Christmas 2009

So here it is, December 25, and I don't have to work. I could sleep in…except for the periodic knocks on the door from our resident ten-year-old asking if it's too early to get up yet?

Zach IS Mr. Christmas.

Yep, that's right. It's Christmas. And Zach is "Mr. Christmas". It's his second favorite holiday (after Halloween) but not by a wide margin. And as much as he enjoys getting presents, he seems to enjoy giving them at least as much, and puts a lot of thought into what he's going to give to whom before he heads out to the store to buy those gifts. (In previous years, Michael always helped him make presents; I still have a couple of the beautifully painted stones he gave one year.)

So we came downstairs to find our heavily-decorated tree (on which every ornament has a history) standing guard over a mound of presents that stretched halfway up the stairs. Neither Michael nor I could really see straight but we sat and allowed Zach to distribute the gifts, which seems to be his favorite part.

It's not easy to appreciate presents when the Sun has barely risen but Michael and I both tried to be good sports.

Zachary's grandmother, Mary, spent the night so that she would be ready for the celebration.

Rounding out the early morning's festivities was Zach's mom, Jenny.

But then our son, John, arrived.

We had hoped Karen would be here from Virginia, but the flights had been so backed up from the storms earlier in the week that she had to postpone her trip a couple weeks. And our oldest daughter was unable to get away from her responsibilities (also in Virginia).

Among other things, Zach got a computer, a computer desk, and (his favorite, I think) a BMX bike.

After the presents had been distributed, Jenny asked Zach how many he had gotten from Santa.

"None," Zach replied, "considering that Santa doesn't exist."

Ah. Well he is ten after all. But Jenny reminded him, as I had told her at that age, "Of course Santa exists. Santa isn't a person. He's the Spirit of Christmas."

"Well, in that case…all of them!"

He gets it.

We planned a giant Christmas dinner, and would have had some 18 people if everyone showed up. And we were ready for them!

However, there were several cancellations. Still, the folks who did arrive (starting around 2 PM) enjoyed the hors devours and the meal, ready around 5 PM, consisted of turkey, ham and roast beef, mashed potatoes and yams, cranberry relish and sauce, asparagus and creamed onions and fresh-baked biscuits. For desert: Several kinds of pie, cookies, a Red Velvet cake, and a low-carb cheesecake (made for me, but by the this time I was far off my diet I would have to orbit Jupiter to get back on).

After dinner, and after our guests had left, Michael and I drove a mile to our friends Barbara and Peter's, where Michael's sister, Surya, had spent this Christmas, and had some desert with them and their other guests. Then, back home to try and catch up on the sleep we missed Christmas morning.

Sleep: My favorite gift!