Family is the Reason for My Season, and Our Elf is a Part of the Tradition

  Ha ha!  Dobby is back!  I... I mean, we... get to have our fun again!  The first two nights Dobby was back, he kept it kinda tame to feel out how Little Man would respond.  The first night he waited patiently in Little Man's stocking, and the second night he took a ride on our lollipop Christmas tree.  (Photos on left)

Last night... last night, Dobby pulled out all the stops!  Frosty set up a zip line across the living room, so there was adventure to be had!  As I looked around, I could hear (no, not literally) the dialogue going on between Little Man's toys and the Christmas decorations.  This morning, I decided to create a comic strip to illuminate the scene for those of you that can't be here to see it yourself.  Of course, few people see things the way I do, so the comic strip is a safe bet either way.

I realize this makes me a dork!  I should not have spent the time I did (no, I'm not telling how long it was) creating something that might get read once and probably will be forgotten immediately.  I don't care.  I had a BLAST doing it, and I'm having a blast re-defining the role of Dobby in our house.  I'm kinda sorta following the rules, however Dobby is more of a happy addition to our home rather than an actual watch dog for Santa.

I'm trying to downplay Santa's role in the holiday and up-play (it's a word NOW, people!) the role of the whole season.  I'm not going to get into the spiritual / religious discussions about the real "reason" for the season, but I will say that my reason for every season is my family.  Now that Little Man isn't afraid anymore, Dobby is a part of our family, and we are creating a new tradition that is all our own.

Dobby has been with Little Man since he was born, but we only got around to naming him since Little Man could talk and give him a name.  Yes, Dobby goes and talks to Santa each night, but I emphasize that Dobby more tells the good stuff that Little Man does so he doesn't have to be afraid of Dobby "tattling".  I've got a great kid, and I would prefer him behaving because he's being taught to behave rather than being afraid of no presents once a year.  Just my perspective... no judgement.

For the most part, Dobby is just fun!  He eats monsters (and ghosts and witches) when Little Man finds them and is scared, and Dobby gives us a daily morning mission that we complete together.  I love being woken up to the sound of, "Mom, where's Dobby?"  So, now that you have our story (no guarantees of sticking to it), I'll share the comic strip.  Enjoy!

The Many Adventures of Dobby - Episode 1

The Family of Drama

I am so blessed to be a part of a large family.  I may have grown up not really knowing who I am, but I have always known I was a part of something.  My mom had five brothers and sisters, and each of them had at least one child.  Two grandparents, eight aunts and uncles, nine cousins and one sibling... and that's just on my mom's side.

I've come to realize that our family unit is like a season of Big Brother, without all the cameras.  Alliances are constantly shifting depending on the task of the week, and - on occasion - people are evicted from the house.  At the end of it, there is a realization that we love each other very much despite hating the game we are each playing.

Add a touch (OK, more than a touch) of dramatic tendencies, and we are an interesting bunch.  We grew up with family being central to everything we did.  Our grandparents lived a matter of blocks from us, and we spent almost as much time at their house with our cousins as we did at home.  Some chose to move away, some didn't have the choice but were away nonetheless, but the rest of us were there.  My cousins were more like siblings to me; ironically, my brother always introduced me as The Spawn of Satan.

As we grow older, and our numbers keep growing through marriages and births, I feel increasingly lucky that I am still close with almost everyone.  There are times when the drama is stifling (especially when I'm at the center of it), but I have always felt sorry for those people with little to no family.  As much as we irritate each other, we also have each other's backs.  And we are provided with built-in entertainment.

Next year will bring (at least) three more births for the family, so I'm feeling a bit sentimental.  I'm so grateful for all of my family and the joy they bring.  I feel so blessed to be a part of a large family!