It's that time again..

I am trying to start a revolution. I want to unite all single Aunts and Uncles who are childless on the Holidays, for me that means Christmas. Those of us who are expected to buy gifts for not only all of our nieces and nephews but for the parents too but get only 1 lousy gift from the entire family. For us to somehow come together officially and make an amendment to the rules from here on out.

In my case I have 13 people aside from my Mom and Dad that are kids and parents. From those 13 people all of whom receive individual gifts from me.. I get a total of 4. Now how does that seem fair ! I get a measly 1 present per family. And the WHOLE family gets individual gifts from good old old Aunt K...

I think I should be getting a gift from each person that I buy a gift for. It's basic really. If my niece or nephew are too young to get a job and buy me something themselves then that should be their parents problem. School doesn't let their tuition slide simply because they are only 9. Nope, their mom and dad are expected to carry them.. Why not at Christmas? Why not for my gifts?

I have a few ideas.

One-The parents (more importantly for my point OUR brothers and sisters) could buy an extra gift and say it's from us. Saving us time and money.

We did not ask them to keep multiplying. I loved all of my nieces and nephews when they were the firsts and only. The seconds were fun too but with thirds popping up made my Christmas and birthday lists WAY too long.

(A side note) -I feel exactly the same way about how many presents I should receive on my birthday but it's holiday time now so I will cover that.

Two- The parents can buy us one gift per child and level out the gift giving field a tiny bit. A gift to me from each one of my nieces and nephews nicely wrapped and waiting for me on Christmas morning right along side of my 13...

I am not sure how I will handle things this Christmas. If I bought one gift per family the kids would hate me and I would loose my title as "Worlds Coolest Aunt & Best Present Giver Ever" so I will most likely submit to the unbalanced routine of things and like every other year put myself deeper into my none childbearing sibling debt. I guess my sleeping late whenever I feel like it and my single girl sanity are the presents that can't be wrapped and my siblings intuitively know it. So alas I get less gifts on certain days. It's the price I pay for the rest of my selfishly lived life. With that said I may postpone the revolution..

Words and things..

Writing freely without fear is something I have been doing since I was a child. I found a freedom starting with a crayon, then to a pen and now with a key pad . I have always discovered something about myself through my writing. Good, bad or indifferent I could escaped into the words. I could work through whatever is happening in my life by discovering a newness in me on each line. Sometimes I am not sure what I am saying until I stop. I surprise myself with where I end up.. if I let go and just take the ride where my fingers lead me. This blogging may become that for me and I will have a new outlet of self. A new cyber me in progress. I am excited about telling stories and hearing feedback on my "take" on things. My timing is pretty good (or so I have been told) and other then my impeccable sense of fashion, my sense of humor is solid. I can and have fallin back on it.. Anyway the journey has begun and the road is open...

Growing ups not so fun...

Thanksgiving this year was as it should be "Turkey filled" but it was not as I prefer it simply family filled. My entire life, up until the last 10 years Thanksgiving took place in my Moms house . It was and still is a small home. When filled with all of us it could sometimes become claustrophobic . Although I would prefer rubbing elbows in passing with my brother unable to avoid one another, in my parents kitchen , with the smell of stuffing in the air and the storm door glass window fogging up from the heat of the oven, then sitting at a table in a restaurant with 20 people and calling it Thanksgiving .

There will come a time in my life when the option of squeezing into my parents house is simply not available. When the entire family will no longer sit around the living room trying to find a way to escape each others conversation. Asking ourselves quietly "How did we ever live here together".. I recall it like yesterday my brother spread out on the couch controlling the TV before he falls asleep. The kids running around upstairs getting checked on and then inevitably punished every few hours.My mom at the stove. My sister everywhere.. My family together... fogged glass door and the smell of Thanksgiving through out the house.

Sadly it seems that time has come and it has been gone now for almost 10 years. I just kept thinking it would return. I was reminded by my Dad as he drove me back to my apartment that Thanksgiving at my childhood family table was something of the past and that saddened me.

My Mom and Dad are still alive and well . My childhood home is still standing and over crowded Thanksgiving ready...

"Maybe next year", I thought as I kissed them both goodbye Thursday night. Maybe next year, I can stand in the kitchen drawing with my finger a smily face in the fog and writing 'My Family still exist" as they always have.. Squished Together.. or I will simply find my seat amongst the 20 and look forward to reminiscing with Mom and Dad in the car ride home.. for them I am Thankful.

Motivation

Not doing anything for an entire day is as much a commitment as running 5 miles. The big difference is no one ever brags about it and typically find something to blame it on. "Yes I took it easy today because I.... ( fill in the blank with something exceptional) all week". I wear my laziness and my ability to be sloth like as I would a Louis Vuitton bag. I own it and I am proud. I can spend an entire day rolled up on my couch DVR'ing my missed TV ordering in and doing absolutely nothing productive without apologies.

I have earned the right to be none motivated and I care less if someone thinks I am wasteing a day. I think anyone who pays money to sweat in a group of strangers is a little odd. Random groups of people dancing to the oldies or bending their bodies like Beckham seems more a waist of time then a day spent with Oprah...

Being able to crash and give my body and mind a rest... without feeling guilty .. is one of my gifts and I might even give myself a nap just for typing this much today.

So it begins..

I was walked through this today by my cousin Shaun. I am not sure exactly what to blog or why someone would care what I have to blog about but alas I find myself here and so I am blogging without hesitation. blah blah blog....