Christmas Recap

Now that several quiet days have passed since the wild scene of opening presents at my parents' house, I'm sufficiently recovered to talk about it.  Bows flying about!  Wrapping paper shredded!  Electronic toys creating a cacophony of noise!  It was madness, I tell you.....madness!!  Oh, but it was FUN!!  There's just nothing like the enthusiasm of young children on Christmas Day.  It is a simpler, less affected reaction than when grown ups exchange presents.  With my sister's three boys being aged 6, 4, and 2, this is a stage of optimum toy appreciation, and it won't last forever.  Before we know what's happened they'll be teenagers, trying to be "cool" (or whatever the slang will be by then), and these days will be memory.  So I'm savoring them as long as I can!

 

With very focused little boys, the trick is deciding in which order to open presents.  Opening a "big" present first might result in reluctance to open less flashy gifts.  Unfortunately, we kinda fell victim to this and had to basically beg and plead for them to open the rest of their things.  The items eliciting this instant and absorbing reaction:  walking and talking robots. 

 

These dudes created complete and total obsession.  They walk, they talk, they scan, and then they say "Fire" and make a huge noise.  My Mom gets credit for spotting these on a low shelf and knowing immediately they would be a hit.  Score one for Grammy!

 

For me, the best thing about this Christmas was watching the reactions of my family members to their gifts.  Everything I gave, other than some stickers for the boys, I made by hand.  I didn't really set out to make Christmas a 100% yarn affair, it just kinda happened.  My sister got a Calorimetry in a purple yarn to flatter her hazel eyes, Mom got a Booga Bag similar to one she admired long ago at the LYS, and Dad got Fuzzy Feet slippers. 

 

 

Grandma got a beautiful, hand-knit ivory shawl NOT made by me, although she clearly thinks the opposite.  My skills not being up to knitting lace with mohair quite yet, I got it off ebay, but whatever....she deserves a lovely shawl like this.  Can you believe she turned 95 years old on Halloween?  She doesn't look it, does she?  Grandma was my confidant and encourager for many, many years, especially during my stressful adolescence.  She kept secrets and heard insecure venting, loving me unconditionally and slipping me a $20 for gas from time to time.  Now that she's hard of hearing, increasingly dependent, and living with my parents, things are a little different.  But she's still a very, very special woman, and her unmistakable joy over this shawl was worth it's weight in gold.

 

 

The boys each received a crocheted Tiny Turtle from Aunt Nina which were welcomed, although with less enthusiasm than the robots.  (Heck, let's be honest:  what chance does a yarn critter have when faced with a mechanized plastic robot?!)   However, I knew the turtles had been sufficiently appreciated and accepted when I saw Caleb happily playing with his new Star Wars Jedi Starfighter......with his turtle securely ensconced in the cockpit.  Who knew?  I had no idea Turtles were allied with the Rebel Alliance!!  (Maybe they're from Yoda's home planet?!)

 

So the boxes and tissue and crumpled paper have been thrown away.  The cookies and other goodies have been eaten.  The traditional holiday pounds have been gained.  Garland and tree and decorations have all been taken down and packed away.  It's time to start thinking about next year's gifts, and how early I need to start knitting to get them all done.  (Then again, this knitting-gifts-for-everyone thing was kinda tough....maybe I should just do gift cards next year?!)