A Love-Hate Relationship

17.2~ Christmas

Friday, December 24th

It was finally Christmas Eve.

Once winter break started, we spent time shopping, buying ingredients, and decorating our house. We bought a tree and trimmed it just yesterday, using a whole bunch of ornaments from Iowa. We also bought a Christmas train. All the presents under the tree had us jumping with joy.

And today, we would finally open them.

This time, all the neighbors were staying in their own homes with their own families, leaving us to do our usual Christmas traditions. It felt strange without our family from Wisconsin, but it was a new way of doing things.

First, we'd make Christmas-themed pancakes with frosting and mint, then we'd watch Christmas movies, afterwards we'd make dinner and bake treats to eat, and after that we'd open presents.

I rushed downstairs, feeling like I was 10 years old again as I ran to the kitchen. My sisters were already there, excited smiles stretching their lips.

"Just in time for the pancakes!" said Dad, his face seeming more youthful as he took out all the ingredients.

We burst out laughing.

Dad was wearing a tacky snowman apron with a chef's hat on it, and a net covered his hair. The apron was pink, with glitter all over the snowman.

"Don't look at me! Your mom made me wear it." He pointed at Mom, who wore a festive, green-and-red apron with 'Let it Snow' sewn on the front.

She laughed. "That apron looked so adorable on your father, I had to buy it."

We came in with our holiday PJ's, grabbing all the ingredients and mixing them together to make a huge bowl of pancake mix.

As Brenda poured in the flour, some of it got on Gracie.

"Sorry, Grace!"

She smiled and threw some of it on her.

Brenda gasped and grabbed a handful of the powder, rubbing it on her head. For a few moments, they continued the flour-fight.

"Girls, don't waste the flour! It's expensive," said Mom.

They stopped and giggled, finishing the mix with me and Dad and pouring it into the heated and buttered pans.

While the pancakes cooked, we prepared the sweet, snow-themed frosting we would put on top. We made enough so there would be plenty left for gingerbread cookies.

"I miss our family, but this Christmas is fun," said Brenda.

"I know, right?" said Gracie.

I smiled at them. Gracie seemed a little happier since the cyberbullying incident. She hadn't told us anything, but I could see she was doing better in school recently.

We soon finished the pancakes, serving the full stack and passing them out. We prayed and ate heartily, not even bothering to check our manners.

That was the best part about Christmas; it didn't matter if we were rude or polite at the table, because we were with our family.

Brenda's mouth was covered in sticky syrup and crumbs by the time we finished, which made us laugh. She always did that ever since she was little.

We cleaned up and went to the living room for our Christmas movie marathon. Our stomachs were practically bulging from our huge breakfast, and watching a bunch of the movies was the perfect way to let our food go down.

"How about A Charlie Brown Christmas?" asked Dad, holding up the movie cover.

"Okay," I said. "Then we can watch the two Home Alone movies."