Visions of popcorn balls danced in their heads

The last few days have been crowded and noisy, filled with family and Christmas traditions. My youngest sister and I, with the help of Dandelion Niece and Russian Girl, revived the tradition of fishing behind the couch for popcorn balls, which was a huge success although it caused an endless number of off-colour jokes. Teenagers are certainly different than little kids when it comes to these cherished traditions! Urban Sophisticate Sister was thrilled although somehow not surprised to get a whole box of black socks. Word Yahtzee, Fluxx, and Settlers of Catan were the new games this season. As usual, my boys got a new supply of t-shirts, mostly black. Shaggy Hair Boy's favorite reads, "Just Say No to High Fructose Corn Syrup."

Twenty of us gathered at my parents' house yesterday for an early dinner, for more talking and eating and another few rounds of Word Yahtzee. We watched a videotape the kids had made in the year 1999, everyone laughing and screaming above the sound. By late afternoon, everyone was tired. When we returned home, bringing with us the bag of popcorn balls that no one wanted to eat, I built a fire, and soon the teenagers sprawled on the couch and chair were participating in another tradition: the long winter nap.