On Christmas Eve night, she called us up to her room. Bedtime has gotten smoother in recent months but there is usually at least one post-tuck-in request. Another song. A drink of water. Typical.
But Christmas Eve night was different. She couldn’t articulate what she needed. I asked and she didn’t know.
And suddenly, decades-old memories of Christmas Eves past came flooding in – me, sitting in bed, wide awake, excited and anxious and all alone. Oh how those hours seemed to last forever and I was sure morning would never come.
So I sat on the edge of her bed. I rested my hand on her back. And I waited. Eventually she calmed. She stopped fidgeting. Her breath deepened. And she slept.
Tiny tots, with their eyes all aglow, will find it hard to sleep, tonight.
I hope the magic lived up to her excitement. It’s so tough to tell with my girl who treads softly into all new territory – even holiday fun. And it’s so easy to come back here and look around at all of the photos – other moms making magic that seems so much better than ours.
But, of course, that’s not what it’s about.
It’s about looking in and not out. Making our own magic and memories. Our own traditions.
Christmas Eve, hot cocoa, and Frosty.
Baking cookies to give away to our neighbors. Her excitement grew with each sprinkle until she quite literally bounded up each neighbor’s walkway, pounded on their door, and thrust little bags of cookies into their hands. Pure, beautiful, joy of giving.
Charlie, our elf.
Cookies and milk and a note. “Santa, I hope your reindeer are well and well fed.”
Open a present. Play. Break for breakfast. Open a present. Play. Break for lunch. We opened gifts well into the afternoon.
This week, I am thankful for this week. We’re on day seven of just us four. Seven days of waking up and hanging out in bed for an hour before jumping into a day defined by whatever we feel like doing. Going out just to go out. Staying in because we want to stay in. It doesn’t matter because we’re doing it together.
And of course there are tantrums. There is whining. There are tears and frustrations and a mom begging for just five minutes of quiet to just finish one blog post already. But even with those, I wouldn’t have it any other way. This week of holiday has been perfect.
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This week, I am thankful for…
… magic.
… cookies.
… neighbors who sweetly welcome us in and compliment our girl on everything from her hat to her mad baking skills.
… the quiet, and not-so-quiet, of these holidays.
… doctors who love their jobs and help us love our kids.
… hot cocoa.
… new opportunities just in time for a new year.
… my husband, the world’s greatest dad and the key to my and my girl’s sanity right now.
… days of sun between days of snow to make the cabin fever not so bad.
… an empty mall that is perfect for running around.
… uninterrupted sleep.
… perfect, surprise gifts.
12 things to be thankful for on this last Friday of 2012. Seems kinda perfect so I’ll stop there.
Hope your week has been oh so lovely.
