Boxing Day

Never mind the origins of the holiday; Boxing Day at our house is appropriately named because it's the day we start packing up all the Christmas ornaments in a multitude of red and green boxes. It plays out the same way every year: all the decorations are taken off the tree, then spread out on a beach towel on top of the piano, then individually wrapped for safe keeping until next year.

There was a moment of panic today when we couldn't find the miniature penguin ornament; it's one of my favorites and it went over the balcony with the poor bereft tree, but it was safely recovered after a couple of searches of the side yard.

Claire made this charming snowman at school earlier this month and he's sure to become a family favorite, too. I packed him right on top, so he'll be the first one to smile at me when I open that box in 2009.