Festivities & Awesome News!

Only five days till the Winter Solstice! Hubs, Pooka and I don’t do Christmas for multiple reasons; the most significant being that none of us are Christian. Instead, in our house, we celebrate Solstice. We each give the others in our little nucleus one gift, so we never get more than two presents from within the family. We do stockings, so we can do small, inexpensive trinkets, and our extended families send gifts as well, but the idea is to move the focus of the holiday away from materialism and toward quality time with our loved ones. The gift is generally something that’s been well-thought-out, if we have money to buy something expensive; or homemade if we don’t.

We open gifts and stockings in the morning, and spend time as a family until the evening, when we typically host a dinner party for our friends and, if they’re in the area, our extended family. This year, though, we’ve decided to take the party outside. We’re going to a local park and sledding in the afternoon! There’s an old shelter at the top of the hill, with a fireplace in it, so we’re going to build a fire and pre-make chili, baked potatoes and hot chocolate to serve when people get cold and hungry.

Sunday I start taking “dino-shots.” I’m glad I’m doing it the day after the festivities. I’d hate to get completely hormonal and wind up in tears because I hit a bump on the hill and fell out of my sled! HA! I mentioned to Hubs this morning that I’m due to start “crazy meds” on Sunday. He snuggled up against me and told me, “There’s nothing to worry about, Honey. I’m not going anywhere this time.” I adore him. He always knows how to set me at ease.

OOH! ALSO! I'm going to be an Auntie again! I have two nephews: The Athlete, who is Hubs' nephew (but mine because I married Hubs) and Little Mook, who is my stepsister's. But now Lord and Lady Bear, who have been trying for a year and a half, are just into their second trimester. I'm wishing for a niece. Nephews are pretty awesome, but it's time we had another girl on my side of the family. (Pooka has two girl-cousins on her biological father's side, but no girl-cousins on mine.) We'll find out for sure on Valentine's Day! WHEE!