Countdown To Christmas

The Dad Download: Counting Down to Christmas (Dad Edition)

I love looking forward to Christmas.

Not just the day but the build-up. The anticipation. The quiet confidence that I’m about to be tired in ways science hasn’t fully explained yet.

Right now it’s the “almost Christmas” phase.

The kids are vibrating with excitement.

The Amazon boxes are judging me from the corner.

And every toy I bought is whispering, “You should’ve read the reviews.”

But I’m excited.

Because Christmas as a dad hits different.

I’m looking forward to pretending I don’t know what Santa got.

To staying up late assembling something that will be played with for seven minutes.

To waking up early, acting surprised, and running purely on adrenaline and coffee.

And yeah, I know it’s coming with stress, noise, and a dent in my bank account but it’s also coming with laughter, memories, and moments I’ll miss later even while I’m complaining about them now.

So I’m choosing to enjoy the anticipation.

The chaos loading.

The magic buffering.

Christmas is coming

and I’m ready.

Well… mentally ready. Physically? That’s a different conversation.

—Walter

Legacy in real time. Holiday edition.