The best is yet to come...

Well i've made it to Christmas Eve, dear readers. Presents are bought and wrapped, cookies have been made, even the goddamn Elf has been moved every single night. Of course, the kids had to up the ante and start trying to give him a snack each night. In an attempt to prevent my finding moldy cheese sticks everywhere, I wrote the kids a note from him, in an elf-esque curly handwriting that took as long as calligraphy, explaining he can't eat human food. Well this began a letter writing campaign from the kids that require I eventually have the elf break into our computer and learn to type using the Curlz font. But even with all that I have not missed a night - yet.

We are preparing for Christmas Eve dinner - The Night of Seven Fishes. This includes H taking two days off from work to cook, and bringing enough seafood into the house that we could open or own Red Lobster, including a five pound whole octopus that he likes to randomly snatch from the refrigerator to terrify the kids. Today we will enjoy the fruits of his labor for four hours, after which we will stagger away from the table drunk and stuffed to the gills (no pun intended).

I love that I have married into this tradition. And it's not just the fact that we eat and drink for hours, or the fact that I am wearing my new Christmas shoes, which H is now making a holiday tradition. No, I love it because, in addition to pizza, celebrating the night before Christmas is one of the best ideas Italians have ever had. What's better than having a party on the most excitement-filled night of the year? Growing up, our celebration took place Christmas Day with a table of over-cooked vegetables and some giant, equally over-cooked hunk of meat. It was fun, but it was tinged with sadness at the end of the night as Christmas was over for a whole nother year. At Christmas Eve dinner, the kids are out of their minds with anticipation and there's an energy zipping through the house.

One of my favorite moments of the year is when H and I stand up to make the toast. Thinking about it this year, I realize we are pretty much at the zenith of our lives. Sure, there many more good times to come, but right now, all my kids are young and sweet and believe in Santa. Our extended family is growing via marriages and babies. Our parents are all healthy and active. H and I are even still reasonably young. Right now, is the time of abundance which, like Christmas Eve, has so many good things to follow. So we will raise a glass to that tonight. To abundance and happiness and the the good things that are to come.

I wish you and yours Happy Holidays, whatever they may be and that you go to bed tonight filled with excitement, not about gifts, but about your life.

XO,
M