Santa has come and gone

Another Christmas has come and gone and I'm so glad it's over with. This Christmas was bittersweet. For the month before Becky and I had talked about what we were going to do all together, plans were made, gifts were bought, and excitement was in the air.....we can't help the fact that things come up and change plans. We are all okay with this, at least I know I am, and are on hold to plan another reunion and a post-dated Christmas. Since our plans changed Frank and I decided we would drive to Fresno and spend Christmas with my family. Usually everyone would gather at my mom's Christmas Eve and we would exchange gifts to each other, but this year we didn't have that. Mom and I cooked dinner and got everything ready. My sister, Malu and her partner showed up with their two dogs, and my brother, SIL, and nephew came, then Melissa showed up. My oldest sister, Pat, and her daughter and three grandkids were also there. Missing was my sister, Rose, and her daughters and grandkids. Matthew was also there. I got mad at Matthew because as my mom and I were in the kitchen cleaning up after everyone ate (I was pissed at this point because it was my mom and me doing all the cleaning....no one else offered to help, although Malu was watching Jazzi for me and she's disabled I don't want her to offer) Matthew decided to give out his gifts to everyone.....hello, why isn't he waiting until we are all gathered around one of the trees (my mom had up ten trees). I just thought that was so rude, and I pulled him aside and told him. After the kitchen was done we gave out our gifts. Everyone left around 8pm and mom, Frank, Matthew, and I sat around the table talking....this was probably one of the best times of the day for me. We all went to bed around 10pm. We got up the next morning, showered and Frank made us breakfast. After the kitchen was cleaned we gathered around one of the trees and opened our gifts. Frank and I exchanged our gift cards, gave mom her gifts and Matthew opened all of his. Afterwards we packed up the truck, said good-bye to mom, dropped Matthew off, and hit the road. On the drive home I was very teary eyed because I hated leaving my mom, wished I could go with her to stay with my aunt for her surgery, because it just didn't seem like Christmas, and because Matthew didn't thank us for any of his gifts. I know Christmas isn't about what you get or how much, but a "thank you" from my step-son would have been nice, if not for me but for Frank. I told Frank I was done. I was not going to buy Matthew anything more, I was not going to plan for any of his visits, and at this point I don't want him to come and visit at all. Frank, my brother, nephew, and Matthew all went golfing on Monday. My brother paid for his and my nephew's, and when Frank went to pay for his Matthew said he didn't have any money to play and that Frank had to pay for him. So Frank paid for him, and also bought him lunch. When they got home Matthew asked me to take hin to the store to buy something and Frank asked him where he was getting the money, and Matthew told him he had $30!! He looked into his dad's face earlier in the day and lied to him......I was sooooooo mad. He never even thanked Frank for paying for his golf and lunch. How can kids be so ungrateful.

Anyway, I'm now so glad that the holidays are over and I'm looking so forward to the upcoming year.