We have to be careful when we plan something special for our family because if we do it once, the boys will insist on making it a tradition. This is especially true of Christmas. We begin the season by decorating our home the weekend after Thanksgiving, often getting a jump by hauling the bins of … Continue reading Christmas traditions
Tag: IHOP
Ruining Christmas
Children are prone to hyperbole. I understand this. Overstated pronouncements barely even move the needle on my parental reaction seismograph. But last weekend I encountered a new psychological phenomenon that both amused and confounded me. Let me paint the picture for you: Every year on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, our family goes to breakfast and … Continue reading Ruining Christmas
O Christmas tree
“How about this one?” I held the 6-and-a-half foot Frasier Fir at arm’s length, shaking it vigorously so the branches would fall into a more natural position. “Nope. Too skinny,” my wife said, frowning and shaking her head. “You keep rejecting these trees because they’re too skinny. I’m starting to get a complex,” I said … Continue reading O Christmas tree
New South Essays 