While decorating the tree I pulled up the original “How The Grinch Stole Christmas” and found myself laughing at a million holiday memories this precious little cartoon triggered.  Mom was always so great about allowing the television specials (Charlie Brown, The Grinch, Rudolf, Frosty) to be a big production in our house. She’d hurry us through our bath and dinner routine… in the good way, not the usual “If you don’t get your scrawny butt out of that tub you’re gonna regret what happens next!” way…

and then she’d let one of the older sisters pop popcorn, and we’d all pack into the living room to sit still and watch the show. Most years one of us was grounded from watching television due to grades or “citizenship marks” (Mrs. Perry and her 5th grade capital punishment was the reason for many of my own looooong and restful nights) but Christmas specials were one of the few times mom would bend the rules and allow us to tag a  “makeup night” onto the back of our punishment in order to watch the show with the family.  I’m so thankful to my parents for always making Christmas the most wonderful time of year. Much like the Whos, Christmas in our house was more about family and love then packages and tin-tinglers so my most special growing up memories are from the Holidays.

Since moving to Colorado I have not been with the family for Christmas and every year I end up having a boo-hoo moment or two from missing all the warmth of family and friends. Chris is so cute, each year, during the first week of December, he’s insisted that we’re going to be in Atlanta for Christmas so I won’t be sad about being away but I always promise that all the chaos (good chaos) that comes with Christmas at home is the last thing I want and I’ll be fine. But then comes Christmas Eve, and after we’ve finished an amazing meal and watched “A Christmas Story” on TBS I start to get ready for bed and end up thinking about all the Christmas Eve’s when my sisters and I would put on our new pajamas and kiss mom and dad goodnight, too excited to sleep (and then we’d spend the entire night teasing the hell out of each other until dad would threaten us to within an inch of our lives if we didn’t settle down) and I sniff a little and tell Chris I miss everyone and wish I was home. He sighs and says “Spicy, why didn’t we go to Atlanta?? Next year we’re going to be home”… it’s our little Christmas game. But I truly love the traditions Chris and I have started for ourselves and these traditions mixed with the memories from the past and all the phone calls home mean that I get the best of both worlds.

The other day a friend posted a very cold, and what I felt was a horrible quote, about Christmas being nothing more then a holiday for self-centered adults.  I was so sorry for whatever gave my friend this feeling and after watching “How The Grinch Stole Christmas” I’m inspired to put this little something into the universe to balance things out:

Welcome Christmas, bring your cheer, cheer to all Whos far and near. Christmas day is in our grasp as long as we have hands to grasp. Christmas day will always be just as long as we have we. Welcome Christmas while we stand, heart to heart and hand in hand. – Dr. Seuss

Now go enjoy some Roast Beast!

Spice