I was so looking forward to her seeing her face light up on Christmas morning as she walked in to greet the tree (as she does every morning.. she also kisses the tree goodnight each evening) and discovered it surrounded by toys and packages. But when the day arrived, we awoke, all snuggled in Mama & Papa's big bed, and then made our way to the living room... and she walked right past the tree, past the gifts, past her stocking, and straight to the stereo. She pushed PLAY and waited for that old familiar tune of Bob Dylan to begin, taking no notice of all of the magical changes in the room. I was floored. It wasn't until the first song of the album was nearly over, and she had danced all around the couch and the coffee table, that she looked up and noticed the colorfully wrapped gifts. She looked at me, looked at her Papa, looked back at the tree, and seemed a bit confused, until we excitedly exclaimed "It's Christmas! Yay, it's Christmas morning Biet!!" Then she understood. This day was special.
We tried to keep it really simple this year, with only a few gifts for Biet, and none for eachother. But of course, my two amazing sisters spoiled her rotten, and spoiled Gaby and I in the process, and Gaby went ahead and broke the "no-gifts" rule (when will I learn?!) and threw in a couple of thoughtful presents too. So our simple Christmas turned into a full-blown gift-unwrapping affair, and it was glorious. We took our time in between presents, letting Biet explore and play with each new toy or book. We may or may not have had ice cream for breakfast, and Biet may or may not have had a handful of candycanes too (until she nearly poked her eye out with one and we had to hide the rest). We all took it easy for the rest of the day, talked with family, made food, listened to records, and relaxed. I am certain that Biet truly sensed the love and the magic that filled our home all day. And even though I was missing my sisters tremendously this year, our simple little Brooklyn family Christmas was kind of perfect. xx
