Juliette went bonkers waiting for Christmas to roll around, because Christmas meant Portland, and Portland meant COUSINS! We arrived at Mitch’s on Monday afternoon and were there all of three minutes before Juliette was digging her swimsuit out of her suitcase and dashing out back to hot tub with Elise.
Then Santa hats were donned and Parcheesi was brought out and these two officially attached themselves at the hip.
I tried to lure the girls out of the house on Christmas Eve for a hot chocolate run or a playground spin, but they really just wanted to hunker down and cozy up. I didn’t fight it.
Elise is 11 going on 16 these days, but there were a handful of times last week when I saw the kid in her come through, when she couldn’t help but join the “littles”. Gingerbread for the win!
And then, Parcheesi…so much Parcheesi.
Morgan, my kindred tradition-keeper, insisted on Polar Express before bed.
Plus milk and cookies for Santa, with carrots for his reindeer! The excitement in the house that evening was palpable, with Morgan running through the living room with the iPad every 15 minutes to give us an update on Santa’s whereabouts. The Tracker says he’s in Poland! Now Norway! Iceland! Once Santa reached New York, it was time to put these kids TO BED.
I awoke to the house-rattling pitter-patter of children around 7 am on Christmas morning – by 7:30 Morgan was taking roll call. Let’s get to it! Santa came through, big-time.
Santa brought me boots and cross-country skis – so glad my wish list made it to the North Pole.
And Juliette’s very own Parcheesi board! Looks like I’m gonna need to learn to love this game.
My mom wasn’t quite up to making the trek to Portland this year, so we did a post-gift recap with them over Facetime.
Grandma and Grandpa were missed (on both sides), but technology is a wonderful thing…
…and speaking of technology, Morgan and Elise’s Nintendo switch won “gift of the year”.
If only Santa hats and Christmas PJ’s were in style all year round! Such a good look on you, Jules.
We pried the Nintendo controllers out of the kids’ hands late morning and rallied the troops for a short hike at Tryon Creek.
Rocket balloon practice consumed a good portion of the afternoon…
…and then we gathered in the living room for a round of charades, where we learned that Morgan and Juliette are quite the actors and that Mitch’s rendition of “toy car” looks a lot like a terrified child running from a bear.
We ended the day sweetly and quietly, with a flute recital by Elise and a serious bracelet-making session on Juliette’s new rainbow loom.
We wrapped up Portland Christmas-Fest 2019 with hot chocolate cheers on Thursday morning and then said goodbye to the beloved Jarrell clan. To cousins!
The one Christmas to-do still on our list was Juliette’s and my downtown holiday tour and when I asked her on Friday morning if she wanted to take a spin on the Westlake carousel, she replied, “Of course I do, Mommy!” Deal sealed. Shane dropped us off at the Fairmont, we took our quick spin through the gingerbread house, and then headed over to the merry-go-round.
The lines were so short and the tickets so cheap that I let Juliette ride on it twice.
Oh, kiddo…you have no idea how much I love doing this kind of stuff with you.
There was hot chocolate and a little shopping and one last look at the Macy’s star and then we officially called it a wrap.
There’s a lot about this Christmas season that just felt extra-GOOD. Juliette’s anticipation was bigger than ever, and beyond the going-bonkers over the presents and the lights and the parties, she’s starting to grasp the deeper concepts of gratitude and generosity. Our home felt so warm this season, our neighborhood so friendly and festive. I missed having my parents with us in Portland, but my mom’s strength and positivity through her diagnosis and chemo has buoyed us all. Our little advent tree, laden with hand-written notes about what we’re thankful for, is out of bare branches.
