holiday magic

a spur of the moment trip to the grocery store to pick up milk last night turned into a moment i have waited close to my entire life for. 

growing up, the holiday season has always meant so much to me thanks in part to the various traditions that my parents have instilled through the years. some are silly, others aren't. but, they are ours.  take for instance, the fact that my brother can accurately imitate and recite any line from National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation....we watch it every year.  we're obnoxious like that ;) ryan and i caught it on cable a few weeks back and mid-movie i texted andrew a random line to see if his skills were still as good as i remembered. not 2 minutes later....he texted back the appropriate response. smile. he's a savant when it come to the Griswald Family Christmas.

i fondly remember packing into the car and heading out to look at the holiday light displays....the gaudier the better in my opinion!  as emma and i headed back to the house from our quick publix trip, i decided to take a quick detour. as we passed homes brightly lit with twinkly bulbs and enormous lawn ornaments....squeals of absolute delight from my darling daughter showered down on me the realization that THIS is what holiday season is all about. these moments. this sheer and utter joy and wonder.  this little girl. her brother. and her daddy. all of us together.

"oh my guh-ness!! pwetty lights! more lights! snowman! santa! more lights pweeze!!!!" it made me smile down to my core and even got ME excited.  it was past her bedtime but she didn't care. and neither did i. i obliged her calls for more lights and we searched until we couldn't search anymore. "tank you, mommy!" she said as we pulled into the driveway.  no baby girl...thank YOU. i've never known the spirit of the holidays more than i do now as i see it through the eyes of a child. through the eyes of MY child.

i kept emma home from daycare on friday so i could enjoy a day at home alone with BOTH my munchkins. while i was thoroughly terrified...you can't possibly imagine the trouble these two can get into on their own. mostly emma but ben is a pretty good accomplice....they were a total joy ;) not one meltdown all day long. sweet baby brother kisses and cuddles. music. dancing. coloring. tummy time. bumbo fun. mommy snuggles. pretty much the perfect day.

i can honestly say i've never been more excited about the holidays. watching it unfold through the eyes of little emma who can only just now start to understand brings a whole new meaning to the word "magical".

we are off to spend the afternoon with grandma and grandpa who have created a spectacle of holiday lights all their own. here's to more holiday magic!