I have gone home the SECOND after my finals end every year since I moved away to college at 18. For the first time I hung around and spent some time at MY home. I relaxed and unwound after what was one of the WORST finals weeks I've ever had. I spent a ton of time with Corbin and went to the Nutcracker with my girlfriends. I had a really good time. Of course I still felt painfully guilty that I wasn't home with my brothers for every second of my break.
When I got home Coe warmed up to me much more quickly than during Thanksgiving. During my time home then he was sort of slow to recognize me and it broke my heart. I spent Kai (my 7 year old brother)'s first year at home, as I was still in high school. But I was gone after Coe was only a week old, to return to school. (He turns 18 months in a few days). So this time when I came home and he was instantly excited to see me it made me REALLY happy. Those boys are everything to me.
I only had a few days home before Christmas and I spent it mostly helping my mom around the house. This is Coe and I before we went to my Grandma's for Christmas Eve.
We have a long standing tradition in our family to go to my Grandma's on Christmas Eve and have lobster. They're flown in from Maine by my amazing Uncle who gifts them to us every year. The come alive! Which is always fun.
Sorry to anyone who has an aversion to killing their own meat. I clearly don't. We also have a tradition to wear our silly lobster bib's and take a family photo. I can't remember if we did this last year, I think we did but I don't know if I ever did anything with it. It had only been two months since we lost my aunt and we were all still sort of in a haze. The holidays weren't that enjoyable. It was still hard to look at that picture this year and see only her son and her boyfriend. Broke my heart a little.
Other than the slight undertone of sadness, and the few years (my mom, aunt, and grandma...and me, got pretty teary when my mom gave my aunt an ornament with three female snow-women holding a sign that said sisters, with one of the snow-women floating above the others...) it was a very good Christmas Eve. My grandma surprised me by giving me THIS!!!
YES ITS A WII! I know it's not that exciting especially to most people who've had one for YEARS. But I've wanted one for so long! And it was soooo unexpected. I hadn't told anyone in ages that I wanted one. It was my grandma's gift to Corbin and I and I was incredibly excited.
I didn't take any pictures of Christmas Day because I was pretty busy enjoying it. My mom and I made a huge breakfast (per tradition) and my grandma and aunt, uncle and cousin came over to eat after we had opened our presents. My brothers got a ton of toys, most of which I cant pronounce or have something to do with Lego's. I got a new outfit for work and some booties which I've been dying for and a curling iron and a hand mixer (which I've been DYING for and didn't even ask for) and a ton of other things I had wanted. My sister got me texting gloves (wooo!) and a really cool decorative thing made of wine corks (that she made) and a new blow dryer which I desperately needed.
I was really excited to give my mom the album I had made her of her wedding. I also had a big canvas printed of her and my step-dad on their wedding day. She loved both. My sister and I pitched in on a really nice Anne Kline watch she had really wanted. We said it was from all the kids and couldn't wait to give it to her. Theeeen a few days before Christmas she finds a random very badly wrapped shoe box under the tree and no one can figure out who it's from. (It was from my dad to my mom). Well he NEVER buys Christmas gifts, usually has us do it last minute for him. Ends up, he got her the SAME watch and wrapped it in one of her old shoe boxes (slightly hilarious). She was thrilled he got her a gift and had picked it out himself. We were excited either way that she got what she wanted. We did her stocking too so she definitely got a ton of goodies.
The rest of my time home was spent building Lego sets with Kai and spending time with various family. (Some family drama went down which caused a little stress near the end of my trip, but it's all okay now and not really too appropriate for the internet). The last few days Corbin came and we stayed with my Grandma and brought Hank. I helped my mom set up Coe's room as well (my sister finally moved out at 20 and Kai moved into her room so Coe's crib can go in Kai's old room now). It turned out pretty well, here's a little glimpse.
Overall it was a blast. Felt very different than previous years. I feel much more like an adult in the family now (although I'm still spoiled like one of the kids). I thought all the change would really bother me, but it's strangely normal now. I hope everyone elses holiday was just as wonderful!
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