For the record, I am not one of those who opposes the increasing secularisation of the Christmas holiday. (Though, also for the record, I do oppose the increasing commercialisation of this time of year. The current incarnation of Santa Claus comes courtesy of Coca-Cola for, um, Christ's sake! There is something sad and scary about that. It should be more about the present than presents, you know?)
More than anything else, I enjoy the hectic propinquity of family over the few days that surround this one assigned as HeyZeus's birthday. Love 'em or leave 'em, they're family, and it's a pleasure when the opportunity to spend time together presents itself as something other than an obligation.
(Rather long post ahead. More due to an inundation of accompanying pictures than being overly garrulous. Though there is, lamentably, a smidge of that too. Feel free to scroll through and focus on the photos. They are, of course, mostly of the boy.)
Christmas Eve Day: one of two days of the year where everyone wakes up in the morning and immediately begins to perambulate under the illusion of evening.
We rented movies. Since both Amy and I had our little bits of Christmas shopping done on the 22nd (!!), we wanted to mostly relax. So we chose Mr. & Mrs. Smith as well as Sky High. Both rather fun no-brainers.
Declan's Uncle Buster came over and helped us watch, up from Calgary for the holly days.
Unfortunately, Dex was up that night with croup. Between the rocking chair in his room and sharing our bed, we all got some sleep. My brother, out on the sofa, got the most.
Christmas day dawned with most of us, purloined of our just rest, rising still to face the anticipation with which Christmas day has been pregnant for as far back as I can recall. One of the most magical days of the year for me.
If only it had snowed. A brown Christmas is just plain WRONG!
Dressed and ready to head over to Granny and Grumpy's house Christmas morn.
Lookit... she's your grandmother; she lives in Ontario; you hardly ever see her... The least you can do is wish her a Merry goddamn Christmas!!
There being no candy handy, Grumpy steals a Christmas ornament from his grandson instead.
To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time;
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
No, Declan, NO!! Run away from Oprah, not towards her!
Aaron restrained him just in time.
Every opportunity to mash his face full of mandarin oranges.
A quick nap back home and then off to Auntie Jody's for dinner!
Granny and Grumpy making sociable in the living room.
The martinis with 'Christmas Cheer' sure help.
Mommy and son. No family resemblance what-so-ever!
(Whenever we take his shoes off, wherever that is, his socks perforce follow right quick.)
Dad Lightbeer to the rescue!
Next day was Boxing Day. Or, as we in Canada like to call it: Willie deWitt Day.
Dex was up again all night, this time with Dad on the sofa. (I talk about myself in the third person sporadically.) His croup had gotten a little worse than the night before. Declan struggled with every breath once he finally settled down to sleep. Not enough trouble to merit another long stay in the emergency room at the hospital (as we've done twice previously at the behest of that same malaise), but more than enough, with his head nestled on my chest, to preclude me from going to sleep. I sat and stared for long minutes at the crown of his head, never before realising that his hair spiralled out counterclockwise. And then I thought, "Wow, that's the same direction our Jack Russell always runs circles in the living room."
Balance, in all things.
Thankfully, when Boxing day did arrive, we were all in fine (enough) shape in the afternoon to head to Grandpa and Baba's for dinner!
Grandpa Fraser shows Dex how to hide goldfish in his shirt pocket, saving them for future consumption.
Grandfather, Sir, shall I open the red or the white for our sumptuous repast? If the red, then it ought to breathe for a suitable time before being poured, as I'm sure you already know. Tut-tut.
The day after the day after. And so far, the best toy (other than the boxes and wrapping paper) is the bag full of wooden blocks. Take that Duracell!!
Happy new year all!!
Remember what the engineers always admonish when they get together to party:
Don't drink and derive.
Looking forward to a fabulous 2006.
How very entertaining, I almost was there with you. Was hoping for a more detailed explanation of Boxing Day. (Americans are pretty ignorant of the concept. Only my son-in-law was able to tell me anything at all)
Glad Dex liked the REAL toy :-) You all have a Happy New Year too and I trust the boy is feeling much better.
Posted by: Linda | Saturday, 31 December 2005 at 07:22 AM
Great nutshellization. never heard or read "propinquity" until now. If those words roll right out of you, then color me impressed.
Personally, I would have used the word "loquacious" to describe that entry, but that's just because it appeared on "It Pays to Increase Your Word Power" when I was in high school. My junior English teacher loved to photocopy that section of Reader's Digest to help us learn words. juxtapose. Man, I still love that one and use it whenever I can.
Posted by: Mark | Sunday, 01 January 2006 at 11:19 PM
I'm sorry, but I can't read your posts when you have pictures of that angel accompanying them. Good Lord is that a cute kid!
Posted by: Hazel Hazel | Monday, 02 January 2006 at 08:20 PM