The Start of Christmas

I don't think I could possibly be more excited for the next few days.  I haven't felt this way since I was a kid.  I doubt I'll get any sleep tonight.

Christmas began tonight for us.  His oldest son has to work tomorrow and we'll be on the road headed down state by the time he's done so we exchanged gifts tonight.  That also means that Santa will be visiting us one night early here at home so tonight's the night.  

It's already almost eleven and I still have tons to do before I attempt to get any sleep.  I know Punky will have no recollection at all of her first Christmas, but I will always remember it, and I want it to be just perfect.

I remember my childhood Christmases; they are some of my favorite memories.  My parents struggled financially but somehow always managed to give us the most wonderful Christmas mornings.  I don't know how they pulled it off, but we always had plenty of gifts and got the things we really wanted most.  If there ever was something I wanted and didn't get, I have no memory of it now.  

I remember the Christmas Eve suppers at my grandmother's house, Santa coming to my great grandmother's house, midnight mass at church, and laying in bed wide awake, bursting with excitement and trying desperately to convince myself to close my eyes. 

I knew if I fell asleep, Christmas morning would come faster.  As kids though, my sister and I chose to stay awake and giggle for hours waiting for the magic to happen.  We would always wake on our own well before dawn and race downstairs to the tree.  Presents had to wait until mom and dad got their morning coffee made, but the stockings were free game to amuse us until they were ready.

As we got older things changed a bit.  Families grew and loved ones passed on, but I carried the same excitement into adulthood...or so I thought.

Now that I have Punky, I realize how much those feelings truly dulled over the years.  The surge of energy I have right now made it all clear.  I feel like I'm eight all over again, only now I get to experience it all through the eyes of my beautiful baby girl.

She doesn't understand presents and, judging from tonight, she will have no interest in ripping the paper in the morning.  But she surely understands "new toy" and sat right by my side anxiously as I pulled the one her brother got her out of the box and put it together.  She even had to hug her new clothes once she saw them.

I can't wait for morning...I have tears in my eyes now.

We are going to visit his family tomorrow afternoon and then Punky and I are headed home for the holidays.  He will follow Christmas day.  We'll have Christmas Eve supper at my mom's tomorrow night, and then another round of presents Christmas morning when we exchange as a family.  My four year old nephew is so excited this year.  He finally really "gets it" and he will be so much fun.  

We will have Punky's first birthday party on Sunday, where she'll get even more gifts I'm sure.  She'll be one spoiled child before the weekend is over and we return home on Monday.   Given that she's had to wait 362 days to have her first Christmas it's worthy of some spoiling.  And having a birthday immediately after deserves it's own recognition as well.  It's certainly not the most ideal time of the year to have a birthday, but it is what it is and we need to make the best of it.

Time to play Santa and head to bed.  I'm sad that he had to work third shift tonight so we can't play Santa together, but being alone may bring the boredom I need to actually fall asleep tonight.

On a side note, Mama called it just in time.  The proverbial switch flipped in Punky, the green light came on, and all systems are go:  she's walking.  She spent a few days with a couple shaky steps here and there; today she's been walking...across entire rooms...choosing to walk instead of crawling...walking to get from here to there instead of just trying for amusement.  Something clicked and just like that we have a walker.  I am so proud of her.  More tears...