Tag Archives: First Christmas

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

It’s Christmas vacation 2010! This is my favorite time of the year; I’ve always loved the holidays. But I don’t think I’ve been this excited since I was a very small person.

It’s the muppets first Christmas – the first year we start creating our own family traditions.

Christmas was a VERY big deal as I was growing up. My brother and I would routinely wake up every hour the night before and yell, “Mommmm, is it Christmas yet?” Our parents would blearily mumble that it was not, and attempt to convince us to go back to bed. Paul and I would run back and forth into each other’s rooms.

After enduring many long minutes of discussion about the following day’s celebration, we would run into our parents’ room – carefully averting our eyes from the living room. Neither of us wanted to see the decorated tree until morning.

Our parents would groan and again send us back to bed. This scenario would repeat many times throughout the night.

When “morning” (quotations used because we would usually wear our Mom and Dad down by 6a.m.) arrived, we would run into the living room to plug in the tree. The rainbow colored lights would dazzle the gift-wrapped bounty below our plastic tree. Paul and I would grab our stockings and settle down next to “our” side of the tree. It was a treat just to be in the living room – the room no one was allowed in on any ordinary day.

Mom and Dad would stumble into the kitchen to make coffee. Someone would grab the camera. Paul and I would bounce around in the living room like hyperactive puppies, our eyes wide with excitement about the endless possibilities.

This is the first year my childhood tradition is changing. This is the first year that I won’t wake up at my parents house (albeit much later than dawn for many years now) and join my immediate family by the tree. This year we’re the grownups. Family is coming to visit us.

We have an action-packed celebration ready to remember.

Tomorrow, Christmas Eve, the muppets will experience their first Christmas mass. Aunt Ivy has volunteered to brave the ideal of holding a quiet infant throughout an hour-long mass with us. Christmas morning, we’re having a breakfast gathering with friends before GrammaJ and GrampaTavo arrive. Uncle Paul and Aunt Stephanie are joining us on Dec. 26 for an all-out family dinner.

Will these turn into the Stream family traditions? Only time will tell. I’ve been bouncing around with excitement for weeks now. I am excited about experiencing that same wonder and amazement through the eyes of my children.

This year may be a bit early for that – we’re more expecting them to contentedly sit in the arms of all their admires and track shiny objects. But there are endless possibilities for the years to come.

As a child, I was often most enthralled by the material gifts. After the whirlwind events of 2010, I can honestly say I truly believe. Santa came early this year; we have healthy muppets home with us. We have our family ready to create traditions that Search and Destroy will hopefully remember fondly 30 years from now.

Joy to the world people. The muppets are getting ready to celebrate.

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Santa Baby

Santa's Little Helpers

This morning we headed over to our local mall for the muppets first meeting with Santa. We wanted to make sure the Big Man in the Red Suit knew the boys were home and eagerly awaiting a midnight visit.

Breaking from his duties directing busy toy-making elves, Santa has recently begun accepting visitors. His social secretary began making photo appointments at 11 a.m. When we arrived to meet Aunt Ivy for the big meet and greet at 11:02 a.m., the line already snaked outside the building. I can’t say I blame people. Meeting Santa in person is a big deal.

A woman commented, “We just saw Santa at Macy’s. No line” as she departed from her morning shopping excursion. Aunt Ivy went to investigate. It was true! Jolly Old St. Nick was ho-ho-hoing to a much smaller happy group of children at the department store at the other end of the mall.

(To all grinches readying a snide comment that Santa can’t be in two places at once: magic. That’s how he works. Our Polar Express sleigh-bell still rings loud and clear in this house.)

I was very excited. And we were off – to find the Miracle of 34th Street Macys Santa. We arrived to find the entire store dressed for the holidays. The halls were decked with boughs of holly and brightly shining baubles. Twinkling lights wove their way through Christmas trees that stood at the end of every aisle. Giant red banners draped from the ceiling read, “BELIEVE.” Children dressed in their holiday best scampered around – toddlers wrote letters to the North Pole at Victoria’s desk. (Yes, Victoria, there is a Santa Claus…) All the while, Christmas Carols (piped through the store stereo system since the end of August) shared the spirit of Christmas.

And at the end of a red carpet, on a golden throne, sat a fabulously jolly old man. He had a deep real Santa-esque chuckle, crisp white gloves and fur trim set off the deep red velour suit, and the twinkle in his eye gave off the knowledge of a man who makes children happy (even if they do scream bloody murder when they sit on the strange man’s lap).

The muppets dressed in their fancy December outfits. (They are two seriously handsome guys.) They woke up right as we got in line. Search eyed me warily. Destroy was utterly fascinated by all the décor – he couldn’t take in all in fast enough. His little eyes were wide with delight.

Then it was our turn.

Dear Santa: This Christmas, we’d like to continue growing up – strong, healthy and smart. (And perhaps a jumperoo.)

Santa reached out to greet the muppets. Search had a meltdown. Destroy found new shiny ornaments to capture his attention. The elves jingled bells and squeaked fuzzy ducks in an attempt to elicit muppet smiles.

The end result:
Search – “I don’t know about this…”
Destroy – “Ooh, shiny object!”

‘Tis the Season!

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