Post of Christmas Past #5

In a few hours, I'll be home. I'll walk in the door and see Jon sitting at the computer, hunched over with his face less than one foot away from the screen. I'll probably smell something cooking. Cider, dinner, tea, who knows? Before I left, during the holiday season, I would come in from school and make kettle corn for Jon's after school snack. The sweet and salty smell would fill the house. It's weird how those memories stick out so distinctly. The downstairs of my house is always much colder than the upstairs and I remember how uncomfortable to cold hardwood floors were against my feet and how it was strange that I'd bundle my upper body but seldom would I wear socks. It was like this almost every day. Unless, we built a fire. The fire would warm our day to day activities. Mundane activities like folding clothes or even grabbing a Pepsi out of the fridge were always so much more exciting when there was a fire crackling in the next room. Decorating the Christmas tree was warmer and our smiles were even bigger. Setting my mom's antique Santa collection up on the bookshelf has always been one of my favorite parts of Christmas. It reminds me of the days when I would play with dolls and construct the most elaborate houses for them out of things from around the house. Mini lipstick lids turned into drinking glasses, shaving cream tops turned into vanity chairs, the tiniest weeds from my yard were the most extravagant bouquets for my doll's breakfast table. Anything goes. I get to set these little guys up on the shelf and with each Santa, it feels more and more like Christmas. The same goes for the nativity scenes. It's Jon's job to hang the stockings. Andy's job is to help with stringing the lights. It's finally the most wonderful time of the year again and by golly, I'm going to soak up every second of it.