Favorite Holiday

I don't really have lots of kidhood memories of great holidays, thanks to two factors-- 1. mom usually had to work on the actual holiday so we didn't usually do much 2. when there was stuff to be done, for a longish period of time, we lived with the alcoholic who made life miserable. I don't mean to bring that up again, but it just seemed to be the introduction to this post.

So in an admittedly late concession to the recently past holiday, I thought I'd think of something to post as my favorite holiday memory. I know it sounds awfully "seize the day"ish of me but it has to be this year. On Christmas eve, we had a large group of Andrew's family over to the house. My sister was in town, and we had good food-- tamales & chili, cookies, sheperd's pie. Eggnog. The relatives of Andrew's included some teen cousins we haven't seen in a few years, and a younger (maybe five?) boy-cousin who ran up to me with that youthful abandon and hugged me like I was his long lost best friend-- surprising me because he doesn't really know me. The tree was sparkly in the corner of my living room-- set up in "Christmas mode" which spreads the couches out more and feels cozy still. The fireplace roared, and candles were lit everywhere. I had worked all day and told Andrew that this was the last party until significantly after the twins come because even though it wasn't nearly the amount of work I normally do for a party, I was really tired. Of course, I was already fighting off the cold that has had me down since Christmas eve. *

Then Christmas day, we were lazy all morning and headed to Andrew's mom's for her signature Christmas dinner. I, being the pregnasaurus, am a major celebrity and didn't really have to do anything but lounge prettily.

It was a really nice holiday. The way it is supposed to be, really, with family and not so much focus on presents that you go crazy shopping for months and months and are still unhappy.

At the risk of causing a cavity or two, I just hope to say that every holiday from this one on will get better. I can predict that being the case. :)

*Damnit. Just as I was writing this, someone with godawful olelady perfume had to come in and sit right behind me. Why oh why do I have to have superpower smell and why does it seem to attract women with no olfactory taste near me?!