The Day After

 The gifts are unwrapped.

 The boxes are flattened, stacked and ready for the recycling truck.

 The refrigerator is full of leftovers.

 It's chilly and rainy.  In fact, it's been chilly and rainy for several days.  

 Things are relaxed and easy.

I only have one sweater to return.

We had a wonderful Christmas.

My teenagers put on a show for us on Christmas Eve.  I.T. girl had changed the lyrics to such classics as Lion King's Can You Hear the Love Tonight.  It was changed to "Can You See The Christmas Lights"  Silly and funny and remarkably creative.  I laughed until I cried.  

Remember my mentioning how different Christmas is when you have a houseful of teenagers?  Christmas Morning The Ironman and I were both up at 6:30.  We sat by the Christmas Tree with our morning coffee.  Talked and reminisced.  The house was quiet.  Oh how I remember those 3am mornings of excited gift opening.  I had already "warned" those teens that if they weren't up by 9am I was going to wake them up.  Sure enough, by 8:30am we heard movement and 3 sleepy teenagers headed down the stairs and straight to the kitchen.  As I stared in disbelief they ALL poured milk and juice and loaded up their breakfast plates with croissants and eggs that I had waiting for them.  BEFORE PRESENTS?  Ironman and I could only stare.  Wow!  

Opening presents in the past was a frenzy of flying paper and boxes and lasted 20 minutes from beginning to end.  It was like a whirlwind.  And I loved it.  This Christmas gift opening was slower and easier and each teen took the time to watch the gifts opened by others.  They laughed and commented.  They'd even stop for a while to get another croissant or more juice.  The Engineer even commented that "at this rate we'll still be opening gifts at noon".  

Everyone got a big surprise which is always so fun for Santa.  The Dancer Girl got boots that she was not expecting and never dreamed in a zillion years Santa would bring them to her.  I.T. girl received a camcorder for her budding film career.  The Engineer opened a surprise gift of ski boots.  Santa even managed to surprise The Ironman.  (with a GPS running gear thingie that goes in your shoes?  Don't ask me.  But he was excited and couldn't wait to go for a long run)

Can you guess what Santa brought me?  I wasn't expecting it. Oh sure, I had kidded around about buying one.  But all I really wanted for Christmas was family

A Canon Rebel!

More photos to come