I hope you had a sweet day. We took morning easy at our home then drove to join my family in Orange Country. Amazing food made with love by my mom (I am officially not allowed to cook at my parents' house because her food is so much more incredible), family talking and laughing about nothing and everything, and our girls getting to know them more... feeling comfortable playing in and around my parents' house. We shared gifts that were thoughtful... I loved and appreciated all the thoughts that went into picking something special with stories. I was worried that the whole gift exchange process might overwhelm the girls but they held up well. Coco found a box (which one of the gift was wrapped in) and made her very comfortable. She felt rather fine in there with some books and her favorite stuffed animals. Satchi helped to distribute gifts to everyone playing a family Santa role. My favorite part of the day was helping Satchi to sleep. She wasn't quite ready to head to bed at her usual bed time. Instead of feeling frustrated, we talked about how I sometimes do not want to go to sleep when day is so special. She gave me a surprise look with a brief relief and I felt connected to her feeling... She spent next 30 minutes playing a board game with Frido, then little quiet time by herself... and Frido talked to her about the day and what made things so special... and was ready to fall sleep.
A day to connect...
