It's Still Christmas Until Epiphany

Even The Holidays don’t keep Karen, Nikki and me from our Friday nights.  The first Friday after Christmas (or Saturday if Christmas was on Friday) we get together to exchange presents and eat leftovers. This year, I gave Karen a miniature music box that played “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” with skaters twirling on a  mirror pond and Nikki a page a day calendar with cartoons from The New Yorker.   Karen gave me a set of Victorian-looking Christmas placemats and Nikki, who loves flea markets, gave me a little china dog from occupied Japan.  There was something different about him that I couldn’t figure out at first.  Then I realized that his eyes were “slanted.” 

Karen wondered if that was racist.  I said I didn’t think so, since he was made in Japan.  If his eyes had been round, that would have been racist.  I named him Nick, after Nikki and Santa Claus.

Sometimes we have horror stories, like the time Nigel knocked over the Christmas tree or when the flame on the plum pudding set off the smoke alarm.

But Christmas was pretty peaceful this year except for the Great Christmas Tree Debate. 

We don’t have a big dinner until Christmas Day;  Christmas Eve is pizza between the family church service at four and the eleven o’clock candlelight Mass.  My parents always stayed over to watch the kids so Ed and I could go to the eleven o’clock service and they could be there for Christmas morning.  My father still does, although without my mother as a restraining influence, he fusses about “that nonsense.”  I used to tell him not to talk like that in front of the kids, but now I just let them argue with him.  He enjoys it.
 
This year they got us up at six.  Kate and Janet came over for dinner, but he was too tired for any Discussions.

"He was quite cordial this year,” I said.  “He and Kate played Monopoly with the kids.”

“He must be getting some,” Nikki said.

“No!” 

“I wouldn’t be surprised,” Karen said.  “You know, he caught the bouquet.”

“Well, if he gets married again, maybe she can do dinner.”

“But they’ll be coming over here on Christmas Eve.”

I sighed.  “Well, the more the merrier.  I’ll have to see what Ed thinks.”