Let The Race Begin.

So here we are, but a few week from Christmas. We should be done with our shopping, and just relaxing, saving energy for the absolute mad house that is my family's Christmas. Wrong. A case of the flu came around and set us back. We have what's left of this week to get most of our shopping done. This means from now on, my life is gonna be crazy.


To assist in your understanding, let me explain what our life will be like starting Friday.

On Friday the 17th My dad comes home from California and has his week off. Yay vacation.... no wait, on Saturday Dad and I head to Roseburg and get some of our shopping done, which is always a fun time.

On Sunday it's off to California....what? California less than a week before Christmas? Yes, my dad needs an MRI done and this is the only time we can do it.

Back Home on Wednesday, just in time for my parents to go up to my brother's in Portland on Thursday. Couldn't they come down and celebrate with the rest of the family and save my parents the stress of racing around so close to Christmas? Ha! Of course not, this is my dickhead brother and his beastly wife we're talking about. They don't want to have to seem considerate. Plus, they can't openly trash talk the family down here, especially me. So they unload all their crap onto my parents, making my mom physially ill, as usual. Just what we need, depression before the busiest two days of the year.

They get back home on the same day, Thursday, and we rest as much as we can before the big day Friday.

Christmas Eve. Here we go. Try and gather your strength.

As I said earlier, our Christmas is a madhouse. We can have a quiet time of a little gift swapping and chit chat, oh no. We must have our Christmas traditions be so big and elaborate, we actually have a rules system.

Every year we designate a family member to host Christmas. This used to be done in a certain order, but has recently changed to a volunteer thing. This year my christian aunt and uncle have volunteered, for the second year in a row, which is really nice of them.

So we get there at around noon, most of us just mill around and talk a bit. Not me though, for I am the Santa. The Santa is the person in charge of gift organization and distribution. For the longest time my awesome aunt (don't want to mention names) was the Santa, and I became the helper. Last year I finally fully took over so she could just sit and have fun. I love being the Santa, I love the organization and everything, it's alot of fun.

So as people come in They put their present in a pile, and from that pile I seperate the presents according to family groups, of which there are six, each with atleast three people, though this year, I may make a seperate pile as there is a new family group forming(one of my cousins got married).

When that is all done we relax and talk a bit, but before ya know it, It's Round One of Present distribution. On Christmas Eve we let the kids open all their gifts, and the Adults all get to open one. Then on Christmas Morning we keep the kids in a room while the parents put out the big, unwrapped presents for the kids. These are Santa presents. So back to round one. Gifts are handed out from youngest to oldest, repeated until there are none left. This year there will be five or six kids, so we may break halfway through and eat the Christmas Eve Dinner, which is mostly dessert.

Once the kids are through with their gifts, it is usually getting late and people are getting tired. We do one round of adults, of which there are fifteen, and depending of how many presents there are, we may sneak in another round.

After that we put the kids to bed, and we all get in our pj's and just relax a bit before we go again the next day.

Christmas Day. Halfway done.

We wake up bright and early. Well, dark and early since the sun wont be up yet, while the parents set up the Santa gifts for their kids. Once they are done, and the kids have cooked up their excitement and impatience long enough, we open the doors and let em out.

After a bit of watching the kids, we clear off the couches, and start again on the Adult Rounds, picking up where I left off last night. With the kids occupied by their new toys, this is uaully a stress free event.

Afterwards we have our Christmas Lunch and spend some time lounging around and talking. Soon we will start to head home.

And that's a Christmas with my family. Lots of hurrying and stress, but well worth it in fun.

Now I must be going, my mom has an appointment in Medford and we have to drop off a few of our presents at my Grandma's (no way everything would fit at once).

(Still need to proofread this, forgive the horrible mistakes I have no doubt made.)