We’re having New Year’s in Santiago! Well, not literally, but we will be celebrating in the Chilean capital’s time zone. Goes like this: when the clock strikes midnight in that South American city, it will be 7 p.m. our time. I can’t take credit for the idea, but I do think it’s brilliant.

After having my hubby around all weekend to help with the kids, Mondays make for very long days, and they seem even more so after a long holiday weekend. Everything is just so much easier with an extra set of hands. And oh the joy of being able to pee in peace! 

It’s true what parents before us have always said: Christmas just gets better and more fun with kids; now it’s our turn to weave the tales of Santa and his sleigh and see the utter delight in our kids’ eyes when they see their gifts and fat stockings. It’s a blast. We spent the holiday in a swanky hotel in another city that other family members, all spread out, could easily get to (and still did even despite this year’s white-knuckle-inducing travels); Santa still managed to find us.