Our family is in a great phase, the phase where Christmas morning changes and is more and more delightful every year.
We spent Christmas day with Tom’s family. David played while we waited for everyone to arrive. He isn’t old enough to understand the anticipation part of Christmas. We didn’t really talk much about opening presents, so he didn’t bother the gifts under the tree because there were other distractions.
But when the cousins arrived, even before opening presents, Christmas chaos descended in full.
Tom hit a home run this year. He got me cozy slippers and this sparkly necklace.
Mary Virginia also got a wonderful gift. This handmade horse from her Aunt Lindsay; almost too beautiful to play with.
Discriminating blog readers might notice I wore the same sweater on Christmas day 2012. Coincidentally, Caleb and David wore the same shirts, too.
And for the first time since the mid-80s, the Krieger brothers wore matching outfits — green v-neck shirts and jeans. Which is exactly what Tom wore last year, too.
A few days after Christmas my parents came to Richmond to celebrate. There was a noticeable change in David’s enthusiasm for presents. He passed out presents, and ripped off the paper as he took it to its recipient.
He hated bows because they slowed him down. He ripped off all the paper leaving the bow still around the box, then screamed and tried to yank it off.
He helped everyone whether they wanted it or not. And when he opened a gift from my mom — an adorable outfit with wolfs on it — he wrinkled his nose and in a voice he usually reserves for broccoli or NPR, he said, “SHIIIIRTS?”
Before bedtime on Christmas day, Caleb and David blew out candles on ice cream cake in honor of Jesus’ birthday. It was then in the dim lights — the singing, swatting little boy fingers from the cake, passing out pieces and wiping chins and telling them, that Jesus was born on Christmas day as an itty bitty baby. Yes, a baby like Mary Virginia, and he was born in a manger so that we should not perish, but have everlasting life. Those moments, when the room is filled with delight and chaos and wonder, perfectly capture the sacred and awesome celebration that is Christmas.
Christmas chaos is the best! Adorable photos, as always. 🙂