It has certainly been a fabulous Christmas this year. For the first time since 2008 we had a family holiday without the Cancer Monster in the room. Of course the monster lurked under the bed still, it always will, but we had a wonderful time and ignored the beast almost completely!
I love decorating the tree. I don't get to do the chic, color-coordinated tree of my designer dreams; instead I have the most spectacular tree filled with children's ornaments and happy memories. My tree has history adorning it. My tree is a family tree.
Our week off was very family oriented. We began with a trip to New York City to see
The Grinch at MSG. It was so much fun. The kids enjoyed the thrill of being in the city and soaked up the spectacle of the musical numbers. I got a thrill out of being back at MSG having been there a week earlier for the 12/12/12 Sandy Benefit Concert. Then there was our visit to the tree at Rockerfeller Center which was magnificent. The kids had seen it before, but had been too young to remember. We were finally doing the trip we wanted to become a kiddy tradition every year...finally. I was acutely aware of how lucky we were that we could start our tradition now.
Christmas Day was a family affair once again. Cousins and grandparents joined in the merriment. The boys loved their gifts from Santa, and I was rather impressed with myself for cooking the roast lamb to perfection....I'm not a cook so I toot my own horn on that one!
Boxing Day (as I will always call it being British) was quiet and a chance to hang out together without any agenda. A little shocked by how quickly Christmas comes and goes, I settled in to enjoy my sons playing with their new toys and joining in the odd board game or two. I ate the leftovers...the plebeians chose not to for some inexplicable reason!!! Crazy!
Being a couple is not easy when you have kids. Our couple time had become non-existent during the treatment years and we were finding it very hard to get our grove on as a partnership in anything other than medical and discipline control. Thankfully, Nana and Poppa came to the rescue with a precious gift, the gift of time. They took the boys for a two night sleepover. Talk about win-win! The boys were very excited and I came in after dropping them off to a house filled with a roaring fire and candlelight. Some much needed time together was spent actually talking to one another about us and our interests, rather than the kids. Note to self...do this more often!
Another big event was Sammy's first ever sledding day. Although he was given the all clear last year, there had not been any snow...go figure! Finally, we set out, all bundled up, to watch as our precious children hurled themselves down steel and slippery hills, crying out with delight at the thrill of feeling the snow kiss their cheeks and the wind whiz past them as they hit top speed just before reaching the tree line :-) I was not concerned, protective or afraid for them. I loved it! They were free! They were kids! They were happy, and so was I.
There were many jobs I planned to do over this vacation, and I must admit they did not get done. They await my attention, laughing at my procrastination. But I don't care! I laugh back at them because I have had a Christmas to remember for a lifetime. My boys were happy and healthy (ignoring the panic of the small spots appearing on Sammy and the rush to CHAM to check him out) and I got a chance to feel like we could really doable normal things families do during the Holidays. We knew the cancer monster was around, but he was well hidden and a little scared to show himself with all the laughter and merriment filling the house.
So, I wish you all a very Happy New Year! May we find the cure in 2013 and bring joy to thousands of families fighting monsters.
