I love Christmas I really do. I love the music, and the spirit that seems to magically just show up one day. I love the decorations, the twinkling lights, and the snowflakes, and the glitter. One of my favorite parts of Christmas is the tree (just ask my roommates, we have 2 in our APT), I'm not really sure why, but I've always just loved Christmas trees. I love to look at them. I could sit for hours in the dark just looking at a Christmas tree. When I was younger, on Christmas night after all the presents had been opened and everything was all said and done, I would stay up really late, and wait for everyone in the house to go to sleep. Then I would sneak out of my room, because my dad wouldn't go to bed before I did (still won't), I would sneak into the living room, turn the Christmas tree on and lay down under it and look up at the lights. This is still one of my favorite things to do. After sneaking out in the middle of the night a few years, and realize how peaceful and wonderful this time under the tree was, I started to get inventive... I mean why did I only get to do this once a year. So I'd sneak out a few nights before christmas, and move the presents and then put them back; however this was always tricky because you had to get them back just right or some how mom would know something was up... she just thought we were trying to open them.
Another favorite Christmas tradition is one that started when I moved to Birmingham, so it is still in its early years. I should preface this one with a little tid-bit about me, I love surprises, but what I love about surprises is trying to figure them out... I usually do and I love that more than being surprised. So, the day after I come home, my mom usually still has to be at school, and my dad of course is working, so this leaves brother and I at the house alone.... So we took up the tradition of trying to find the presents. This used to not be an issue, we knew exactly where they were and that we'd never get to see them. The big ones, that the 'rents were real excited about were always in the trunk of Mom's car, there was no chance of getting to them. And the little ones that were going to be wrapped eventually were in my parents closet, I think they thought they were being sneaky but we always knew. Once I started flying home for Christmas these hiding places would no longer work, mainly mom's car, because we'd see when we put my luggage back there. So they had to start being creative.
The first year we did this, probably the best year, the presents were in a storage building that my dad had... so we had to remember which one he had, find the key and go find them. This was one of the last places we looked and took a few days to get to this point. But the victory was super sweet. Last year the presents were in the attic, I really thought they'd be more creative than that ... since they did eventually find out about the search the year before. This year however the joy has been taken away. I don't really like figuring things out if I don't have to work for it, so if a present is just laying around its not near as exciting for me to know as if I have to figure out where it is hidden or what it is. Apparently when I was like 8/9ish I would guess every present before I opened it. This year the presents were sitting the office, as if my room isn't across the hall, as if we're not going to notice giant shopping bags spread across the room. It just was tragic, I've been looking forward to the 'hunt for presents' for weeks now. It is a really good 'bonding time for baby brother and I ... and its lots-o-fun. but alas no fun this year.
Another disappointment, I had been trying to work out my families Christmas present, when I found out it wasn't going to happen yesterday. Just pile on the bummed out. My plan was to wake them up Christmas morning, possibly with a bit of knowledge that at least something was up but not knowing what and then take them to the local homeless shelter to serve breakfast. I found out yesterday that we're not going to be able to do this, apparently we didn't call them soon enough. So hopefully I'll be able to be the first on the list for next year, as I've already requested to be there. I mean I understand they've got people who volunteer there regularly and they are coming, so its a familiar face on Christmas... I see the true value in that, but I was slightly bummed that it wasn't going to work out. If I can pull something like it off in 4 days, in a town I don't remember much about in this aspect I will but things aren't looking hopeful right now.
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