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Tiaras and Trucks

Saturday, December 24, 2011

The Season of Anticipation

our first Christmas party of the season
one hand on his fire truck
the other on his Dinosaur Train book

Planning sends a little thrill through me; sitting down with my calendars and highlighters and favorite pens to map out the month or doing research on hotels for vacations both make me a bit too giddy.


Anticipation for events might be my favorite part, or at least it was until I had kids.  Nothing beats the light in their eyes when they're in the midst of a trip to the beach or bouncing into Grandma's house for a sleepover.


Christmas Eve gathers anticipation and gratification together and ties it together with a glossy red ribbon.


Our family gathers in our hodge-podge of traditions-shrimp cocktail and beef on weck and lasagna, sugar cookies and pumpkin bread and fudge, a shrimp and cream cheese dip always served in my mom's Waterford dish.

working on her new laptop
Scented candles perfume the air, mingling with the scent of her spruce tree, and the house always seems warm and inviting, and when you're a child, presents are never opened soon enough.


Yet the joy of the night is still just a preview of the magic of Christmas morning.  Christmas Eve, my favorite day of the entire holiday season, is the soft kiss on the forehead of a sleeping child, promising a new, exciting adventure with the light of dawn.


Merry Christmas to you and your family this year.  And if you don't celebrate Christmas, I hope you enjoy the weekend and the anticipation of 2012.

from icaughtsanta.com
a million thanks to Shell for the
giveaway that made this picture happen

Labels:

posted by angela @ 6:00 AM  

8 Comments:

  • At December 24, 2011 at 8:55 AM , Anonymous Kateshrewsday said...

    Beautiful post which catches the joys of Christmas Eve :-) I can almost smell the perfumed candles. Have a great Christmas.

     

  • At December 24, 2011 at 9:57 AM , Anonymous Angela said...

    You too!  It's been lovely so far :)

     

  • At December 24, 2011 at 9:13 PM , Anonymous Sweaty said...

    Merry Christmas to you and your lovely family, Angela!  Christmas celebration at your parents house sounds amazing.  I'm sure Abbey and Dylan are both in full Holiday mode and can't wait for Christmas morning to arrive :)

     

  • At December 27, 2011 at 9:31 AM , Anonymous Some call me John said...

    That's a great icaughtsanta.com picture :-)

    The anticipation in the kids' face is what makes the holiday.  Thanks for sharing :-)

     

  • At December 27, 2011 at 8:38 PM , Anonymous Angela said...

    Thanks John!  I can't wait to make one each year and keep them for later in life :)

     

  • At December 27, 2011 at 8:38 PM , Anonymous Angela said...

    They had such a wonderful Christmas.  None of the stress that the adults feel LOL :)

     

  • At December 29, 2011 at 5:55 PM , Anonymous Julie Gardner said...

    Bill and I were just discussing yesterday that, although this has been one of the most seamless and enjoyable holiday seasons for us, some of the magic is missing...

    Our kids don't believe anymore. We don't openly discuss it, but there was no plate of cookies and milk left out...They were excited and grateful and had so very much fun with cousins and friends.

    But.

    It's not the same.

    I know we'll recapture some magic in the future: when they are off at college and return for Christmas; when they bring home special partners or have children of their own (I'm talking DISTANT fututure :-) but we are in a time of transition.

    A time in which I'm encouraging my friends with young children to savor each drop of maic and joy you can find. Surrender to it all and soak it up.

    While you can.

     

  • At January 1, 2012 at 11:38 PM , Anonymous Angela said...

    Sending hugs to you in this time of transition.  I absolutely love the different dimension the holidays take when seen through their innocent, excited eyes. 

    I know I will miss it when they are old enough to have outgrown that "magic' part of Christmas. 

    However, I am sure it is just as agical for them, in a different way, because you have given them a house filled with such love and comfort.  They can now appreciate a whole, deeper aspect of the holiday season.  Because you rock.

     

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