1st Christmas Dinner...

We went to my parents' house tonight for our Christmas celebration. The entire family was there, including grandparents and some cousins and an aunt, which is a rare thing. Most of my siblings are quiet individuals, but when you put us all together in a room, it becomes a very loud and boisterous environment. My house was usually like this growing up, though of course, it is much more so now that there is another little sibling and 5 little grandkids. Tonight was a lot of fun. We laughed til we cried (Roasted Chestnuts!! Tell me to explain this one to you!), we played games, opened some presents, ate lots of food and tons more desserts, sang songs, the girls made bracelets...all while Christmas music played in the background, a roaring fire blazed in the fireplace, and Christmas lights glowed around us. For me, it was the ideal sort of Christmas celebration. Oh, and let's not forget the beautiful white snow, which is gorgeous until about February. I later said, "This was such a nice Chrismas get-together" and I think my dad said, "Yeah...everybody was nice to each other!" I can't speak for my siblings, but I do think we are starting to all get along better. My brother and I were discussing things of etiquette, and it ended with the agreement that we just don't go there-meaning, we put no expectations or pressure on our relationship. We're just brother and sister. And that's good enough for us.

The girls behaved wonderfully, even with Lara having had no nap and Claire being sick as a dog. That made the evening even more enjoyable. Lara found a new best friend in her Aunt Nikki, and sat on her lap for quite some time, sometimes simply staring up at Nikki with an adoring smile. Nikk asked if she could take Lara home, and I said yes, just bring her back in 2 weeks. This is why Lara loves her so much. Little kids can tell very easily when they are absolutely adored by someone, and Lara knows that she has that someone in Nikki. And they will adore you right back. It was commented on a number of times that Claire seemed very happy and content, which pleased me, considering I finally buckled and sent her to Prompt Care earlier that afternoon. While Lara and I had lunch at church, Dustin took Claire to the doctor in Bloomington and you would not believe what Claire has!!!!!

A viral infection.

So at least I continued on to my parents' house with the reassurance that there is nothing to worry about. I'm still trying to learn how to trust myself as a parent. It wasn't bad that I sent her, of course. There was just that little gnawing feeling in my gut that it wasn't necessary, and I hope one day I can trust it more. Claire's fever broke quite suddenly right before bed, and she is sleeping peacefully with a humidifier borrowed from my parents.

So it was a great evening, full of family fun, and now we are all exhausted. I will post some pictures soon.

Today at church, the kids got up on stage to perform a few songs. Lara and I discussed it that morning and she told me the singing was too hard, and she only wanted to sing at home. I respected that decision, and told Lara's teachers that she did not need to go with her class. So I was surprised when Lara willingly went on stage when the time came. She did not sing, but she seemed to enjoy herself by listening to the other kids sing.

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I am reading a great book, and I want you avid book-readers to put it on your list! It's called Wild Swans, and is a memoir of three generations of Chinese women who grew up and old during the forming of the Communist Party. There is no political agenda, just a telling of old Chinese practices and rituals to the libertion of China economy by the communists to the oppression of the Chinese people by the crazed leadership of Mao Zedong. A simply fascinating story, which really helps keep things in perspective for you. I realize how truly lucky I am to live in a country of freedom and luxury. And after reading this book, I know that my 1984 Buick Century, even with all its shakes and shimmies, and lack of shoulder belts, is a luxury by the standards of two-thirds of this world.

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My new train of thought these days, because they are few and far between, is on the nature of guilt. I thought it was a natural part of the composition of women, especially mothers, to always feel guilty about something, because of the pressures and comparisons that we put ourselves through every day. But then Dustin said, "You have guilt, because you live in the MidWest. Everyone feels guilty here." Midwest=Bible belt=guilt. That's my new Thought of the Day.

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Okay, my friends, I will be in touch about trying out some new and fun recipes together over the next few weeks. Once Christmas is over, and our trip to VA is over, and life goes back to normal, we'll start!!

My next post will be lots of pictures...promise.