Family Dinner

It's finally Christmas Eve, and it finally feels like it. I've been spending a lot of time with friends lately, knowing that there would be family time later, and now I'm ready for it. I forgot that times like this, when our whole family is together at once, are getting less and less frequent as time goes on.

However, as our time together decreases, I think we tend to appreciate it more. We get in fewer petty arguments, we enjoy better meals, and we actually talk to one another instead of running out the door to be somewhere else. Well, I'm guilty of that lately, but I'm glad they don't hold it against me. Tonight we're all making dinner together - food is a thing we do, apparently, because our holidays usually depend a lot on the menu :-). Tonight we're giving Mom the night off, even though she's been cooking all day for dinner tomorrow. TJ made the appetizers, Teagan made the salad, Dad's making the tuna and whatever's on the side, and I took care of dessert. That basically means the ovens have been on all day, so that Mom gets a little time in the kitchen with each of us as we take care of our part of dinner.

Somehow today is different - we're all still doing our own thing, but are more mindful of one another. My dad was in the den, watching football by the fire while doing some paperwork (he's awful about working so much, but he does it more of as a habit than anything else). Teagan was in her room, but not in the standoffish way she can be - just lounging, especially since the one person she'd be talking to instead of us is now in Ecuador without a phone or a laptop. TJ was showering for about an hour (it's genetic, I swear) and came to find me in the basement to start a game of pool after I finished working out. It was nice to know that we're all here and staying here for the day - tomorrow will be the same way.

And now I've gotten all dressed up to go nowhere - corduroys, a new sweater, new shoes... nowhere, that is, except to the kitchen to start on the 7 layer dip and brie. Soon it'll be the five of us, talking about God knows what for God knows how long. We always do, and yet it never gets old...

Merry Christmas :-)