Birthdays

Today is day 2 in the annual birthday trifecta right before Christmas.  Yesterday was my mother, who is 84.  Despite some last minute shopping, I was able to spend a couple of hours with her and dad.  I was so thankful for good weather for driving to Ogden.  You never know this time of year.  The visit was tinged with sadness as all the streets were decorated in pink ribbons for the funeral of the little girl killed in the Newtown shooting.  It was impossible to see all that pink without tearing up.  But mom and dad are both well and carrying on as usual, if a little frail and sometimes a little crazy.  When I arrived they were both in the basement in their respective offices on their computers.  Pretty hip oldsters they are with their desktop computers plus mom and her laptop and both with Nook tablets.  The technology keeps them connected with the world and I'm glad they have it.

Today is my daughter-in-law Simone's birthday.  No party planned but I'll drop by for a visit and a gift later.  I have a busy agenda with gift wrapping to do, a little baking planned.  Plus today I absolutely must catch up on laundry and housecleaning.  I won't make it a long visit today as we are having a Christmas Eve dinner at their house tomorrow, too, and they will be busy in those preparations.

Tomorrow is my oldest son Jeff's birthday.  Turns out he has to work a swing shift tomorrow evening and I'm working in the daytime, so we'll delay our celebration with plans for dinner instead on the 28th.  All of us with birthdays around Christmas know that things have to sometimes be juggled.  I'm working the 24th because that's what I arranged months ago when my former co-worker was still with us and she wanted the day after Christmas off.  Since one of us needed to be there, I volunteered to work on the 24th.  With the new hires, it wouldn't have mattered after all, but I'm keeping to the schedule anyway.  In the evening I'll join Steve and Simone's family for a traditional Brazilian Christmas Eve dinner.  I'm very excited for that as her parents are here from Brazil and her mom is a fabulous cook.  I know it will be wonderful and memorable.  And most especially for those two little grandsons of mine.

Christmas day will be quiet around my house.  My son again has to work in the afternoon, so they will come by in the morning to exchange gifts.  My son-in-law has to work during the day, so he and my daughter will come by in the evening.  In between time, I may just take a drive out to see some birds if the roads aren't icy.

Starting with Christmas day, I have eight days off in a row and then return to work January 2 for my final three days of work.  In my mind, once I get past birthdays and Christmas, then it's nothing but fun and clear sailing right on in to retirement.  Even the last three days will be a piece of cake.