It’s winter break! We made it! Up here in Maryland (and NJ/PA where I grew up) public schools don’t get off till the 23rd or 24th. I feel like there were definitely some years where Christmas eve was a half day of school. Maybe I’m remembering it wrong but it was always a whirlwind day of busyness for us regardless.

Mom is 100% Polish, and Christmas Eve is actually the more important holiday so we ate our big meal of homemade pierogie and fresh kielbasa from the Polish butcher in Trenton in the late afternoon, then evening services at church (thankfully not catholic or it would be midnight mass), followed by so many cookies and hot chocolate at home. I imagine the average Polish family probably spends Christmas Day nursing hangovers while eating leftovers since the traditional Polish Christmas Eve meal has 12 courses. And my parents were brilliant – I don’t know if it was more Polish traditions or mom and dad just figured it out but if you open gifts on Christmas Eve everyone gets to sleep in on Christmas Day.

My dads family never really played up the whole Santa thing when he was little and my mom will tell you she remembers being DEVASTATED when she was 9-10yrs old and learned Santa wasn’t real. So they didn’t do it for my brother and I and that was fine. Don’t feel like I missed out and as a shy anxious introvert with a fear of characters growing up I never had to go visit him at the mall. *shudder* We didn’t do Santa with our kids either but acknowledge that some friends do and it’s a fun story to pretend and just part of the holly jolly fun.

So, Friday was spent on last minute gifts and errands, coffee, laundry, a pot of easy homemade beef vegetable soup, a smidge of work, some reading, and a movie to celebrate being the last family in American to sign up for Netflix. I kind of wish we’d have woken up Christmas morning to a sparkly clean house with perfect decorations and all but alas, ‘’twas not to be.

We did have a quiet Christmas day of nothing much exciting and for that I’m grateful. Many families we know have been Covid exposed with one or more members sick and the whole house quarantining. The good news is everyone near us is vaccinated and most boosted so cases seem to be very mild. From no symptoms to cold-like to a sinus infection at worst. Thankful we survived the last weeks of public school without contact and symptom free so we will get to see my parents tomorrow. (Err, later today since I’m posting after midnight. Oops!).

And with that, I’ll leave you with some Christmas cheer in the form of client holiday cards! I love getting these whether from new clients who kindly remember me or old friends who’ve been clients since the beginning. It just warms my heart knowing I’ve helped you spread joy in happy faces to your friends and family this year. XXOO