My kids will actually be home! I am very thankful that it’s working out. One arrives from LaLa land before dawn on Christmas Eve and has a short vacation with us on the east coast. The other, who is working in the hospitality industry in NYC was granted December 23-25 … his normal days off plus the actual holiday. That is if none of the hourly staff get snarky and call in “sick” … but since he’s going out of town hopefully that will be someone else’s problem.
My son lives a long way away and has worked the last few Christmases. He is not scheduled Christmas day but would be thrilled to get called on as he gets triple time. He does have an invitation for Dinner if he isn’t working. We have usually gone out there for a few days somewhere around Christmas but not this year as my brother and his wife are coming in May from England for a visit and we are all staying at son’s (SC is a more fun holiday destination than OK).
Daughter lives less than an hour away but her husband has a large extended family, including divorced parents and step parents, and it always seems to be a juggling act for them try and fit in numerous Christmases. Our family is very small and it would have just been my husband and I so we decided to go to Las Vegas for Christmas. I am looking forward to it but must admit I haven’t got into the Christmas spirit at all yet.
My Mum died earlier this year. Christmas is just making me think about her a lot and making me sad. Silly really as we didn’t get to spend more than a handful of Christmases together once I left England 30 years ago.
Sorry for your loss @swimcatsmom. Missing your mum would make things extra tough.
Years back, we used to go to Las Vegas every second week in December to celebrate D’s (over 21)Bday, eat out, and take advantage of their store sales which are fantastic this time of year. Enjoy!
D1 is a server in a city 1,000 miles away. She’ll have Christmas Day off but not the day before or after so, for the second year in a row, won’t be home for the holiday. She was here in the fall, amid her move from one coast to the other, so I have seen her recently. D2 lives in the same city as D1. She has a few vacation days to use so will be flying here on Christmas Eve and leaving early the following week.
@swimcatsmom - so sorry about your mum’s passing. There will be tears and there will be smiles at Christmas as you cherish her memory. Perhaps there is a family tradition that reminds you of your mum like baking a certain pie or listening to a particular Christmas song that will help you to feel her presence this season.
When my MIL passed, I found a beautiful glass ornament of an angel with a heart. She always hangs front and center on the tree and I tear up each year as I hang it and smile each time I pass by or see her sparkle from across the room.
Hugs
@FlyMeToTheMoon We did the same thing for Mom the first Christmas after Dad died. When we were little he used to take us kids out on Christmas Eve night to look at lights, but Mom never went because she stayed home to finish wrapping presents. So I revived the tradition in 2013 for her, and it’s now one of her favorite things.
One kid is coming home. I need to just be happy about that. Dh & I are down to one parent and he has been in-and-out of the hospital repeatedly for months. We want him to be pain-free and at peace, however he is just not ready to go yet. I expect he might be in January, as was the case with two other parents in prior years.