Twilight Zone - Christmas "Tradition"

I don't really know how to start this post......

imagine the music to Twilight Zone....

Behind these walls of this ordinary home....

nee-na-nee-na-nee-na-nee-na-nee-na-nee-na (the music)

as a normal family gets ready for Christmas

things just get weird.....

I don't know why....

and I've heard other people say it too...

or do I say that every year?

My emotions have been all over the map.....

singing carols and dancing and happy as can be....

and then crying, complaining and miserable.

Why?

I don't have the slightest clue.

And then comes the really funny part.....

my three guys trying to figure it out.

Example:

For years and years I have been trying to get hubby to do a family "tradition."

I don't care what it is...just something that is meaningful for our family.

I have tried a yearly car ride looking at lights, a domino game and chili, instead of

gifts a "yearly" trip with just the 4 of us...etc..etc..

And nothing seems to stick. (because he & the boys can't or don't want to etc.)

And EVERY year I get melancholy about it.

And EVERY year they don't have a clue.

So on Christmas Eve eve I hear my hubby on the phone.

The boys were not home....it was just hubby and I.

Me: Who was that? Are you going somewhere?

Hubby:  Yes...that was Brian.  We are going to the river and build a bonfire

with Todd and Jerry.  You know.......like we do every year...

it's a tradition.

(now I know all of you women out there just gasped out loud)

Me:  (imagine a fire breathing dragon) YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THAT YOU

CAN HAVE TRADITIONS WITH YOUR FRIENDS.....BUT ....NOT..

YOUR FAMILY!!!!!!!

Hubby: (looking totally shocked) Well...I ...ummm...

Me: (crying now) AllIwantedwasustodoafamilytraditionandwecan'tevendothat...

(sniff) youcaremoreaboutyourfriendsthanyoudous

(sniff...sniff)

Hubby: I....ummmm.....

Me: (dragon again) WELL..THAT'S FINE!!! YOU DO WHATEVER YOU WANT!!

(I'm putting on my jacket)

Hubby: Wait.....where are you going....I didn't know....

Me: I'M GOING TO LOOK AT CHRISTMAS LIGHTS...

ALL.....BY......MYSELF!!

(slams door)

Hours later I came home.....needless to say hubby did not go with his friends...

but that didn't matter......I was still mad.

The next day I was a little better and some time during the day the hubby

must have told the boys about it and to be on their best behavior.

They were like "do you want to take a family picture mom?"

And they NEVER want to do that.

(don't we look sweet.....HA!)

I decided that I wanted to be in church (and needed to be..lol)

on Christmas Eve and maybe would start a new tradition for our family.

Our church doesn't have a service but I found out about another local church

and decided to go at 6 on Christmas Eve.

Wouldn't that be a great new "tradition" for our family?!

I told the guys.....

this was met with "you know we go hunting every year"

"it's our (gulp) tradition."

Me:  I'm leaving at 6 if anyone wants to go with me.(pouting)

I get dressed and around 6 I go to church.........alone.

Thank goodness the services were so touching that for that hour

I forgot about being mad.

And you should have seen the feast awaiting me when I walked in the door.

The guys were cooking up a storm.....lol.

I was waited on hand and foot.

Niceness was dripping off of all of them.

So we enjoyed our evening and we open presents on Christmas Day.

That went great and then we go to hubby's mom's house...which is a tradition...

that I didn't mind at all.

And that evening we are watching football, of course,

(this is the life of living with all men)

and hubby gets a phone call.

Hubby:  That was Todd (his friend)....

I told him we would come over in a little while...

you know....

like we always do...

(you should have seen the look on my boys faces)

(they were looking back and forth....like....uh oh)

Me:  I'm not going. (yes....I was petty at this point)

Hubby:  But that's something we always do together as a couple.

Me:  Because it's what YOU want to do!!

Do you know how hard it was for me to go to church all by myself?!!!

Hubby: FINE!

Me: FINE!

Boys: MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Do you ever have holidays like this?

I don't know what was wrong with me?

I let the devil in and he took over our Christmas!

This is what happens when you take your eyes and your thoughts off of

Jesus.

And boy did I need Jesus!

The next day I was over all of it.

I mean like......

I was thinking....

Why was I so out of sorts?

Thank goodness we had one more day before hubby had to

go back to work.

We got along fine.....even if the guys did give me side glances a lot.

I'm sure they were on edge waiting on the next eruption.

My friend from out of town came over that night

and my husband and boys sat around and talked

with us and it was great.

After she left hubby was putting on his jacket.

Me: Where are you going?

Hubby:  I'm suppose to help someone get their truck out of a ditch

but I didn't want to leave because

your friend comes every year.....you know.....

a tradition....

(cue music)

nee-na-nee-na-nee-na-nee-na

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Disclaimer

My hubby and boys are wonderful!! Most of the time they cannot do enough for me....I don't

want anyone to think they aren't the absolute best......and no....they are not standing over me making me

write this....lol.  I just wanted to be real and I thought it was funny how the male/female

versions of Christmas go......:)