My family’s Christmas mornings have usually been pretty relaxed …
Neither Kevin nor I was allowed to open anything until everyone was up…. In the middle of the night (4am or so) I would wake up and walk down the long hallway to peek at all the presents under the tree. Somehow, knowing they were there let me sleep a little better for the next few hours …
As he got older, Kevin would make breakfast for the rest of us. I don’t know if it was something to do while he was the only one up or what …
So, once the 4 of us were all up and ready, we’d start with stockings.
Every year, we have to decide what order to open gifts in. Sometimes oldest to youngest, sometimes alphabetical, sometimes counter-clockwise, etc. But it was pretty much a strict rule in our house that we all opened gifts one at a time. Partly to slow down the process so we enjoyed Christmas morning longer, and partly so everyone could see what other people got.
And always at least once, one of us would pick up a gift and my mom would say, “Hmm… I don’t remember what is in that.”
After opening all our stocking gifts (my parents wrap them), we’d have kind of a breakfast break. Either the oranges from our stockings, or pastries, or something little. We never really had a big meal for Christmas.
After a little break, we dug into all the other gifts under the tree. .. still one by one. We’d each have a box near us to neatly pile the gifts as we open them (better to haul the loot). … And we tend to just throw all the wrapping paper into a big pile in the middle of the room.
Depending on what time we woke up, we sometimes don’t get done with the Christmas morning gift-opening until almost noon.
But even after everything is opened and we start playing … there’s one last Christmas morning tradition. …. we give Shredder catnip.
People who still have kittens (Kaitlin) don’t properly understand what catnip does. Shredder is old and lazy and set in her ways. But on Christmas morning, when she gets catnip, she starts freaking out… diving into the pile of wrapping paper trash, running around like a maniac. It’s pretty much the funniest thing ever.
And such a meaningful part of Christmas day.
View all posts in the Journal your Christmas series
She can’t wait! and was a little confused this morning when there was no “special treat” for her.