Control issues

"Someone's got to take charge.
And I usually like it to be me."
                                             ~ Marta  =D

When I was still a young woman and living at home, I started taking an interest in helping my mom with the preparations for Christmas.  My mom would decide what her "theme" for that year would be and my sister, Miriam and I would get all excited and brainstorm ways to make everything special.  Because I am creative (and pushy =D) I came up with lots of different things to do on Noche Buena to add a bit of entertainment to the festivities.

We (when I say "we" I mean "me") started doing skits or giving out awards or dressing up the little kids and having them sing Christmas carols.   I know.  A natural born salesperson, or maybe it's just because I'm Cuban. ;-)

After one particularly elaborate Christmas, my brother asked, "Who decided all this?"
Without missing a beat, I answered, "The Committee" (you'd have to understand nonsensical Cuban politics to get the joke, but that's not important right now) and a familial urban legend was born.

From that point on, the illusive Committee (=D) made holiday decisions which included organizing the gift exchanges, setting beautiful tables, sending invitations and adding some entertainment to the festivities. 

We (=D) call ourselves E.L.F. (Entreteniendo La Familia).  This whole family entertainment thing has been an ongoing joke in our family for years now.  Someone always protests that next year they want to be on The Committee, but of course, it always falls to the usual suspects.  (ahem. . .)

This year we decided to mix it up a bit and we (of course, you know by now that when I say "we", I mean "me" - with Helen and Amy as my "hero support") announced that there had been a coup and a violent takeover and that there was now a New Committee.

Okay, so I confess.  It was me (again) and really, I just set up a puppet regime:

Meet The New Committee:  Lucy, Jonathan, Daisy, and Natalie.  (wink, wink)  ;-)