Post #907. Sarah's A-mazing Birthday Weekend - Christmas!

Determined to finish off this segment today... this is my 7th and last post of today (12/12).

The question is how much celebrating can someone fit into one weekend?

The answer is - A LOT.

We went from Friday and Saturday surprises to the Sunday surprise (for Sarah at least - since Jenny and Laura were obviously already aware of this), that Sunday, December 11, would be our Christmas with our three daughters, including the Grandparents and the boyfriend.

Actually we will have our normal Christmas celebration as well on Christmas, but this was our chance to celebrate with Jenny and Laura.

So, celebrate we did.

Despite a frig full of leftovers from the Saturday night party, I made a whole separate Christmas meal of Ham, Scalloped Potatoes & Carrots, Tomatoes & Basil Green Beans, and a very special Christmas treat, thanks to another great Etsy shop. I wanted a treat for the girls that would really delight them and these chocolate covered marshmallows with peppermint - really did.

None of my efforts to focus on sweet details, went unnoticed. I felt very appreciated all weekend long and it just brings me a lot of joy to know that everyone had a good time.

At one point before my parents arrived for dinner, Jim and the girls were hanging out in the 3rd bedroom and it made me think of a scene in one of my favorite movies "It's Complicated" where the grown children are hanging out together on a bed after a very confusing incident involving their divorced parents, and the Mom (Meryl Streep) comes in and hugs them all and refers to them as her little ones.

At that moment in the movie, even though they're grown ups, their animated mannerism is indicative of little children and it makes perfect sense to me when I've heard other parents refer to their grown children as "always their babies" - because really - they are.

After dinner, presents, drinks, dessert, after my parents and Anthony went home, the three girls hung out in the bedroom, talking and laughing, while Jim and I sat on the couch - he sleeping and me writing.

Every so often, I'd stop the click of my keyboard and just listen to their funny comments and laughter.

It reminded me of my sisters and I being together. It reminded me of the fact that while we're a blended family and have overcome great adversity, we have become what I always hoped for. I always wanted daughters. One is great - one is awesome. Three together, filling the house with laughter is outstanding. 

The hours ticked by all too quickly and it was after Midnight and on a school night with finals at the end of this week. Every few minutes, Jim and I would call out that they needed to stop the party so Sarah could get to bed, but when Sarah walked out in her footie pajamas in tears, because her sisters were here from far away and would be leaving in the morning, this Mom who sends her kid to school even if she isn't feeling well, did something totally out of character.

I told her that she could stay home from school today and that she should just go back in there and visit. They stayed up until at least 3:00 a.m. (probably longer).  

Us four girls sat together in that same bedroom this morning, while Jim prepared to take them back to O'Hare for their flight back to Canada. All four of us in tears. Sarah and Jenny were curled up on the bed next to each other. Laura sat nearby. Sarah didn't look 16. She looked to be about 9 years old. None of them looked anything like adult children at that moment. All of them looked like the little girls that they'll always be - to me.