Julie R Fricke

Menu:
Filet mignon kebobs with bell pepper and onion
Armenian Rice pilaf
cooked carrots
pinot noir
Mexican flan
christmas cookies

Back in the day when I was elementary age, my brothers and I would wake at the proverbial crack of dawn to creep out to the living room to survey and then pillage the stack of booty left by Santa Claus. Some (many) years we were done opening the mountain of presents by 6 a.m. As we aged, that might have gotten pushed back to 7 a.m. One year my dad hid a brand new car in the garage. When we spied that phenomenon, we insisted on going for a drive. We went to visit some friends and were astounded that they hadn't even opened any presents and it was already 9 a.m.!

My own children went through the dark wonder of pre-morning gift opening, but now that they are getting older and older, we, too, have pushed back the time of ripping through presents. This year however, we reached a new level of civility. Not only did we not open gifts before the sun came up, we waited until Eric came over just after noon, after finishing his duties as a police officer. We sat down to a civilized lunch and then proceeded to present unwrapping. It seems that FINALLY the boys have embraced the concept that presents are secondary to holiday cheer and even holiday food. I wondered if I should be missing the fever with which we went after those predawn gifts, but then I decided that, no, maybe they've finally grown up.

Though I find myself looking forward to the faint glimmer of the possibility of grandchildren whose DNA would push them toward the same early morning habits. (I did say FAINT.)