A Romantic Day After Christmas

Arielle was born two days after Christmas.  It was pretty close to her due date but Jana wanted to make sure so she made an appointment for the day after Christmas to have her induced.  She was born the day after that.

So Arielle has the distinct advantage of making Christmas last for three days, ending with her birthday.  For this reason we generally leave our Christmas decorations up until New Year's.  But this year Arielle is headed to college on New Year's day so while Arielle was at work today Jana and I took down our Christmas decorations.  And actually we had a good time doing it.

It was fun working with Jana as we put things away for another year.  One by one the ornaments came off the tree.  I then hauled out the tree, leaving a trail of dried needles behind me.  Jana followed me out with a vacuum cleaner.  Cozy decorations and Santas and wooden crafty Christmassy things my mother and father have painted and made for us over the years found their way wrapped in garbage bags and laid in our two big Christmas bins to be transported to the garage and hoisted into the attic to await Christmas 2010.

I learned long ago that romance isn't really what the movies and songs suggest.  As Jana taught me many years ago, anytime I do something that lightens her load and communicates respect for her and the things she does I am being romantic.  This is why I can say Jana and I had a wonderfully romantic afternoon today, taking down and putting away our Christmas decorations.  Occasional glances and a touch here and there were really the only contact points, but working in the same room to the same end with Bing Crosby crooning in the background makes for a very romantic afternoon.  And that is truly a loving thing.

Now to pack up my daughter to deliver her to college.  Does anyone have a spare pillow case?
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