Christmas is over.
Phew.
We had the whole crowd here, complete with one “significant other”, some friends, and our “granddog”, Miss Izzy.
Everything was lovely, even if the dogs did have to be separated at times. We had a huge and festive Christmas breakfast,
Bacon! You have to have bacon……
And we opened all the loot.
Sweet pile of swag
We laughed, we swapped stories, we soaked in the hot tub together (even though we couldn’t really fit and half the water sloshed out…….) and we reminded ourselves of how lucky we are that we are all still able to be together on these special days.
For me, the best and sweetest moments were those little ones: running to get some last minute groceries with Tim on Christmas eve, waking up on Christmas morning, and realizing that all three of my children were once again under my roof. Sitting quietly at the table and listening to the jokes and stories of my three, Kate’s Sam, and the two old friends who had come to share our Christmas dinner. It has been so incredibly long since I have been able to sit back and look at a full table!
That was the toast that I made, champagne glass in hand, lump in my throat: “A toast to the pleasure of having all of you around my table once again!”
This morning, I woke up late. I lay still for a bit, feeling my achy muscles. The house was quiet, but it didn’t make me sad this time. This morning, I could still feel the vibrating energy of all those voices, all that love, all of the celebrating. This morning, the memories of the holiday are blending gently with the memories of holidays past, and I am content to soak in the atmosphere, still filled with my children’s presence.
Today, we are tired.
Tucker and Sadie are spent, having used up all of their doggy energy in trying to get to know Izzy, and trying to figure out how to share the couch.
Tuck had no problem sharing with Izzy.
Sadie was a little bit less welcoming.
Paul and I are spent, too. We have been busy the past few days, cleaning, wrapping, cooking, organizing, decorating, then celebrating as if we were still in our 20’s! The late nights, rich foods and bubbly drinks have all taken a toll, and today we are feeling pretty limp.
But its a good “limp”. Its the kind of boneless lethargy that comes from having done it right. My heart is resting today; it can’t take any more joyful tears as I look at my children. It can’t take any more sorrowful tears as I think of the 20 mothers who can’t look at theirs. My brain is resting; it doesn’t have any more energy to plan another meal for my crew. It certainly has no more energy for trying to find a way to end the senseless violence that has gripped our entire country.
Today I am limp. I am resting on the couch, tea cup in hand, watching TV as the weathermen predict a foot of snow.
The house is warm, and clean and quiet. The dogs are snoring, and Paul is reading a book.
I am limp.
And its a very good feeling.
Merry Christmas!
Empty Nest, Full Life 
Sounds just about perfect. Rest up — New Year’s Eve is coming.
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Luckily, all that means for us is an early night….!
Hope you had a wonderful Christmas!
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I watch the ball drop in Times Square and that’s New Year’s for me even if it’s only 9 o’clock here.
We had a quiet, but very nice Christmas. I didn’t think my dog with cancer was going to last till Christmas, but he’s still here, so that made me very happy.
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I’m glad that he was with you. Tucker and Sadie send their best.
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They’re adorable. Sadie reminds me of a black lab named Gilda I adopted when she was already 14 1/2 and completely deaf. She was a very sweet, dainty girl, and lived another 14 months, doing three walks a day almost till the end.
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Glad you had such a full holiday, Moms. It sounds perfect!
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It was just about perfect….we are so incredibly lucky….Hope yours was wonderful, too!
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Ours was just fine. Time with my husband and son, time with my mother-in-law (not bad) time with my sister-in-law fairly small. Yup. It was fine~
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I loved reading this. I love Christmas and how I feel being with my loved ones and reminiscing about the ones who are no longer here. And I loved waking up Christmas morning at my son’s house knowing that next Christmas I will have to sleep in a different room as where I was will be the nursery for the little one coming in April. Christmas is about family and friends–and love. I am so happy you, my friend, had a joyous Christmas !
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Whoah!!!
What wonderful news!! Congratulations, Alison!! What a perfect gift for all of you!!
Happy New Year!
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I love the feeling of waking up in the middle of the night knowing that mine are all here….it happens so infrequently. How lucky you were to have a full house!
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I know! It is such a rare treat; I wake up and just lie there, knowing that we’re all breathing together. I thought that it was just a weird quirk of mine, loving the idea of them sleeping.
One of my boys went downstairs on Christmas afternoon and fell asleep; I swear, I wanted to just sit there watch him nap!
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Love and joy come to you! Happy times, indeed! It’s beautiful to read my own thoughts and feelings on your posts. As always, thank you for your gift of writing about being a loving mum.
My eldest peep is home (her always “home”) for the holidays, and we’re sharing loads of love and lots of laughter. And that peacefulness that comes in knowing that we’re all here, breathing, just being happy together is the greatest gift. I’m just loving it, and them!
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How wonderful for all of you! Enjoy, and keep soaking in those lovely feelings to tap into later!
Happy New Year!
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Sounds like the perfect Christmas – yippee! Limp….I love that content limp feeling. We need to find it more often, don’t we?
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Oh, we do! Especially when it comes from having been so filled with happiness in the days leading up to the “collapse”.
I wish you many days of limpness!
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Same to you my friend! Hope you have a limp holiday break!
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What a lovely post! So true, so wonderful to sit there on Christmas morningand have all three of us there. We’re lucky folk!
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So glad you had a good day!
We are lucky, lucky indeed.
This year more than ever I feel how true that is.
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I’m so pleased you all had a good Christmas. Isn’t it lovely to have all the folks we love around. I looked around me as we were eating Christmas lunch and just breathed in and savoured…. how lucky we are.
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