As I type this I am getting ready for my Christmas tradition of playing holiday music, one last time, and returning the decorations to their storage bins. This time I also plan on sipping the champagne that went untouched New Years Eve. How wonderful it is to note that a quiet, barely celebratory evening with my Sweetie was exactly the way I wanted to ring in the New Year. After a week of having our home filled to the brim and activities busying us each day well into evening a calm and quiet night was sheer perfection!
My family flew in from the east coast Christmas morning and spent the week with us packed into our little house. My girl was not all that excited about giving up her room for their stay but finally came to terms with it and in the end would love to have it continue if her cousins, Aunt Elizabeth and Nonnie could always be here. She loves them so much and although she "decided I will stay here with you" rather then returning to New Jersey with them (I believe she thought it was a real option), they were given places of honor the week they shared with us..
Aunt Elizabeth would be "the mommy" for the entire trip and cousin Jake would be the "daddy" to her "little kid." Nonnie (her Grandmother) would be the "little sister" and cousin Sage would be the "big sister." Daddy was tickled to be called the "little brother" and I waited in anticipation for my new moniker.
It was decided I would be "school bus."
School Bus?
Really? Originally I though this was my designation for a little game that had me running ahead "picking people up" for trips to other doors in the house but no, this was my handle for the rest of the visit. I was told plainly "You can be the mommy again when they go home." and then was called school bus or sometimes just bus for the rest of the visit. We would head into a restaurant and I would be told that "Mommy is sitting here and Bus should sit over there. In the car, big or little sister should sit next to her and bus should sit somewhere else.
It wasn't all bad being the bus. At one point we settled down to watch My Neighbor Totoro, a favorite movie Aunt Elizabeth, aka Mommy, had gifted our "little kid," and in it, a Cat Bus saves the day! The School Bus was ecstatic. One of my own kind had made good. Of course it was made clear that I was NOT a cat bus, but a bus can dream!
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| Totoro and the Cat Bus |
The thing that fascinated me about this whole game is the fact that my girl played it for a full six days. Once we were assigned our roles that was it. I had to get used to hearing her say mommy and not mean me. When she did want me or my services, I was called School Bus. She told me "School Bus I love you." and all manner of regular things she says to me daily but if I tried to be mommy I was put in my place. Aunt Elizabeth would be the holder of the special title until her departure.
And true to her word on New Year's Eve, once everyone had left I once again became mommy. Having just a few days without the title has me cherishing it all the more. Thank you Christmas School Bus for showing me how precious my everyday is!
Wishing you and yours all manner of precious EVERYDAY in the New Year!
