We had a wonderful, crazy Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s celebrations. I had different permutations of 5 of my children and all my grandchildren at different points over all the holidays. It was glorious, frantic, busy, loud, happy and I enjoyed it all. Tobianna was quick to point out that this was her first (insert holiday) and that made it special. And, indeed, they were special. Never mind that she was removed, by a (ahem) well-meaning organizer-person, from the Christmas play at church for being a human perpetual motion machine at odds with the planned choreography (it
was her first stage appearance, also). She questioned us endlessly on the hows and whys of Christmas, including the story of Christ. She always makes sure that she knows the procedure for celebrating each holiday and takes us to task when she thinks we aren’t following the rules. The prospect of camping on Thanksgiving was almost more than she could stand. I guess she couldn’t reconcile it with the pictures she had seen in “Good Housekeeping,” although she loved every minute of the actual trip. I tried to reassure her that Thanksgiving camping is our family’s tradition. Her and her little sister’s anticipation of Christmas grew from Thanksgiving and was almost palpable by the time Christmas morning arrived. Neither girl had big expectations of expensive or numerous gifts, which is a good thing for many reasons. They were just plain excited about the holiday. Since Doc T and her family came to visit on New Year’s, we had another round of present opening and festivities. This time we celebrated at Tara’s new digs with a big bonfire, hotdogs, and chili. Tobi was good with the bonfire celebration but did wonder why we didn’t pitch a tent. All the grandchildren and the little Ts played so hard that my girls fell fast asleep before we could get them buckled in their car seats for the trip home.
Now all that’s left of our celebrations is memories and a few errant strands of tinsel. Tobianna was sad as we put it all away lamenting that, “now our house isn’t fancy anymore.” Wise Tabitha reassured her that Christmas would come again and, “soon we have to buy Easter dresses and purses.” Let’s not forget about Chinese New Year and Valentine’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day and our Forever Family Day and several birthdays!
Somewhere in all the celebrations and more mundane days, we hope to bring Teegan home. In my mind’s eye, I saw her Christmas morning, opening presents with her sisters. In reality, I know that Christ’s birthday was more than likely not noticed by her foster family and that she passed the holidays unaware of the family that waits for her. Her sisters talk of her often and have already made room in their lives for her. They plan where she will sit, what she will eat, or what she will play with, and Tobianna even put “clothes for baby Teegan” on her Christmas list. As I picked Tabitha up this morning to hug her goodbye I noted aloud, “My you are getting heavy, almost too heavy to pick up!” Tabitha, who already knows what it means to welcome a new sister into the family answered, “Well, I hope my baby sister is heavy, too.”
