say no to christmas.

this year i'm just saying no.
my mother and i discussed it and we agreed.
we aren't really celebrating christmas this year.
please take note of the words 'aren't really'.
what this means is, we aren't going to go through the hustle and bustle of decorating the house, putting up a tree, putting up lights outside the house. we will however, do the things that actually hold meaning to us. such as family breakfast on christmas morning; going to church on christmas eve; black cake, pastelles, punch-a-crème and rum punch (of course!). things like that. christmas really is about family and children. sometimes i think children (in their innocence) are the ones who get the most joy out of christmas. that being said...we will buy presents for the children in our immediate family under the age of 13 (all those above that age have already been hit with the harsh reality that there is no Santa Claus).

unfortunately, i work across the street from one of toronto's major shopping malls. this means, i am in there on a daily basis. i feel like such a scrooge as i screw up my face each time i enter a store and am hit with christmas carols and a barrage of christmas decorations.

in the last few weeks, the only time that i've smiled while thinking about christmas was last week. i was babysitting my cousin's children (all of whom are under the age of 6...yes, it was a LONG day spent with 3 children under age 6). the middle was at the window looking at the remnants of the light snow fall we had while the youngest sat on the couch looking at her. i listened to her ramble on to him about christmas and did he realize that this meant that santa was on his way and that it's a long journey from the north pole by sleigh so perhaps he was already on 'the road'. cute. too cute. i did however, need a long nap after babysitting and listening to her speak about santa and christmas all damn day.

i am not a grinch!

i just think that the meaning behind christmas has become muddled.
but that's another post.

rotating...the notorious b.i.g - ready to die
absorbing...zadie smith - the autograph man