We decorated.
We shopped.
We listened to Christmas music.
We exchanged stockings and a couple gifts.
It was nice and everything, but just a little … anticlimactic.
Possibly for the first time ever, we both wished we had some kids around. Not our own kids, of course, but maybe a few nieces and nephews. We missed seeing their excited little faces when they wake up at the crack of dawn to realize Santa had visited and then their disappointed little faces when they’re not allowed to open presents till after breakfast (cinnamon rolls … Dickinson family tradition). We missed playing with their new toys and hauling out our Nerf guns (Christmas War … another Dickinson family tradition).
Anyway, we enjoyed a sunny rooftop brunch with views of the Andes Mountains. And we got some good laughs watching Ella terrorize our Christmas tree. We watched “A Christmas Story” and ate a rotisserie chicken on the balcony for dinner. Really, it felt like just another day – albeit a slightly more special day – in our seven-week staycation.
The mall was a nightmare…just like malls in North America!
Brunch at Hotel Noi.
Ella attacks a Jolly Rancher from my stocking.
She had fun with the wrapping paper, too.
Leading up to Christmas day, we discovered Santiago Starbucks serves up all the traditional holiday coffee treats.
And Santa paid a visit to school on horseback while the preschool kids sang Jingle Bells. Pretty adorable!
