In answer to your unasked question: Little G's Nativity Play went down a storm. No baby was dropped. Small waved copiously and Grandma was so glowing with pride, you could have run the lights off her.
And so to Christmas. Excitement is building in You Must Be Mad's house. The tree is up. Small has not, so far, removed any of the decorations, as he did last year when he took a great fancy to a small felt dinosaur, which kept getting rescued, returned, and re-stolen.
This year, we are hosting the family, and I have decided to go for ecologically sound decorations of a 'growing in the garden' variety, so there is trailing ivy up the stairs, and holly, bay and rosemary festooning the dresser and pictures.
Christmas lunch will be a feast. Due to Small's veg phobia, diplomatic negotiations will take place beforehand over the number of peas deemed acceptable. L-Plate Granddad will set light to the Christmas Pudding, despite Health & Safety warnings, and everybody will don paper hats and tell cracker jokes that Small won't get.
However. There is a spectre at the feast. Next year, Little G & Small will be moving with You Must Be Mad, to New York to live. Six years of sharing our lives and having adventures together is going to come to an end. And under the jollity and rejoicing, the greenery, the presents, the food and fun, there will be two very broken adult hearts at the table.
But the show must go on. And it will. Because it has to.
Happy Christmas, everyone ....
Oh my goodness, New York! What a hole in your life that will be. Are you going to use your new passport? You will have to use FaceTime or Skype. On a lighter matter my OH says it is the duty of all grandpa’s to light the pudding.
ReplyDeleteOh Carol I feel your pain. I know you don't like flying but you will have to! Go on a course for it but do it! Have the best Christmas x
ReplyDeleteOh oh oh! I was so enjoying this delightful post until that wham bam blow at the end! Is this a long term move or a contract with an end in sight? You will have to go and visit of course, and as Lizanne says, Face Time or Skype will have to be part of your lives. I have no grandchildren, but I can feel the desolation from here...the show will go on, though, and somehow you'll be part of it.
ReplyDeleteAwwwww, that’s tough. But you’ve instilled such an exciting sense of adventure in both those littles that they’ll be so ready to rock and roll in the Big Apple, thanks to you! I teach at a Uni and the kids who travelled the world are by far the most open minded and curious - they’re by far my favourite to work with. And Norwegian fly a super fast service over there! You should be so proud of that daughter of yours; she’s killing it in the career world - again, well done you for creating that one! Happiest of Christmasses to you xxxx
ReplyDeleteI do admire your fortitude, Carol, and you're right, the show must go on. But why does it have to be so painful?
ReplyDeleteThank God for Facetime, at least you can see and talk to each other as often as you need to...