Last Christmas as most Christmases since I was blessed with grandchildren, I spent the day with them. They live an hour away from me, out in the country with lots of room to run and jump and play. My daughter needs that much room for five children, four boys ,and one girl. All the children are under 11 and all born in the months of November, December and January.
Christmas day, however, is especially busy and special. My second grandson celebrates his birthday that day. He was my daughter’s Christmas blessing early one Christmas morning almost 10 years ago. They did give him a special name as well, his middle name is Gabriel.
So, how do we celebrate Christmas and birthdays when they are on the same day. Well, I’m kind of use to this. My father and my brother’s birthday is on the day after Christmas. We always would celebrate their birthday on April Fools Day. But for my little Gabriel, we still keep it on Christmas – and it’s a mad house! A wonderful, chaotic mad house with five children.
Christmas morning is Christmas celebration and the whole family still in the matching Christmas pajamas, unwrap all the gifts and the house is wrecked. Grandmother (me), arrives after that and create even more chaos with my little black sleigh full of more gifts. We exchange again. Then my daughter who has prepared a sumptuous Christmas dinner has us all sit down for to eat. We have to eat before we can have a birthday party. Sometimes this is a little difficult to manage with five children hyped up on Christmas, twins scurrying around who are only 6 years old and a 4-year-old who absolutely has more energy that I’ve ever seen.
And then, my lovely, daughter, who has prepared a special birthday cake, sets up all the birthday decorations. Sets out all the birthday presents and we have a wonderful, magnificent, rowdy birthday party.
I go home totally exhausted, but very happy!
The Platinum Dragon 