I don’t have many pictures of Christmas mornings when my kids were small because let’s face it – who wants to have their picture taken after you’ve stayed up until 5 am putting together a bicycle using instructions written by someone of dubious technical skills and then been woken at 6:30 AM by children anxious to see what Santa brought? 
The above picture was taken the year my Aunt Gloria knitted us all brightly colored beanies. Didn’t help – I still look like a bloodless vampire.
This picture was taken after I’d opened a box of fortune cookies from my “Secret Santa.” Look at how excited and happy I was. Thanks Cousin Penny; exactly what I wanted! Of course that was the year my sister and I drank a bottle (or two) of wine while making our contribution to dinner: scalloped potatoes. Dinner time came, everything was ready to go but whoops! We’d forgotten to turn on the oven. My step mother was not amused.
Eventually your kids become teens and it becomes impossible to wake them before noon, even on Christmas morn. When you finally get them out of bed, they look like this all day long.
At least Boo was attempting a smile.
At one time I was so good at the Christmas thing that my children got into fights at school with non-believers. Now Christmas Eve my daughter and I have been spotted enjoying Happy Hour at the local vegan, gluten-free beach shack as the sun sinks into the Pacific. Shhhh, don’t tell Santa.
Can you see my daughter Boo in the above picture? I’d gotten her up early and started taking pictures before her shower and beauty regimen so she refused to have her picture taken. What do you think Cam was excited about getting?
Happy Christmas from Boo, Cam, and their buddy Bobart (a nickname).
I’ll be away for Christmas – here are a few posts from past Christmases in case you miss me:
And my favorite Christmas song.
War won’t be over; fear won’t be a thing of the past but all is not lost. Down at Henri’s Beach Shack wine will be five dollars a glass until 7 PM. There might even be a jazz band.
Saying nothing in particular 
Any place ending in “Beach Shack” sounds a little suspicious for a pre-Christmas hangout, but I’m told Santa visits every place on earth. You might want to keep an extra Fiver on hand, in case he’s early.
He’d fit right in with all the aging surfers!
Merry Christmas Jan 😄
And to you and your family as well Norm!
Listened to that song twice today — It’s one of my eternal faves.
I really enjoyed the oops on the scalloped potatoes.
I look like a vampire, too.
Is it a guitar?
I used to have the tulip coffee mug. That made me smile 🙂
I think the tulip coffee mug came from a florist but it’s been awhile.
Such memories are priceless.
They are indeed. I hope you and your family make many lovely memories this holiday season!
Merry Christmas Jan. Thank you for sharing your memories of Christmas past with us. See you at 5pm on Christmas Eve at that beach shack. 🍷
We actually ended up at a Mexican cantina! Hope you guys had/have a great holiday season!
One of the beauties of blogging is the discovery that we all tend to live a version of the same life story … in this case, right down to the drinking shenanigans that resulted in a Christmas dinner failure.
While happily imbibing throughout the afternoon helping my mother prepare Christmas dinner, I nibbled at the turkey which had been taken out of the oven to sit. You know – for quality control purposes.
When it came time to carve the turkey, my father discovered I had nibbled off an entire drumstick. Coincidentally, I wasn’t hungry when we finally sat down to eat 😉
Merry Christmas, Jan. Hope you have a wonderful holiday with your family.
Sometimes the quality assurance folks get a little over zealous, don’t they! Especially if a bit of libation is involved!
Nice and I love the opictures. I was just thinking how cute you were when I read the words “Bloodless vampire”. Really Jan!
Thanks Cinda. I remember how tired I always felt on Christmas morning!
Happy Christmas to you and yours!
Thank you Bruce! Happy holidays to you and yours as well.
Jan, wishing you the merriest of Christmases! Be safe. :O)
Thanks! Hope your holidays are jolly and full of good cheer as well.
Christmas has been lots of fun, thank you, Jan. :O)
Love the shot of you w/ the cookies! Make it a special week, Jan.
Love,
D.
Fun post, as always, Jan — hope you’re having a merry Christmas week, and best wishes for a terrific new year.
Not sure if I didn’t wait long enough or ify comments awaiting approval, Jan. This happens on my blog, too. 🙂
I didn’t take nearly enough photographs in the early days when my kids were younger. At a certain point in time I finally had a few pictures taken of myself from time to time.
Jan, may your new year’s eve be fun and include your family. In the new year of 2017, I sense some dread but I still have hope! Take care and enjoy!