So Merry, So Lovely, So Done

Christmas Day with Daddy

I will confess to being a tiny bit... grinchy? about Christmas. Or more specifically, about the pressure of "Talia's First Christmas" and the feeling that every tradition we are ever going to include had to start this year.

However, by the weekend before Christmas, I was oddly over it and instead enjoying being in the midst of my favourite things. On Saturday night, Brian and Anna came up for drinks. Candles were lit and Christmas music was playing and I have no idea what we talked about but I know I had that quiet, "This is Christmas" feeling in my heart. They are those dreamy in-laws that you hear about but never truly believe exist - people you'd want to be friends with if you didn't have the good fortune to be related to them. So nice.

Scott was working Sunday, so that morning I went down to Melissa and Dave's to have brunch with them and the Haugland family. Karen was collecting baking items to take on their own traditional Cookie Drop on the Downtown Eastside and I managed to have something to donate this year. Dave had made Nutella and Banana French Toast and it was DEE-licious. But mostly it was nice to be with these long-time friends and watch all of our kids playing (someone pointed out that Talia is Josh's MiniMe, sharing the same coif as they do) and find it surprisingly rest-full - that rest that comes when you catch yourself not having to try at being I think.

That night around 9pm little hands were knocking on our door which we opened to discover young Chanida with a present for us from Uncle Terry. A quick visit with our Lambkin neighbours turned into rum and eggnog with Andy and again, it was another friend making us glad to have something to share for yet another taste of Christmas.

On Christmas Eve, Mark and Heidi came over with Lael for our traditional Christmas Eve Brunch, something we have done together most of the last 5 years. Multiplying our pleasure was the arrival of Terry and Chelsea with the very latest photos of Inutero Crawford looking awfully cute at 18 weeks. We managed to convince them to stay and eat and I will tell you that having some of my favourite people gathered around the table is the deepest gladness I know. By noon, they were all on their way but the Spirit of Christmas remained, reminding me why we like this tradition so much.

And then our new tradition began. Andrew, Talia and I loaded into the car (with enough gear to get us through to her second birthday I think) to catch the 3:30 ferry to Langdale. The Caldwell Family Christmas was being held at Hopkins, a Rolston cabin that we spent many a holiday in as we were growing up. Katie, Jared, Mum & Dad had already been there for a day and had decked the halls with boughs of cedar and berries and jingle bells. It was like a storybook for me I think, but I couldn't tell you why exactly. Just what I needed though.

For the next three days, we ate good food and drank Caesars and told stories and opened stockings and watched A Muppet's Christmas Carol and walked on the beach and lost the dog and just enjoyed being family together. Scott was working both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day nights, and I missed him a lot more than I had intended. Happily, he was able to spend most of Christmas Day and all of Boxing Day night with us and had a taste of the wonder.

Talia celebrated Christmas by crawling on hands and knees for the first time. She had a very appreciative audience but does seem to prefer dragging herself forward on her belly for the time being.

At almost 7 months, I must tell you that she remains a delight. She is very mobile on her belly but vastly prefers being upright, holding on to something. She is still figuring out how to get herself standing and Scott and I will probably regret encouraging her to do so, but it is so fun to watch her puzzling it out. I am sure she is just weeks away from being able to pull herself around the living room and we will have to remove the many, many hazards we have collected over the years.

She laughs a lot, but I'm often not clear on what it is that is cracking her up. She has also started singing. I'm not sure what else to call it - long 'aahhs' changing pitch all the time. We often will do duets and she will happily sing to almost any tune. She is keen on books and stories and still loves the wooden ring toy from Uncle Brian. She is starting to find peek-a-boo amusing which also means that she finds it less amusing to be left alone. I console myself knowing this is a short phase but wonder when I will stop saying "Mummy's right here" every time I pee...

I think that is all I have to type about Christmas. 2008 looms, full of new things I know! What joy...