Momentary Enjambments: 'Tis the Season!

I stopped looking forward to the holidays probably at the age of 15 or 16. The cause of this dismal outlook on a seemingly happy and cheerful time is due in part to bad luck, family problems, and my own personal struggles that always just so happened to take place on Christmas.

I know I’m difficult to be around during this time of year, as I am unwillingly subjected to painful memories and Christmases past, haunted in my own ways. Also, since the death of my grandparents in 2005 and 2007, respectively, no holiday is ever the same, although we do try to make it as enjoyable as possible.

The one thing I look forward to however, is the first snowfall. I can name a handful of people upset with me and my wish for snow, but for the rest of you who encourage my silly want for those fluffy, white flakes, I thank you. A few you of you texted me on Sunday at the falling of this season’s first flurries, and thanks for that also. I looked outside my bedroom window to witness this year’s first official snowfall. Sadly, it lasted for barely five minutes.

Yesterday, Fran and I went to lunch at Big Bowl. We had our amazing spicy green beans, she had scallops and shrimps, and I had chili pepper chicken with noodles--no chicken, of course.

And then our waiter, Tim, tricked us into getting dessert. We shared pumpkin mochi and a brownie, am I making you hungry yet?

After our filling and sweet treats, an unplanned, spontaneous boft day ensued. After posing with the sad looking Japanese-like lego man outside of Legoland in Schaumburg, we ventured into Ann Taylor Loft to look for scarves. And maybe gloves.

Two hours and two shopping bags later, we looked out into the darkening day to find what? (NOTE: We did make a fitting room montage of clothes we tried on, but that would make this blog even longer, if you want to see the entire album, click here.)

It was snowing! And then we took more pictures with the lego man!

So only second to my addiction of my love for watching the first snowfall is actually being outside in it. Our cashier at Ann Taylor Loft was visibly annoyed and confused by my excitement about the steady, falling snow, but that did not distract me from immediately jumping around outside the Streets of Woodfield.

After playing in the snow like children, I went with her to Target on her journey to find the perfect hand vacuum. Target was another adventure in and of itself, I honestly wonder how we get anything done together. After finding her cute but hopefully just as effective Dirt Devil, we found ourselves in the holiday aisle. We posed with lit, faux Christmas trees, cooed over “Baby’s 1st Christmas” ornaments, and fought the temptation of making holiday martinis.

However, we did succumb to the amazing holiday tradition of DECORATING A GINGERBREAD HOUSE! No, I am not kidding.

I couldn’t remember the last time I made a gingerbread house, and my emotions got the best of me. Surprisingly enough, right there in the holiday aisle of the Schaumburg Super Target, with my best friend by my side, I found myself excited about Christmas for the first time in years. With the gingerbread house kit in hand, we spent another ten minutes deciding which candy canes to get while making the gingerbread house, we decided on the spree flavored candy canes, yum.

We rushed back to her place after deciding the top priority was getting into jammies and sweats and making that sweetly scented house sparkle with candy and icing.