayed up until June. But it's not that my family didn't do it because of Daddy being dead, they just aren't as into it as I am, even then.
So listen.
This year, around Thanksgiving, I mentioned that I felt we really should put up a tree. You know, for the girls. And Jenn was all "Oh, no, it's a lot of work, and where would we put it, and we have a lot of other stuff to do", so I said fine. First week of December, around my sister's birthday, I said that I really wanted a tree, and maybe some decorations. "Oh, you know, we don't really have the money and we have a lot of work to do preparing for Bonne-Maman and it's not that big a deal". Fine. Second week of December, I pointed out that if we were going to decorate at all we have to move on this NOW. "Oh, you know, it's expensive, and who's going to put it up, and it's a lot of work, and it's really not that big a deal". Sure, whatever. Week before Christmas, I pointed out that we'd yet to do any sort of acknowledgement of the holiday, and since it appeared we had just enough money to get the girls some real presents instead of just boots and undershirts it'd be nice to put something up. (We had legitimately worried we wouldn't be able to swing gifts this year, and when we found out we could we bought for the kids first, all of us, so I actually ended up - no joke! - with nothing wrapped for ME for this holiday. But I'll get to that.) "Oh, you know, it doesn't really matter, and where would we put it, and we've been working hard for Bonne-Maman and all...." Now, I knew better, but I dropped it.
The day before Christmas, Jenn comes to me in a panic and goes "We didn't put up a tree! We have to put up a tree! Why don't we have a tree????" *headdesk*
And now, in the future, when my sister or my mother complains that I nag them to put up decorations, I'll point to this year. If I don't make them do it, it doesn't get done.
My father used to get very into the holidays as well, I guess I take after him. Every holiday is my FAVORITE if it's the one coming up :) Not the year after he died (when we all went through the motions), but the one after that, I put up the tree and decorated by myself. At the age of 11. Saddest thing ever and the tree stayed up until June. But it's not that my family didn't do it because of Daddy being dead, they just aren't as into it as I am, even then.
