christmas ranting

i'll join the league of grumpy donald duck because of this:

my litany...

24th of december... i woke up realizing that my labandera didn't arrive earlier that morning as we have agreed upon the last time she was in our house. it shouldn't really be a big deal but i already had some clothes soaked with detergent powder inside the washing machine for two nights already... nangangamoy na yun... argh! ...and where was jude? he told me he'll already be on leave that day but will just drop by in his office that morning. it was already past 10 a.m. and he's not yet home while the son was already awake and was as usual making my hands full with his demands (mommy, lactum... mommy, watch backyardigans... mommy, cookies... mommy, where car?). i was still drowsy as i slept at 3:30 a.m. to finish wrapping all the gifts (my routine for three consecutive nights before christmas), sluggish as i haven't yet taken anything for breakfast, in pain as tonsilitis was attacking, and confused on what task shall i do first. but i as optimistic that i will accomplish everything on time so i can get my much needed manicure and haircut before christmas eve... yun na lang ang kaligayahan ko! hehe.

jude arrived at 11:30 a.m. and what's supposed to be my breakfast was already my lunch. i did the dishwashing and house cleaning after the meal and got my hands on with the laundry until 2:30 p.m. i thought i can already have my bath when i realized... syet, the tuna wasn't yet marinated and it's already afternoon!!! tuna steak was what we planned to bring in the reunion of torres clan (jude's maternal side) later that night. the tuna wasn't even thawed... my goodness! i got my hands busy again.

so it was already 3:00 p.m. and i still have to drop by the nearby hospital to check on what's bothering my throat; and of course, in the salon for my manicure (can't do my own nails) and haircut. i went to the hospital first and i was ushered to the emergency room as it was already 4:00 p.m. and there were no more doctors holding clinic that time. i was asked to go back again as an EENT should be the one to see me. that visit was a breeze and i was a happy... ayan na, makakapagpamanicure na ako sa wakas!  i went first to a beauty parlor, it was packed and it can no longer accommodate me as they were about to close an hour after. i went to a ricky reyes branch, it's closed as the staff were having their christmas party. i went to a neighborhood salon, it's also closed. to say that i was disappointed when i went home is an understatement... i was close to tears. ang babaw ko noh? hahaha. fatigue must have taken its toll on me.

i can't feel the spirit of christmas that night. i was not in the mood during the reunion as i was really dead-tired with all the preparations we did (shopping for gifts and wrapping each of them, cooking, etc.) and i asked myself, "do i really need to stressed myself with all those...?", i was sleepy all the time i can even sleep while walking, and we weren't able to hear the mass completely as some of the churchgoers were coughing and sneezing and the church we went to near jude's family's house isn't that well-ventilated and iñigo might catch one of those viruses. unluckily, he did... ).

even our son has his own concept of christmas: it's all about gifts and parties.  i was telling him it's the birthday of jesus but he ignored me; either he just can't understand why there's a birthday without balloons and jollibee mascot, or he's so occupied with all the merry-making and the toys he received.

i hope it's not too much for an asking but i wish to have a different christmas next year; i wish that we celebrate it the way it should be... solemn and definitely unstressful, so we can focus on its essence.

everything can come after anyway.

***

i was really busy that i didn't even have time... and i hope it's not yet late that i greet...

MERRY CHRISTMAS everyone!!!

- from jude, marie, and iñigo