The Difference a Year Makes

Now that most of our Christmas traditions are over and we impatiently await the end of 2020, I finally have a chance to reflect on our holiday season.

Tonight we went to see the boats in Port De Grave lit up with Christmas lights. We’ve gone every year for the past 4 years. The kids usually hate it and we struggle to get Rory out of the car without a fight (if he gets out at all). I always regret going when we’re on our hour-long drive home in the dark with 2 whining or crying children. Before we left today I even said to Shamus, “okay, we’ll go but just remember that we are going to regret it on the way home”.

But for the first time, the kids LOVED it. They didn’t stop smiling the entire time we were there and it was so enjoyable. We sang some Christmas songs on the way home and looked at the Christmas lights like some sort of lame family Christmas movie – and I loved every second of it.

This has been our best Christmas by far. I recently re-read my Christmas blog from last year and the difference between then and now is incredible…and last year wasn’t even half bad!

Last year, Penny put 6 ornaments on the tree for the first time and I was so excited. This year, on Christmas Eve, she decided to decorate our tree all by herself with only mild help from me to get the ornaments on the branches. It’s uneven and adorable. Rory put on two ornaments when he usually just screams and runs away. I only cried with happiness a little.

Last year the kids could say Santa but couldn’t understand the concept. This year, Penny was afraid she would miss Santa if she went up to St. Shotts with nanny and poppy. (Spoiler: she still went to St. Shotts and loved every second of it.) Rory is constantly singing Christmas Carols this year and I have high hopes that he is going to be a Christmas music fanatic like Shamus and I. He doesn’t seem to understand the whole Santa concept, but he enjoys partaking in most Christmas activities.

Last year I said I’d likely never get to experience my kids ask me for that one special present. This year, not only did Penny ask Santa for her special present, she made several Santa lists besides. She looked ridiculously shocked when she opened her presents on Christmas morning and she had gotten Surfer Jeff which was the DVD at the top of her list.

This year they asked to go for drives and they loved looking at the Christmas lights. Penny is now obsessed with inflatable Santas and she had so much fun booping them with her nose at the park in Holyrood. We were able to go to the mall to get a Santa photo and no one even had a meltdown…not even me!

I used to have a little pity party for myself every year while cleaning up, baking, and wrapping presents wondering what the point is while being mildly jealous of all the excited children. This year, Rory helped me clean the windows while I tidied on Christmas eve and Penny helped me make some cookies. I have never been so excited wrapping their presents before because I COULD NOT WAIT FOR PENNY TO OPEN HERS.

Last night I watched the videos from 2018 and 2019 of the kids coming downstairs to see their presents on Christmas morning and it didn’t even compare to how excited Penny was this year. The past two years (and the ones before that which didn’t have videos) they just ran past the tree and looked at books or asked for breakfast. This year Shamus had to hold Penny back from running ahead of him because she was so impatient to see what Santa brought.

She didn’t rip into her presents though. They both had some pop tarts (which were in their stocking – Santa knows what’s up) and Penny slowly went through her presents, opening them slowly one by one with a couple of breaks in between. Rory did not have any interest in presents or new toys – he just sat at the dining room table staring at us. But he was content and that is the most important thing.

They even ate some turkey this year and had some toutons during our family breakfast. We were surrounded by family from Christmas Eve to Boxing Day and they didn’t even seem to need a break. In fact, Penny hung out with us more than she ever has!

Not everything was delightful. There was a Penny-tantrum when they were asked to put out some cookies and milk for Santa. I joked while they fought me last night that “We’re making family memories – get in the damn car!” But those moments were few and far between (I say this as Penny scream-fights me for my computer right now).

Tracking the kids progress always reminds me that even if the kids sometimes don’t reach milestones at the same time or celebrate the same as others, they can still get there in their own way and celebrate in their own way.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone! I hope you’re feeling even half the cheer I’m feeling this year – even in the bullshit year of 2020.