..

X-mas is almost here. It's stressful, it's emotional, it's planning and shopping,

travelling and cordinating.

The older I get the more I remember the childhood memories.. We've had the same x-mas ornaments every years since I was a kid, and still, to this day, (it is my job to decorate the three, every year) those damn ornaments give me flashbacks.

Just looking at them takes me shortcut to childhood. Said so many times before but true, things were easier then.

This year my family and I will be out of town, at a ski resort up north, with none of the old traditions.

Typically my Mother is cooking for days and complaning on HOW much she has to cook by herself.

If offered help she says no, "because she doesn't want anyone in her kitchen messing around."

No cooking for her this year, and no complaining, we will buy everything or eat at a restaurant.

My brother and I usually sneak out in the woods behind the house in the dark and stealing a X-mas three, because it is tradition. (The woods behind the house are endless so no one suffers from us tsealing one three)

And you HAVE TO do it when it's dark so no one sees, it is illegal, theft.

In the dark we would mostly have to guess on the looks of the three, one would hold it, one would saw it off and we would sneak it back to the house in complete darkness.

We'd  bring it in and our mom would then see it and complain on how thin, non-fluffy and crooked it is. We would still end up bringing it in, decorating it and drinking GLOGG. Then, after that, our mom would say, "It isn't so bad after all". Every year, same thing.

We would drink more glogg and someone would pass out on the couch, no names mentioned.

My stepdad would sit there, clearly enjoying the x-mas spirit and say "Mmm.." like he was just about to say something.. but he does'nt. I think those are just things he does when he feels the x-mas spirit. Or maybe the alcohol of the glogg who knows.