Christmas Time Is Here

Last night while wandering through a Border's book store in my neighborhood, I realized I've not watched a single Christmas movie so far this Holiday season. Not the classic "A Christmas Carol" with Alister Sim. Not the Peanuts gang. Not "The Grinch" (neither the 60s version nor the hilariously funny Jim Carey movie).

So, a quick stop at Best Buy and I now own all three and can watch at my leisure this weekend as Christmas draws closer with each tick of the clock. Oh there are other Yuletide movies that I've loved to watch throughout my years of childhood and adulthood. "Miracle on 34th Street" and "It's a Wonderful Life" are both great, in my view. And the animated short movies featuring Burl Ives ("Santa Claus Is Coming to Town") and "Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer" are fun to see each year as well. I was never a huge fan of "Frosty the Snowman," however. That whole scene when the magician locks Frosty in the atrium and he melts. Ugh!

Of course, along with Christmas genre movies comes baking and cooking. In this, the first year of starting over (at age 41) my challenge is to come up with a new tradition that my kids and I can own as our special "thing." At this point, that tradition is going to become celebrating Christmas on the day after Christmas; feasting on a prime rib roast with red potatoes, candied carrots and followed by cheesecake or maybe pumpkin pie if I feel ambitious. Once we're stuffed we'll open gifts. I'll tell a little story about my childhood Christmases that I remember and we'll play a game of Scrabble as we watch "A Christmas Carol."

I want them to experience the joy that Christmas is all about and not focus on the negative changes that have impacted their lives in the past 12 months. They deserve every chance to forget and be happy. To move on and recognize that life is not SO different even with the changes.

I intend for them to have a Merry Christmas times two because I know they'll experience a wonderful day of celebration with their Mom.

God bless them. And God bless us...everyone!

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