AUTHOR: Marty, a.k.a. canape TITLE: Traditions adjusted DATE: 11/25/2007 10:41:00 PM ----- BODY:
Thanksgiving weekend was wonderful. We had two dinners; one with Papa, Boo, and Pilot, and one with Lovely. Duplicated right down to the sparkling punch, appetizers, and the table setting. It's important to us that she knows she is missed when she isn't here. It's also important to us that she never feel guilty for having a good time spending holidays with her mother's family too. Having a replay of Thanksgiving day is just a small way of letting her know.

One reason I love Thanksgiving so much is because after Thanksgiving, I can officially start celebrating Christmas. We decorated our trees today. One in the living room and one in the dining room. The living room one is the silver and blue tree. The tree I get anal about and move around decorations to be just right. The tree where even the presents have to match.

The dining room tree has multi-colored lights and all of the random ornaments. There are ornaments from my childhood, and ones from Guy's childhood. Some of his mother's ornaments are tucked safely in a Victoria's Secret box, which he and I both get a good laugh about. Our pasts, brought together on one tree.

He said his mother would have loved that tree. I'm so glad.

My grandmother would also love that tree. It has just the right amount of holes and missing branches to be a tree that needed to be loved. And it has her old tree topper, proudly crowning the tip top of the tree.

Guy teases me about my love of tradition during the holidays, but today he confessed that he loves it. He said it reminded him of his mother, and that he was glad Little Bird would have a mom who was a little nutty for the holidays. I'm pretty sure he was being sweet.

Juggling Christmas Day traditions will be a challenge when Little Bird is old enough to start understanding what is happening. Every other year, Lovely will be with us on Christmas morning, and every other year, not until Christmas evening. We will have to have two traditions. You can't replay Christmas like you can Thanksgiving, so we will just have to have two traditions.

But it's like she and I decided on Friday this year while celebrating Thursday's holiday. It's just a date on the calendar. The holiday is the time whenever you celebrate it. She is a smart one, that kiddo.

So I'm learning to be flexible in my expectations. This year, we didn't actually get the trees until Saturday morning because Guy needed to lay tile in the foyer on Friday. We didn't actually switch out the everyday dishes with the holiday dishes until Saturday because technically, it was still Thanksgiving at our house.

And that's okay. Shoot. Thanksgiving being my favorite day of the year, I guess you could say that I'm pretty lucky to have it last twice as long. And I'm definitely lucky to have this wonderful family to share my holidays with.

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----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Steph DATE:Monday, November 26, 2007 at 6:45:00 AM EST You are indeed wonderfully blessed.

AND.. I could HUG you for this post! Livs dad and I split holidays. I get her for Christmas Eve/Christmas one year and then New Years Eve/New Years the next. We, too, will have to have 2 traditions.

Its good to realize that the holiday isnt about a set day but about being with your family and loved ones. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Jenn DATE:Monday, November 26, 2007 at 8:49:00 AM EST I'm so happy for you; that you have so many things to be thankful for.

It is much deserved. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous slouchy DATE:Monday, November 26, 2007 at 9:18:00 AM EST There is so much love and caring and tenderness in this post.

I'm so glad that it was a wonderful Thanksgiving. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Candygirlflies DATE:Monday, November 26, 2007 at 11:54:00 AM EST You are such a wonderful mother already, Canape... Your family is so very lucky to have you.

xo CGF ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Ally DATE:Monday, November 26, 2007 at 5:07:00 PM EST I love how you demonstrated your love for Lovely by treating her to a duplicate Thanksgiving dinner. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Stella DATE:Monday, November 26, 2007 at 8:15:00 PM EST What a wonderful post! Your little bird and lovely are so blessed to have you and Guy! They must know that they are so loved!

She is quite the smart cookie!! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous katy DATE:Tuesday, November 27, 2007 at 2:45:00 PM EST I love that our Christmas is spread out for a week. We get together with my parents on Christmas and then do it all again when my brother can come from Indiana and then again when my sister can make it in from N.J. It makes for at least a week of getting together with family and three times the Christmas candy! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Jenn DATE:Wednesday, November 28, 2007 at 11:56:00 PM EST Lovely sounds positively charming. Bird is so lucky to have a sister like her!

Family is the key. Not location or date. Being together is definitely what matters!

Your blue tree is so pretty! ----- --------