Christmas Eve

Long ago when Cynical and I celebrated our holidays separately, we started a little Christmas tradition and even though this year we will venturing into the unknown together, we thought we'd honor it just the same.

Our Christmas Eve began with our own visit from Santa (meaning that we exchanged gifts). This year we had decided to trim back our giving to each other in lieu of this fancy, schmancy computer I am using to post this entry.

So, we went for a little more tame version of Christmas. This morning we awoke, padded down the stairs to see if Santa had come and squealed in delight. (Cynical can squeal much better than I can.)

I gave Cynical the second set of Thundercat DVDs. (Quit giggling, sometimes you just give a gift because you know it will make the recipient happy. This was the case here. I also expect Pilot to post lots of comments slamming our dear Thundercats and I must say that I will probably agree with most or all of them!). I also treated my beloved to a Books-A-Million gift card, Yatzee (a favorite childhood game of his), the "Lifeboat" DVD and sundry candies. My dear one gifted me with the first season of Lost, a packet of DVD-Rs and a BAMM gift card as well.

Jennifer made the comment the other day that we keep getting things that encourage us to stay at home. She was ever so right, just take a gander at our gift list!

So, after the big exchange fo 2005, we got ourselves together for the rest of our traditional Christmas Eve: a trip to our favorite Chinese restaurant. Think "A Christmas Story" and you will be on board for our annual luncheon.

It's really about us having a chance to be together, sans family, sans stress, sans mayhem. It's our moment to take a deep breath before it all begins.

Now we sit, pies baking in the oven. (Yes, I am baking them.) Soon we will prepare ourselves for a church service and a visit with both families. I most love the church service as the sanctuary is lighted with candles, the music is peaceful and beautiful. It reminds me of what Christmas should be. Not the hustle and bustle, spending of too much money, eating of too much food, settling of too many hurt feelings: it should be about the peace of it all and for a few brief moments, in the darkness of that church, I feel it, I see it, I smell it and I need it.

I am off to drink a little "Calm" Tazo tea, watch a little television and prepare for two days of non-stop action.

And to all a good night.