Is it bad to start the new year behind? Or does it humanize me? What's that you say? You already knew I was human and I therefore don't need humanizing. Well, here's a bit for you anyway. Let's have a look at Christmas, shall we. And then one of these days we'll move on to those things we call 'resolutions.'
This year I had a little lesson in male psychology. Near midnight on the 23rd while we were wrapping gifts, Kip was like, "You know I'd kind of like to get that video game Mark wanted." Mark had told me he wanted Star Wars 3, the Clone Wars and I'd told him point blank that I was done shopping, so not to expect it. Thank goodness for other males. And then Kip wanted to get the girls something special too. It seemed crazy to me for Kip to go out on Christmas Eve morning to do those things. I'm pretty sure the traffic and crowds would have brought me to tears. But it didn't bother Kip at all. He came home happy. And he sure made the kids happy. I wasn't mad. Actually, I was oddly touched by it all. Sometimes it seems like Christmas is an all-woman kind of affair, but this year I realized that the men want to be involved too. They just don't happen to think about Christmas at a yard sale in October like I do:). They think about it when they're off work and relaxed and there is Christmas-y-ness in the air. I'm okay with that. So Kip and Emma shopped and the big kids and I made cookies.
Later that day we delivered some treats to our neighbors and then to a couple of friends, though hastily since Mark had started feeling sick (excited nerves only, it turns out, but he and Kip got kicked out of the car anyway, because I wasn't taking any Christmas Eve chances). When the girls and I got home, we read the Biblical Christmas story and The Night Before Christmas (both happy childhood traditions for me, carried over). Then the kids brought out the gifts they'd bought and they each tried to guess what the others had gotten them (another childhood tradition and my favorite of all--oh, the anticipation of trying to guess a gift and then going to sleep thinking of it). The Christmas elves had delivered a bag with jammies earlier in the evening. And eventually the children were nestled all snug in their beds. Leaving Kip and me to have a dinner of broccoli soup in sourdough bowls--all by our sweet selves (with kids calling out that they needed to go to the bathroom or get drinks or whatever...). Then we laid out presents and it was just a lovely night followed by a fun morning of gift opening and playing with and then a short church. And too much candy. And another visit to friends. And Skype with Kip's family. And a phone call from my brother announcing a little surprise of their own. And probably lots of other fun things that I've forgotten by now.
And then a week later a visit from Katie and Co. and Dad and Co. The fun never ends around here. Nor, I'm told, does the laundry, but I try not to think about that. Barry and Ami come tomorrow night and we're looking forward to it.
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