Hollerdaze!

I had prepared a sanctimonious rant, but I’ve scrapped it in favor of just talking about how excited I am for the holidays this year.

My brother and his wife (Lord and Lady Bear) are coming out to visit this year! They’ll be here on Friday and will be staying well through the New Year. Yes, I saw them last summer, but Lord Bear and I were very close as kids, and dammit I miss him! Plus, Lady Bear is one of the sweetest, most fun people I know – I’m lucky to have her for a sister-in-law.

We don’t celebrate Christmas, so this works out nicely for Lord and Lady Bear’s visit. Friday being the Winter Solstice (our holiday), we’ll be picking them up from the airport and grabbing lunch with our Uncle, then heading back home to chill out and wait for Hubs to get home from work (he couldn’t get out of it this year), do presents and then get ready for my End of the World Solstice Dinner.

Normally our Solstice looks like this:

1.) Stockings and presents in the morning – One present FOR each person, FROM each person. That way, within our little nucleus, no one gets more than two actual presents. Little piddly things are fine in stockings, but nothing expensive. Some years we have a little extra money, so we’re able to get big-ticket items. Other years we have to scrape to get even a little cash together, so we make gifts. But either way, much thought is put into each gift, and I’ve never had a year where I didn’t absolutely love what I was given.

2.) Chill out as a family for the day – if electronics are given as gifts, they can be used, but the recipient has to be near the rest of the family

3.) In the evening, we throw a big potluck dinner party for family and friends, and give out gifts to our closest friends, as surreptitiously as possible. It’s always loud and fun and comfortable.

It works out well, because then we can either just relax and do nothing on Christmas Day, or go visit family without sacrificing our own family time. This year it’s even better, because this way Lord & Lady Bear can visit us for our holiday and our father and his family for Christmas Day.

Happy Holidays, Everyone!