‘Twas the morning after Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse (we have traps set in the garage). Sigh. This is the morning after Christmas, and I am enjoying some great quiet time with just me, the tree and all of you.
If you celebrate the season, did you have a good Christmas?
For us, it all started with Christmas eve. The excited kids finally went to bed, after we heard the jingle bells that herald the forthcoming visit from the big guy in red. And as those children were nestled all snug in their beds, Tom and I spent the next hours wrapping and building some of the surprises that would later be found under the tree.
We were up to about 3 am.
As we dragged ourselves to our bed, and it seemed as though our heads just touched the pillows, the kids bound out of bed. I think it could definitely be considered the crack of dawn. That is certainly how it felt inside my head.
After presents, breakfast and cleaning up, it was time to cook, and cook, and cook before family arrived. And once family did arrive, the chaos increased, with more food dishes flowing in and no where to put them, excited kids and their cousins running through the kitchen, and a turkey that was far from being ready to come out. We all pitched in to get everything prepared, including assembling the new folding tables that were needed to sup everyone.
The day was a whirlwind, our first Christmas in our new home. And while it was lovely to welcome everyone into our home, it hardly gave us the time to catch a breath and appreciate the day.
But now, I can look around and breath in the wonderful holiday and all of our blessings. Beside the material things, there are those little moments to store in my head from Christmas 2007. A stolen kiss from my husband when no one was looking; the way my youngest charmed our oldest relative with a single look; the playful banter of my in laws; the way that everyone praised the lumpy mashed potatoes; a glance out of the front window to see the Christmas lights my family worked so hard together to assemble, in the rain.
And soon, everyone will be up, and it will be back to cooking (breakfast this time). wrangling stray bits of wrapping paper and getting everyone dressed for a post-Christmas outing. But for now, I’ll take these moments, this after Christmas day, and revel in the quiet joy. Happy holidays.
Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, technology in the Computing Blog, and creating a home in the Home Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here.
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