New traditions

Lady P's second Christmas ever was the first (we think) of many here in Hermosa Beach.

Judging by the gusto with which she shouted 'Baby Jesus!' in church, and 'reindeer! santa! candy cane!' as we pass lit up windows, I think Lady P got the gist.  So hopefully we created a few memories, and we definitely have the sense that we're establishing traditions for our family for the years to come.

Here's a brief, pictorial precis of the main planks of our new Hermosa Beach Christmas traditions.

Sunset cocktails with friends at Terranea, to celebrate a Christmas birthday (not Jesus', our friend's) and to admire their tree and their gingerbread house, and commiserate over our own gingerbread collapse.

A very sweet and super-family friendly service at our local church. All are welcome: they provide crayons on arrival, and there is even a gluten-free wafer on offer. Very LA.

The breaking of any screen time rules, for a Christmas Eve viewing of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. This was the first time Lady P has seen anything other than NFL on our big TV, and she was absolutely transfixed.

Three stockings placed in the living room. In the absence of a chimney I told Lady P Santa came through the skylight.

The inclusion of a lollipop in Lady P's stocking. After repeated questioning she continued to insist all she wanted from Santa was a lollipop. Let's hope her expectations remain that low for many years to come.

Christmas pancakes for breakfast. Nothing especially Christmassy about them except that they were pancakes made and eaten on Christmas Day.

By the way, these pictures are in order. Lady P had torn through her stocking and several gifts long before we sat down for breakfast - thanks in the main to Skyping family in different timezones, all of whom wanted to see some live gift opening. I think that'll be another Christmas tradition - a frenzy of gift opening before 9am.

Some small-batch artisanal booze in our stockings - to be opened just a few short hours later.

And finally, when the Christmas dust has settled, one of us grown ups completing Lady P's abandoned craft projects for her.

Time will tell which of these traditions are maintained, and which we forget. And needless to say, I'd be prepared to throw all our nascent rituals out and fly back to the UK for Christmas, and make that the tradition. But failing that, I think we've got a pretty good baseline Hermosa Christmas.