Andrew Q. Gordon

This weekend we did a lot of the pre-Christmas things we needed to get ready for the holiday. There have been a lot of fun times  with ‘lil q in the last 26 months, but this weekend was among the best. We started by taking pictures to send ‘lil q’s mother. (I’m not sure what else to call her – surrogate sounds so impersonal and she is not a business dealing, but a friend and I won’t name her because she deserve her privacy so she’s ‘lil q’s mother). Despite a bit of a cold, ‘lil was in a great mood all weekend. Saturday we got up early, had bagels and went shopping. We didn’t get a lot accomplished, but …

Christmas Rituals My own memories of Christmas are very fond ones. I grew up in a large family (my parents have four siblings each) with lots of cousins, and on Christmas Eve everyone met either in my grandparents’ flat or ours. It was always crowded, as well as a lot of coming and going, but I loved the bustle as a kid. Everyone talked, and laughed, and of course ate too much. My husband’s family celebrated Christmas very differently. It was only him and his parents and everything was quiet and done in a completely different fashion. So, when we celebrated our first Christmas as a family, we had completely contrary feelings on how to deal with everything. Add to …

Growing up in blended families meant I didn’t have the traditional family holiday. It’s only gotten worse as we grew and married. Through all the travel to attend the 4-5 Christmas ‘present events’ we go to each year, finding the time to do fun things together with two kids can be a challenge. We have a few rituals that we always do together but the hustle and bustle can get the better of us. There are 2 we never, ever fail to do. Bundled up in boots and warm, waterproof coats, armed with cocoa… we brave the elements to find the perfect family tree. No rain, mud, sleet, snow, or this year’s holy crap my face is frozen wind chill …

Hello all you wonderful people who have stopped by Andrew Gordon’s wonderful blog to read all about how Christmas has effected each of us in a special and unique way. I am going to talk briefly about my son. On this day, December 13, four years ago I met the sweetest, most adorable thirteen year old boy in the world and fell in love. People I meet now often ask me to tell them how I came to the decision of adoption because it seems like such a wonderful thing to do for him and how giving I am etc… And I respond by saying it was a completely selfish thing I did, because I was only thinking about how …

Today’s guest is well known for her books in the world of M/M fiction, but for me it’s her generous spirit that I find most impressive. J.P. is not only an award winning author, but a tireless advocate and fund raiser for homeless LGBT youth. Read on to learn a bit more about J.P., her books and her incredible work on behalf of an often overlooked segment of our population. Guest Author: J.P. Barnaby Welcome, JP. I know many readers already know who you are, but as an ice breaker, why don’t you start by telling everyone a bit about yourself. Hi Andrew! Well, I’m a Pieces, I like long walks on the beach, and a nice glass of wine. …

For much of my children’s childhoods money was an issue. I was a single parent and though I earned a decent living, that income had to pay a mortgage for a home big enough to house us all. It had to feed, clothe, and educate three little people – oh, and me too! Can’t have a naked bookkeeper balancing your ledgers! We weren’t on the poverty line, by any means, but I had to be careful and plan for Christmas months in advance. That planning usually started in the post-Christmas sales! Despite thinking about the next Christmas as soon as the current one was over, my gifts were rarely extravagant. I decided very early on in my parenting life that …

Andrew invited me to participate in his holiday event, providing the theme of family and kids. My mind immediately ran to the myriad of experiences a mother of four has after spending 20+ years “holiday-ing” with her kids. Josh’s first Christmas, when a roomful of twenty adults sat looking at each other from six a.m. until noon because the one-year-old was still asleep and a mother never wakes a sleeping baby. The year PJ (3) and the cat curled up in matching boxes and feel asleep under the tree. The first year Asia (18) brought a male guest to Christmas morning and my husband felt the immediate need to clean all his guns at the kitchen table. The year the dog got tangled in …

Hello everyone! I am so excited to be here today and thanks so much to Andy for inviting me over to his blog! My name is Jay and I run a m/m romance review blog called Joyfully Jay.  In my real life I am a suburban mom of two wonderful girls, ages 10 and 12 1/2.  Yes, we are right on the cusp of having teenagers, and let me tell you, the view is scary from over here!  But they really are fabulous and my husband and I are so lucky to have them in our lives. Andy asked me to share my thoughts about kids and the holidays with you guys.  I love the traditions of the holidays, the …

Hard to believe we made our third visit to Santa. This year she at least was able to say she was a good girl and she wanted books and puzzles for Christmas.  Santa was  – as he was the past two years – really great with her, though we did have a bit of trouble getting her to smile.  Here are all three.   Then when we got home, someone decided they wanted to audition for the Voice, so we made a video. She’s made quiet and improvement since she first tried to sing this about four months ago.

So I’m a few days late with the schedule. I meant to do it sooner, but there never seems to be enough time this during the holiday season.  That made me a bit behind in confirming with everyone their dates, so I held off until now. The theme of the Event is Parents and Christmas. The participants are all all parents – or soon to be parents, some are even grandparents. Those posting are practice different religions, live in many different countries, and run the gamut of orientations. The goal was a diverse group so I could get a wide variety of posts. I think I’ve achieved that mix. Here is the list of everyone participating and the days their …