Skipping Christmas or What Would Jesus Buy

I am trying sooo hard to get into the holiday spirit for Parker's sake (Josie doesn't really care at this point, but even for her since it is her first Christmas). But, my husband and my little Dema are not here and I miss them. I hate not all being together for Christmas and I am getting bitter. I made some sugar cookies with Parker and set them out with some Russian Tea Cakes and some Silk enhanced soy milk with Chocolate Nutiva® HempShake™ for Santa. (Santa has apparently acquired a taste for Chocolate Nutiva® HempShake™ .) I wrapped some gifts (I know, very environmentally unfriendly, but I did some in hemp wrapping paper) and watched Oliver! with Parker after reading Fireside Stories, The Miracle of the First Poinsettia, and Babushka. Parker was so sweet about going to be early and setting food out for Santa. He wanted to leave one of each shape of cookie. Santa ate the treats Parker left out after drinking a beer with a friend who came by to pick up some stuff he bought from Tribal Life so Santa is very full and in a slightly better mood about the whole Christmas thing, but only slightly.

I'm not super keen on the whole Santa deal anyway, but the kids want to believe in Santa now so why not. I also can't take all the consumerism this time of year so I'm thinking next year that we might skip Christmas and go on a vacation to a beautiful island with a vegan resort. Ah, the warm sand, ocean breeze, no stockings to stuff...sounds really nice right now.

Maybe I'm just being a big scrooge and the years I worked in retail and then as a manager of a video store (a lifetime ago in my teens) have tainted me to the entire secular part of the holiday. You would not believe the shopping craziness when I sold women's clothes. The guys would come in not knowing what size (not even close) to get and would just buy anything I suggested (that was back when I could sell anything to anyone and didn't feel bad about it, I would win every sales contest, I was the youngest assistant manager in the history of the company...now I have an issue taking money from customers for items I really love and believe in). What would Jesus buy? At the video store, this time of year people would come in and rent 10 movies at a time. They didn't want to run out over the holiday. I always thought, don't they talk to their families? Who has time over Christmas to watch that many movies? Crazy. We always spent the day talking and playing games, I don't remember the TV even being turned on during Christmas as a kid (even when we had one, there was a time when we didn't have one and the wonderful memories of time without a TV is a big reason why we don't own one today).

Parker and I talked about how people used to get fruit in their stocking and he asked for raspberries or peaches...I couldn't find either. I guess I'll use the frozen ones we have and make a smoothie for him in the morning. Rob bought the most amazing Breville blender a couple weeks ago which has put us in smoothie heaven. The blender and our new dryer count as my Christmas presents this year. I want a new radio, but that may have to wait. I'm content with being able to blend things and dry diapers in the winter.

Most holidays, I have my sister, her significant other, and our dad over (sometimes my brother and his significant other if they don't have plans with her family), but with Rob and Dema gone, we'll wait until the weekend to get together. I miss my mom all the time, but it is pretty bad right now. I think I'll go snuggle with my kids. That is what life is really all about anyway...to heck with the rest of it.