I think taking a blogging break was good. Instead of being the dry well that it was in December, I actually have several ideas, and I’m eager to get back in the swing of things. I don’t know about you but I love the idea of fresh starts. January and September (back to school) just always fill me with some level of excitement. It’s another chance to start anew, to refine things and try out new things. Sure, you can do that anytime (especially if you’re a Christ follower), it’s just that these milestones always seem to lead to some reflective time for me.
But, before we get to that, how was everyone’s Christmas? Ours was quiet. No family, just the four of us. Which was probably good given all the excitement we’ve had in our lives lately. Of course I have a Calvin story for you.
In our new house we have a formal living and dining area, something we’ve never had before. And basically it will be our library-piano-extra furniture room. We don’t really do formal. So, that was where we put the Christmas tree, and my temporary desk was down there. I’m doing something on the computer and Calvin is over by the tree. Not too unusual. He likes to play wherever I’m at and this is a big empty room. But then it gets quiet, pierced by something that sounds like a quick rip of paper.
I look over. He’s hunched over one of the presents. It has a small, thumb-sized hole in it.
“Don’t open that,” I say.
“Mo—om, it’s time for Christmas.”
“Two more days.”
“No. Today’s Christmas.”
“Two more days.” I go back to work. He leaves the room and goes upstairs, taking his toys with him for once.
About ten minutes later he comes back down. “Mom, open this for me.”
I turn around. He’s holding his Nerf dart gun. One of his Christmas presents. That little booger. “That’s for Christmas. You don’t get to play with it now.” I stick it on my desk and then head upstairs to see what else he’s done. He’s opened one of Peter’s presents too. Wrapping paper covered his bedroom floor. I pick it up, repair the damage, and check under the tree for more missing presents.
It’s hard being little. And it didn’t help that Sissy’s birthday is on the twenty-third, so she got to open presents. So on Christmas day he got his Nerf dart gun back, in addition to his light saber that lights up and makes noise when it whacks things. Not sure what we were thinking in getting him an arsenal, but he’s a boy. He’s been watching Star Wars to get the sword fighting down, much in the same way my daughter watches High School Musical over and over to get the dance moves and songs down. So, the DVR has been a blessing in that regard.
We took the tree down yesterday, to only a small protest. Calvin bargained for Christmas to last one more week. Last year he was so upset when I took the tree down. He wanted it in his room. Um, no.
How was everyone else Christmases? Good memories? Funny ones?
8 comments:
LOL! Sounds like an adventure in your neck of the woods. We had a quiet Christmas with just the four of us. But it was different. No Santa this year (finally) so we did our traditional Christmas Eve for the first time with our girls. It was fun, but poignant in a way. Another landmark. Then we went to San Francisco Christmas Day to be with friends—another first. It was an interesting holiday. :-)
I had family coming out my wazoo for Christmas. And I don't even know what a wazoo is.
Christmas is still going on here. Sort of. Technically, the 12 days of Christmas go through Jan 6th, I read, so I'm declaring Jan 6th my magi day. Christmas decs can stay up until then, and I'm allowing myself a magi movie, one last Christmas movie on Sat.
Now I know why my parents hid our presents until the morning of.
We do a huge Christmas Eve breakfast with the grown children, grandchildren and the two still at home. My husband makes menus, which are filled out earlier, and keeps up early to start cooking. We had 25 people over for Christmas Eve breakfast, counting us.
Christmas Day we open presents with the two left here at home, and in the afternoon go to my husband's ex-wife's house (weird, I know) for dinner.
The season is always busy for us.
LOL Calvin doesn't sound any different from me when I was a kid. We used to rip open little holes and then tape them back up. And of course go snooping as well.
We had a nice Christmas, opened presents in the morning and then went up to friends for dinner. Us kids (everyone under 30) teamed up and played Monopoly. My goddaughter and I, the two Malias, were together and kicked Monopoly butt to tune of well, we kicked butt. LOL Those are two traditions I look forward to every year. :)
Ooh, Christmas Eve breakfast sounds like a great idea!
And we played Monopoly too. Even tried to teach Calvin to play in the brief moments he would sit still. He liked being the car.
LOLOL! You gotta love his spunk! Patience is a toughy to learn, bless his heart. RRRrriiiippp!
Glad to see you're blogging again, and I think we're all rubbing our hands together waiting for more stories...
We had a great Christmas, thanks for asking!
Calvin's just like me!
Phil and I can't even buy each other presents. We come home and give them on the day we bought them. LOL
We had a quiet Christmas, which is a tradition I'm growing to love. Two of our three daughters were able to come by Christmas morning (middle daughter had to work a double at the airport both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day). After presents, we played electronic Trivial Pursuit (comes with a DVD for the wedge questions) and I remembered--my girls cheat! Then Wednesday we all went to middle daugther's new appartment to have Christmas again--this time with her fiancé and family plus youngest daughter's boyfriend joined the fun. Food, presents and getting to know each other a bit was nice. We followed that up with a trip to the White Mountains to see my mom, Norman and 100 year old Gramma. Again, laid back and peaceful. Christmas without stress is wonderful!
Abundant blessings,
Jenny Cary
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