Christmas 2019
Merry Christmas to all!
Xavier's sixth Christmas (seventh if you count his time in the womb). How time flies. He has excitedly waited for today since Thanksgiving. He has led the charge in decorating, baking cookies and turning on the Christmas tree and lights. When we put up the tree this year, we had to find and wear our Santa hats. He even wore his Santa hat to school twice.
With so much excitement brewing (Xavier went to bed late and had some trouble falling asleep as one might expect), he awoke later than he has these last several days. His face lit up when he did get up and round the corner to see the tree lit up (without his help), his stockings filled, his treat for Santa nothing but an empty milk glass, cookie crumbs on a plate, the apple Santa asked him to remember (for his reindeer) missing and a note from Santa.
Xavier excitedly read Santa's note thanking him for both the snack and the apple. Together we sat in the dark and looked at the lights, discussing the presents under the tree.
No longer able to sit still, Xavier hopped off the couch and inspected all the gifts under the tree. He found two new ones not there last night. He read the tags and they read "From: Santa"
"Hey, Dad. This wrapping paper is the same as ours," Xavier noted. He immediately noticed what I had hoped he would not: our parental error in not checking what wrapping paper had already been used. Oops!
Like the Grinch, I had to think up something and think it up quick. This year has been difficult in keeping the Santa story going. A number of classmates have chipped away at it. "Well, maybe Santa used our wrapping paper," I answered. "Maybe Santa sent one of his elves to get the paper to wrap the gifts."
He bought it. "Yeah!" he exclaimed. Then, his patience at its end, he ran to find Mama still sleeping in bed. "Mama!" he cried, "Santa sent an elf to use our wrapping paper!"
With Rebecca now up (and after she grabbed her first mug of morning coffee), Xavier tore into Santa's gifts, likely forgetting about the parental faux pas of the wrapping paper. However, that paper mistake will rattle around in his brain in the years to come, eventually bringing a reckoning.
After Santa's gifts, Xavier opened his presents from Mom and Dad. He did not so much as ask as he pulled them out from under the tree, stopping just short of tearing into the paper. With a nod from us both, he ripped into these as well.
Xavier was sure to bring the presents for Mom and Dad to us. He wanted us to open ours as well, and to enter into the present-opening joy of the day.
Once the immediate family gifts lay unwrapped, and their identities kept secret by the decorative paper exposed, it was time to call the extended family and open the gifted they had shipped. In all of this, Xavier's enthusiasm never waned.
What was his favorite present this year? Hard to say at this point. We thought it was the marble maze (he's wanted one for years). Aunt Kathy's camera gift blew the marble maze out of the water; that camera released a tiny paparazzi. Of course, Xavier had not yet discovered the upgrade to Minecraft I installed on his computer.
Camera or Minecraft upgrade. The jury is still out.
Xavier spent the rest of the day playing Minecraft or stalking family and guests in the house with his camera. He got some descent pictures of squirrels in the yard also. We did have to discuss with him when it was inappropriate to take pictures after he burst into the bathroom where Mom made ready for the day.
We had several guests over today. With a later than planned dinner, we watched a movie and snacked (Xavier spent the time figuring out the new "toys" in Minecraft).
After a fine dinner, Xavier finished the day playing with a Hot Wheels track one of our guests brought for him, then took a bath. After another movie, Xavier hit the sheets an hour past his bed time and fell to sleep.
Christ is Born!