I hate December.

All year I dread December. It is a month of complete lunacy. December is not to be confused with Christmas. I am rather fond of Christmas but December is just horrible.

For starters it is hot. That's right hot ~ & humid~ & possibly stormy as well. Secondly there is never any parking anywhere! Not on the island, not on the mainland. And the crowds. I live where I do because I do not like crowds. Thirdly I can't stand the greed & the commercialism that begins in late November & peaks about Dec., 24. I hate how everyone wants the holiday but rejects the reason we even have the holiday. And then there's Ditz. I'm not even starting to count all the things that child gets herself involved in round about now ~ concert after concert plus the yearly play.

Christmas is always low key with us. We keep it simple because it's invariably stinking hot & my kids were never allowed to rip, tear & bust on Christmas morning. Nothing under the tree is touched till after church & then we do it in turns so everyone can enjoy each other's presents. I do a big breakfast of American pancakes with walnuts & maple syrup, cream & icecream. Absolutely disgusting I know but I did them one year & it immediately became a tradition. Every year I try getting out of making them & there's a universal howl of outrage.

Naturally Ditz adores December. So much happening, so much to see & do. She spins like a whirly~giddy in her element. I get like a slow leaking balloon until I'm this poor, limp, saggy thing that should've been binned a decade ago. I guess I object to the fact that this is our long school break & no~one really gets to relax. December is all about preparing for Christmas but come Janurary we're preparing to go away for our annual visit to my mum & when we get back it's all about getting ready for school again. I really should organise my life better. Maybe I should just get a new life. Pern looks better & better.