Christmas 2009

Have you ever had the perfect Christmas experience? You know, the one where everything is just like it's supposed to be? The kids woke up and ran down the stairs with excitement. They tore open their gifts with glee. They played with each other nicely and shared their new toys. And we all ate too much chocolate candy for breakfast. We had that this year. It was a wonderful weekend for the family and will likely be counted as one of our fondest memories of Christmas.
We had the traditional Christmas Eve present opening extravaganza. Since Alayna already has so many pajamas, she got mittens and a hat to keep her warm in the extreme southern Texas weather we are experiencing. The rest of us got styling jammies to keep us cozy. And then we had the traditional picture taking.
Of course taking pictures with a couple of kids that love the camera turns into a contest of who can capture the most limelight. Friendly competition for the center of attention is the norm at our house and is only magnified when the camera is revealed.

If you noticed the romantic aura to the pictures, it is not the result of our Photoshop skills. It is the result of a series of strategically placed, sticky, 2 and 5 year old fingers on the lens of the camera. The kids find the camera, remove it from it's hiding place, and take pictures of themselves and each other as well as the carpet and ceiling. They really do love the camera.
Alayna and Cavell were enthralled with their stockings and presents this year. Cavell is old enough to really tear into the wrapping paper and enjoy the entire experience. Alayna got a bunch of loot to add to the growing pile of pink and other girl themed toys she has amassed over her five years including My Little Pony's and Princess Barbie. Cavell finally got some boy themed toys. He is now the proud owner of fire engines, back hoes, diesel trucks, and other manly construction equipment.
And what would Christmas be without some type of indulgent food? Stacy did not disappoint with her gluten free orange rolls. Think cinnamon roll with a citrus flavored filling. And then she drowned it all in a citrus flavored icing. Decadence does not even begin to describe the experience. Breakfast has never been such a rush of simple sugars and carbohydrates.
And thanks to Grandma Onines, Cavell and Alayna have been completely outfitted to follow in their Mother's baking footsteps. As cool as everything else was that the kids received Christmas morning, they got the most excited about their new, hand sewn baking outfits. Now, every time Stacy walks innocently into the kitchen to prepare dinner, Cavell is right behind her running for his hat and apron so he can help.

I'm sure that in future years we will have Christmas's with snarky and jaded teenagers, but for now, we are lucky enough to be living in an idyllic time for our family.

Next Christmas will have some serious competition for the spotlight.

Wassailfest

One of the benefits of living in the little town of New Braunfels is the strong community spirit. It seems that there is a 'fest for nearly every occasion. 4th of July and Fair days are only the beginning. There is the Metalfest, the Texas Clayfest, the winefest, the Gruenefest, and the famous Wurstfest, just to name a few. There is hardly a weekend that passes without some sort of celebration or another. Last week we were introduced to the Wassailfest.

Wassail, that warm, spicy, citrusy concoction of deep aromas and deeper tastes flows freely around the center of town. Admittedly, my first introduction to wassail was when Stacy and I shared Christmas together. Since then, Stacy and I have developed a definition of wassail that we strive to achieve each year. It seems that all of our preparation has led us to this exact point in our lives. We were to participate as judges. OK, we would judge along with the rest of the town, but we still got a ballot and a vote. And our accumulated expertise had influence.

Every year New Braunfels closes down about 6 blocks of the downtown area including the brilliantly lit traffic circle in the middle of town. Most of the stores stay open late and hold a wassail tasting near the back of the store. The public get free wassail and the stores get people in the doors to see what they sell. There were 47 different wassails to taste this year, each with a different sponsor. People wandered the streets walking from shop to shop sampling all the variations of this warm little beverage while being exposed to Main Street shops.

In addition to the main event of tasting wassail at every turn, there were school bands, singing groups, puppet shows, and other entertainment spread around the streets. The band stand in the middle of the traffic circle was scene of a constant round robin of elementary school choirs, brass bands, and other small town celebrity. Despite the definite German inspiration of the Wassailfest, just to remind us all that we were still in Texas, there was a food kiosk selling chili and tamales.

At one point standing in line to adjudicate another entry into the competition I thought about my favorite Christmas movie and how I was currently living out one of the scenes. At the beginning of A Christmas Story, Ralphie and his family all go downtown to participate in the city festival. Everybody is bundled up and staring in the storefront windows. All the cheeks are rosy and everybody is as happy as can be. And right here in New Braunfels, in our little downtown area, my family and I got to experience the same thing. There was even a little chill in the air that prompted us to wear jackets just to add to the atmosphere of the evening.

At the end of the evening, on the walk back to the car, Alayna proclaimed that we should put this event on next year's calendar and make sure we return. Cavell was very upset that he was no longer allowed to sit on my shoulders and pour hot drinks down my neck. And I in my kerchief, and Ma in her cap, went home to settle in for a long winter's nap. Christmas has arrived in Texas.