I hope everyone had an amazing Christmas!

This year’s Christmas was not our best. I think, in a way, we set ourselves up for disappointment with the expectation that this year would be better than last. I mean anything has to be better than mid-pandemic quarantine Christmas, right?

Turns out that is incorrect.

Last year’s Christmas was quiet and small, but it was peaceful.

This year, as I was trying to get our annual Christmas picture of the kids, my youngest, sitting on her brother’s lap, bucked her head back and hit my son on the mouth, causing him to get a bloody lip and a cut on the inside of his mouth as well. It was quickly and calmly handled, but it set the tone for the rest of the day.

On top of that, my middle child let me know continuously throughout the day that the toy she had received was the wrong toy– the very thing that she told me she wanted a month before, that I had painstakingly spent days checking out all the options to ensure that I got her the exact right one– that was no longer the right thing and she had no recollection of ever having told me that it was. The pajamas, she also informed me, were incorrect because they were supposed to be the bunny ones Ralphie wore in A Christmas Story.

That was Santa’s jurisdiction, however. We’re going to pin that one on him.

I tried to reframe it, to the best of my ability. I’m glad she feels comfortable enough with me to tell me what she really thinks, but I would be lying if I said it was not a blow to my feelings, as I’m sure it would be to anyone. This is one of the things that we are working on with her, that she be grateful for the things that she has, even if it may not have been something at the top of her wishlist.

Overall, things could have gone a lot worse, but I certainly won’t be putting this year on my list of top ten Christmases.

I hope you fared far better.