Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Bad Day 168--Love and Joy and roast beef

The presents are all unwrapped, the roast is in the oven, so I'm taking a minute to blog. It's been a wonderful Christmas, truly. I should have mentioned yesterday that the reason we got a late start on the wrapping is because Child 1 insisted that we go see Lincoln together and I'm glad she did. It was a fantastic movie.



Husband used his superpowers to sleep through it, which wasn't surprising. If you can sleep through two alien invasions (Independence Day and Men in Black), then the Civil War should be no problem. But it was a fun outing with Child 1 and I love that she loves history and I got to hear her rant about Gen. McClellan and she is right that he was a terrible general.

We stayed up really late wrapping, and then Child 3 was awake at 3:45  am which was about 15 minutes after we fell asleep. We forced her to go back to bed until 7 am because no civilized person gets up that early on a holiday even if it is Christmas. Child 1 and Child 2 have decreed that next year no Christmas activities will commence before 9 am and I totally agree with them. Husband fell asleep in the middle of opening his gifts. OK, not really, but he looked like he wanted to. I told him I didn't need any gifts this year and he should just make it easy on himself and slap a bow on his head because all I wanted was him. But he gave me a star sapphire necklace from Afghanistan anyway. I gave him the book Argo by Tony Mendez which Child 1 and I had personally inscribed to him.

Child 2 is happily hanging her Perry the Platypus ornament on the tree and Child 3 is dancing around wearing more sequins than I thought humanly possible. Child 1 is cooking so I need to go help her and check on the roast.

Child 1 says that days that Husband is home should be labeled "Not So Bad" days. She is right. Nothing is bad about today. Everything is joyful. Even the bickering at dinner.

Since today was so wonderful, I am entirely conscious that there are many of you out there who are not with your loved ones over the holidays because they cannot come home from Afghanistan, or Africa, or wherever they may be and that means you are having a worse day than me. My heart goes out to you and I hope you are reunited soon. And for those of you for whom that is not possible because the place at your table will remain empty even though your heart is still full, my prayers are with you. May you all find a reason to feel love and joy and peace this Christmas.






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