Christmas one more time

I wake up knowing that I have a full day before me. If Christmas Eve dinner was cooked for 6, and Christmas Day dinner was for 7, today's Christmas-continued meal is for 11. And I can't say that I'm completely done with putting stuff away from last night's lovely chaos. 

Nonetheless, Ed and I wake up slowly. It is such a habit now -- to stay in bed a little longer, review what was yesterday, think about what's ahead -- that I cannot imagine rushing the morning. The beginning and ending to each day have to be gentle.

But, eventually I am reminded that the hens are hungry. That I need to check on the trap to make sure some random opossum or racoon hasn't come bothered anyone. That the cats are (as always) hungry. And that there are loads of laundry to do, and dishes to unload and toys to put away. Small prompts that inevitably get me going just minutes after our 7:27 sunrise. [Say what?? Didn't it rise at 7:25 on Solstice? Perhaps this calls for an instructional moment: initially, all our gains in daylight are at the tail end. The sunrise remains stubbornly late and indeed, even a bit later than on the day of Solstice. On December 31st, for example, our sunrise will be at 7:29. It wont be until after January 5th that our mornings will finally start to gain daylight time. In other words, for morning people, Winter Solstice is a bust! Don't get giddy about more morning light just yet! For evening people, go ahead and rejoice. We've added three minutes of afternoon light since Solstice! Sunset today, here in Madison Wisconsin? 4:28pm!]

(I wish so much I was a better bird identifier. I see so many out there, especially in the crab apple tree! I can name at most half a dozen.)

Breakfast, still slicing the chocolate panettone which has risen in Ed's estimation from "it's okay" to "this is good!" In other words it grows on you.

After a long string of household chores, Ed and I go out to ski. It's just warm enough for it (17F or -8C) and of course, there is fresh snow. Which, by the way, may melt by midweek. We're getting a two day rainy thaw before dipping down again. Fifty degrees up, thirty down. Back and forth. Fun stuff.

The skiing in our local park is magnificent. The sun comes out. The trails are groomed!

We ski a double loop, feeling both motivated and enchanted by all that's before us.

And now I have to hurry. Dinner should be prepped early. It's not prepped at all yet! I have an hour of whirlwind activity in the kitchen! Chop, season, set, gather, peel, wash, char, blend. Phew! 

And then the young Chicago family arrives.

Merry Christmas indeed!

And shortly after, the local guys are here too.

I don't take many pictures tonight. There are presents to open and immediately after -- I have a dinner to cook. Shrimp and beef soft shell tacos, with a green mole on the side and lots of additional stuff to fill your corn tortilla. I know, I'm on a roll: I cooked beef only twice this year -- first on Christmas Eve and now today. The fact is, all the kids really like meat and I don't just want to bring out the chicken dishes. 

Dessert? Just chocolates and cookies and not even ones I made! For one thing, I would not have put this much icing on mine. But it's a nod to the kids again. Decorated cookies always look so good to them!

The chocolates (so holiday-ish!) are for those of us who can't quite get excited by cookies that are twice the size of one's fist.

Ed, who has been itching to take a nap ever since we came back from our long ski run, nonetheless stays down during the noise and chaos of kids in action. Occasionally he gets served play foods by the two chef pals (Primrose and Sparrow), or gets tangled in a poke and tease by the oldest of the grandkids.

The two younger ones are still a little cautious around him, though Juniper gives him a friendly wave from far corners of the room! 

And all too quickly they have to get going. Bedtimes are bedtimes. If the kids dont get their sleep, we will all feel their pain the next day! Me, I have tidying before me.

But also, I take the time to give a one good stare at our tree. 

I'm probably going to take it down tomorrow. A little early, I know, but I'm going away for a few days toward the middle of the week and I keep to the habit of starting the New Year with a tidied living room, ready for whatever the next year brings for us.

It's been such a wonderful Christmas! All the kids cycled through their bugs before the holidays and we were able to come together and spend some solidly good days in each others company. An incredibly wonderful holiday season.

Tomorrow, we continue our family stuff. The weather is improving. We are together. All this makes me so happy!

With love...