Run Run Ruldolph...Part 1

Finally!  It’s the holiday season YET again.  I am so excited this year for Christmas-which is amazing since I am excited for Christmas every year, so if I am saying I am excited already, you know I am at like 198.5% more excited than in years past.

This year is a year of all sorts of sorts…  I figure that this might be the last year of the FULL magic of the big man in the red suit for both of my children at the same time.  

Ellie is 4, she finally gets it.  She was riding the happy wave last year in Gabe’s wake, but this year, she is standing firm on her own about the awesomeness that is Christmas.  Her excitement could fuel a jet plane, nay, Santa’s sleigh itself.  She is ready, she is watchful and she’s determined to catch someone on Christmas Eve to incarcerate in her lair of babies and princess shoes.

Gabe is almost 8.  He’ll be a week shy of turning 8 on Christmas (Yup, New Year’s baby for those of you who don’t know know me), so I am sadly figuring this is his last year of shiny faced belief.  Who knows, he might be already questioning, but bless his heart, he hasn’t breathed a syllable of this to me. But, I am realizing that by next year, he’ll be watching me too closely.. he’ll start tracking my poor attempts at being sly and eventually catch me in a twisted explanation so convoluted that I have no hope of finding a way out without blowing my cover.  That and I am incapable of telling a good lie.  Santa’s suit has nothing on the amount of redness I turn while trying to weave a good yarn of halftruths.

So, I’ll revel in this maybe last year of unquestioned magic in my home.  And I will enjoy EVERY single moment of it. They will write books about me, perform seminars extolling the spirit to which I have festooned upon others.  It will be MAGICAL in my home, not only for my children, but for myself as well.   

I have my oatmeal bought, glitter ready and google eyes poised to make our Reindeer Food complete with Reindeer jars for easy storage.  I have been stockpiling on fun craft ideas to do on those boring December nights while we wait impatiently for The Grinch, Charlie Brown and Frosty to come on.  Our elves, Antoadio and Elfie (although, I am willing to lay money down that her name will become Elsa before this holiday is over), are preparing to return in a few weeks.  They have been preparing a special bag for each child to welcome themselves back to our home. I’m already scoping out fun places they can move to each night that will keep them safe from Abu or Oscar’s (helpful) paws.  I do have plenty of cinnamon ready, however, should they find themselves in someone’s hand, paw, or mouth- Our elves do not follow the path some of their peers do, though.  Our elves might be “boring” in comparison, but they choose not to be naughty (My children fulfill that requirement already!!) Instead they are mischievous in their hiding spots, sometimes bringing back a North Pole treat to let Gabe and Ellie know that Santa is watching through their eyes and is pleased.  

And I’m happy, so very happy this year.  I’m always happy, I know, but this year…again, the % is through the roof.  I have so many people in my life that I get to share my happiness with.  I have a baby niece on the way, although she’ll find us in time for St. Pat’s Day, not quite for Christmas, but the joy is still there.  I have new friends, family and LOVES to enjoy this season with.  It’s truly going to be a magical time.  I have so many wonderful plans, surprises and treats to share! 

Christmas has IT for me, the happiest and best time of year.  I promise to do it up proudly. Not over the top, just magical.  I know I’ve used that word a lot, but that is the only way I can sum up how I am feeling this year.  The pieces are in place at last and it’s time to make some memories…

To be continued!

Write Right Now!!!

The other day I was going through some old boxes from college/high school looking for a picture and I found this story that my friend Susanne had written for me.  It was double sided, handwritten and apparently missing a page because I only held the 2^nd half in my hands.  Looking at that paper a few things dawned on me… 1- where is the other half?  2-dear god, how I miss Susanne and 3- she handwrote me a story that had to be about 4 pages long.

Reading that story, I started to smile because she wrote it to me to cheer me up.  Something way back in 1992 had made me sad and this wonderful friend of mine handwrote me a story about Santa Claus and the Grinch.  Beyond the point that she wrote me a silly story, I got to thinking how this would have never happened in today’s world.   That story would have been about 3 sentences long in an email.  It might have been a text message in code.  A silly picture posted to Facebook.  The sentiment would have been the same, but the delivery would have been entirely different and honestly, I think while I would have appreciated any method of comfort to cheer me up, a handwritten story trumps all. 

So with this tucked away in the back of my mind, I arrive at yesterday-  I decide to send my friend Britten a copy of a cd (personal usage only FCC!!).  While I am copying the music, I decide to do a little cover art for her-  I get out my pitiful art supplies that I have in my desk and set to work.  As I am doing this, I realize how much I miss sending and receiving letters.  I go to my mailbox each day and beyond the bills, catalogs, circulars and junk mail, it is rarely anything personal.  I miss that.  

In this world, we wish each other Happy Birthday via email, text and Facebook.  Don’t get me wrong, I love love love seeing all of the Happy Birthday messages on my wall, it is like a gift that gives all day each time I get a notification, but when is the last time you actually got a birthday card mailed to you?  (I’m not talking about the one your mom and dad gives you over cake).  Christmastime…  some people still send out cards, I try to each year, but honestly, I just ran out of time this year.  But even the cards are a shadow of what they used to be.  I’m guilty of it to, but how many of us opt to create a card via the internet on Tiny Prints or Snapfish and type in our happy message, love us, etc and then that’s it?  No personal message on the back, no I love you, hope to see you…  A few years ago I made my own cards using a picture I took of Gabe.  I wrote a personal note to each one, granted it might have been a line or two, but I used a real pen and wrote with my hand.  It was time consuming, it took forever, it actually cost me more than it would have cost me had I just used an internet card making service.  The next year I went the easy route again, but looking back at those cards, I realize now how awesome there were and so worth the time it took me to do them.

At work, I rarely have to write anything.  I “write” all day long, but I do it using my fingers camped out on the home row of my keyboard (Thanks Mr. Sheehan)-  I can type like nobody’s business.  I am fast and I make few mistakes.  The only time I honestly take pen to paper is when I am interviewing someone or talking on the phone and I am jotting down little notes as to what is going on with my call.  Drips and Drabs.. Not writing.  

Remember in school when you had to write an essay or answer questions using the dreaded BLUE BOOK?  Actually WRITE?  I can remember my hand cramping, shifting in my seat, sighing, etc, but we did it.  We filled those damn books full of our cramped handwriting.  I honestly do not know if I could survive one of those 20 page horrible books now, I would need a support team to rub my hand halfway through, someone squirting water into my mouth, a blanket around my wrist to keep it limber..  And that is a problem.  I should be able to write still..  

And so, I have decided to start a movement.  The Write Right Now Movement.  Hmmm, not sure about the name, I might need to work on that..  But the premise is that I am going to start writing.  I am going to start surprising my friends with notes, cards, messages, etc all created from my own hands.  Cards will be handmade, no more copping out with the internet making them (or if I am pressed for time and do make internet cards, they will come with a handwritten personal sentiment to the recipient).  I am going to try this for a year and hope it catches on with my circle of people.  I charge all of you to pick up a pen, crayon, marker and a glue stick and create something from your own hand.  I would love to look back 20 years from now and like I did with my story from Susanne, smile fondly at the work someone put into creating for me, just because.