The Magic of Christmas

Happy 2015!  It feels like it can't be so, but it is!  Complete with snow and negative windchills, January is officially upon us.  As always, the holidays were a whirlwind.  A most wonderful whirlwind, for sure, but the peace that January brings is also welcome.  Christmas was a little bittersweet for me this year.  Suddenly, it seems, we have a house full of big kids, and as such, a bit of the Christmas magic that accompanies a house full of small kids feels like its slipping away.  Just a bit.  Don't get me wrong, I am a true believer in the magic of Christmas, even at the ripe old age of, ahem, almost 39.  And so are my boys.  There was still plenty of magic and excitement and letters to Santa and Christmas Eve jitters and gleeful elf searching.  The twinkle in their eyes when they first spied their full stockings, or when they got a call from Santa's sleigh, or when their place on the "nice" list was confirmed - that twinkle was still just as magical.  It just felt...tamer...which, I guess, isn't a terrible thing. 

The flip side of my boys growing up is that their excited energy is a little more containable.  They can enjoy a few Christmas cookies without going into full sugar-induced mania.  Heck, they MADE most of the cookies so I'm happy to share with my now-very-helpful (as opposed to thinking-they-are-helpful-but-actually-messy) elves.  They can stay up with the grown-ups a little later on Christmas Eve, and help lay the presents under the tree (Ethan's favorite job) without roughing them up or tearing them open "by accident".  A new Lego set keeps them happy while we adults can indulge in a grown-up cocktail hour.  And most endearing of all, with age, they are beginning to experience the wonder of Christmas that exists BEYOND whatever's under the tree for them.  My favorite moment from Christmas morning was when Ethan gave me his homemade present.  He had such a look of pride and love on his face - it was as if giving me that present was the thing he had most looked forward to Christmas morning.  This genuine love of giving felt different and new this year.  So perhaps that's what the magic of Christmas will become for us in the coming years.  Different, nostalgia-inducing and bittersweet at times, but magical all the same. 

Singing carols at Grandma and Grandpa's Christmas party.

Gingerbread house construction on the day before the day before Christmas.  I wonder how old the boys will be before they eat less candy than they use to decorate?

Adam decorating sand tarts, our Christmas cookie tradition.  This year, this was a Noni-Ethan-Adam operation, a smooth running machine.  I very much enjoyed watching (and tasting).

Aunts and uncles are the best.  Who else thinks of "decorate-your-own wrapping paper" to keep excited boys busy on Christmas Eve?  (The glow-wheel scooters inside kept them pretty happy the next morning too.)

The Santa letters are getting significantly more legible.

But family pictures are still a challenge.

Eagerly awaiting our descent Christmas morning. 
Poor Ethan had the stomach bug Christmas Eve night and Christmas morning, hence his ghostly pallor.

I have to admit that even my eyes twinkle when I see this sight Christmas morning. 
Somehow, even though I'm one of those behind the helm, it still feels magical.

Tearing into stockings - our only picture from Christmas Day.  We were too busy relaxing and having a most perfect day.

After Christmas, we spent a few days over in Bridgton with Gwen and Mike and family.  The cousin time was just precious.

The sibling time was pretty precious too.  My boys got along so well over their two-week break.

Ethan looks very grown-up to me in this picture, with his big boy watch and his comforting hold on Adam.

Brian loves driving to see the Christmas lights around town, but no one was up for a drive. 
So Auntie Liz took the boys on a "Christmas lights walk" around the house instead.

We spent New Years Eve with neighborhood friends, and New Years Day building a backyard skating rink (well, Ben did - I stayed inside and played with all the boys' new toys).

Gwen and Mike and kids visited on New Years Day and Ben and I had the pleasure of babysitting our nephews.  It was such a treat! 

Second children sure know how to stand their ground.

And the rest of our vacation was spent enjoying some quality family time - numerous games of Qwerkle (new favorite!), skating on Adams Pond in Bridgton, building Legos, playing new Wii games, and lighting a bonfire in our backyard.

Complete with s'mores!