Silly Season

Two weeks shy of Christmas, I had cause to contemplate our plans for the big day.  For many months, the plan had been that my mother ('Gran') would 'hit the road' and come and stay with us for a very low-key Christmas at home.  Two of the children had expressed their disappointment with this plan and wanted instead to go and stay with Gran in 'the big smoke'.  However, when reminded of the fourteen hours the children would have to spend in the car if we were to head to Gran's, they were easily talked around and the low-key plan remained.

However, as the reality of the drive dawned upon my mother (who had to drive to us instead), and the quiet, potentially anti-climactic arrangements we had in place seemed less inviting upon closer consideration, I floated an alternate plan.  Mum offered to have us all at her place, in the big smoke, on a fly in / fly out arrangement, thereby avoiding the drive and more importantly - our need to prepare Christmas lunch.  The children would get to see their cousins, and I would also get a rare chance to see a dear friend who now lives interstate, who would be in town for Christmas.  It all sounded so logically appealing.

Prior to booking flights and setting the wheels of the journey in motion, I decided to put the decision to a democratic vote.  I am not in the habit of doing this, preferring to run the family in a far more dictatorial manner.  I based my plan on the misguided assumption that all of the children would leap at the chance to board a plane and spend Christmas in the city.  A barrister once warned me never to ask a question unless you already know the answer.  He was of course referring to the conduct of cross-examination in a trial setting, and not to inviting opinions from children about how best to spend the single most important day of their calendar year.

I sat the children down and asked them in turn whether they were in favour of Option A or Option B, and to my great surprise, Abby elected to stay at home for Christmas.  She was having a particularly bad week and I was very concerned about compounding her belief that the entire world was against her.  Charlotte and Lulu voted resoundingly to travel to Adelaide and were already arguing about who would have the window seat on the plane. 

As soon as Charlotte realised that the vote had not been unanimous, and that I was entertaining Abby’s grievances, she sought support in the form of counsel from Gran.   Unbeknownst to me, Charlotte was texting and telephoning Gran from my mobile phone, seeking arguments in favour of us travelling to Adelaide.  Charlotte thrust the phone to my ear and I listened as my mother pleaded her case.  Meanwhile Tubs arrived home and Abby filled him in on the situation.  He announced he was on Abby’s side as he has not had time off work for well over a year and wanted to spend the office closure period at home.

I threw in the towel at this point stating that I didn’t particularly care what option we went with, and that I couldn’t understand the reluctance to head to the city when all the effort and organisation that such a trip requires would fall to me in any event!  It is me who books flights, purchases, wraps, and arranges incognito transport for all gifts, packs and unpacks six bags, and ensures pets left behind are cared for.  All the rest of the family have to do is turn up!   

Here endeth my rant and I now turn to the moral of the story.  Do not announce Christmas plans too early, and if you do and there are options involved, do not employ a democractic process without first pleading a very convincing case for the option that you are most in favour of.  

I would like to thank you all for reading my blog over the past two months, and for your encouragement and support via Facebook comments.  I am hoping to launch a more user friendly blog format in the New Year which will make email updates more accessible, and comments easier to post.  I take this opportunity to wish you all a very merry and safe Christmas, and I will 'blog' you in the New Year! xox