Wednesday, December 16, 2009

No Long Lines for me!

As Christmas Day approaches, I am amused at the hustle and bustle of families trying to get their shopping complete. I remember doing that. I remember wrapping and hiding gifts only to scavenge around on Christmas Eve to load them under the tree. I remember Mr. W. waiting for me to fall asleep so he could fill my stocking and put my gifts under the tree - (and, yes, he still does that!) I remember waiting to hear the squeals on Christmas morning as the kids discovered all their goodies.

Things are different now. With the kids grown, Christmas takes on a different flavor. I hang stockings for all the kids and give them all instructions to put something in each other's stocking. Then I fill them up. There are always envelopes stuck in the tree - their "Big" gifts. We wait until the extended family leaves on Christmas and we gather as an intimate group and open gifts. They all know they are getting their envelopes, but they still giggle as they unwrap the treasures found in their stockings. I love to watch them revert to being my "babies" once again...

Each year, someone proclaims, "This was the best Christmas ever!" I am looking forward to keeping THAT tradition going...

2 comments:

Matriarch said...

We do the reverse. The kids and grandkids come in the morning, spend an hour opening all the gifts that it took me hours to purchase and wrap. Then we have a light breakfast and start to get ready for everyone else to arrive for dinner around 1 or 2. After dinner, the extended family opens more gifts and we play a gift exchange game (usually purchased by me but this year great-gram took care of most of it). Then we finish with coffee, tea and dessert.
BUT we end as you do, everyone proclaiming it the best year ever!
And then I know everything was worth it.

Angela said...

Every Christmas IS the BEST EVER! Especially since I had daughters :)