7:40 AM

Christmas Morning

In the happiest times - when I was a kid, and then when my kids were little - IT would be all over by now.  New pajamas on Christmas Eve.  One present to open for each of us.  The new game.  I still remember the smell of that new game when we opened it.  Cardboard and ink.  And fun. 


The breathless anticipation (I can be forgiven cliches on Christmas, can't I?).  Not able to get to sleep.  Waking up early.


Stockings.


When we moved to the "final" house, Santa carried our stocking upstairs and hung them on our doorknobs.  By 5:00 AM we three kids were up and gathered in my room to open our stockings.  I seem to remember eating the banana that was in the stocking, but usually it was a pre-breakfast feast of chocolate in multiple forms.  There were always small presents to unwrap and "play" with.  I'm sure my parents were especially thankful to Santa for that extra half-hour of sleep.


By 5:30, though, we were all downstairs and distributing gifts for the Grand Unwrapping.  So many gifts.  Too many, probably, but nobody was complaining.

And none of this Everybody Tear Into Your Gifts at Once baloney.  Uh uh. 


One. At. A. Time.

It took hours, but I loved it.  Loved seeing what everyone else found under the wrapping paper.  Such pretty paper, and usually with curling ribbon bows.

Curling ribbon.  To this day I love curling ribbon.

So now it's nearly 8:00.  Only three of us in this house.  Only one at my Mom's.  Hoping Mom is doing all right.

Got to share the "unwrapping" with my kids in Japan last night (Santa got to them a whole day before he got here) vis Skype.

Grateful this morning for Skype.

And for my brother and sister who took care of my Mom last night.

Guess I'll go make some noise and get things going here.  Headed to Mom's later.

Merry Christmas, everyone.  Wishing you the melding of good memories of the past, making new ones for future rembrance.