We Wish You a Merry Christmas!

Christmas really crept up on us this year with family visiting, our trip and illness. Before we knew it we were behind with the advent calendars, family calendars, Christmas cards, shopping and pretty much every other holiday preparation. So we hit it - Christmas preps 24/7, and we made it and slid into home with pretty much everything ready to go.

It is amazing how my perspective of this magical holiday has changed over the years. As a child I was completely smitten, a star-crossed Christmas kid, soaking up and enjoying every single moment and small detail, to the point where I didn't even sleep on Christmas eve until my 20's. As a younger adult I could still feel the magic, despite a lack of religious affiliation and Santa-stuffed pillow sacks no longer on my bed on Christmas eve. Now, as a parent of young kids, to be honest, it has just become SO MUCH WORK. Greg took out our boxes of decorations this year and I shocked myself when I realized that I had actually said "ugh." I don't think its that Christmas is really that much more work with kids, maybe there is a bit more shopping, but there is just less time to devote to Christmas preparations, just like there is less time for pretty much everything. It becomes about the work, the to do list, the teacher gifts, the racing to meet the Christmas mailing and ordering deadlines, fa la la la la, la la la la....

So I turn to my children, to soak up a bit of their spirit. In their faces I see the anticipation and how they are slightly mystified by this overwhelming and confusingly magical holiday that eclipses all others, even their own birthdays. They welcome Christmas in their own ways. This year they slept with their doors open for the first time; I think they are a bit more comfortable with the idea of the man in the red suit coming into our house while we sleep. Teia writes notes and draws pictures for Santa. Some of them she sets out with Dasher, our "giving deer," to take back to the North Pole each night. This year both kids were brave enough to sit with Santa at Greg's work party and Teia gave him explicit instructions about the doll house she wanted for Christmas. Kai was satisfied with the Lego ambulance he received from Grandma and Poppa Mike at our early Christmas so he was leaving Santa in the dark.

Christmas Eve arrived with the extra excitement of picking up Auntie, Uncle and Baby M at the airport.  A bit of a San Diego tradition has been to watch the sunset on Christmas Eve at the beach. We all miss the snow terribly at Christmastime (even Teia, who doesn't remember her white Christmases but desperately wants one), but we try to embrace the beachie Christmas as best we can. We enjoyed the sunset on the pier. 

No dolphin sightings this time but there was a storm swell so the surf was big and hammering the pier and making it shake. The girls in the family must be the nervous ones b/c after one particular sway of the pier, A, T and I all looked at each other said "Earthquake!" and prepared to run off the pier. If a quake does hit, the dilapidated crystal pier is definitely not where you want to find yourself. The boys thought it was all quite funny but we decided to head back to solid ground anyway. 

After dinner and fondue, we tracked Santa on the Norad website. The kids were pretty riveted. Thanks to Auntie for grabbing this shot. 

So our kids were eager to get the cookies, egg nog and carrots out for Santa and his reindeer and scurry off to bed. When I checked on them sleeping, I swear I could see the sugarplums dancing around Teia's little sleeping head. 

And Santa made his delivery. Despite not quite knowing what to bring for Kai, he did alright. He also remembered to drop off stockings for baby M and his mom and dad. The kids were interested in how the heck did he know to do that?

Once again, we were treated to kids who slept through the night. I guess they have not inherited my can't-sleep-on-Christmas gene. It seems I was the one waking up repeatedly, wondering if they were awake yet. 7 am sharp, Teia was beside our bed announcing "Merry Christmas!" and before I could stop her, waking up her brother to tell him there was a red van in the living room. Quick like a flash, they zipped from his bedroom and directly into the side door of his new VW van tent without noticing anything else under the tree. Santa's last minute inspiration paid off. 

Here they are opening their stockings in the morning light. 

Kai watches with quiet anticipation as Teia sorts through the gifts under the tree. Love his face. And his backwards pajamas (of course). 

Auntie, Uncle and Baby M joined us as our own real live snowman, rudolph and baby elf on Christmas morning! So silly and cute! 

Santa delivered with the dollhouse and Teia didn't even notice that it didn't come with a second bathroom as per her request to Santa, nor an entire family. A miniature human replica has not even stepped foot in that dollhouse yet, nearly a week past Christmas. It has been inhabited exclusively by tiny animals, wooden and/or soft. Its kind of more of a furnished zoo, than a doll house really. 

She was also completely thrilled to receive a booster seat. She has been asking since she was about 3 when she could ride in a booster and sit in the 3rd row of the mini-van and this Christmas, both of those dreams came true. 

Baby M enjoyed exploring his Christmas prezzies and those of his big cousins and generally just charming everyone. 

Here he is all ready for Christmas dinner with Dad. 

And a San Diego Christmas day wouldn't be complete without a little bit more beach time, even if it was a wee bit chilly and a king tide meant that the only dry sand we could find was the big man made piles. Didn't keep Kai out of the water. 

LOVE!!!!

And what Christmas day wouldn't be complete without a picture of exhausted children and decadent desserts????? They finally fell asleep after a wonderful, magical day where they opened presents from morning til bedtime b/c they are so lucky and spoiled by family and friends, and where they got to share in their littlest cousin's first Christmas, something they'll likely never forget - as well as special time with Auntie and Uncle. 

Our post-Christmas hangover has included runny noses, throwing up and clogged drains. Greg has become quite a good amateur plumber thankfully, and I do my best as a mommy-nurse. AND its snowing in the mountains as I write. So Teia may get her snow after all, so long as we can find a pair of snow boots for Kai in a San Diego store tomorrow. Seems we just don't keep stocked up on stuff like that these days....

So after my whining about how much work Christmas is, and the general grumbles about commercialism and people not saying Merry Christmas anymore lest it offend someone, watching a child experience something as magic, a dream come true, and believing in something that they can't see or touch, and feeling the love of a family coming together really does make Christmas a pretty special time of year, no matter what you believe in. Its about celebrating a connectedness that we often don't slow down enough to appreciate the rest of the year. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!