Fabulously, I had the entire week of Christmas off as did Shane! As I pushed for Christmas in Paris, utilizing our accumulated miles on Capital One, we settled for a quiet Christmas at home. It was more of his idea. I figured since this would be our last hurrah before entering the world of parenthood, we might as well go out with a romantic bang.
Since the first week of December, presents skirted our tree. The first time we were on top of Christmas. It was hard to imagine as I've always enjoyed the thrill of last minute shopping. Oddly enough, I am -hopefully soon to be former- a procrastinator. It felt brilliant to be steps ahead of the Christmas holidays. I wanted to savor this holiday as much as possible.
Meanwhile in Christmasland...Christmas as a Cadelinia was usually filled with sugar filled nieces and nephews drowning in unappreciated gifts meanwhile I partake in holiday gluttony. I forgot to mention the secret santa for the adults which really wasn't much of a secret, because I could always figure out the culprit behind my gift. Most of the time, I just chocked it down to the mission of regifting. This is not to be mistaken with my childhood as a Cadelinia which you can take up with my former therapist. Giggle. Let's just say Santa never showed much interest in the Cadelinia household when it came to gifts. What we didn't have in gifts was made up in the union of family. Yes, try to explain that to a six year old.
Although Shane's childhood Christmas was filled with christmas cookies and gifts galore. A sparkle gleams in his eye everytime he reaches into his Catskill Christmas past. I must admit I experience a mild singe of jealousy everytime he indulges in his childhood. Since we're embarking the shores of familyhood, Shane advised that we reinstate the Kitchen ritual. Huh, dear mom would suffer a cardiac, if she overheard our conversation. You see in Hawaii, family is number one. Family does not consist of simply siblings and parents. Family in the islands includes cousins, uncles, aunts and other straggling relatives, a form of coming together to celebrate the spirit and love of our ancestors.
The Kitchen's Christmas(s) were spent strictly with siblings and parents. It made sense, although mom would have a Filipino fit. It's different when you come from a family the size of the Roman army where the meaning of peaceful silence never resembled a sound. After a couple minutes of collaborating, we established that Christmas Eve would be spent with the Cadelinia clan. No harm and no foul. Everyone was happy!
2006 our last Christmas as non-parents. We were lavishly selfish. Christmas morning came as rapid as the growth of my belly. Considering I tried my hardest to sleep in, although my REM process does not exceed 800am. Dilemma at hand, I laid in bed flipping through channels trying to catch a holiday film, besides a Christmas story, but to no avail. Shane, on the other hand, was better at sleeping in. A smile came to my face as I imagined other adults having miserably attempting to fulfill a family agenda.
We eventually peeled ourselves from bed. We made a fire and lit the pillar candles as holiday music filled our home. We prepared breakfast and baked Christmas cookies. It was a jolly good time. Heck, even Chloe had her own stocking filled with chewing toys. I know, ring the alarm, weird pet people! Honestly, I am very nostalgic, thus I put off unwrapping gifts like Fidel Castro and Cuba. In my world, once the gifts are unwrapped, hence the holiday comes to an end. 2:30pm rolled around, and I attempted to stall the beauty of this holiday like no other by pushing the gift exchange to follow dinner. Shane nodded in agreement, but his facial expression said different. It was time for the selfless part of me to take hold. The unraveling of the gifts would pursue in thirty minutes and counting.
Here we are in the midst of Christmas. It was delightful to be spending this beautiful day with my lovely husband. All the Christmas gifts under the tree could not surpass the mirth. We were in our beautiful home overlooking the bay in our pajamas and sitting by the fire with Chloe at our side as little Kitchstar begins to kick in light tantrums in the warmth of my belly. To make matters more frilly, I am in love with my husband, no words can describe the depths and degree of my adoration for this sweet man. It was in this moment, this day, that I hold special in my heart. It was bliss. It was radiant. It was Christmas.
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