<p>It’s really hard to be away from your family over the holidays. After so many years, I have only missed one Christmas, because I was in a war zone. Missing your family and having a box lunch for Christmas dinner is really awful, and I hope to never do it again. I know that sounds whiny because there are so many people that can’t be with their family, many years in a row.</p>
<p>Well hopefully momofthreeboys son will have gotten his flight rescheduled or will use my miles. I sent her my account info should she want it, and if tomorrow doesn’t work, I’m sure it will be easy to get out on Christmas. I’d imagine her and the family have been busy doing Christmas stuff and haven’t had a chance to check email. Giving airmiles away is really no big deal. It doesn’t cost anything, and me and my husband accrue so many for work that we never pay for a ticket anyways.</p>
<p>@packmom: this is also our first Christmas without our S at home, although mine is travelling in Italy with a GF, not in a war zone, which is of course completely different. Hugs to you.</p>
<p>First Christmas our son won’t be here either…because of work and schedules. I just hope some family takes him in for Christmas dinner. We are sad he won’t be here.</p>
<p>One Christmas three years ago I spent by myself, my oldest for some reason had made a committment to house/dog sit in Portland, my mother had died the week before and our lab was too old to leave or to take anywhere. So my youngest took the train to see her sister and then my H went to spend the holiday with them.
It was pretty miserable.
But I had my dog.
:)</p>
<p>I think one of the hardest things about “the empty nest” is transitioning from your kids being with you all the time, to having them start establishing their own traditions.
But it must be extra frustrating when they haven’t reached that point yet, but are just stuck on route.
Hard to believe my oldest didn’t have a cellphone till the middle of college, how did we cope?
Now we can’t make a trip to the grocery store without texting, let alone traveling across the country.
:)</p>
<p>So true.My oldest has not been home for a couple years now.They are establishing their lives, but my youngest was sad that he wouldn’t see his 'bro. My 85 year old mom was recalling last night all my hair raising trips home at Christmas in my early twenties coming out of Minneapolis and one scary icy drive they took on the 23rd 300 miles to pick me up when the plane couldn’t come down at our hometown airport and landed in Detroit. The nice thing was the bus driver dropped my son off at his corner instead of the normal stop last night so he didn’t have to walk to his apartment…it was two below zero when he finally got back to his town. Sent thank you to bus company last night.</p>
<p>This is my first Christmas without D, too. She left 2 weeks ago to go overseas to teach. This week, her school is on break, so she will be all alone. The few American colleagues she has met have gone out of town this week, so she has a lot of time to fill. She is probably not sad at all, but my heart aches for her. Growing up stinks.</p>
<p>Our daughter arrived home tonight. She completed a two year Peace Corp appointment. This is her first Christmas at home since 2009. Sadly, her brother won’t be here this year. He has a job in the morning, will spend the afternoon relaxing, and will
spend the evening with some friends. We just talked to him…and will talk to him again tomorrow afternoon. We will miss having him here.</p>
<p>@musicmom-- this a a little aside from the “missing them on Christmas–” My daughter returned 2 weeks ago from a year teaching abroad and it was such a great experience for her. It was hard on me, but so worth it for her. PM me for details, or if you’d like to talk about it.</p>
<p>On a happier note, we had a lovely Christmas, which we always do. Like I said, we all get along fine, and I think the food was the best it has ever been (my mom did most of the cooking). The only thing missing was my D.</p>
<p>My deployed Navy S didn’t call yesterday…was a little worried. Then the phone rang this morning and it was him. As luck would have it, DH who worked all through Christmas, walked in from work just in time to speak to S1 too.</p>
<p>Heard music in the background as S talked. He has to stand on the roof of his building to call me. He lives very near a mosque and says the music plays loudly five times a day for prayers. How weird to be sitting in my little house here in the U.S. and hear music from a mosque in the Middle East!</p>