Christmas after all

Thursday Dec 13 2007
I am not in the mood for Christmas , not the decorations, not the lights, the simple , simple, Christmas dinner with the kids would make me happy.

I do not know how much Bob remembers of the Christmasses in the past.
He really, really was a Christmas nut.

Knock on the door and there before me stood a REAL Christmas tree.
Peaking behind the branches was daughter Rhonda.
She is the romantic in the family.
She is all about flowers, colors, music, writing, angels, the knight on his white horse...
the whole nine yards.
So she figured that I NEEDED a Christmas tree.
My heart sank.
I so wanted her to walk out with the tree and say :I made a mistake.
Not Rhonda.
She said that I looked at her tree and I looked sad, hence Mom needs a tree.

So in comes the tree followed by Grandson Peter who brings me 2 pots of
pointsettas, flowers I just LOVE so that was well received.
I tried to be very nice about the tree and not break Rhonda's enchantment
about it all. I keep thinking of the money she spent on us that she needs.
I think I managed a smile.

Bob follows the people and the tree from room to room until we decide on a
corner. He frowns. He sighs. This is not in his schedule.
Rhonda announces that it is her responsability to keep it watered , decorated and
take it down. We are just to enjoy.

So I start to relax, OK, I can handle that. No work for me and a few lights.
OK I can handle that much.
I bring the box of ornaments and Peter starts to decorate.

I fix dinner.
Bob sits by the kitchen table and does not look happy.
He has problems with Peter's rapid movement of an active 8 year old.
Peter comes and gets Grandpa and gives him an ornament,
he shows him like you would a 3 year old on how to hang the ornament.
My heart sinks.
Peter has a very good heart , he is starting to know that Grandpa is a child
in may ways.
Bob puts on the ornament and is very choosy about where it goes.
The artist is still in there.
Peter gives him 2 others and after that Bob is tired and walk away.
But not so fast.
From the kitchen table he checks up on Peter and then decides that he
should direct the traffic of the ornaments.
Back in the dining room he goes and starts to boss Peter around.
Put this there, no does not look good here, no there is better.
Now Peter figures that he did not bargain for orders so now it is Peters
turn to pout.
He protests and says"I know where they go Grandpa!"

Christmas tree is up and running.
OK I will enjoy that but THAT IS ALL for Christmas decorations!!!!!

Bob goes to bed tired his medicine has not arrived yet from the VA hospital
they take forever even when we called twice.

His allergy is back up and eyes swollen because he had to supervise the
leaf blowing and that only brought back a spring allergy from pollen.

He does not "see" people tonight so I did not have to chase out the invisable kids which come in the evening and run all over the house.
At first I would argue with him that no one was there.
That would only aggravate him , i have learned to stay calm and just
say things like : I just sent them all home.
He is happy with that statement.

We made in for another day, I feel it was a good day and we are blessed by our children.
I could not be without them.

Other people have it so much worse.
An in-law, a giant of a man, had to have his leg amputated today.
What is odd to me is that one of his wives had only one leg and he
used to tease her, karma around here????????????

Life goes on.
Weather 74 degrees in NC and it is almost Christmas
WOW