Some Things Just Can't Be Wrapped

Christmas Eve is my favorite day of the year. My three children and their spouses and my seven grandchildren (six of whom are boys, from 3 months to 8 yrs old) all gather in my little house. It is usually a little hectic as I'm busy cooking from morning till night, often trying several new recipes. I've learned that if a recipe says 40 minutes prep time, I can count on at least 60. And there's just so much counter space,  just one oven, and just so much  room in the refrigerator. 

Imagine my delight when my daughter told me her son Andrew, age 7, said one of the things he likes most about Christmas Eve is the food. That might not seem so remarkable, unless you know that Christmas Eve is when the children open all their gifts.

Chase, the 4-year-old, told his mom a few days ago, "When we go to Grandma Carol's house we read stories at night, and when we wake up in the morning we can build a tent."  Alex, age 8, likes it that they can "sleep in the bed that folds up into a couch."   Shelby, age 15, knows her job is to roll the breadsticks in Parmesan before they're baked and wrapped with prosciutto. Last year, I was proud of  her when she leaned over and whispered to her dad, reminding him to put his napkin in his lap. One of my sons said he thinks something is missing if we don't have the salad with fresh pears, bleu cheese, and pecans. ("But I won't eat bleu cheese any place else," he said.)  My other son recently told me, "You always make everything so nice for us, Mom."

There won't be as many presents under the tree as in times past, but I'm realizing the things my family most remembers aren't the ones with wrapping paper and ribbon. Yes, Christmas Eve is definitely my favorite day of the year.