home for the holidays

normally this would be the time of year that i'd be posting with excitement and announcing that i had purchased my ticket to london for christmas.  the last few years i have spent two weeks over the christmas festivities with my sister and her family in jolly old england.  unfortunately due to financial circumstances this year, i am not going to be able to make my annual trip.  (insert huge sigh of disappointment)

upon learning that i was most likely not going to be able to visit this year, my niece and nephew jumped on skype and offered me the sweetest solutions.  the conversation went like this:

evan (age 3):  "tia, no christmas?!" (with big shrug and sad face)
me:  "no, evs, i'm sorry but this year i don't think i'm going to be able to make it."
evan: "oh tia..." (big sigh of disappointment and he vanishes from the screen)
cue amelia:
amelia (age 5 going on 37):  (with very serious face) "tell me tia, is it the expense?"
me: (trying not to laugh at her sounding like my personal financial advisor) "yes, actually.  it's very expensive to buy plane tickets"
amelia:  (with a sigh of relief as if i had told her to solve a simple problem like closing the door or turning off the tv) "tia, i have LOADS of money.  and i will give it all to you!"
me:  (trying not to start sobbing) "that's so sweet but i just don't know if you have enough and i don't want to take all of your money"
cue evan running back into the room:
evan: "tia!" (shoving his piggy bank into the picture)
amelia:  "now you have money from BOTH of us.  you can come now, right tia? i mean, it's tradition!"

and so it went until my sister had to finally tell them that while it was very nice to offer me their money it just wouldn't be enough.  we finally came to terms with the fact that i'll be getting up in the middle of the night with nana and boppy in indiana and we'll be opening christmas presents via skype this year. 

i'm going to feel odd not heading to o'hare and jumping on a plane this december.  it's going to be strange to wake up on christmas morning and not see those little faces so eager to burst into the living room and see if santa brought them presents in the night.  i won't be wearing paper crowns, fighting my sister's tree to get the lights on, doing last-minute shopping, or spending christmas eve eating chinese and drinking mulled wine while wrapping gifts and watching "love actually".  but i will get to spend christmas with my parents this year, which will be nice.  and i'll be in town for my friend jill's birthday on the 27th, which i always miss.  i'll get to bring the bf home and introduce him to the rest of the fam he hasn't yet met.  i won't have to worry about jet lag or flight delays.  it'll still be a nice holiday, even if i'm not in london.  and i know my sis and fam are coming to visit in early april, so that helps.  we'll be able to celebrate my niece's birthday in chicago this year - something i've never been able to do with her before! 

so all in all, the holidays will be great, just different.  hopefully i'll be able to resume the tradition next year!