Tales of a Pizza Bagel Family

 

By Kim Como, Guest Contributor

 

It’s holiday time! Time to deck the halls, trim the tree, spark up the menorah and fry up the latkes!

 

It truly is “the most wonderful time of the year,” BUT if you’re a “pizza bagel” family like mine (Italian/Jewish), you’re celebrating both Christmas and Hanukkah. This means the month of December can make you feel as if you’re on overdrive, leaving your head spinning and not like a dreidel. It’s more along the lines of something out of The Exorcist.

 

Don’t get me wrong, most of this is my own doing as I’m on a personal quest to expose my boys (ages 2 and 3) to anything and everything the holiday season has to offer. I pack tons of holiday activities into any given December weekend: breakfast with Santa, holiday lights drive through, Hanukkah holiday party, a Christmas parade – and that’s just on Saturday.

 

 

 

Speaking of overdoing it, by the time the end of the month rolls around my house looks as if a Toys ‘R Us threw up in it. 

 

Keeping to the tradition of Hanukkah, the boys get one present each from us for eight nights, and don’t forget Hanukkah presents from Grandma and Papa G. Then Santa comes and leaves more presents (because let’s face it, who wouldn’t want the tree to be empty on Christmas morning), and let us not forget Christmas presents from Grandma and Grandpa C.  

 

I have been known to let the kids unwrap everything and then hide some of the non-opened toys until the following year where I would then re-wrap them and put them back under the tree (hey, they’re still little, I’m going to do it while I can get away with it).

 

Last year my quest had me hunting for Hanukkah pajamas. Sounds easy enough, but trust me it was NO easy feat. We have jammies for Christmas Eve and jammies for Christmas Day, but nothing for even one night of Hanukkah. 

 

I searched the internet and found a few random things on EBay, but not for both boys.  I reached out to Carter’s and though I did hear back from them thanking me for my suggestion, they said “at the current time, we don’t have anything to offer.”  

 

This year thankfully my hunt came to an end as my co-worker’s mom handmade my boys Hanukkah jammies. Thank you Anna Lavergne of Spring Hill, Florida!  I have since posted a picture on Facebook, and the orders are rolling in from my Jewish and fellow “pizza bagel” friends. Mrs. Lavergne is currently gearing up for next season. I am also happy to report that Pajamagramis now offering a line of Hanukkah jammies for the whole family.

 

Let me bottom line it for you, though I joke about the chaos, I TRULY would NOT have it any other way! I know that I am blessed. I LOVE watching my boy’s eyes light up when they see where our “Elf of the Shelf” has turned up every morning. I LOVE hearing them sing Happy Hanukkah (to the tune of Happy Birthday) when we light the Hanukkah candles. I LOVE that my husband and I don’t have to argue over whose house we’re going to for Christmas. I LOVE that my kids have two sets of grandparents who love them unconditionally, and I LOVE that all because two people of different faiths fell in love, my boys get to experience the BEST of both worlds!

 

For now, I’m going to sit back and enjoy this ride with my two, little boys – for in a few years they’re not going to want to partake in any of mom’s madness. 

 

Until the calendar reads January 1st, and I can turn to see what the New Year holds for my family, I ask that you don’t judge.   

 

Instead, extend a friendly smile to the frazzled looking woman in Target that has both Hanukkah and Xmas wrapping paper in her cart, the one chasing down the salesperson asking for another copy of Elmo’s Dreidel and Merry Christmas Stinky Face…and I promise I’ll smile right back. 

 

If you’re in the area, come by for some latkes and eggnog, we serve all kinds!

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