Christmas is weird. You spend weeks, possibly months, thinking and planning and shopping and list-making … and then the day arrives. And then it’s over. And then it’s Back To Normal But Not Really Because the Holidays Are Still Kinda Happening.
Mark’s parents came over for dinner on Christmas Eve. The girls set the table and I prepped dinner: wild salmon fillets, roasted potatoes (which were amazing – here’s the recipe!), salad, baguette, and something that I’m totally forgetting at the moment. Our youngest baked a batch of chocolate cupcakes as well as a gingerbread tree (!) for dessert.
And before we knew it, it was time for the girls to don their new Christmas jammies (a long-standing tradition here at Casa Fishbowl), and participate in the annual reading of the Grinch.
Thankfully, this year we didn’t have very much last-minute wrapping to do, which was a relief, because there’s nothing I hate more than wrestling with the tape dispenser at midnight.
Amazingly, the girls slept in on Christmas Day, which my weary body appreciated. It was a peaceful morning. We had followed through with the four gift rule I wrote about recently, and I have to say it was pretty awesome. I didn’t get the impression anyone was disappointed with their presents or felt they were lacking. Mark and I only exchange stockings and the girls each chose something for me. The youngest bought me some Roots slipper socks, and the eldest chose a great puzzle and a really cool ornament with living moss in it. I got some much-needed wool socks in my stocking, a watch, a ribbon for my old electric typewriter (which I’m planning to resuscitate), a sushi cube maker thing, and more things which I am forgetting at the moment including a tortilla press … which I’m very excited about trying but was technically breaking the rules since it didn’t fit into the stocking. :)
The last thing on our to-do list is to take down the tree, and that will be happening sooner than later. And I still need to unpack from our wee getaway from Chateau Montebello. More on that soon.
I have several blog posts dancing around in my head at the moment, but I wanted to throw this one out there before it gets away from me.
How do you ring in the New Year?
Our own family tradition has evolved, and I’m pretty happy about where it is now. First, because it’s very low key – nothing complicated, and not too expensive. After the craziness of Christmas I am more than happy to keep things a little closer to home.
1) We eat a dinner of appetizers, mostly cut up veggies (note: put those out FIRST while you prep the other stuff, otherwise the may not get eaten up) and freezer-ready snacks I’ve bought ahead of time. There is wine for the adults, and fizzy drinks for the kids. (Enjoyed in the best crystal, of course.)
2) We go out to see a movie after dinner. Last year it was Catching Fire and this year we’re geared up for the new Hobbit movie.
3) After we return we play video games until midnight, at which point we wish each other a Happy New Year, and promptly turn around and go to bed.
The next day we’ll take down the Christmas tree. Maybe we’ll go for a walk in the woods and bring gifts for the birds. Perhaps we’ll make a new family resolution too. (Here’s last year’s post about it.)
If you are looking for something to do in Ottawa with kids, there are a few options available:
- You can celebrate at Councillor Rick Chiarelli’s annual, alcohol-free New Year’s Eve event. This year’s theme is “Heroes and Villains,” and it takes place at Ben Franklin Place (101 Centrepointe Drive). The fun starts at 6 p.m. and it’s free. It sounds pretty great for young families. Read more about it here and here.
- Go skating on the Sens Rink of Dreams, or at the new rink at Lansdowne Park. It’s open until 1 a.m. on New Year’s Eve, but bring your own skates as there are no skate rental services available. Click here for info and hours.
- Head out to an annual family event called the TD Hogmanay. It’s hosted by the Scottish society. You can read a bit more about it on Apartment613.
- Check out Alight at Night. This was our family New Year’s tradition for many years! It’s really neat to see Upper Canada Village done up and decorated.
So what are you up to this New Year’s? Do you do it up big? Or prefer something small?
