Dear Reader:

I decided since today, December 29, is my ” baby’s’ ( Tommy) benchmark birthday … I would finally find a way to add a little humor to everybody whose December birthday falls around Christmas and New Year’s … many feeling ( rightfully so ) that the get gipped every year … as the card adds: ” Two birds, one stone, and all that!”)

December ” babies” end up getting one present for two separate occasions-Christmas and birthday. For years J tried my best to still give the boys ( Walsh-” Kringle Dingle” ( 23) and Tommy -” Deduction Dingle” ( 29) a family birthday on the 23rd for both… then have Christmas Eve at my house and the church service storytelling and take a dish for Christmas dinner and now exchange presents at Mandy and John’s brunch. Whew!

That is why these precious days between Christmas and New Year’s ( including this year -the Orangest of Orange Bowls on the 30th) are the time to squeeze in some much needed R&R!

After checking out dozens of December birthday cards… I was thrilled to find the humorous Merry Birthmas! A new word for the Dingles now! A combination of birthday and Christmas.

*** Maybe it will catch on like George Constanza’s father’s Festivus in Seinfeld.

So one ” Birthmas” card is heading to Tommy today… along with a story I wrote him about his first and only Christmas stocking from his beloved grandmother ( my mother) ” Me-Mommy.” She bought it in 1982 when we didn’t know exactly when Tommy would make his appearance… so the stocking stayed empty on the mantle that year since Tommy’s appearance got delayed by four days… but we both know that it really wasn’t empty… it was filled with anticipation and love.

My first ” Birthmas” card went to my neighbor Vickie who loved it so much-she wanted to get another for her son John who was born on Christmas… so I added another to my Amazon order. Every birthday recipient who has gotten one wants one themselves to send to another December birthday friend or family member!

Aunt Susan had ‘ way back when’ made Mandy and Walsh’s stockings with their names and adorable Christmas appliqués. But years later Susan offered to make a matching stocking for Tommy … ” Nope” he loved his Me-mommy stocking. So today he is getting it back …still packed with love!

A shout-out to Tommy on a special birthday!

So until tomorrow…May the blessings of Christmas and birthdays welcome in more LOVE… we can never get enough! Happy Birthday Tommy!

Today is my favorite day… Winnie the Pooh

Happy Birthday to all my December Readers!