You and I may have our Christmas trees up and our stockings hung and a batch of holiday fudge under our belts (literally and figuratively), but we both know that if one has children, Christmas doesn't really begin until the kids get home.
And if the kids are strapping young boys, err men, then that means food and lots of it.
So this weekend we headed to our traditional diner for lots of eggs and potatoes and sausage and bacon and coffee and fresh-squeezed orange juice, with some great green chili salsa and tortillas thrown in for good measure.
And because we were all in such good humor and because it was Christmas we found a parking place right up front and barely had to wait for a table. Which NEVER happens on a Sunday morning at 10:30 much less at Christmas time.
Now under normal circumstances this happy sequence of events would have no down side to it whatsoever. Except on this one day. I'd had just enough time to snap a couple of pictures and was hungrily headed to our table
when this PRECIOUS little Sugar Plum Fairy girl walked in and was soooo cute I could have just laid down and died. She was maybe five, perfect ringlets of long black hair flowing down her back, held in place by a glittery silver headband, a sweet tiny little sweater and the dearest plaid taffeta hoop skirt you've ever seen. And I would have killed to take her picture for you, parents permitting, of course but we were seated so fast it just didn't happen.
And when they were seated it was in another room, so I couldn't even steal surreptitious glances at the little darling and her equally cute younger brother.
Now this DOESN'T mean I wasn't enjoying the moment and my own darling boys (but darling in a much older and hairier way), because I was.
We talked of school and friends and India and Russia and Hindi and the relative merits of red vs. green salsa and Christmas presents and my stupid camera.
Typical family breakfast banter.
But I couldn't get that sweet little girl out of my head.
AHHHHHH.
Well, on the way out, I stopped at the Sugar Plum Fairy's table to say hello and tell her parents that they were the cutest things I'd seen all season and that they just made me want to melt to look at them.
And I assured them that I had two cute boys of my own and that I wasn't a stalker. And I didn't even ask to interrupt their breakfast to take a picture.
Well, sometimes a thing just sticks. And the image of that girl and her beautiful little brother just kept hanging around in my head.
And then I found this. The Sugar Plum fairy cum Halloween.
And that little light bulb just went BING! And my heart went pitter pat and Merry Christmas to me. Oh, the wonders of the season.
From the P O T A G E R post FALLING IN LOVE AGAIN .Labels: Christmas, Classen Grill
Now under normal circumstances this happy sequence of events would have no down side to it whatsoever. Except on this one day. I'd had just enough time to snap a couple of pictures and was hungrily headed to our table
