A Very Quarantined Christmas

I feel very lucky – as I did during Thanksgiving – that traveling to see extended family is not something we normally do during the holidays. We don’t have to feel sad about missing out on an entire place and an entire experience elsewhere that usually makes Christmas special. Having said that, this year’s Christmas looked very different from years past.

We usually have a hectic holidays. We spend Christmas Eve afternoon and evening with my parents, ending the night with a walk down this street with insane Christmas lights. Then we head home, try to get the kids asleep, only to go directly to my in-laws on Christmas morning. We’d stay there until 1pm and then drive to my parents’, stopping at our house only to drop off presents on the way. We’d spend the rest of Christmas day at my parents’ house, finally heading home after dinner with two totally overwhelmed kids.

This year is definitely different. We did spend yesterday with my parents, but we did so outside. They set up this little tree and we opened our presents on the patio.

We were lucky it was not only dry but relatively warm. On the way down we stopped at the nearby park/nature reserve and my husband and kids walked while I ran. After we opened presents and ate at my parents’ backyard, the kids and I spent an hour in their hot tub (which is more warm than hot). We tried to hit up the crazy Christmas lights street, but the line of cars to drive down it was way too long so we bailed (we usually walk the two blocks but I was worried it would be crowded, like it has been in the past). We were home by 6pm, so the kids showered and watched the original Grinch (plus my favorite Disney short – Pluto’s Christmas Tree), then they read a little bit and went to bed.

I had already wrapped all the presents (a first!) so all I had to do was put them under the tree. I also filled the kids’ stockings, which I had never done before (we all have stockings at each grandparents’ house, but we don’t have our own set so my in-laws let us borrow theirs). My husband and I don’t exchange presents so there was nothing in our stockings this year. My husband was worried the kids would wonder at our empty stockings, but as I suspected, they didn’t even notice.

(Have I mentioned that our lights can change from white to colors? I love them so much.)

We told the kids they couldn’t wake us up until 7:30am and luckily I don’t think my son was up too much before that. I woke up at 4am and had the wherewithal to get up and turn on the Christmas tree lights, which I wanted to be on when the kids saw the tree, but I didn’t want to leave on all night.

We opened our presents for a little bit, then the in-laws came over with cinnamon rolls and their presents. We handed off gifts for them and they handed off gifts for us and we said our Merry Christmases through the gate.

We FaceTimed with them while the kids opened their presents (we had to wait for them to get home first), and then called my husband’s sister in Texas and FTed with them too. I’ve also called my sister in London and my cousin in South Carolina (where her parents who flew in, and her brother who is a doctor, will all be spending the evening in the same house together… I must admit I’m a little jealous).

We told our kids that they didn’t have to go outside today and could instead play videogames for as long as they want. They mostly got clothes they needed anyway, some LEGOs, and video games, so letting them play and build is the only thing on the docket today).

I also have my own LEGO set to work on, and I’m very excited.

And that is our Christmas. I know my parents – my mom especially – were really sad not to see us today. At one point I went into my parents’ kitchen yesterday and saw their living room, where we usually spend the day, and I felt very sad that we wouldn’t be there on Christmas, so I understand how they feel. I’m glad they have each other and I hope they enjoy a more low key day.

I have to admit, I am enjoying a more low key day today. I wonder if we can tweak Christmas moving forward so it feels more relaxing. For now I’m just happy that my family is healthy and that my kids are happy.

I hope you and yours are happy and healthy today too.