Navidad: Tres y Cuatro

“Waaaake-up, wake-up-wake-up!”

For the first time – I think – Puck was excited to get Christmas morning started. This year, it was a fat National Geographic photo book and a Lego set.

“I really like the Lego set too!” Puck told me later that morning. “Tell Dad I’m really thankful.”

Puck was a sweetheart and had already wrapped presents for the both of us. I had noticed them appear under the tree a few days ago. Children’s re-gifts are the best, and I ended up with a Cardinal figurine, and El Oso – a jar of beads.

During breakfast, Puck refreshed us on his rewrite of the favorite Christmas song:

The weather outside is frightful,

With zombies and skeletons and monsters.

And if there’s no place to go,

Dig a hole, dig a hole, dig a hole.

Meanwhile, in my festive spirit, I forgot to be Christmasy, and paid the water bill.

“Whoo! Water bill!” Puck cheered, knee-deep in Legos.

“Merry Christmas to everyone,” El Oso laughed.

Relevance, Kitts, and Elvis were back in town for a couple of weeks. So – apparently – were giant crab legs, about the length of my arm. It wasn’t Christmas yet, because Curly and Lulu weren’t there. But it felt close enough. There was also steak.

Now that Elvis was walking, Puck had a genuine new pal. Someone to giggle at him while he tossed a ball up and down the stairs. This was true entertainment.

There were even a few gifts to start the kids off right, including footies for Puck and Elvis, and a new mini basketball set for Puck’s bedroom door.

Christmas Four was the whole Snicketts family sitting around a table of breakfast casserole, monkey bread, and pineapple. Funny, the variety of traditions.

Gifts were torn through next. Amongst the mountain of wrapping paper and shiny bows, I managed to come out the other side with a navy Holliday t-shirt and ruby-red headphones – my very first pair.

Then Dad led us on the traditional Christmas walk to read Luke chapter 2, carrying flashlights and lanterns. We all wondered if people would think we were a Christmas mob, walking the streets.

And back for hot chocolate and popcorn for those who would.