The Christmas Spirit

When my good friend Amy texted me today to let me know that there would be a gigantic tree-lighting ceremony on the Dartmouth Green, I was hesitant to join her and her wonderful family, as much as we love them.  It was going to be dark.  Winter darkness = very cold.  Plus all bundled-up children look the same in the dark, making it much more likely I could lose Jax in the crowd when he inevitably tried to make a break for it.  Also, we hold very dear to our bedtime routine; this would send our routine awry.  Many reasons we should not go.

But one big reason why we did.  The Christmas Spirit!  Also, who doesn't love another excuse to bundle Em up in her reindeer outfit?

And Jax just loves putting layers on (note the sarcasm).  You can just see it on his face.  I think he looks like Ralphie's little brother in A Christmas Story.

However, once we were walking through the picturesque streets of Hanover, New Hampshire, white Christmas lights twinkling around every doorframe, wreaths and garlands aplenty, horse-drawn carriages trotting by, we were all feeling a bit more Christmasy and ready for some festive fun.

While we waited for the tree-lighting ceremony, Jax ran around to keep warm.  And just because he could.  Or maybe just so I couldn't get a decent picture of him.

Plus, it was dark out.  It gave him that forbidden fruit feeling.  The evening was bursting with I'm-normally-not-allowed-out-after-dark-and-here-I-am-running-outside delirium!  He could barely handle his excitement.  Even when we met up with Amy and her family, he wouldn't stop running long enough to say hi to his good friend, Nia.  He just ran around her in circles until she joined in the fun.

He finally passed out.  He really was Ralphie's little brother, but in this case it was, "Daddy! I can't get up!"

Em was like, "I don't get it.  But at least I'm snuggling my best friend Daddy so it's cool."  She looked like a floating head in the darkness--it was pretty funny, especially with those cheeks.

 The tree lighting was neat but, obviously, only lasted a few moments.  The real fun was in the running, the bundling, the snuggling, and the friends.  Amy and I had told our kids that Santa would be there, and he was; he was just warm and snug in the hotel across the street!  The line to see him was ridiculous, so as we were walking by we peered in the window and happened to see Santa with a little girl on her lap!  We were psyched because our kids got to see Santa (through the window), they were appropriately impressed, and we didn't have to wait in line/pay/keep them in line when they were hungry and tired/deal with the germs.  And to prove that I'm not the cheapest/laziest mother on the planet, when Jax was staring all slack-jawed and awestruck at Santa through the window, I whispered to him, "Do you want to go in and see Santa?" which I was completely prepared to do if he bowled me over with his jubilation.   Instead he whispered back as contentedly as could be, "No," and just kept on staring.  Apparently Through-the-Looking-Glass Santa is just fine with him!



We're officially basking in the Christmas Spirit up here in Vermont.  We can't let a little cold keep our kids from enjoying the miracle of Christmas.  And we hope that the extra fresh air might earn us a little extra sleep, too!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!