Navidad - Uno

“BIRTH-DAY SMOOOOOOOOSH!”

I looked up just in time to catch Puck careening towards me. Lately he’s been interesting in squishing things. Including me. At least finally I get all those coveted hugs again. Even if they’re rib-cracking, gut-squeezing, bone-crushing hugs. It also clearly wasn’t my birthday anymore, but Puck was milking it for all it was worth.

And he got the favor returned to him about five hours later.

New Town: Uncle Hilario’s and Aunt Corliss’. Christmas Number One – 2014.

“PUCK! PUCK, PUCK!!”

Starlight Snicketts came tearing down the hall to give her big cousin a huge squeeze around the middle. I guess they’re not even a year and a half apart, but the height difference is significant.

So Puck disappeared for most of the Snicketts/Black Christmas gathering, joining cousins in the basement. We were short a total of thirteen family members this year due to flu, work, and the Carolinas. But that didn’t keep the remaining 29 (that included six kids under the age of eight) – plus three dogs – from mingling over about four different types of meat and two or three kinds of pies.

News included two prominent moves:

Fernando, Polly, and the two kids moving to Florence, Italy, in January for six months where Polly would conclude her dissertation.

Blessing and her hubby moving to Australia in June.

Uncle Balthasar and Aunt Tuuli adjusting to Kansas City and the weird fact that Kansas City “folk” think people from St. Louis are like New Yorkers. We all got a laugh out of that one.

Also, Joe found yet another kindred spirit in Blessing’s husband of four months. They talked bikes until they were blue in the face, while their wives – both teachers – also found something mutual to discuss.

Meanwhile, Puck was busy in the basement putting together a new marbleworks-type contraption with the twins while Christmas movies played on the big screen.

We parted ways about four hours later. Mom and most of the girls were joining the English girls for a “Gone with the Wind” movie night in Creve Coeur.

So most of the Theodore Snicketts family piled back into the Joy Bus for the ride out. For grins, Dad switched on all the interior lights as we drove back past the house, just in time for Uncle Balthasar to get a glimpse and laugh us out of the neighborhood.