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Christmas started for us at 7:30 in the morning. Our kids crept oh-so-quietly into our room to gently wake us up and remind us that it was Christmas. Then they were sent to just-as-gently wake up Mimi and Bop-bop, brush their teeth and then wait at the top of the stairs like the running of the bulls. It’s a pretty wild scene, waiting for Mom or Dad to turn their camera on and utter the best word to hear on Christmas morning: Go!

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Christmas morning was lovely. I have long-wrestled with the incredibly consumerist nature of the holiday. This year, however, I chose to see it as it is: a once a year opportunity to give and receive physical representations of appreciation with one another. We sat down as a family and opened gifts, communed over tokens of love, laughed and cried over shared sentiments. I made a lot of little things to stuff in my parents stockings- magnets, dish towels, gift tags, things like that; it was a pleasure to watch my mom and dad as they opened and exclaimed over each one. Good feelings multiply through those acts of giving and receiving. I loved it and loved this Christmas morning like no other. My favorite moment was when my daughter received her Taylor Swift tickets. And lucky me- I get to go, too!

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Later on, my brothers and their families came over (but I took mostly video) where we feasted and played and opened gifts together as a family. And even later, the next day, before they left, there was my mom, teaching Guinevere how to use a sewing machine. Gigi has been working on her quilt ever since, ironing seams, cutting carefully, pinning, sewing, needing more fabric! It’s been fun!

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As for Jude, he’s been a busy little bee, putting together his Legos like a boss.

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Of course, we have also managed to get outside. So far, it’s been a marvelous, family- focused winter break.

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