as I set aside my Christmas spirit just long enough to rant. DH still had not given his mother the bad news that she would be spending Christmas with us this year. As he was going to be in her town on business today he told me he would tell her in person and would therefore be late home for supper. I told him I was making an extra nice meal for him but it could easily be warmed up when he got home. (see how thoughtful and generous I can be) He said he should be home around 6:00. I said fine. He left. This evening at 5:45 I am preparing DH's extra nice supper (he's always and I mean ALWAYS late) when the phone rings. It's DH. He says his mother wanted some things from her house (she's still in the old folks home) so he drove her there and shoveled her sidewalk while she collected what she wanted. Because of this extra excursion he wouldn't be home until around 7:00. Then he tells me his mother wants to talk to me. (oh joy.) She asks me if she can take DH out to her favourite, expensive restaurant......tonight! or would that ruin the extra special supper. The words that came out of my mouth were, "If he wants to." The words in my head were screaming, "What's the matter with you? He's not five years old and I'm not his mother." I could hear her ask him if he wanted to go out for dinner and I heard his immediate and firm reply, "No thank you, Mum. Not tonight." (Have I mentioned how much I love that man?) With luck she'll just fall asleep in a chair Christmas Day and we can avoid any unnecessary interaction. OK. All done. Picking up my Christmas spirit and heading upstairs to finish DH's extra nice supper.

UPDATE: DH just called to tell me he'll be home around 7:15. (It's taken me YEARS to train him to call when he's going to be late.)