Pre-Holiday Ponderings

“It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.
Everywhere you go.”
It really is. Complete with snow. My children only have one day of school left before Break. But a ferocious winter storm is predicted for this evening, with many hopeful prayers of students sent heavenward for a “snow day” off tomorrow. Quite honestly, I’m hoping and praying myself. I’d love a cozy family day of board game playing and movie marathons by the fireplace. ‘Tis the season. I want to enjoy every moment.

I finished up most of my Christmas shopping this morning; Super Hubs being dragged about in my wake. (He even accompanied me to my nail salon, waiting patiently with a throng of middle-aged women, persevering despite the splitting headache he developed from the chemical fumes. God bless him. The man is a saint!)

We have changed our plans from Christmas Traveling to Christmas Staying Put. Our tradition has typically been to spend the holiday in Connecticut with Super Hubs’ family. It’s been a warm and lovely and beautiful ritual that we’ve adored. But this year Butterfly has gotten a part-time job in retail, and we must stay home. So we’ve had to alter the trajectory of our traditional plans and rethink Christmas at home. Little Squirt is the one who is struggling the most with this. I’ve realized that he doesn’t actually remember spending Christmas anywhere but at Grandma’s. “But where will we open our presents?” he asked me, in wide-eyed dismay. “Right here. In our home,” I answered. “Well you better let Santa know,” he said earnestly.

In an attempt to fill some of the void left by being non-nomads this year, we’ve done some local family events. We saw a charming community theater rendition of “A Christmas Carol.” We’ve enjoyed a visit to Santa, and some scrumptious meals out. We’ve snuggled under quilts together while watching our favorite Christmas movies. As Butterfly will be heading away to college in the fall, I am unnervingly aware of the preciousness of these family times. They feel sacred. And fleeting. (Sniff.)

So, while I understand the practicality in staying home this year, it also feels.... kind of empty. Normally, I’d be completely buried in the Pre-Vaca Craze right now. I’d be ferociously wrapping and packing and begging my neighbors to pet-sit; in the midst of my Traditional Holiday Nervous Breakdown. Somehow, odd as it sounds, I miss that a bit this year.
“But the prettiest sight to see is the holly that will be
On your own front door.” Well, we’ll see.