Holiday Reflections

In the blink of an eye, Christmas and New Years have blown through our house. Both were lovely.

Christmas Eve we took the kids to see Alvin & the Chipmunks and then out to dinner, followed by an extended driving tour through our neighborhood to check out the lights. By the time we got home and got the kids in bed it was well after 10PM. Tony and I immediately set to work getting everything ready for the morning, determining what would be “Santa gifts” and what would be from us. After 2+ showings of “A Christmas Story” we had everything wrapped and assembled.

Christmas morning was wonderful. We actually had to wake the kids up so we’d have time to open presents and enjoy our morning together before heading down to “The Robinsons”. The boys were great and my favorite moment was watching them open the gifts they made and wrapped for each other – iron on t-shirts of their favorite characters - and the spontaneous hug that followed. I loved that they each got so invested in whatever present they had just opened, they were in no hurry to move on to the next.

Christmas down the street was also wonderful. The boys were super excited about everything they got – and everything everyone got. They were just as thrilled to see their cousin open a present of a 49er shirt as they were to open a Playstation game for themselves (ok, maybe not as excited, but you get the picture). Grandma and Grandpa Robinson seemed relaxed and happy, and certainly in their favorite place with their favorite people.

After the Robinsons, we came back home for dinner with MY family. I finally made it happen and had my brother, sister, their families and my mother over for Christmas dinner. Even with all the superficial imperfections, the day was perfect. A missing cloth napkin, late guests, my lost camera (the horror!) cold food and insanely strong coffee all could have sent me into hostess insanity – but instead I will cherish the memories of seeing my mom with her 5 grandsons and one granddaughter hanging out together, playing Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots, pulling apart Christmas crackers and enjoying each other….

I had a nice moment watching my brother with his daughter. He'll always be my brother, the guy who used to steal all my french fries and shove sweaty socks in my face, but there he was with his daughter sitting on his lap and I had a new appreciation for him as a father. My sister had worked a graveyard shift Christmas Eve into Christmas Day and still managed to celebrate with her family, squeeze in a few hours of sleep and come to Christmas at my house. Sometimes I get so caught up in my own world, my own life, that I forget when they are at their homes, they’re “living it” too and doing the best they can.

We enjoyed our time together as a family, enjoyed each other as people, and marveled at our kids and how much they’ve grown - and maybe how much we've grown too.

And Santa had nothing to do with it.