the satellite, that beams me home

Our house is so goddamn clean, Anne and I are actually having my parents over tonight for only the third time in the five years we’ve lived here!
I’ve always been so embarrassed to have them here, and I’m real excited that they are coming. I think we’re gonna roast some chickens and puree some sweet potatoes . . . it will be similar to a traditional holiday meal.
Speaking of holidays, I have turned on the first holiday music of the season. It’s a CD I picked up at Bed Bath & Beyond called “A Jazzy Christmas.” It’s got Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald, Shirley Horn and Eartha Kitt . . . it’s really cool.
Two years ago, Anne and I introduced the concept of “Little Christmas” to the kids. It basically means we don’t go nuts with decorations and gifts and crap . . . we just “cheer up” the house a bit, listen to lots of holiday music, burn lots of holiday-scented candles, drink lots of spiced cider, and spend lots of time with friends and family. It started out as a financial necessity, but we discovered that putting the emphasis on the holiday “spirit” rather on the holiday “stuff” just made us happier . . . so that’s the way we do things now.
(Holiday note: if you’re a new reader, check out this story about Nolan’s last Holiday Program at school. It’s not the best-written thing in the world, but it always makes me smile when I read it.)
Anyway, I’m sure it will be interesting to me to look back at this post in a year or so, and mark that I officially got excited for the 2003 Holiday season at about 3:48 pm today.

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46 thoughts on “the satellite, that beams me home”

  3. It’s good to read that you are excited about this upcoming Christmas. I haven’t really gotten into it yet but that’s probably because my life is such a mess right now. Merry Christmas to you anyway. Hope you and your family have a great one.

  4. Good music. There’s something about jazz that just brings class to every occasion, and Christmas is definitely no exception. Sounds like a great way to celebrate, too; just about my speed. My husband is a slave to tradition, however, and would also never hear the end of it if we didn’t go see his grandmother, who lives several hours away, every Christmas right on Christmas Day. I like family, but I much prefer my family-of-choice, meaning friends and biologicals that I choose to spend time with instead of feeling obligated toward biological and in-law family.
    Congratulations on the house. 🙂 Now if I can just get my house closer to that exalted state…

  5. Word from an elder: don’t let what you think about your house keep you from having the parents over. The time spent together is far more important…my dad has *never* seen the inside of any place I’ve lived. That sucks, you know?
    OTOH, I know the joy of having the place sdo clean you actually want people to see it… 😉

  7. Hey Wil,
    Well, it’s nice to hear that somebody doesn’t go apeshiat with the holidays. Most people love this time of year, but it lost all meaning to me when my grandmother died. ( Anyone who was close to their grandmother knows that the holidays are never the same after. )
    Now I don’t even bother putting up a tree. I just like to buy little things for my friends over the year. It doesn’t matter if I get anything back. I just like making/giving things to them.
    Friends and family are the most important gifts during the holidays. To bad we don’t remember that all year round. Maybe that will be my resolution for the new year. Heck knows that the whole “I’m going to work out” never actually works out!

  10. I’m so glad to know that I’m not the only person who never lets my parents come over because of the mess! 🙂

  13. EGADS yes, I was just thinking about how I’m looking forward to Christmas this year, since the extended family started going the “Little Christmas” route. Just get together, visit, drink of the eggnog and eat of the turkey, Christmas music in the background…good times and whatnot.

  15. Wil:
    I think it’s cool that you are having your parents over,
    but doesn’t it make you feel weird doing the same thing your parents probably did for their parents?
    (As in cleaning and company dishes and all that!)
    You’re not alone-once a year we have open house for my brother and sister-in-law and their six kids and her parents and all her relatives (large Armenian family), so we have to start cleaning a couple of days before-and every year we vow not to do this, but what the hey-it’s Christmas!
    And its family that counts!
    Have a good time!
    Jtbwriter

  16. I can remember after a couple of years in college of being overwhelmed by the commercialization of Christmas, and then came a Christmas I was surprised to be enthusiastic about it again.
    Ever since I went to college, my Christmas has always been one of the big times of the year to be able to visit my parents, that we can relax and not have to go outside in the snow. The travelling and the visiting of family has always been the focus; which is fine, since I really like both.

  17. Yes! Non-materialistic holiday spirit it the best ever! Although as kids my brother and I (not to mention our myriad of cousins) loved going to the GPs for x-mas–because grandmother gives _everyone_ ludicrous… nay, *obscene* amounts of gifts–as we got older, we realized how much of a hassle that was for everyone involved, since of course we all had to transport that stuff home, and the sheer volume of presents seemed to diminish the value of any one gift. We never really ended up cherishing the stuff we got, either, and I think that always made the parents feel somewhat embarrassed. I think my grandmother’s rationale was that she wanted to make sure everyone got at least *something* they liked, but it may simply be that she felt bad for being stingy to her own kids when they were little! 😛 In any case, looking back, I kind of would rather that most of the stuff I’d gotten had gone to charities or something, for kids who really needed. Hm… future life-lesson! 😀
    Definately going to model my future holidays on yourn. 🙂

  19. I agree, we do the same thing at Christmas time, it’s just nice to be in the holiday spirit and not think about shopping, shopping and shopping some more:)

  20. I’m just glad you’re puree-ing the sweet potatoes, and not the chickens like I (mis)read. Eeeek, that would be bad. 🙂

  21. Wil,
    At least your parents told you that they were coming. Hey, it is the holiday season and times like that are cool. I got lucky, they were stuffed and my place was clean. Hurricanes stop by more than my parents.
    FG

  22. You know when it comes to blogging and journals I think good or bad or whatever really does not matter. You are writing from the heart. I liked the story about the christmas programs. I do hope in my life I will be privilaged to have children and go to those things. I helped run a christmas program one year for my church. The pride I felt when the little preschoolers went up there to do their thing was amazing. Your story was kind of funny and made me laugh to the point of tears. Maybe its just because I am learning to live again and am having a chance to remember special moments in my life again. Thank you. I forget how much I have accomplished in this life and little things help me to remember. Hehe now I gotta go write about this in my live journal. 🙂 Happy Holidays Wil! Happy Holidays Wil Wheaton dot net readers!
    Beth

  23. OK–speaking of music…..I recently got my hands on Josh Groban’s newest CD(oh yeah! been waitin’ with breathless anticipation for this one!) and guess what I found in the small print under “choir” on his song “You Raise Me Up”? Unless there are two Wil Wheaton’s in this particular universe,you were lucky enough to be a part of a really beautiful song! I did not know you were a member of a choir! didn’t know you could sing! please explain!

  24. loved the story. Everyone in the library think I am nuts now as I am giggling none stop. I think I’ll have to leave, am making too much noise.
    Happy holidays and congrads an looking forward to xmas, I’m not.
    Spike
    12.55 GMT
    6.12.03

  26. I like the idea of a simple Christmas (but then, I grew up not celebrating it). My husband’s closest friend from England just came over for a visit, and he and his wife tell us that when their kids were young they didn’t put up ANY decorations or lights or anything until Christmas Eve after the kids had gone to bed, so that they went to sleep in an ordinary house and woke up to a special day. They’re of the opinion that the more drawn-out the “holiday season” is the less special it becomes, and I quite agree.

  27. am so happy for you right now… everything is going so well and you’ve got into the holiday spirit already! send some over here… am feeling distinctly unchristmasy so far 🙂

  29. Wil, I like your idea of “little christmas”. I’ve been decorating “down” for the past few years myself. When I asked my daughter (who is 5) about “what Christmas means”, she said “I know, daddy, it’s not about the presents, it’s about friends and family.” I couldn’t have said it better myself.
    Happy Holidays,
    Paul

  30. Wil,
    Having traveled the world and seen what passes for normalty, even your idea of a “little christmas” would be considered opulent by comparison. Being rich, but living in normalcy if the only way I have maintained my balance in life. Judging one’s worth by how many little pieces of paper one has accumulated is sad. Spend time with family and loved ones, don’t worry so much about where you live, but more about how you live. Your parents probably don’t care a bit about where you live, just that you let them share it with you. We parents tend to be very forgiving in that regard. We want our children to be happy first and moremost. Good holidays to you, Wil.

  31. the ‘little christmas’ route is the way to go. i tend to get really cheery before christmas, but then on the actual day i end up all sad. this year i’m spending christmas all by my lonesome, so i’m decorating my apartment a little bit and listening to the christmas jazz. and the story about the elementary school program? too cute, wil. i’m glad you appreciate it, because the next thing you know it’ll be gone.

  32. Ah, “Little Christmas”…what a good name! My husband and I were discussing that idea the other day. I’ve never been a big gift-giver (hate Christmas shopping); I much prefer being with people. And yes, budgetary issues are definitely part of the consideration. It’s embarrassing to only be able to afford one gift for each person (and even that is stretching our budget — we have a lot of family) when they’re giving us five or ten in return. But, the thing is, it shouldn’t be embarrassing. That’s one of the problems with commercialized Christmas nowadays…
    I hope when my husband and I are blessed with children that we can impress upon them the joy of the Christmas spirit, rather than investing all the joy into how many presents they get.
    Happy Holidays! 🙂

  33. hey wil, that story about the christmas show is soo cute! i love christmas myself, and most things that go with it….yeah, the whole over exaggeration of everything, but most of all i just love being with my family! i get more and more excited about christmas every year…i think i am more excited now than i was when i was little!
    anyway, i hope you and your family have a great ‘little christmas’, and enjoy the whole spirit! i know i will!!
    take care wil,
    love
    rach
    xxx

  34. What a great idea about the “Small Christmas.” We haven’t had kids yet, so I’m glad I heard about it now. I bet if I tried switching up when they were ten they’d kill me.

  35. i can relate…my house is a true bachelor dump…i would be horrified if mom and dad should come and see it…so i go to their house and spare mom the trauma…the little christmas idea is one i go by…because whatever decorations you put up must come down eventually…and that’s no fun…anyway i’d have to clear away all the old magazines…newspapers and pizza boxes to fit anything else in.

  36. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and your family!
    I always find something funny, interesting and personal to read here!
    Love is love…
    /Joel

  37. For the last few years I’ve been trying to instill the concept of “Opposite Christmas” for my niece and nephew. They were both born between December 21 and Jan 3rd, so I tried to offset it by 5 months and have it in late July. (4th of July is a whole ‘nother celebration.)
    Well, their parents haven’t quite picked up on it. I was just trying to have them enjoy another gift-giving celebration at another time of the year, like most of us get.
    Oh, and the cleaning thing? I just got a Roomba robot vacuum cleaner, and I feel like I am now firmly entrenched in the 21st century. Way cool!!

  38. thanks for sharing the old story for the newer folks (like moi).
    and trust me. you’re not crazy.
    I love movies. I HATE GOING TO THE MOVIE THEATRE.
    It feels to me like that the higher the prices get, the more people feel entitled to make it feel like their own personal private showing.
    I own almost 300 movies. I usually just go home and pop something in and watch it.
    quietly.

  39. “Little Christmas” is an actual celebrated holiday in Scandinavia. I grew up in Finland and on “Little Christmas Eve” – the night before the first Sunday of Advent, Little Santa Claus would throw a small gift in through the door and then run quickly away before the kids would even see him! What a pity that dad always seemed to be out running an errand at the same time — so we had to tell him what had happened when he came back.
    All the best to you and your family!

  40. I honestly decided to comment on this post based on the title alone – nice Radiohead reference. Such things work best when used and then not mentioned again, as you did…makes it more interesting.

  42. Oh my god, Wil, that old Christmas story was hiLArious!! I laughed so hard about the kid who picked his nose and ate it, and I tried to stifle it because I’m sitting in a college computer lab. But I wasn’t too successful, and I’m congested, so my laugh turned into some sloppy snort-sneeze buzz outburtst. The cute guy down the row said “bless you.” sweet.
    Anyway, thanks for the laugh! And props for little Christmas. I would recommend to you the a capella group “Rockapella” and their Xmas album. Its something different, but still the same comforting songs. =)

  43. Wil, in Ireland “Little Christmas” is Twelfth Night, the 6th of January — another opportunity for a low-key holiday. In fact many countries have a Christmas season, with the 26th important for visiting friends or the 1st for going to church, and this custom of having more lower-key events makes for pleasant holidays. Have a good one this year no matter how.

  44. Hey Wil,
    This is the first time I’ve read that story about Nolan’s holiday program.
    I don’t think I’ve laughed that hard in a loooong time. Between grad school, a full time job, and all kinds of other reasons to not be cheery for the holidays, I really needed that laugh.
    Thanks,
    AT

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