Christmas - it was cool!

We had a nice Christmas, primarily because of Lea. At the tender age of not-quite-five-weeks she did incredibly well with all the stimulation from a passel of loud relatives, at least on her mother's side! She stole the show, and it was loads of fun to give her gifts, even if she doesn't really know what they're about. Soon she'll enjoy the toys, although probably she'll never appreciate THESE clothes (even if her parents and other extended family members enjoy the heck out of them).

We ate WAY too much, thanks to inveterate cookie bakers - Doug, Paige, Holly - and my compulsion to provide enormous meals of turkey, pork, ham, and accompaniments. We also experimented with some interesting drinks - a variety of egg nogs and other kind of bizarre cocktails. Fun!

It's nice to not get up before the crack of dawn, too. I actually went to the theatre on a weeknight and was able to sleep in the next day. Of course, I have the good old papers to grade - I'm procrastinating on that right now, as a matter of fact.

But, always, the best part of a holiday for me is having my kids around. I know they miss each other a lot, so it makes me happy to see them be able to spend a little bit of time together. When Paige and Brian move, they'll be farther from both sets of parents, but closer to Eric and Holly, which is some consolation. It will be nice for them to hang out together sometimes without the parents around, I know. But it also means that I can combine a couple of trips this summer.

Sigh. I honestly often wish I could rewind the clock about ten years and relive those high school times with my kids and appreciate them more. But I really like them as adults, too. I'm glad they are having adventures that are taking them to different parts of the country, but, selfishlessly, I preferred when I saw them every day and kind of miss packing lunches - PB and J sandwiches, juice boxes, goldfish crackers, granola bars, and, for Eric, Boost during his running seasons. Seems like yesterday sometimes that I was doing that - and going to concerts, meets, and games. I have regular pictures, but also some wonderful mental images of my kids in uniforms or costumes (remember that very classy Academic Team sweater, Eric? And the sparkly VE dress, Paige?) Maybe part of it is that I, too, was ten years younger!

Not to get all "Wonder Years" on you, but isn't it fun to remember past Christmases? We had a lot of fun watching videos from almost twenty years ago. I am so glad we have them - to see the loved ones we don't have with us anymore, but also to see how we were then - when our long-gone dog was a pup, and my hair was the color I've been pretending it still is.

Hope you all had a good end of the year holiday, whichever one you celebrate!