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December 24, 2009
Traditions
Tammy started a tradition a couple years ago where we drive around on Christmas Eve to see how people have decked out their yards with lights and whatnot. Tammy, Ron, and I love this tradition, but apparently the children feel differently about it. At first, both kids were mostly quiet while we adults went on about what color lights we like better and how cool it is that we can use big Christmas lights again due to the advent of LED. Finally, though, Max started asking, “Can we STOP at one of these houses?” We explained that we didn’t know any of these people and attempted to move on, but one thing about Max is that if you answer a question in a way he doesn’t like, he will just ask it again, more loudly, until you come up with something better. “Can we STOP at one of these houses?” he asked. “How about that one, with the nice tree?”
He tried getting us to stop at a house with a “nice tree” several more times, the subtext being that he’d rather take his chances with strangers who have a little taste than spend another stinking minute in the car with us, especially if all we were going to do is keep making fun of all the inflatable lawn ornaments that were falling down.
We couldn’t even interest the children in singing Christmas carols, although Lucas did supply some verses for “The Twelve Days of Christmas” (mostly, I think, because he couldn’t take his father goofing up the order any more—and, truly, Ron’s knowledge of the days disintegrates appallingly after “five golden rings”), and he also joined in for “Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer” (although Tammy’s the only one of us who really knows the words to that song anyway).
Meanwhile, periodically, Max would shout, “Can we STOP at one of these houses? How about that one, with the nice tree?”
At least he didn’t tell us to be quiet so he could think, which is something he also does every once in a while.
Finally, when Lucas started griping, we did go back to their house (which has a perfectly nice tree and no deflating inflatable lawn ornaments), and we commenced reading: Christmas in July by Arthur Yorinks and Richard Egielski, Harvey Slumfenburger's Christmas Present by John Burningham, Santa Duck by David Milgrim, Mortimer’s Christmas Manger by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman, and Who Will Help Santa this Year by Jerry Pallotta and David Biedrzycki. The boys went off to bed one by one during the stories, Lucas being the last holdout, but then it was one last check-in with Santa on NORAD and then off to bed so Christmas would be here sooner. I just checked in with Santa myself; he’s still in South America. Maybe I have time for just one or two episodes of The Office before it’s off to bed with me.
Merry Christmas!
Posted by adrienne at December 24, 2009 10:53 PM
Comments
Feel free to drive past our house...you can stop here. The 9 trees inside are better than the outside anyway. Merry Christmas!
Posted by: Pat at December 25, 2009 12:40 AM
Nine trees! Awesome! Max surely would have approved of that. Hope you all are having a great day today!
Posted by: adrienne at December 25, 2009 01:00 PM
I did try to explain that Santa is the only one that gets away with holiday home invasions but it did not appease him.
Posted by: tonderdo at December 27, 2009 10:02 PM
Max doesn't want society stifling him with its pesky "rules."
Posted by: adrienne at December 28, 2009 04:22 PM
I keep reminding my self that will serve him well later in life but it is PITA right now.
Posted by: tonderdo at January 1, 2010 02:17 PM