Well, we dreamed of a white Christmas, and that's exactly what we got. We're sitting here, the day after, surrounded by cardboard boxes, wrapping paper piles, princess gowns and tiaras strewn over every surface, dollhouses filled with party animals (literally, animals having a party). It's snowy and cold outside, but in that comforting, nostalgic sort of way.
I'd love to say the long break between posts was due to my glamorous and busy life. While busy might apply, the very unglamorous truth is I forgot my password for a bit and remembered it today. I also forgot my debit card PIN, which never happens. I just completely blanked one day, and it stayed gone until one it just wandered back into my memory, along with my password. Mysterious thing, the mind.
Thanksgiving was very calm and lovely. Lilah Rose and I went to visit some of my cousins the week before and had such a nice time. We're always surrounded by Dano's family. It's lovely because we always feel like we belong to people. Much less frequently, Lilah gets to feel what it's like to belong to my family. It makes me happy to be able to share that with her. Despite the long car trip, she was well-behaved and on her most enchanting behavior - the mood that makes strangers want to have kids, as long as they're adorable, well-spoken, and practically curtsy with cuteness. I smile wearily when complimented about this mood. The wrinkles above my smile read very clearly, "Run! It's an act to lure you in!" I know I have a great kid, but she's crafty. She knows exactly when to pull those moods out of her back pocket.
Anyway, our visit went by too quickly. We just hung out, went to dinner, saw my aunt for about 15 minutes before she had to go, but we see her so rarely it was still really great. I kicked myself on the way home for not making it out that way more often. The drive seems longer than it is, and while I might be lacking more immediate family, my extended family is lovely and large. Almost makes up the difference, really.
The first week of December, I had some of the Drayton children over to make Christmas cookies and watch the Grinch. You know those magical holiday experiences you picture in your head that turn out to be something different entirely, but not bad? Yeah, it was one of those things. I'm so used to Lilah, who is calm and meticulous and curious but cautious. It's waaay different being around other kids. Among the many eye-opening experiences, one included the conversation at the table comparing tablets (Lilah being the only tablet-less child, it appeared) and another included the shock/horror that accompanied me pulling down our well-loved and dusty Grinch VHS and fielding an onslaught of questions about what it was, how it worked, and whether or not there were still games and special features after the movie. The kids were fun and adorable and really helped launch December into the true spirit of Christmas.
Normally, the month seems to careen impossibly fast to the 25th, then screech suddenly and horribly to a disappointing stop. This month, we meandered leisurely to Christmas. The preschool made care packages for the homeless, Lilah went toy shopping for needy children, she made homemade marshmallows with her cousins and baked cookies with her Auntie. We hosted an impromptu board game and cocktail night that proved to be an accidentally smashing success. We watched everything that could possibly count as a "Christmas movie". Lilah celebrated Hanukkah at the preschool with joy and vigor, as always. Every year, I joke she'll convert when she's old enough to decide what she wants to be. She decided this year, she'd let Santa come in the house as long as his reindeer waited outside. "I'm not having reindeer in this house!" I solemnly agreed to pass it along. Papa took Lilah and Sophia to see Frozen the day before Christmas Eve. Dano went along as another set of hands. I stayed home, baked, took a bath, and read a book. It tickled me to think of the two of them with the girls at a "princess movie" but I was told afterward it was heartwarming, funny, and "even though they still had tiny waistlines, it wasn't your typical princess movie", quoth my husband.
On Christmas Eve, we took snacks and drinks over to the Ball's and had our Christmas with them. Gifts were exchanged for the children and grandparents (no adults this year, and let me tell you what a blessed relief it was!). We ate, we drank, we watched the worst Christmas film on Earth (Santa Buddies). Papa presented Lilah with an actual trunk filled with all manner of dress-up paraphernalia from Frozen and a movie poster. Mellisa gave Lilah her first Barbie doll, looking sheepish and saying she was never sure about Barbies, but that one looked all right. We're very anti-Barbie, but this one was an astronaut and clothed head to toe, so we're good with it and Lilah adored it. The Balls gave Lilah the coveted item of the year, the only thing she really wanted for Christmas - a fluffy purple bathrobe. They also gave her a Letter Factory toy to help with phonics and things. Decked in flannel nightgown to match her baby doll and new robe, Kim commented that Lilah looked a little like my sister. Lilah gave her a wide-eyed stare of death and held her gaze for at least 90 seconds. We still can't figure out why.
On the way out the door, arms filled with Eloise and her new Barbie, I instructed a very sleepy Lilah in rain boots to carefully descend the two stairs to the landing, and not fall. She not only slipped and fell down the two stairs, she continued rolling down all of the basement stairs. Her shriek of surprise turned into genuine screams and I was down the stairs as fast as I could move, feeling sick and afraid when I saw her roll onto the floor. I did take the time to register that she'd curled all her limbs in and tucked her head down (she told me later it was to protect the dolls), and had simply tumbled down on her side. I hugged her for a second before laying her down on the basement floor to check bones and joints and head. I was so surprised and thankful that everything was in working order and she had only a slight scrape over the prominence of her spine to show for the experience. She was laughing again in minutes. She didn't even bruise.
On Christmas morning, Lilah got out of bed around 8 and I was thankful yet again for a child who loved sleep as much as I did, remembering conspiring with my brothers every year to get up earlier and earlier. Dano handed out the presents as Lilah inspected the contents of her stocking. She got to opening, as did we. Dano didn't have many surprises, since his big gift was a drill set he wanted and I gave it to him early so he could do a few projects he wanted to get started on. I got some little things for the kitchen and house - placemats, candles, a new hand-mixer - the domestic things that excite me because I'm lame. I got incredible gray boots with buckles that can be knee-high or thigh-high depending on the way you wear them. Lilah spent the rest of the day slipping in and out of her new dress up items, playing with her new Town home and furniture for her animal families, playing Hi Ho Cherrio and Candyland, doing her new LaLaLoopsy puzzle, and just generally having an excellent day.
The day after Christmas, Lilah and I went to see Frozen again, for several reasons. 1) I wanted an excuse to wear my new boots. 2) Lilah wanted to see it again in character, choosing Elsa the Ice Queen with her white-blonde braid and pale skin instead of her fair, freckled, auburn-haired sister Princess Anna. 3) Lilah had been singing the songs from the movie, and I'd found out the royal sisters were played by Idina Menzel and Kristen Bell and I really wanted to see it. We went and had a marvelous time. Lilah covered her ears a bit during the singing (you can imagine the powerful voices, and Lilah has a little head cold) and shrieked in feigned terror during the scary bits as if she hadn't just seen it 48 hours before. The general public continually smiled warmly at her strutting around in costume, head held high, complete with blonde French braid and queenly nose in the air. She earned lots of nice compliments, some from delighted children who had seen the movie as well.
All in all, Christmas was and is lovely. I don't feel disappointed or let down. Just ready for the New Year, whatever that has to offer.
