When I was growing up, there were only two holiday celebrations – both on Christmas Day. In the morning it was just me, my sister and my folks opening gifts. We opened one at a time, in order of age. The next person couldn’t open anything until we had all sufficiently ooohhed and aaahhed over the current gift. Then later in the afternoon, my mom would host Christmas dinner. This was a potluck; Nonny did not like to cook, so hosting a dinner in which she cooked many dishes was not an option. The attendees were different every year, depending on who was in town for the holidays. I have 11 cousins but it was a rare Christmas when there were more than three of them joining us. Quiet. Christmas for me was quiet growing up.
Fast forward. YA and I have been celebrating on Christmas Eve with some of my oldest friends (Alan and Julie) for 25+ years. Back then there were Julie, Alan, their 3 girls, me, YA and usually a couple of Alan’s sisters and a few cousins. As the kids got older, Alan’s sisters moved away but were replaced in number by boyfriends who then became fiancés who then became husbands. Then the grandkids joined the fray. 14 of them. No, not a typo. The kids range in age from 1½ to 17.
This year Christmas Eve started out with about half of the kids snowmobiling/snowboarding; I thought it would tire them out, but I think it just revved them up. Stockings first – Julie does those and they are low-key affairs: a mandarin orange, little pack of Kleenex, a candy cane and this year, each kid got a placement that Julie quilted for them with fabric chosen for each grandchild. Gifts were next and that’s when it got a little wild.
We always start out going by youngest to oldest, but that breaks down pretty quickly, especially when someone chooses their Ukrainian egg box or their ornament box (I always wrap these in take-away boxes – perfect size). Then everybody opens theirs at the same time and then the order of gift opening usually goes awry from there. One of the sons-in-law is a bit of a neatnik so every gift that is opened, he supervises where the wrapping and ribbon and tissue went so he can scoop it up. Once we’re all opening packages willy-nilly, this gets a little stressful for him but we can’t convince him to relax about it.
A couple of the older kids started the “it’s a box” joke when taking off wrapping paper. Then the younger kids took the joke and ran with it. For the rest of the evening, every box was met with a chorus of “it’s a box”. The teenagers had tired of the joke at this point so there was a lot of sighing and eye-rolling by a couple of them.
Several of the kids received stuffed animals and Howie, who is 9, got a capybara. I guess they’re popular right now and Howie was smitten with it. Its little legs were just the right size that it could sit right on top of Howie’s head, where it stayed for at least an hour, even when the unwrapping was done and the kids were split into various groups, playing some of the games they had received.
The noise levels are so far beyond what I either experienced as a kid, or am used to these days that I find myself just sitting back in wonder. When YA and I carried our stuff to the car and headed home, my ears almost rang from the silence. And when we got home, it felt so chaos-free (even with the dog excited that we were home) that I breathed a little sigh of relief. I love them all but glad the chaos doesn’t follow me home!
Any fun/chaos/noise to report this week?
Trail Baboon 
Merry Christmas everyone. May all your days be blessed and calm. 🙂 or filled with child-like delights.
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Stockings this morning then movie (Zootopia 2) and then another gathering later this afternoon! Probably no chaos.
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Merry Christmas Dearest Baboons!
I love a quiet Christmas with good food and a movie in a theater which has become a Christmas treat. Son and DIL will arrive later for a meal and some fun. We will have to do the theater movie tomorrow though. I still must choose one.
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Good luck with the movie… we really had a rough time finding one. And as it is, we’re doing Zootopia as a last resort, since I find the least objectionable of everything out there.
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No Kidding. I am looking at the one about Neil Diamond.
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YA nixed that one
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shes wrong that will be good
check the lagoon
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She says she doesn’t like Kate Hudson
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No chaos, very little noise, and not much fun either. We had a peaceful, quiet evening last night. Neither of us were in a festive or celebratory mood. Two old friends died this week, one of them yesterday morning, so we reminisced. Not really sad, but very cognizant of time marching on.
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At the lounge in Chicogo union Station between trains. Headed to Denver. Splurged for sleepers both ways. Last night was over_churched.
Quiet now. Nothing to do but read while waiting for the California Zephyr to leave at 2PM.
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WhoAnon?
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I have traveled most of that route, and am envious.
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My condolences, PJ. Always tough when a friend or family member dies, but I imagine it’s especially tough at Christmas time.
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Sorry to hear of your losses.
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Not much noise or chaos yesterday or today other than Christmas music last night (our favorite discs) and a tasty scallop with tomatoes, corn, scallions, and bacon main course. Washed it down with a tasty Cava from Spain, although Sandra switched to red wine after one glass.
Today it’ll just be early dinner with my siblings and two of their kids. Seven total. We’ll eat, drink, and be merry but it will be an old-people noise level. 🙂
I don’t mind. The world seems far noisier than it was when I was a kid, so silence is feeling more golden than usual. I enjoy any moment I can get with absolute silence–or as close as it gets without a sensory deprivation chamber.
That’s one of the biggest joys of a Boundary Waters trip. When there is no wind, the silence is as loud as it can be.
🙂
Yeah, mull that over for a minute.
Merry Christmas!
Chris in Ho-ho-Oh-town
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Home alone last night. Did not go to church. Cannot hear there and flu and Covid all over the place in town. Daughter and her husband did their services last night, none today. Will be here soon with grandkids. We do crackers, cheese and meat so no one has to work, but she will bring one of her pastries I assume. I assume they opened presents at home. I by choice do not get presents.
We will mourn grandma and the other grandpa who died earlier this year. We will mourn only briefly.
Clyde
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Well, they brought presents here to unwrap.
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I have realized the need for some clarification on my part; evidently I don’t hate ALL Christmas music. Radio Heartland plays some very nice music involving Christmas. I just don’t like the same old tunes I’ve heard 1000 times before. It’s the repetition and the earworms they cause. Apparently that’s my problem.
Thank you Mike Pengra and Radio Heartland.
Merry Christmas!
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I was just wondering a bit ago… since there easily hundreds of holiday songs, why do the 24/7 holiday stations play the same 25 songs over and over again?
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too true
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Here’s one for ya, Ben, this will cheer you right up:
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Making a lovely but simple Christmas dinner with best friend. Husband is in charge of the beef tenderloin that I tied and put herbs and garlic on. I am making Julia’s potato gratin in cream. Friend is making roasted butternut squash with apples, and a spinach salad.
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Sounds great.
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Made a Moravian Sugar Cake for dessert.
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Kyrill tells me that since he is a Czech terrier, he is my Moravian Sugar cake.
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Mr. Tuxedo got the Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Cookbook for Christmas.
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Excellent!
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ask for the fry bread recipe
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As is my custom at this time of year, I brought cookies last night, cookies today, cookies tomorrow and cookies on Sunday!!
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No major chaos here – that was a couple of weeks ago preparing for the UU Solstice Gathering…
Just got back from a brunch with nearby friends, just a half dozen of us, and it was fairly low-key. We each told a little of what our childhood Christmases were like, for one. One person hates most Christmas music, so there wasn’t even that in the background. Nice fire on the back enclosed porch first, with hors d’oeuvres…
There is another open house to attend some time before 5:00, also just blocks from here. Maybe there will be some chaos there, or at least wine.
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Nothing too chaotic today. A little drama when the youngest little one wanted to eat whole grapes right out of the bowl, which she is not supposed to do – they are to be cut in half first. Battle of wills ensued.
The food was very tasty and I brought some home. Cookies too. Lots of cookies.
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We had this exact same battle of wills last night.
Beef tenderloin made an appearance at our Christmas dinner w/ friends in Hudson. Also butternut squash ravioli, hot honey glazed carrots, seared brussel sprouts and a lovely green salad. Dessert was bouche noel, key lime pie, homemade cranberry chocolate chip ice cream and lots of cookies. Wonderful night!
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Wow!
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great day
santa with little ones at 6
home to enjoy family at 800
back at 12 from picking up cousin charles
food and laughs with my 5 kids mom sister cousin 3 spouses 5 grand kids. present exchange, dinner
grand sons piano recital with cousin accompanying
clean up take cousin home back return by 930 for a night cap of cards and laughs its a wonderful life and a vikings win with unexpected team on the field
great day
enjoy the trail and all that is good about life
peace
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