Christmas Past

I am feeling a little shocked at the passing of the Holiday. It feels like it flew past this year and there was not much time to process and yet, yet it also felt just right.

The Christmas weekend was a whirl of tradition and exhaustion. We spent Thursday night with good friends and family, eating pizza and strolling all the littles up to a ridiculously elaborate Christmas extravaganza of lights. The name of the street is Thoroughbred and people come from far and away to walk the 5 or 6 blocks.



There are some homes that literally sag under the weight of their decorations and there are people in their driveways with cocoa and tamales and brownies. Oh, the brownies. I almost bought a whole pan but stopped at 4 because that was enough for a taste for each person in the party. I loved the way the boys fixated on the home featuring the Grinch (their new favorite Christmas character). And then we arrived home from the long walk and lo and behold, there is the Grinch on TV with the little wHOS holding hands and singing with great joy and aplomb.

And Christmas Eve with its preparation and the family party on Tim's side. His extended family is Hispanic and they gather with a huge dinner and a bar devoted to tequila (Patron Silver, one shot, thank you very much). Family that we only see once a year, but after 16 years running, they are family nonetheless. The old are getting older and more frail, their speech rambling and sometimes incoherent. The middles (we in our 30s and 40s) laugh and compare the gory notes of parenthood and joblessness. The young sneak beers and cigarettes in the back yard, slipping up to the tequila table discreetly. And the very little, well, this year we entered the door and then did not see them for a long long time. This is when you reap the benefits of a huge family with another set of twins. This video is the only thing I shot before getting swept up in the fun, O passed out and tortured, pretty funny actually.



And then finally finally Christmas morning. I woke at 7 a.m. with not a creature stirring. Not one in a house of people. Might have had something to do with going down at 11 for the boys, 2 a.m. for us. Always the last minute wrappers, we are. But then the boys woke and the fun started.



Santa on the fire truck, stockings, then breakfast and presents, a walk, Grandpa Jim's with another breakfast and mimosas. It was a good good day. And me, the Santa ain't real girl, was totally delighted by the fact that the boys believed Santa heard their requests for 1) Dora and Diego figures 2) a few rescue Heroes 3) Pillow Pets and 4) Crazy racer cars. So, thanks Santa GP Mona and Nick and Santa Auntie Libby and Santa GP Jim and Carol. You made their Christmas shine.