Yeah I totally see the difference between Thanksgiving and Xmas. So much more is involved in the latter as there is all this time spent doing so many things building up to Xmas eve and Xmas day. I am sure the girls will notice the difference.
Even though you're doing everything in your house to keep it festive and everything, your W has to hold up her end as well if she's concerned about how the kids will feel about this time of the year.
The city I live in has a big park downtown and they light the trees and there is a special evening when there is a band and they turn on all the lights. Previously it was a family activity, but I took the kids by myself this year and it was a lot of fun. It feels like the kids have accepted this reality where they are with one of us and not both of us. But, it would've been so much fun if we had done that as a family unit like in the past.
But as I see it right now, we are not a family. I am a single parent basically and I do everything to make sure that kids are taken care of when they're with me. I wish it wasn't like that, but we all know that we have to step it up and be the stable rock and lighthouse for the kids.
