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I love Christmas. When I was about 27-years-old I made a break from the mad, crazy and completely dysfunctional Christmas' I would spend at my maternal grandparent's house. By then, my daughter was a few years old and I wanted her to know better. I wanted it to be a happy time, a joyous time, a time to spend with those you love. Ever since we've had wonderful Christmas'. We always spend them together but not always in the same way. Sometimes we spend them baking a turkey, opening presents and watching a DVD. Other times we have spent them on a flight going from the US to France. It doesn't matter much to us how we spend it as long as we are together doing something we both want to do. This was a simple year for us. Sophie woke up early. I woke up late. This gave her the opportunity to watch one of the Harry Potter films she had yet to see and make my Christmas present while I was still snoozing away. About a week and a half ago, I wrapped all of Sophie's presents and put them out. Four days ago she asked if she could open one and she's been opening a few a day ever since. This morning she was left with about 5 or 6 to open. None of her presents were very big, just little things she wanted or needed whether it be books, make-up or accessories. Sophie has always been easy to buy for and always grateful and full of thanks for each present. This year was no different and it was sort of like having Christmas for days. Every holiday Sophie makes me a card. I get cards for Christmas, Mother's Day, Thanksgiving, my birthday, etc and always handmade. It's not a tradition I ever want to leave. I love her cards. There is something special that comes from the heart in a homemade card that you just can't get from Hallmark. And from Sophie, that's the sort of gift I really want. I just realized I didn't get a Christmas card this year. Dang. Oh well, I got homemade decorations and my necklaces. I'm happy! I bet she didn't realize that she didn't make it either. I remember a few years back when Sophie wanted to buy me a card instead of make one for me. I told her how much I love her cards and that I really didn't want something store bought because it wouldn't make me as happy. Oftentimes we are told store bought is better. While in actuality, it's not necessarily better for us but rather better for the wheels of consumerism, debt and big business. Christmas is whatever we make it. We are not religious. I can't subscribe to anything that has perpetuated so much hatred, war and death. We consider Christmas a family holiday - a time for families to spend with each other, to share and show their love for one another. That also means that we don't spend it with family members that don't understand or appreciate our meaning of Christmas. None of our family for generations back are religious so that's never been part of our Christmas tradition. It's always been about family. I think each family decides for themselves what Christmas means to them. For us, Christmas is a special family time. It's not a time to go into debt or spend with those who rest judgment against us rather than love for us. It's a simple day and season to appreciate our family and our love for each other. This year, we opened some presents and then spent some time in the Marche de Noel. It was cold, but lovely. We had Flam and Jus d'Orange Chaud (hot orange juice with honey). Soon the Marche de Noel will be gone until next year, so we are appreciating it while it is here. Then we walked around in search of a cafe for warm drinks that we never found but which turned into a lovely walk around the city. We came home and opened the last of the presents before running off to see the Elizabeth, The Golden Age, again. We saw it about a week ago. I liked it so Sophie was willing to see it with me again, perhaps a Christmas giving to me from her since it is not particularly her favorite genre. Quite lovely, a very enjoyable film. I thoroughly enjoyed the first Elizabeth as well. After the movie, we came home, made Turkey and Sophie went to bed. I never thought I'd go to a movie theatre on Christmas. In fact, years back when I was a girl a friend of mine said she had gone to the movies on Christmas. I thought it the oddest thing. My how things change. 
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