Last year, I wrote a blog post about why I don't like Thanksgiving. After reading it, the Wife complained to me about my negativity, and missing the real point of the holiday. I thought I nailed it with the whole "eat to much then go Christmas shopping thing", but she wanted me to at least consider the fact that life is pretty good. I gave in and followed up with a second post about Thanksgiving, including a list of things I was thankful for. During the two and a half dreadful years between the 2014 Winter Olympics and the 2016 Summer Olympics, I will occasionally have some writers block and not know what to write about. With that in mind, I should recognize a good thing when I can. So this year, I will continue my (now two year long) tradition of complaining about Thanksgiving, then giving in to my better half and noting what I am thankful for.
Before you run away, this will not be a repeat of last year's rant about bad foods and bad moods. I won't mention the Cowboys and I won't talk about raking. There's enough to complain about to get me through at least four years of these posts without repeating. So stick around and see where I go this year.
I recently checked out the family schedule for the next month and a half. I know I have mentioned the busyness of a suburban family with three active children (scary thought for the Wife and I - one of them isn't that active yet), but every once in a while, it tends to overwhelm. When November starts to blend into December, overwhelming occurs.
There are several factors that lead to this insane 4 week (or so) period. First, every activity is trying to come to some conclusion or resolution before the Christmas holidays. Second, every activity feels it is necessary to celebrate the holidays. Third, winter activities are heating up. Fourth, activities stop being inanimate things and become living, breathing organism intent on the destruction of me, and, let's be honest, it is all about me.
We just finished a lovely little lull in our lives called the end of soccer. Soccer this fall was the first activity that all three boys participated in, leading the Wife and I into a fun-filled dilemma called "how can the two of us be in three places at the same time?" Succumbing to the laws of physics, we had to tell Eldest that, from time to time, he would be playing soccer without a parent cheering for him on the sidelines. We are both relatively insane parents, so neither of us likes to miss things, but until a scientist discovers how to split a parent into two, we have to accept, along with other parents of more than one child, that things will be missed.
Soccer ended, and for about three weeks, our obligations were reduced by four practices and three games per week. Sadly, this period in our lives only lasted three weeks, until basketball began. Luckily, Youngest is still too young to do basketball. He also seems to have backed off his desire to do gymnastics, so we should at least get through the next four weeks with only two insanely busy children.
In the next four weeks we have two swim meets (one which is three days), several basketball games, several basketball practices, a chorus concert, a strings concert, at least one holiday party, a Cub Scout boat race, several other Cub Scout meetings, two birthdays and about nineteen other things I can't even remember. On December 3, Eldest has three different activities planned all at 7 pm. I have heard of being torn in different directions, but I never knew it was literal.
For some reason, this is bothering me more than the Wife. The Wife is typically the one worried about schedule and how we are going to get everything done. While looking at the calendar this year, she has this eerie calm come over her. She admits that she is more comfortable with just skipping something than I am, but I still don't understand why she is so calm about this. The next four weeks of our lives are insane.
At this point, those of you with children are asking yourselves, "What does this have to do with Thanksgiving? Isn't life always like this?" To a certain extent, yes, life is always like this. However, Thanksgiving pretends to be a holiday, while it is really just an enhancer of the madness. Holidays are supposed to be fun. They are supposed to be a distraction. Halloween is costumes and candy. Christmas is presents and fun. July 4th is fireworks and grilling. Memorial Day is the pool and grilling. President's Day is cold sightseeing in Washington, DC. Thanksgiving is a random Thursday taking away one week and one weekend that could be used for one of the swim meets or parties or concerts that now have to be fit into three weeks, instead of four.
In addition, Thanksgiving is a bunch of school events that you either have to take leave from work for or feel guilty, because your child didn't have a parent at the terrible tasting Thanksgiving feast the school cafeteria created.
In conclusion, we are dealing with a "holiday" that takes away an entire week from the busiest time of the year, but gives us nothing in return. OK, it gives me nothing in return, because I don't like turkey and mashed potatoes and all that other stuff people eat on Thanksgiving.
Oh, and I got a massive calf cramp swimming on Wednesday night, and the Wife is sick, and I'm tired, and it's cold, and Buffalo is sitting under about 10 feet of snow, and the days are shorter, and sports jerseys are really expensive, and...and...and.... All of that is the fault of Thanksgiving, too.
No comments:
Post a Comment