Whoville Christmas 2014

With my husband having two back-to-back surgeries on his arms (a long story that I can't legally talk about), he has been out of work...which means, for the first time in years and years and years, we do not have a lot of money to spend this Christmas. 

As I was sitting on the sofa, contemplating my adoration of the Christmas season and gift giving, a strong feeling came over me that I do not want to sulk or feel sorry for myself. In fact, if my husband and I have to go through this trial (we don't really have a choice), I want our children, family and friends to see that we are going to be OKAY. Christmas 2014 will come and go. A few weeks from now, how much money I was--or wasn't--able to spend will not matter, but the memories we will share by spending time with our loved ones will remain indefinitely. 

My thoughts then turned to the book and film How the Grinch Stole Christmas and I was reminded of Whoville and this endearing quote...

"It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more."

Then a brilliant idea came to me and, after running it by my husband, the two of us decided to embrace the magic of the Grinch and go with a Whoville themed tree this year.

This is what we came up with...

Subway Art from scootapie Etsy shop

And yes, my tree is up the day before Thanksgiving, but I have a wedding to go to this weekend and Monday is December 1st. TOTALLY justifiable!!    :)

Words Worth Repeating/ "Who's Weird- Besides Me?"

This is what my son with Autism says every time you give him his iPod. It was this same type of repetitive behavior that helped my husband and I figure out that he needed to be tested for Autism. We learned about Autism on the 'Sally Jesse Rafael Show'. Our son was around 10 years old by then. Doctors, teachers, as well as school district "specialist" had never even suggested that Autism might be one of his disabilities. Had we known sooner, we may have been able to teach him differently. You see, although he functions fairly well, he has certain behaviors that we just can't break. For instance, he won't get out of bed in the morning and go to the bathroom until someone tells him to. My husband or I have to be sure to get him up so he doesn't have any accidents in bed. Do we ever get to sleep in? Rarely.

Here's my advice to young parents who have been blessed with a disabled child...learn to be aggressive. You have that "instinct" that other people in your child's life won't. Also, educate yourself about your child's disability. Although the road ahead may not come easy, it can be smoother with extra effort on your part. I have found that the rewards from having my son as part of our family definitely outweigh all the trials that come with him.

Originally posted June 19, 2010 http://www.snippetsnstuff.com/2010/06/whos-weird-besides-me.html