It is 9:15ish on Christmas evening, and Si and I are almost done unpacking all of the generous gifts given to our family. The dishwasher is whirring, full of our brand new stainless steel cookware by Emeril. Si has just finished making homemade ice milk, something he does more often than he should {either that, or he should learn to use Stevia}.
All of the family celebrations went well, I think. We received a somewhat last minute visit from Si’s dad, his dad’s wife, and his younger brother. The children love their Uncle Larry because he is only seventeen and has loads of energy to use playing with them. And that was such a wonderful way to start off the holidays!
I met my dad’s new partner from work. She and her husband joined our family for Christmas since their own family is distant. She told me she reads this blog, which, naturally, flustered me, and now she knows how much cooler I am on paper than I am in person. Her husband met with my approval as he drank more than his share of my experimental appetizer, coconut chicken soup served in a mug and sprinkled with green onion and cilantro, and enthusiastically so at that.
Everyone else that we saw we expected to see. My younger sister and her family came up from Orange County. The others live here, and it was fun to have three new additions {between two sides of the family} enjoying their first Christmas. They were all girls, by the way {one was Baby Q., of course}. I think we will be needing some more boys soon.
I can’t leave off without mentioning some of the best gifts of the season. My husband knows I am paranoid about cell phone radiation and he bought me some neutralizers! This is now the only thing stopping me from throwing it away and vowing to become a Luddite.
The Boy received a bike just his size, complete with training wheels, and he is ecstatic. A. got her first tricycle, and I think there is a new learning curve in store for our Usual Morning Walk. Q. received some toys, but mainly played with the boxes, which was to be expected. I bought Si the Worldview Training for the 21st Century audio CDs to keep him thinking during his commute. I don’t call him the Worldview Guru for nothing, so the gift worked for him. My homemade gifts went over well enough that I feel comfortable sharing with you about them in the future.
There were a number of sweet moments over the course of the last four days, but I think I am most thankful for a son who ran to me and hugged me instead of noticing his gifts on Christmas morning, a daughter who left unwrapping presents to rummage through the pantry and eat raisins, and a baby who appreciates a box. I saw this glimmer of hope in them, that maybe it is possible to raise children who delight in a gift without giving themselves to materialism.
And I am, as always, thankful for the faithful loving husband who is so very easy on the eyes and the heart.
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