And it is here.
Bud was up at 6:15 a.m.. "I've been singing carols all night," he told me as he crawled in bed. Hark the Herald Angels Sing. Joy to the World. "Pa rum pa pum pum." And he was ready to get downstairs. "I heard bells in my head last night. Jingle bells." But he hadn't heard Santa.
Amazingly. Because Santa made lots of noise for quite awhile.
We heard a key in our front door. Gommie and Pop had arrived. Just then, Sis's little voice called from the other room, "It's Christmas!"
Yep.
They ran down to meet G&P, but the lit tree and pile of presents were hidden behind the red curtains. So we had the unveiling as they pushed through the curtains to see. Wow. So many gifts, such filled stockings.
And what chaos to unwrap it all. Fun, too, of course. Star Wars everything: figures, ships, puzzles, sheets, jammies, games, Legos, books. Also How to Train Your Dragon. And Harry Potter, for the adults. Arts and crafts, cooking (books, beans, and tools), clothes, beans, knickknacks, books, soaps, candy. There were even toys in the tree! Lavish, indulgent, delightful abundance. Given in love and generosity and pleasure. Received in the same way. A huge thank-you to Santa, Gommie and Pop, Cousin Hungry (we love all the wonderful gifts and will call later), aunts and uncles, friends.
Sis and Bud, for the first time, actively participated in the giving. Sis dug under the tree so her present would be the first Bud opened. She had consulted with Mama and chosen a Captain Rex helmet for Bud; he chose a Playmobil nativity for her. They were so excited and wrapped it up themselves. And opened them first. Giving each other hugs of gratitude amid exclamations of "awesome!" They gave us gifts too. Gommie and Pop had gotten their fleece scarves early because Texans suffer in our New England cold. The kids had chosen the patterns--red with white polka dots for Gommie, moose-cammo for Pop--and we'd tied them. Sis even made me a "thank-you" bag, with notecards written with "thank you" and pictures of singing, baking, Star Wars, for all I do. I also got a school decorated box with some chocolates in it. And they loved watching Mama open her Lego Hogwarts castle and me the hedgehog figures and Harry Potter pop-up.
The kids are playing with everything, literally. Open, play, switch. Open, play, switch. Mostly sharing, no tears yet. The adults alternately sit and watch, or prep food--monkey bread for breakfast and prime rib roast etc for lunch. The angelic voice of that little girl soprano plays in the background. The cats prowl for stray plastic and ribbons. And the Elf on the Shelf--Shaun, after the sheep, this year--after two days of moving constantly and inspiring desperate and frantic searches, has returned to the North Pole.
And best of all, the gift I desperately want but cannot give: the forecast of 2-4" of snow tonight and tomorrow.
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