Deegan Family Blog: The 16 Days of Christmas

The kids' school is closed for two weeks. That's what happens when they go to a private pre-school/kindergarten that is attached to a university and operates on a university schedule. I suppose we should be grateful it's not a whole month between semesters! Any way you slice it, this is a rough time of year for us and the other Windy Hill parents who don't work at the college. We can't realistically take two whole weeks of vacation or sick time to cover the weekdays, so it's time to get creative. Last year we swapped kids around the block on different days to be watched by different parents, but that was when Haley was at the hospital daycare (open 355 days/yr) and now we have two kids to pass around to others. This year, we were saved by grandparents.

Making a real feather pen with HaPa

Walk in the woods

New London Ice Rink with Molly

My parents arrived for the first shift, up to and including Christmas Day. Then Andy's mom arrived on Christmas Day to cover the following week. We're very grateful that they were all able to come for so long, and the kids clearly enjoy the time with their grandparents very much. This stretch has been one constant Christmas Holiday as far as they are concerned- the 16 days of Christmas! The first week was the build-up, with presents mounting under the tree, a diminishing advent calendar, visits to cousins in Mass, and that perky little elf-on-the-shelf to find each morning. On Christmas Eve we made oyster stew (after my dad regaled us with stories about having oyster stew every xmas eve growing up in upstate NY...apparently this is a real tradition in the northeast because we got the last container of shucked oysters after lining up at the Hannafords fish counter at 8:30am!) and bundled up to spread magic reindeer oats on the front lawn just before turning in to bed. Santa arrived right on schedule and Christmas morning was a flurry of tissue paper and boxes as the kids dove into their stockings and presents under the tree. Then, in case anyone was feeling post-present stress disorder, Grandma Chris arrived with a whole car-load more of gifts for the kids. Amazing. Week two has been the methodical opening and enjoyment of each one of the toys and gifts the kids received, starting with the most exciting (video games! remote control shark! 110-piece art set!) then to the semi-exciting (board games! new books!) and finally working their way towards those addition/subtraction flash cards and the set of new toothbrushes and flossers. So it goes. When it's all said and done next Tuesday morning, I think they'll be ready to get back into the groove with their friends at school. I'm sure the grandparents will be ready too!