Kat Dart

(12/09) Christmas is coming soon! I have all of my Christmas shopping done - do you? I admit, Christmas is my favorite holiday and I go all out for it. I love getting the tree and decorating it, I love how my Mom begins to play Christmas music November first and until February twenty eighth, and I love choosing gifts for everyone! I know, it sounds so cheesy but I adore being able to go shopping and find funny and cute gifts that match my family's personality.

Every year, right in the middle of November, my older sister prints everyone's names on several pieces of paper, and we choose someone else's name. We then choose a few gifts for them, like a 'Secret Santa' exchange. I never follow that rule, and get presents for everyone. I would like to point out that no one complains about it!

Then comes the big 'fight' with our Mom: who gets to decorate what. I've always wanted to do the staircase, and Elizabeth wants to do the living room. Guess what we are always stuck doing?

Figuring out why the lights aren't working in the yard. While it's snowing. And then running inside to find the hot chocolate. We also laugh about how the previous weekend, the weather had been beautiful.

Nearing the end of November to mid December, we choose the tree - generally a short but very round one. However a perk to moving this year is the living room ceiling is very high. We were quick to point that out to Dad, saying that we could get a huge tree this year!

On Christmas Eve, our tradition is to go on to a website that tracks Santa's progress through the world, and use that to figure when we should all go to bed. We also always order Chinese food and choose a sister to go pick it up with Mom. After Church, we get to set out cookies and milk for Santa. Before bed, we lay out our stockings, and then decide whose bed us four girls will dog-pile on top of.

On Christmas day, one of my sisters (or I) will get up at around four thirty in the morning and run to the living room to see if Santa visited during the night. Then, the sister who was awake first will run back to the bedrooms and wake the rest of us, and we all run back to the living room.

After confirming Santa visited, we tend to go back to dog-pile mode and sleep until seven thirty, then jump on Mom and Dad's bed to get them up.

Later that day, we get to visit our cousins down in Ellicott City. Spending the rest of the day with them is my favorite part of Christmas! We always hang out for hours on end, and have a huge Christmas dinner with my family, my cousins and our grandmother.

So yes, I love being able to spend time with my family over Christmas, and having a bunch of days off from school! Unfortunately, since I am freshman this year in high school, I will probably be saddled with holiday homework. Oh well.

This year, my whole family will miss going Christmas caroling with the neighborhood, and being able to invite all of our friends from York to a Christmas party. However, I am looking forward to being able to create new traditions for out family. One is the Tree-lighting ceremony in Emmitsburg, and being able to shop for new Christmas decorations at the Antique Mall. I will also enjoy going to downtown Frederick and shopping there on 'Frosty Friday' and 'Frederick Artist Market Holiday Market'.

I am going to miss the York Holidays a lot, but I will be able to spend Christmas in Emmitsburg with new friends and still be able to visit my Aunt and Uncle. I will also enjoy reporting about my Christmas next month, and (hopefully) be able to comment on Emmitsburg in the snow… which I was hoping to be able to do this month.

I saw a fox today, but it was down the road and we were not sure if it was a cat, dog, or even a coyote - though Mom and I doubted the last one. Hopefully nothing will decide to run through our yard as we unload the truck!

We are also getting the moving - in process to speed up. We have recently gotten all of our books back (those boxes were heavy!) and Mom's kitchen is being set up. We have found our Christmas decorations, so those should start going up within the next few days, as will our Christmas tree.

I hope that everyone has a Merry Christmas, or Hanukah, or a Happy Kwanzaa, and I look forward to seeing Emmitsburg decorations! See you next month!

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