Christmas with the young families

Ours is a Christmas story that is perhaps not unusual -- so many of us love being with our family during the holidays -- but on the other hand, it is unique. Every one of us has a different story to tell, a different cache of memories and funny moments from this day.

Here's mine.

Breakfast lite. Just fruits and coffee.





I have an important bigger breakfast before me: at Hubbard Diner, where I have been eating breakfast with my family on Christmas Eve morning for as long as any of us remember.

But first, a brief pause at my daughter's house to check in on the grandkids.

The two babes (cousins) looking like they're putting forth an excellent rendition of fa la la la la...






I'm thinking it would be awesome to take a pic of the three cousins, together. They have other ideas.






This is the best I can come up with.






We set out for Hubbard. The thing about Hubbard on this morning (and indeed, on any weekend morning) is that there is inevitably a long wait for a table. So we wait.






Sparrow minds not at all.






Snowdrop is still fighting off a bug, so she needs as many cuddles as a mommy can spare.






In the meantime, Primrose is ready to play! I mean serious play! I just ate my mush! I want to have some fun!






We get our food. All except Snowdrop.
.





Everyone is nearly done by the time she gets her mac and cheese. A+ for being patient, little one!






I take a good look at this little girl. She'll grow another ten feet by the next time I see her (well, maybe not so much in just a few weeks).






And now it's afternoon and the youngest family is on the road to Chicago. The others come over to the farmhouse, including this rudolph the pink-nosed reindeer!






We bake cookies for Santa! Ones made with real violet sugar. She loves the stirring of ingredients...






Cookies are baking. My daughter and I pause for that soulful coffee.






The cheepers keep an eye on us all. The sunshine emboldens them. They are the queens of the farmette!






Cookies are ready. I dip them in chocolate. Still, I think they're a grownup cookie (from Mindy over at Chicago's Hot Chocolate). I love them. Snowdrop? Despite all those pink hearts and Ses (for Snowdrop, Sparrow and Santa!), she prefers her gingerbread.






The  cheepers can only dream of gingerbread. Or stale bread. Or anything that resembles bread.






In the evening, I cook Christmas Eve dinner at the home of the young family. Sparrow is super happy to see me. But then, he is super happy period, this despite the fact that he got his first tooth today and has some more on the way.






Snowdrop is allowed to watch the Muppets Christmas Carol. She both loves this and hates it as she cannot get the volume to stream well.





Her dad is wrapping gifts downstairs and she joins him to watch her movie on the bigger screen in the basement. She falls asleep almost instantly. The girl has had a string of very busy days!

I prepare a seafood pasta. With mussels, squid, and meat from a couple of lobster tails.











P.j. time!






Fine, me too!






Dessert. "I would just like the ice cream, please."






The cookies for Santa!






Sparrow is already keeping an eye out for the Right Jolly Old Elf!





Final evening moments...
With a sleigh full of toys and St Nicholas too...






But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD-NIGHT!