Unpublished: Christmas 2022

I uploaded the photos before Christmas Day was even over, but never quite got past the first line of copy:

“My Mom had already given us notice on Thanksgiving that she wouldn’t be driving out to see us on Christmas this year.”

Instead of leaving these memories to languish in my Drafts folder, I’m opting to share them now, with captions for context.

Christmas Eve featured our traditional meal of maple-glazed ham, green bean casserole (courtesy of my brother-in-law), sweet potatoes (scalloped this year), and sweet dinner rolls.
Obligatory holiday selfie.
All four of us — Aaron, Connor, my brother-in-law, and myself — played a game of Chronology. (The original version, not the 20th Anniversary reissue, in case you were wondering.)
Connor got an iPod Nano in his stocking, loaded with video game soundtracks, and suddenly turned into a teenager.
Obligatory Christmas Morning selfie
Aaron got me this fantastic Totoro embroidered hoodie, and it is now my favorite comfy sweatshirt.
Baxter must have decided that a shoulder-sit was an appropriate present for Aaron, who had never experienced a properly-perched Baxter up until then.

It was a low-key Christmas, but a relatively merry one that deserves to be remembered.

Quirky Kitty

When he hears the shower turn off, Baxter will scratch at the bathroom door, asking to come in. He loves to lay on the drippy bathroom rug while one of his humans is drying off, and he starts purring at maximum volume if that human then covers him with their damp towel.

Status: Quiet

It’s 10:30am on a Saturday and Connor is still asleep. He stayed up a little later than usual last night, but he must have really needed to catch up on sleep!

This is precisely why we don’t go to the optional Saturday classes at the dojo.