The other day I started to panic. About Christmas. Yes, I am aware that we are currently in the month of August.

But the baby! He’ll be arriving in late November, the time of year that is usually filled with the writing of Christmas cards, the baking of delicious, chocolately treats, the shopping, the listening of Bing Crosby while strewing about the house of festive decorations (the “red shit”, as my mom and I so affectionately call them).

“We might need some help getting a Christmas tree this year,” I said to Graham one day recently.

“Why? We can still do it.”

He’s right, of course. The lot where we buy our Christmas tree every year is five minutes away and the whole process usually takes a grand total of 30 minutes, door to door. We can bundle the baby up in his car seat and take him with us to pick out a tree, right?

I can always write Christmas cards before the baby arrives. I seem to start this project earlier and earlier every year so no big deal there. One quick mail merge and the address labels will be done.

I’m going to take a wild guess that I won’t be up to doing much holiday baking in my sleepless, breastfeeding haze, so I could make some treats up ahead of time and freeze them. I refuse to go without my Shortbread Caramel Squares.

I can pick up some little presents here and there anytime now, or I can shop for presents online if I have to. Family on both my side and Graham’s usually draw names so that makes the arduous task of annual Christmas shopping much more pleasant to manage. The baby will be portable enough that I hope to be able to take him downtown here in the village where I live for a little festive shopping. We can stop in at the breastfeeding-friendly coffee house to warm up and get a little something to eat (both of us).

All of this sounds completely crazy, I know, and yet, these annual holiday rituals are really important to me, and always will be. Having a child in the house will make Christmas even more special, and I don’t want to give up these rituals, rather, I want to show them to our son, share them with him. So while it may seem irrational to be making plans for Christmas in August, here I am, doing just that.

I can hardly believe it’s taken me almost an entire week to post about Christmas this year.  The holiday was lovely, and featured its usual trips to three different homes in order to celebrate with our familes.  On Christmas Eve we went to Graham’s sister’s house for dinner, where she served four different kinds of quiche, which was awesome.  Christmas Day we went over to my Dad’s in the afternoon, which was especially great this year because we got to see my step-brother Zach and his wife Adriana, who live in Calgary.  They aren’t usually with us for Christmas.  Christmas night we went to my Mom’s place where we had a turkey dinner and played a “Pass the Present” game.  This made shopping infinitely easier this year than other years since each of us only had to buy one gift.  Miraculously everyone opened a gift he or she liked.

My favourite part of Christmas this year, though, was Christmas Eve after Graham and I had come home from his sister’s house.  I love how we’ve carried forward some traditions from our respective family upbringings, as well as incorporating some new ones of our own.  We each gave one another new pyjamas, a tradition that comes from my childhood, and opened up our stockings, something new we do together, mostly because we just can’t wait until Christmas morning.  Graham was so wonderful and kind and loving, excited for me to open the things he’d chosen for me.  We were the best versions of ourselves, and I think I’ll always remember this Christmas in particular as one that stands out.

We lit some candles and had a drink and felt very grateful to have one another and felt optimistic for the year ahead.

Our Christmas Tree on Christmas Eve. We are blessed.

Me with Rudy in my Christmas pyjamas.

Me, Graham and his “I don’t have to work for three weeks” stubble on Christmas Day.  Mmm.

The sentiment on Boxing Day, expressed so wonderfully thanks to my new label maker.

And on that note, here’s to overcoming our obstacles in 2008 and rising up to meet new and exciting challenges (and changes) in 2009.  Happy New Year!

On Christmas Day at my Dad’s we busted out the Wii Fit and my dad was the first to go through the rigamarole routine when starting up with the system.  Nobody thinks of my dad as fat, although he’d be the first to admit he needs to lose a few pounds.  Getting on a scale and evaluating your BMI in front of your family, on CHRISTMAS DAY, no less, probably wasn’t the best idea.  The Wii quickly deemed him obese, promptly puffed his Mii image into a roly poly Daddio, and Graham laughed a little harder than he probably should have.

Luckily my dad had had a couple of drinks and was able to laugh it off.  Graham wisely decided to stay off the thing, at least until he’d digested all of the seasonal food he’d eaten.  My step-mom insisted on waiting until she was alone.  My sister-in-law and I both set ourselves up, and although the Wii happily deemed our BMIs to be “normal”, our Wii Fit Ages were set at 42 and 43 years old!  Apparently I have the posture and balance of an old lady.  Crap.

As if it wasn’t enough to be judged on a daily basis by our peers, now we have to worry about being judged by our video game systems?

Earlier this year I wrote a post about my encounter with Grover at BlogHer in San Francisco. I wrote,

Every year around Christmastime, I sit down by myself with a glass of wine and watch Christmas Eve on Sesame Street. I pretty much cry the whole way through it. But that’s okay…it’s a good cry. It’s the kind of cry that comes from way, deep down inside.

You see, I grew up in the age of Sesame Street. I had learned all of my letters and numbers and could write my name before I headed to kindergarten, and I truly believe I owe some of that to Sesame Street.

The Muppet Family Christmas is another amazing Christmas special that I highly recommend.

Today I’d like to wish you all a magical “true blue miracle” Christmas Eve by sharing one of my favourite scenes from the Muppet Family Christmas. The Sesame Street gang has arrived to help them celebrate.

Happy Christmas Eve!

Dear Santa,

My husband, Graham has been a really good guy this year, especially during the last few months.  He’s worked really hard with me at two jobs so we can get in better financial shape.  He’s spent time with my family, gone to the grocery store for me several times over the last few days, done many errands for me while I finish up my editing work, and even went to the typesetter for me. Yesterday he shoveled the snow on my mom’s pathway and took care of the snow on his mum’s driveway, too, following a big snow fall.  He’s a loving and kind husband every day.

A couple of days ago our neighbour was kind enough to snowblow our driveway while Graham was at work, and yesterday that neighbour’s wife came to our door with what was left of Graham’s cellular phone in a ziploc bag.  It seems Graham dropped the phone on the driveway at some point where it was promptly run through the mechanics of the kind neighbour’s snowblower.

Graham needs that cell phone to run his summer business, and today he found out that without a new plan to sign up for, cell phones cost several hundreds of dollars.  Since I’m already finished shopping for Graham’s Christmas present, I wondered if you’d do me a favour and bring him a new cell phone on Christmas morning?  He totally deserves it.

Love,

Amy.