Our Combo Christmas

You might think that because we are sisters that we have spent lots of holidays together.  You would be wrong.  Because of the differing layers in our extended families, basic geography and the fact that our expectations are pretty low, we've spent very few holidays together.  As in a handful of all the holidays in the past two decades.

With Cara relocating her family here - Yippee -- we had our first combo Christmas since the year she happened to be in town for a wedding, back when I had two kids and she had none. So here's how the first combo Christmas panned out . . .

Christmas Eve.  One family headed to church, then dinner at in-laws.  The other to Indiana grandma for dinner.  The original Michigan family has a tradition of Santa making two visits.  The first is during church, when one package (always new pj's) per kid is left at the hearth.  The other Santa visit occurs while we're sleeping. With six kids in the house now, Santa doubled his early drop off.  The tradition started to ensure the kids looked decent the following morning since pictures were often a big part of the celebration.  As the pictures became less important through the years, the pj's still continue. 

Pending the merge, we assumed (silly us) that Cara's early rising, Santa-believing crew members would take the 7 a.m. session around the tree Christmas Day.  We therefore assumed my teenage boy, sleeping in crowd would take the brunchtime slot at the tree. 

But in rare teen boy form, college dude, in his new pj's, can't contain his excitement.  Son P is ready to join the early crowd.  Only Son A had to be dragged from bed where he left his Christmas cheer under his pillow instead of bringing it along.  Six stocking contents were dumped.  Paper and packaging carpeted the floor.  The dogs were happy to have double the amount of stuff to sniff. The adults had their coffee and the first combo Christmas was celebrated and over.

(How odd, though that Santa wraps the presents for one family and not the other.  Cara's Santa does not wrap.  But he does assemble! so toys are ready for play.  My family's Santa wraps, mysteriously using the same paper I use.)

Pancake breakfast was started and one Grandma arrived to continue the spoiling of all 6 kids.  Then one family headed to Florida while the other house sat.  Isn't that convenient.