After xmas

We hopped in the car the morning after Christmas and made our way to the homestead in the Commonwealth.  It was a whirlwind of family fun and reconnection to person and place jammed into three days.

Within an hour of being back home on Friday night, this was the scene in the big bed...

and as they fell quickly to sleep, I checked the phone messages and discovered my 75 year old dad who has more energy than me raring to come over for a visit.  (The man flew from Japan to California on the 18th, onto Alaska on the 20th, back to Cali around Christmas and then to NYC on the 28th.  He left me a message on the 28th to see if he could hop on NJ Transit to come over on the 29th.)

My inner introvert was at her wit's end.  But there was no way I was going to say no.  Saturday morning Cap was very supportive and accompanied me on needed errands while the kids chillaxed at home.  My dad came over and we spent a lovely few hours watching homemade movies, looking at photos of the northern lights, noshing on a light lunch, playing a Japanese card game called Daifugo, and enjoying sundaes.

Time together is, truly, priceless.

We are now fully ensconced in being together at home.  Each doing our own thing for the most part, coming together for food, laughs and hugs.  There will be the traditional Chinese take-out for dinner (sushi for Gem).  Three stooges for the boyfolk.  A ball will drop in Times Square.

And in the morning we will head to my parents' for Oshougatsu to welcome the Year of the Snake (of which we have two in our midst: Sag and Cap).

Wishing you gobs and gobs of peace and love as 2012 comes to a close and we begin 2013.