Fake Christmases

While I generally don't like to argue that there is one true anything (especially these days), during the holidays we do tend to have official celebrations which correspond with the designated Christmas holiday, and supplemental celebrations which tend to occur on whatever odd day works with everybody's schedule. We colloquially refer to the latter as "Fake Christmas(es)."

The timing of these celebrations was all over the place this year. For instance, Jennifer, Ahzer and the kids flew into Maryland prior to celebrating the holidays along the Eastern Shore (I think they officially ended up in Connecticut though there might have been a detour to New York as well) which meant we were able to get together with them the evening Owen got back from St. Mary's for a lovely dinner and a lot of noise. We met up the Pearsons, who were in Virginia to celebrate with Chris's parents before Elise had to go back to Pittsburgh for work, for dinner and game play right before we headed off to Iowa. We saved opening our immediate family presents and stockings until we got back from visiting Grandma and Grandpa Z in Iowa on the 26th.And then Owen invited his high school crew over for New Years.

But the biggest, fakest Christmas was held January 10th when we were finally able to get together with Mom Mom, Grandpa Don, and Nancy & Danny for the non-so-Secret Santa exchange (limited persons and non getting anyone in your household makes it pretty easy to figure things out). The exchange was originally going to happen around New Years, but given the kids social calendars and Danny still being radioactive at the time from a treatment, we decided delaying another week made sense.

The extra time allowed people to really step it up. Danny got Owen three Nationals World Series Baseballs (signed by Zimmerman, Rendon, and Corbin respectively). Owen, harkening back to Christmases of yore, had personalized "Stinky Dog" hot sauce made for Don, with a picture of Pumbaa in a Cubs hat as well as a matching t-shirt. Nancy, having been interviewed by Noa for their Women's History class which resulted in a podcast that culminated in the story of Caroline Harrison releasing ferrets in the White House to combat a rat infestation, gifted Noa a "symbolic adoption for a black-footed ferret" from the World Wildlife Fund, as well as some more cuddly mementos.

But the winner of Fake Christmas was Noa (or rather Mom Mom who was the recipient of Noa's generosity), who painted a portrait of our family enjoying the beach this past summer, and finished up just in time for us to get it framed. Mom Mom was thrilled and it's now proudly on display in the her living room. 

(To see pictures from all of our fake celebrations, click here.)