Christmas Eve and Day - The Recap

Last year, we got an invite to a Thai Family’s Xmas celebration and it was a blast.  This year, that family was traveling and we had invites to a number of things or places, but we decided to just bunker down and do a family Xmas and keep it chill.  

Xmas Eve was nice.  We hung out all day and just kind of did our thing.  The weather has been perfect these last few days (highs of 29ish (83-84F) and not too sunny) with a nice breeze and good air quality, so we’ve had the house open for the last few days.  It’s been nice.  

With no where to go, we focused on ourselves and what we like.  Shabu or Hot Pot was an obvious for us.  That was a good time and we all enjoyed the meal.  As you can see, we have the home set up and it was a blast.

Xmas itself was awesome.

First, it started at 07:30, so not too early.  That’s our normal weekend Kiddo wake up time.  So, even though she had been up since 0600 (J woke and heard her and got up for a minute) and I heard something at 06:30 and got up for water, so I knew Kiddo was up as well.  We both (J and I) fell back asleep and Kiddo came in at 07:30.  Not for Xmas or Santa excitement, but for cereal and iPad time.  As you can see in the vid, she was laying next to the gifts and Xmas Tree and just munching.  

Anyone with kids, even if they are grown now, is reading this and seeing that and they can’t believe it.  Most kids are chomping at the bit to do Xmas and tear it up.  Kiddo was just chilling so we could have coffee and wake.  How’d we get such a sweet kid?

Neither J nor myself got many Xmas morning pics, we were just in the moment with Kiddo and enjoying.  J and I both grew up and pics were constant and posed.  Hold up the gift, left me get a pic of your opening, hold it up, let me get another angle, etc etc.  We didn’t want her memories of Xmas morning be nothing more than mumma and dada taking pics.  She is amazing.

She got a good haul this year, but not as big as in years past, seeing as we will need to pack up life in the next 6m to move to Shanghai, but what she did get was a hit.  Legos are her JAM right now, so she loved the two sets and is really having fun with J putting the first together.  She also got Battleship and Connect 4.  We got into Connect 4 and Legos yesterday as I was doing dinner prep (Chicken Tacos with fresh made guacamole) and put out the Charcuterie board.  

I also gave Kiddo a present that I’d been promising for almost a month now…. She could shave my beard.  I’ve grown Xmas beards in the past, but it was certainly hotter this time around.  Next year in Shanghai, I’m sure a full beard will be much more comfortable.  The nice part was post trim/shave.  Usually, it’s abrasive and cold when I shave down the beard.  This year, however, it was a slight relief.  I do miss the beardness of the beard, though.  

As for J and me… we certainly had fun with things this year.  Elfie notes.  New traditions started.  Just all of it.  We also had a good Xmas with each other.  We didn’t overspend on her or ourselves and for our gift to each other, one of the things is “Something fun.”  We’ve both been wanting to see the Indiana Jones movies, but we don’t own.  We found it digitally at $30 for the collection and that’s a great deal, so we got it for each other.  We’ve rewatched Raiders (1981, but damn if it don’t stand up still) and are half way through Temple (84 and yes, some of it is campy, but it’s supposed to be, it’s part of the charm of it) and are looking forward to the rest.  Other than that, nothing of consequence.  New outfit or pants, books, and just little stuff for each other.  I love that we got the movie collection and that we got little things for each other, but it was really about Kiddo this year and the fun.

All in all, it was the perfect Christmas.  Relaxed, but a lot of fun.  Kiddo deemed Hot Pot as the new Xmas Eve Meal and wondered if we would pack and bring it.  We assured her we could get the things needed in Shanghai easily, so we wouldn’t be packing them, but we could certainly make Hot Pot the Xmas Eve meal.  She is too much sometimes, such a little person, and she’s not scared to voice her opinions- at least to J or myself.  She’s also such a wonderful little love.  So understanding.  So patient.  So calm (unless she’s not).  So love.  It was a few days of Kiddo, family, love, music, food, and just being with and around each other.  Playing.  Building.  Laughing.  Enjoying. 

Let’s go, Kiddo… We’ve got 6m left and it’s going to go fast, but we’ll still have a lot of fun.  Clucksters and Penny Penguin are new to you and need to learn all about Kiddo life and Bangkok, plus the move, meeting the other friends, and (hopefully) not picking up the B word from Poley.  Merry Christmas to you, Kiddo and we love you.