Merry Christmas 2016, everyone!
We are spending the holidays with family in Michigan. As I type this, downstairs I hear the rest of the jolly crew: 7 kids, 6 adults and 3 dogs. I’m taking the opportunity to curl up under a blanket and enjoy a few minutes to myself.
This morning I watched a bunch of kids tear through a roomful of gifts in a tornado of excitement. I had a mimosa. (Ok, two.) And I opened several presents that were brightly wrapped and thoughtful.
But the greatest gift of Christmas 2016 is seeing my girls together with their cousins.
The last time Peeper saw her five cousins was Christmas 2014; I was pregnant with Kiwi at the time, so Little Sis hasn’t met this crew.
They’ve been making up for lost time.
They’re bouncing off their cookie energy on the trampoline. They’re pulling each other around on the sled inside and pushing each other around on the tricycle, also inside. (So far no vases nor bones have been broken.)
They’re playing peekaboo and Clue. They’re climbing bunk beds and hanging out. They’re snuggling in giant piles and caring for a newly hatched Hatchimal (I hadn’t heard of one ’til this morning; apparently I’m not on top of the hit toys).
I was a little nervous that Kiwi and Peeper would need time to warm up to everyone. I’ve been impressed at how fast they have formed relationships with a gang of folks who may share a bunch of genes but haven’t ever shared the same air.
We’ll be here for a few more days. I’m soaking in all this cousin time, especially since it’ll be a while until we’re all together again.
I hope your Christmas 2016 is as merry as ours. Wishing you and yours a very happy holiday and a healthy New Year.
xoxo
