Christmas Eve

I'm a day behind in blogging.  So I will start with yesterday and see how far I get before I have to climb into bed with Selim.  He isn't too keen on going to bed by himself when there is all this action at the house.

Yesterday Heather and I ran out to the outlets to do a last minute gift buying.  We power shopped for an hour before the crowds descended and got the remaining presents.  After a quick trip to the market, we headed back to wrap, supervise our boys, bake, put names on Selim and Cabin Boy's stockings, and prepare the Christmas Eve dinner.

It was a sweet day.  Selim and I also managed to go over to Amy and Jero's.  I enjoyed a cup of tea while Selim played with Jacob.  After forgetting Jacob's birthday present the last two times we came to the Ashram, Selim was able to give it to him, finally.  He was happy and didn't seem disappointed that the Messi soccer shirt wasn't an authentic version, but a mere London street cart vendor.

Before the sun set and the light faded, Heather and I set out to put names on stockings.  I beaded Selim's name.  I didn't manage completely straight lines, but Selim was happy with my effort.  Heather sewed on Cabin Boy's initials.  She was tired and the first try was a bit amiss.

After she ripped that out, she went with option number two, beads.

For dinner, we made the fondue recipe that was passed down from the Bicknell's.  Heather set a beautiful table and we lingered, enjoying each other's company and telling stories from years past.

At 7:00 we bundled up the young boys and went to the Satsang Hall.  We thought we were going for caroling, but it turns out we were a night early.  Instead we enjoyed a regular bhajan and hearing the Christmas messages from Sant Ji and Kirpal Singh given years ago.  The boys sat quietly for the half hour and I appreciated the time for remembrance.

Keeping our Christmas Eve tradition, I gave Selim an ornament, even though he had said, "Mom, can I open a present that isn't an ornament this year?  How about a toy or something?"  But, no.  Ornaments are for the night before Christmas.

And I had gotten one for myself.

Mom and Robert's tree is so pretty -- lots of red and gold.  It is fun for me to see the ornaments that I made years ago.

Right before bed, the boys wrote notes to Santa.  As they were writing and drawing, I realized that I had forgotten to buy marzipan, a traditional sweet for Christmas morning.  On Selim's note, he asked Santa if he would leave some marzipan.   I prepared him for disappointment by reminding him that Santa must have the gifts already picked out and his sacks loaded, so the chances of getting the sweet would be slim to none.  Selim put the notes, a glass of milk and a plate of cookies on the chair in front of the tree.  The earnestness and desire to please is touching and endearing.  It felt like the perfect end to a great day.