Stress and the Holidays

We moved 5 states away from our home state in October 2009 for my husband's FABULOUS job.  For the most part, it has been a wonderful transition.  We have made friends, I'm busy with MOPS and Weight-loss Surgery support group, NAMI, and volunteering at my children's schools.  They are getting a wonderful education, I love where we live, and the medical care here is top notch.  There is just one hitch:  I miss home.

Over the last two weeks while my Grandma was dying, I would have given anything to be able to have been there.  When she died, I felt helpless as I live so far away.  Today was equally as hard.  My oldest daughter is named after both of my grandmas.  She was given a My American Girl Doll from Santa, and reversed her name to name her doll after herself (and my grandmothers).  That was hard.

Then came the meals.  Monkey bread is our traditional Christmas morning breakfast, and I cut up the pineapple Santa brought my youngest (she requested it!).  I could eat the pineapple, but the monkeybread was another story. For lunch I made canned soup, and half of it stayed.  I stayed away from the rest of the treats to make sure I didn't get sick.  For dinner, the  ham, cheesy mashed potatoes, and homemade apple sauce were okay, but I felt myself longing for the ethnic food that was being served at my parents, food that I am sure I will not be able to eat until at least next year or so.

So now I am down.  I miss my family of origin and my extended family and the craziness that happens when you are all together with lots of kids.  For my children, I miss that they don't have access to their grandparents besides the phone calls.  Maybe it's the letdown, or the fact that after the presents were open by 7:30, I had a normal day of cooking and cleaning.  I will say though that my family did spoil me and that was nice, I just wish I would have been able to hold onto that feeling today.