Cheerful Abundance

Last year, my kids did not really understand the concept of ‘holidays’. At 3 and a half, they couldn’t put it all together – Santa, Christmas, presents, Boxing Day, New Years Eve. It just didn’t make any sense to them. They had fun, loved getting presents, and became big fans of gingerbread, but they had no way to connect the dots between any of the elements of the holiday.

So this year was a delightful surprise. They got it. They really got it! That Christmas is a specific day, that one can count down to it, who Santa is, that he brings presents, etc. So,so cute! But so much pressure now. They understand the concept of ‘holiday’, and now I feel compelled to make those holidays memorable, and to introduce them to the traditions that will fuel the holidays they spend one day with their own children. So much pressure, right? I don’t think I realized before how easy it is when your kids are little: screw it up, and they won’t remember. I think we did “Christmas Day” late one year for them, because they were sick. They didn’t notice. But now, it is all Santa, all the time around here.

So, New Year’s Eve. I let them stay up late (9PM!), watch movies, eat hors d’oeuvres, drink a little soda (a BIG deal!), and I foolishly though that they would just crash on the couches when they got tired, but no – they just got more and more wound up, and finally, my husband had to force bedtime on them, and there was much wailing and moaning. We made it to midnight, drank one fancy Absolut Mandarin cocktail each, ate banana splits, watched Thin Man, and then crashed. So uncool. We have tons of champagne in the fridge, courtesy of our realtor, who sent us a bottle of Veuve, then dropped off a bottle of Italian bubbles (and I swear I am not being all blogger-twee here: it really is called that), but it seemed to much to commit to drinking an entire bottle of wine. This is what happens when you chldren never learn to sleep through the night – you lose your drinking edge. A real tragedy, frankly.

Also, at this point, we are kind of feeling bad about all the presents our realtor has sent us. This house was not that expensive, you know? I worry that her whole commission is sitting in my fridge right now. It is guilt champagne!

I was excited this year to introduce the concept of New Year’s Day to the kids – bowl game watching, hanging out in one’s pajamas all day, football food, etc. They weren’t into it, despite the fact that my alma mater won its bowl game – one slept through most of the football, while the other begged to watch Sprout TV. But they met their first cheese ball, and their first summer sausage, and they got to see Mommy yell at the TV screen and the oven, so, a two-fer! I don’t what it is with me and crappy Pinterest recipes, but I got all excited about a french toast casserole that you don’t have to let set overnight, and as you can probably imagine, it tasted like soggy warm challah bread pieces. Not cute! I really need to step away from Pinterest recipes.

And now it is just boring all Wednesday. Thank God! I think I am over the holidays. I am at the point where I want regular, non-cookie breakfast food, a normal work day,real life. I love Christmas decorations, but I also love the moment they are all gone, and the house looks a little spare again. I think the tree is coming down tonight (famous last words, no doubt!), and with it, the End of Christmas. Everyone is napping right now, accidental naps, all of them. Its just me and the dog, and I think this is a good time to curl up in bed with my Nook and ready a trashy novel that, if asked, I will pretend is actually some serious work of literary fiction.