Holiday cheer through the years....

Some things you can count on to happen in a comfortingly reliable fashion--the sun rising in the East...Derek consuming his weight in food each week...and our annual Holiday Open House. Having learned my lesson last year about how to streamline the preparation process, I made one big Costco run, then sat back, pretended I cooked everything myself, and humbly accepted compliments on my incredible culinary creativity and skill. No, that's not it! (My friends know me far too well to make that a viable option, anyway.) What  really happened: I stuck to my actual strengths, which means choosing tasty foods and arranging them on the table in an appealing manner. Then I was free to relax, mingle with my guests, and enjoy my own festivities.

This year as I circulated among the partygoers, I noticed one dramatic way in which our shindig has changed. It became immediately apparent, in fact, the moment people began arriving. Adults came to the door to be greeted and ushered inside...and children remained outside, welcoming each other in their own special way...such as when I glanced out the window and spied several of them scaling a nearby tree, while others pranced around the base of the trunk, egging them on. Others sprinted directly into the back yard, initiating a spirited game of football. The shenanigans continued unabated (and here's the absolutely KEY point) without any adult intervention necessary, for hours. Honestly, the only time we saw the munchkins was when they would breeze through the kitchen, swiping food on their way to the next activity. (Oh yes, and that one other occasion when an unauthorized, overly-raucous Nerf Battle Royale broke out, characterized by excessive whacking with spongy weapons, earpiercing shrieks, and several complaints of minor pain caused by application of too much...foam...force. We did have to step in and break that one up.)

I've been throwing this seasonal bash for many years now, since before Husband and I even knew each other. And let me tell you, those early fetes were verrrryyyyy different than the family-friendly fun that occurs nowadays. Given the fact that my supervisory abilities were not needed, I was actually able to regale some newer friends with a story from those wild...er times. Back when we were all young and single and childless, one of the pastimes we engaged in during my parties was cookie-making. One memorable get-together, a friend helpfully brought along some tubes of slice-and-bake dough to contribute to the cause. And wouldn't you know, it just so happened that in honor of holiday baking, they included a soft, squeezy Pillsbury Doughboy toy. Why? Beats me. But someone thought it would be hilarious to hide him in my tree. I didn't find it quite so...festive...and removed it. However, every time my back was turned, that sucker ended up right back among the branches. And for the next umpteen Christmases, that became sort of the signature party game. No matter where I hid that silly little guy in my apartment, some sneaky pal would locate it and plop him in the evergreen, like some kind of renowned...Dessert Elf, or something. Finally, one year I gave up and bought a sparkly ceramic Doughboy ornament to forever adorn our tree...in at least a slightly classier fashion.

After that rambunctious phase, many of my friends began to get married; so naturally, spouses joined in the proceedings. (The "Couples Period", if you will.) Then inevitably came the rugrats. And for a while, events tended to center in one room, around a contingent of bouncy seats and diaper bags. (The "Baby Age".) Then the kids grew, and we entered the "Chatting on the Run" portion of our entertainment. Conversations followed the toddlers as we gamely attempted to string together coherent sentences while handing out animal crackers and sippy cups. Next, blessedly, the kiddos started keeping each other amused (that, and popping The Grinch into the DVD player could calm and quiet an entire roomful of munchkins. God bless Dr. Seuss. Amen.) And finally, we seem to have reached that beautiful point where we can almost ignore our beloved offspring and make believe we're truly having a Grownup Gala. As I flitted from room to room, making sure I got to spend some quality time with each of my honored guests, I reflected on how wonderful it was to have reached this era. Who knows, maybe some day in the not-too-distant future, if we adults play our cards right, we can swing full circle and reintroduce sugar cookies...or maybe those crazy days are behind us...and we should just chill out on the couch while queueing up The Grinch! Either way, happy holidays, indeed!