Cool Yule, Y'all

It has been a "come and go" Christmas in the family home. The Happy Couples started the day separated by hundreds of miles, respectively. The Other Halves had family obligations in other parts of the state, but our kids seemed content for most of the day to keep things confined to immediate family. Mother-in-law was first to arrive. Our son moseyed in moments later. Our daughter, a young adult now but nontheless showing a childlike impatience to open presents, was relieved and excited when the fireside proceedings finally commenced. Who knows where my father was most of the morning? His late morning arrival worked out well, because he grabbed the same rocking chair for opening his gifts. Since he missed the frenzy of ribbon ripping and box popping that my daughter's pent-up excitement induced, he got the gift-getting spotlight all to himself.
This proved to be an outstanding spot from which to dispense grandfatherly advice.
All the while, aromas from the kitchen were enticing us. Our son couldn't help himself. Accustomed to a steady diet of Subway sandwiches and other food on-the-go, he parked in there and started grazing, vowing to eat well once lunch was served.
My mother-in-law made it back for lunch, which we enjoyed together. My father, often a harsh critic of holiday fare prepared by anyone other than his long-deceased sisters, pronounced it fit for consumption. This was either a Christmas miracle or he was just being polite. Given the astonishing amount of food that disappeared from his plate, it's pretty clear what happened.
History was made this year. Our son, making decent money out there in the world, actually shopped quite successfully for Christmas gifts. He knows how much I love a long-sleeved tee shirt and certainly nailed my brand preference, so that's a blessing in itself. Naturally, his mother and his long-time love interest received gifts in a different genre and price range. The guy's no dummy.
The best news about this Christmas is there's nothing unusual to report. By the time the day was done, husbands, wives, parents, children and grandparents all spent time together and exchanged gifts, as did the boyfriends and girlfriends. As Christmas goes, you can't ask for much better than that.

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