We’re having a great Christmas holiday in Cootieland! Denis and the kids left on Wednesday for my parents’ house, and I followed Thursday (Christmas Eve) after work. I didn’t know if I was going to be allowed to leave early, but around 2:15 p.m. one of my bosses (I have seven) came over and asked if my phone would forward to his portable. I tested it – it did. I said, “Does this mean what I think it means?” He said yes, and sent me on my way. He knew I was driving to Virginia, which is why they let me go. If I had stayed local, they would have wanted me to stay. WOO HOO to road trips!
I went home and did some last minute chores around the house, then loaded up the car (along with Cooper the Dog) and we hit the road by 4:00 p.m. Made good time, and arrived at my parents’ house around 10:30 p.m. to find all the adults watching “It’s a Wonderful Life.”
I was in bed by midnight, dreaming of sugar plums and candy canes. The next morning all the adults got up early in order to see the kids’ reactions to the Santa gifts (Cootieboy: a new bike; Cootiegirl: an MP3 player; Cousin J: a bike for him too!). They reacted appropriately (read: excited, in case you wanted to know) and then we went into rip and tear mode. I helped CG with her presents and the funniest reaction came when she opened a box filled with a sweater, a turtleneck and two pairs of jeans: “I didn’t want CLOTHES!” So imagine her distress when she opened a SECOND box of clothes a mere 30 seconds later! *lol* And the MP3 player made up for it – she wore it al day yesterday and kept listening to the same 6-7 songs over and over again (this despite the fact I put over 100 songs on it).
CB loved his bike (and despite the rain and freezing cold he went out on the back porch and rode it around back there). He also loved the Bop-It game that he really, really wanted. Denis and I got some great gifts as well – although I was so distracted helping CG with her gifts that I didn’t really see everything Denis got. I know he liked his Mets floor mats for his van (he already installed them) and he’s excited about making homemade beef jerky in his new food dehydrator.
As for me, I got some books, some DVDs, a cute sweater, and HUZZAH – a new Creative Zen! It’s so much snazzier than the one I broke in October 2008. It’s smaller and has a video screen. And it’s 32 GB!! Now I can actually load up a full book onto the player, instead of only 6-7 discs at a time! YAY! Not only that, but Jen and I are going to begin sharing her Audible account and will each get one download a month – AND be able to share books that the other bought, if so inclined!
Today is a busy day – we’re taking the kids to the movies. We had thought we were heading to the Parkers for brunch and Beatles Rock Band, but they accidentally double-booked and so we cancelled our get together this time around. So instead, it’s off to the movies and then off to the family Christmas party in Leesburg tonight. It’s my dad’s side of the family, and they are fun to hang out with because they are snarky and funny.
Hope you all are having a wonderful holiday weekend, catch you on the flip side!