This dreamy blur between Christmas and New Year’s is almost as good as Christmas itself. We leave for Maui tomorrow, which means I should be packing, but instead I’m sitting here trying to soak up every last bit of the magic (and sweeping cookie crumbs off the couch while I’m at it).
The kids were officially out of school on the 19th, which gave us a whole stretch of days to really lean into the Christmas magic. Ryne and I tried something new this year: instead of the usual Christmas Eve gift-wrapping panic, we wrapped a present or two each night throughout December. It became this sweet little rhythm- a quiet moment at the end of the day with a Christmas movie in the background, scissors and tape always disappearing right when I need them.
Each morning, the kids would come downstairs and immediately run to the tree to see if anything new had been added overnight. Watching them scan for their names on the gift tags, messy-haired and still in pajamas, was one of those little things I’ll probably remember forever. George definitely grabbed anything within reach and tried to eat the gift tags.
Speaking of George… whew. He’s one now and very much in that stage where he’s walking everywhere, getting into everything, and somehow always holding something he’s not supposed to have. He spent most of Christmas week attached to my hip, leaving a trail of graham cracker crumbs and chaos wherever he went. Also still not sleeping through the night, just to keep things interesting.
The big kids were full of excitement- baking, crafting, wrapping “presents” for each other that were actually socks from their own drawers. We watched all the classics (twice), drove around with cocoa to look at lights, and made gingerbread cookies that George mostly tried to steal off the tray raw.
Christmas morning was the most beautiful mess. Stockings everywhere, tape stuck to the bottoms of our socks, heaping piles of torn wrapping paper, and four happy little voices narrating every bit of it. Quinn got rollerblades and immediately put them on with her pajamas. Ivy got a Taylor Swift CD and a light pink CD player that made her feel so grown up. Conrad got a ninja obstacle course for the yard, which we will definitely be setting up in the freezing cold while he watches from the warmth of inside. And George got the coolest light-up switch board that he’s already obsessed with (as are his siblings).
This week has been loud and sticky and filled with more joy than sleep, but I already feel the ache of it slipping by. These are the golden years, messy and magical and full of love.
Now off to pack swimsuits and sunscreen… or maybe just sit here five more minutes and sip my cold coffee while I watch the tree twinkle.✨
