We ate. We unwrapped. We ate. We napped (the adults, that is). We ate. Fun was had by all.

Then we ate.

On the menu this year: lobster, gorgonzola or mushroom ravioli; pork roast, baked polenta with cheese, and roast veggies. The kids basically just liked the ravioli, with two of three enjoying the polenta.

Dessert: decadent chocolate cake and German stollen. Here's somewhere all my children agree: dessert rules!

Christmas crackers netted the ubiquitous crowns, jokes, puzzles, a card game, jokes and trivia.

Conviviality was had, but the weird thing was it didn't feel like Christmas. It felt like any other weekend, only more fancy. There were presents; the kids were excited. All the usual elements were there, but none of the feel of the holiday. I can't explain it.

We even had a White Christmas:

Nothing says dreary like a brown, muddy Christmas Day. But we had loads of snow and the day even turned out to be sunny. Not that we look outside all that much with so much going on inside, but we knew it wasn't depressingly glum.

I worked on a puzzle (a gift), with a photo of one of the covered bridges in Vermont, when I wasn't cooking, and the kids spent their day building Lego toys and playing video games. Sprinkle in a few naps, a dozen or so snacks, and it was a pretty average Christmas Day. Just low on holiday spirit.

Can't wait for New Year's Eve! It'll either feel much better or we'll all be loading up on anti-depressants.

Sorry to be a downer, but this was my holiday. Hope yours was more spirited. It could hardly be less!