It is. I love the feeling that Christmas is so close....Finally! Oh, we could hardly bear it this year. Each day we counted down and let the excitement build. Oh, how much Greta and Jack were caught up in the moments of the season. I almost feared that I had built it up too much....Maybe one Elf too many? He grinned at them impishly and tormented them by being cute, and kind of fantastic and at the same time kind of creepy showing up in his new spot each day. Would he push them over the edge or would he be the sweet little go between that they needed to contact the great man in red. Often I would hear them chatting it up with the Elf. "Can you tell Santa that I ate an extra bean?"
We left out sugar cookies, chocolate milk, reindeer carrots, and tiny sprinkle donuts for the tiny Elf....who left a big impression.
And, Christmas Morning exploded in our living room hours later.
This year, Christmas Eve was full of sunshine and mild weather. Derek and I had all of our shopping and wrapping finished, so we worked on tidying up the house, finishing the last grocery shopping and icing cookies with the littles. Aunt Sai Sai and Uncle Mark came to be with us this year, and also Gee! They arrived and we decorated cookies and flew Mark's helicopter. It has a camera on it so we can watch from inside on our TV. We saw way up on the roof where Santa would land.
The house was cozy with a fire and twinkle lights, good movies on and music. Derek picked up Boling's for dinner and we ate our favorites with cold beers and wine. Sarah and I made breakfast for the morning and loved every minute of this Christmas eve while the kids ran with balls of yarn around and around with a little Mimsy not far behind in chase. Their laughter was my icing.
They opened their Christmas Eve gift -pajamas and a plush 'Nightmare Before Christmas' Jack and Sally, to sleep with 'till morning. And then, even before 7:30 Greta asked to go to bed! We were all shocked and whispered in disbelief as Derek took them up to brush their teeth. Would it last?
Almost. Greta was tucked in after a story, but sobbed hours later because she couldn't sleep and she thought Santa wouldn't come. Derek told her she could play until her eyes felt heavier. And she did...and did for a while...and Santa waited and waited because her room is at the top of the stairs.
But, even though Santa is jolly and pudgy, He/She is quiet and set out gifts in the dark...waiting to see them all lit up in the morning. We all went to bed smiling.
And Christmas came!
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