Christmas Besties.

 

Sorry for the poor photo, they were in constant motion.

Eddie met Sebastian on Christmas. He'd met him before, of course, but he wasn't as interesting then. Now Sebastian is interactive and likes to play with small dogs! They were in each other's faces every chance they could. Sebastian pulled Eddie's hair, Eddie didn't mind a bit. Eddie licked Sebastian's face, Sebastian enjoyed it. 

Best of all (for Eddie) was that Sebastian found Eddie's barking absolutely hilarious! He'd giggle like a maniac when Eddie barked, and Eddie totally understood he was making that baby laugh, so he kept barking. When he'd pause, Sebastian would make noises to encourage him. 

Eddie is never encouraged to bark. Eddie is very accustomed to hearing, "SHUT THE FUCK UP EDDIE!" yet, this wonderful small human never told him to STFU! He laughed and bounced in his bouncer and thought Eddie was the best thing ever! Eddie adored him back! It was the best day of Eddie's life!

Gidget watched this noisy mayhem from a safe distance. Her attitude clearly conveyed "BOYS!" with an eye roll.

After Sebastian went home and Eddie passed out for a long recovery nap, he barked in his sleep. No doubt reliving the thrilling experience of finally meeting someone who appreciates his vocal talents.

Mom still tells him to STFU. 

My daughter reported that when Sebastian got home he tried yelling at their dog, a big good natured mutt, who was quite confused about why he was being bossed around by the very small human. Now EVERYBODY bosses him around, poor dog.

Weeks ago I had a random urge to eat at Boma and actually found a late morning reservation, so we did brunch there yesterday. 

This 7 month old put away grits, scrambled eggs with feta cheese and about half of a very small pancake, AFTER his bottle. Not bad for someone with not quite 3 teeth. His mom got him a slice of watermelon from the buffet, which was messy but brilliant as a teether: cool, sweet, delicious, but yeah, he had sticky watermelon juice in the chubby rolls of his neck. 

Totally worth it, though.

And, that was Christmas. Small, quiet, and I'm glad it's over. I'm de-Christmas-ing the place this weekend, preparing to start 2025 on the right foot.  Among my 2025 plans is a major decluttering.  I have tubs of Christmas ornaments in the garage that I haven't hauled up to use in a few years. I need to review them, keep any "treasures" for next year, and pitch the rest.

I'm so bad at throwing things out. It's not a hoarding situation, yet, but I have a strong tendency to do the "Somebody might want that!" thing when I contemplate trashing anything. Actually, nobody really wants that. I have to repeat that to myself every time I start thinking, "Maybe I could donate..." or "It's a shame to..." No. Stop. Nobody needs your old shit, just throw it the fuck out and get over it.

Nobody really wants the very cheap mass-produced ornaments I used as filler when I had a much wider Christmas tree and it looked sparse. We're talking the $3 a box crap from Target here, nothing vintage or special, and bought more than 5 years ago. They're not special, they're not sentimental, and they are NOT going back into the tub for next year, they are clutter. They are trash. The tubs that never left the garage this year are on the list for review and culling as part of the Great 2025 Purge, which is one of my major life improvement plans. 

It won't just be Christmas ornaments, either. Everything in this place is under review. I have too much shit. I told my kids I didn't want anything for Christmas and I totally meant it: from here on, I want experiences, not things.

I'm not planning to downsize my living situation in retirement, because the reality is I couldn't find a place as nice as this without spending a lot more money.  But if I'm here until I'm too old to navigate the stairs, I have a wish list of improvements, decor, etc. Time to prioritize that future.