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altarflameI was so sick yesterday. Like, couldn't hold my head up or my eyes open but couldn't sleep because I was too nauseus, sick. When I wasn't actually puking. Little things like being able to HAVE A CONVERSATION feel novel again, today.
We had an a-ma-zing get together the night before, and I'm really hoping nobody went home with germs and is suffering now. Grant dug a firepit with Bob and the kids and gathered materials and hosed down the grass around it, and it was really just meant to be a s'more party, but we ended up having the Wii set up on a projector in the side yard and sitting around in various rooms talking and also just hanging out around the fire warming our feet - as it was actually a chilly night. It was Laura and Frank for awhile, with Brian for longer (he stayed while they went to a wedding), Kristin and her kids Naja and Darrien, Shaun, my nephew Robby (14), and all of us. It was just one of those times that clicks and everyone enjoys every minute like it's magic. I had made a big pot of chicken and yellow rice earlier in the evening and had a lot of leftover strawberry and chocolate chip muffins, and pitchers of cold iced tea. Laura and Frank were gone by 11:30-ish, Kristin and her kids and Shaun left at like 3 in the morning and Robby spent the night. I think by the time he, Annie and Aaron went to bed their Rock Band band had achieved "Legend" status in San Fransisco.
Christmas Eve kind of sucked a lot, until the end. I had a lot of way-too-emotional talking with Grant and my sister about my mom, and my brother, and my journal entries, and history, and blah blah blah. I was mostly locked in my bedroom all day, wrapping presents and crying on the phone. BUT THEN we went over to Laura's, once Grant and Frank were off, and that ended up being kind of awesome. L and F had bought aaaaaalll this food - honeybaked ham and turkey from the honeybaked ham place, meat and cheese platters, pickle and olive platters, cheeseball with crackers, chips with cheese dip, huge fruit salad, just a ton of stuff. We played Pandora carols and Frank's sister, Linda, came with her kids, too, and it was fun. After Linda and the kids left I gave Laura, Frank and Brian their presents from us and felt really happy that they were all perfect, and then my 5 + Brian opened everything we'd gotten in the mail from Nana and Pa, and my Mom.
AND WHOA. My Nana and Pa sent each kid a gift bag full of small things, with an envelope with $50 in it stapled to the side. My Mom sent each kid a wallet full of gift cards. So they have major shopping adventures ahead. Ananda is talking about saving for either an iPod or spending money for Harry Potter World, and I'm looking forward to getting Elise some new clothes because she's starting to run low, but otherwise I think it's a free for all for the boys. I think Jake got gift cards to Coldstone Creamery, Toys R Us and Target, for instance. Annie got them to Starbucks, Target and Barnes and Noble. She actually told me, "I think since I got a Barnes and Noble gift card and have a library card now, I might actually be able to save my money".
We got out of there too late to make it to Midnight Mass at St Louis, so we rushed to Sacred Heart...where the Midnight Mass was in creole. Their english one was at 10. So, we ended up coming home and reading the Christmas story from the bible and saying the Lord's Prayer. And then they all opened their Christmas pajamas to sleep in.
Still half in their fancy getups:
Shaun brought them gifts Christmas Eve afternoon, with custom packaging. Note that Ananda and I have been having some hair brushing battles.
They turned out to all be black-covered, blank books with a note inside explaining that famous artists and authors used to use similar ones to sketch and write out ideas.
Opening stockings.
My brother's reaction to his Spiderman underwear.
Love these ♥
Christmas Day was great. Stockings and presents and late afternoon breakfast here. We spent a couple of wonderful, laid back hours up at Teresa's (mil) that I think my brother even enjoyed. Then we cleaned up a lot, cooked most of dinner, and went over to Grant Sr's house WHERE THE KIDS ALL GOT BIKES - except Elise who got a very pimped out pram-style stroller for her dolls, covered in faux-satin. Grant and his Dad walked back here with the kids riding their bikes while I drove the van back and started mashing potatoes and serving plates. It was extremely awesome, let me tell you ;) Italian pot roast with tons of mushrooms, onions and garlic, steamed green beans, cheesy garlic mashed potatoes and rolls. 10pm Christmas dinner.
It is kind of weird how with Grant Sr, we have to kind of TRY to make conversation. It's never just been simple and easy to hang out with him, even in 5 years of living there. Even in Grant's whole freaking life. I feel like I love him, like I owe him a ton and have SO, so much gratitude towards him. And like we really just have almost nothing in common. *shrug* I guess what is there, like prioritizing these 5 kids, is more than enough. The kids were happy to show him the little Christmas trees in their rooms and A and A's newish Craigslist'd loft beds and the other presents they'd gotten and things around the house that Grant's made out of wood.
Speaking of which, homemade presents:
They're in love with those swords.
We had an a-ma-zing get together the night before, and I'm really hoping nobody went home with germs and is suffering now. Grant dug a firepit with Bob and the kids and gathered materials and hosed down the grass around it, and it was really just meant to be a s'more party, but we ended up having the Wii set up on a projector in the side yard and sitting around in various rooms talking and also just hanging out around the fire warming our feet - as it was actually a chilly night. It was Laura and Frank for awhile, with Brian for longer (he stayed while they went to a wedding), Kristin and her kids Naja and Darrien, Shaun, my nephew Robby (14), and all of us. It was just one of those times that clicks and everyone enjoys every minute like it's magic. I had made a big pot of chicken and yellow rice earlier in the evening and had a lot of leftover strawberry and chocolate chip muffins, and pitchers of cold iced tea. Laura and Frank were gone by 11:30-ish, Kristin and her kids and Shaun left at like 3 in the morning and Robby spent the night. I think by the time he, Annie and Aaron went to bed their Rock Band band had achieved "Legend" status in San Fransisco.
Christmas Eve kind of sucked a lot, until the end. I had a lot of way-too-emotional talking with Grant and my sister about my mom, and my brother, and my journal entries, and history, and blah blah blah. I was mostly locked in my bedroom all day, wrapping presents and crying on the phone. BUT THEN we went over to Laura's, once Grant and Frank were off, and that ended up being kind of awesome. L and F had bought aaaaaalll this food - honeybaked ham and turkey from the honeybaked ham place, meat and cheese platters, pickle and olive platters, cheeseball with crackers, chips with cheese dip, huge fruit salad, just a ton of stuff. We played Pandora carols and Frank's sister, Linda, came with her kids, too, and it was fun. After Linda and the kids left I gave Laura, Frank and Brian their presents from us and felt really happy that they were all perfect, and then my 5 + Brian opened everything we'd gotten in the mail from Nana and Pa, and my Mom.
AND WHOA. My Nana and Pa sent each kid a gift bag full of small things, with an envelope with $50 in it stapled to the side. My Mom sent each kid a wallet full of gift cards. So they have major shopping adventures ahead. Ananda is talking about saving for either an iPod or spending money for Harry Potter World, and I'm looking forward to getting Elise some new clothes because she's starting to run low, but otherwise I think it's a free for all for the boys. I think Jake got gift cards to Coldstone Creamery, Toys R Us and Target, for instance. Annie got them to Starbucks, Target and Barnes and Noble. She actually told me, "I think since I got a Barnes and Noble gift card and have a library card now, I might actually be able to save my money".
We got out of there too late to make it to Midnight Mass at St Louis, so we rushed to Sacred Heart...where the Midnight Mass was in creole. Their english one was at 10. So, we ended up coming home and reading the Christmas story from the bible and saying the Lord's Prayer. And then they all opened their Christmas pajamas to sleep in.
Still half in their fancy getups:
Shaun brought them gifts Christmas Eve afternoon, with custom packaging. Note that Ananda and I have been having some hair brushing battles.
They turned out to all be black-covered, blank books with a note inside explaining that famous artists and authors used to use similar ones to sketch and write out ideas.
Opening stockings.
My brother's reaction to his Spiderman underwear.
Love these ♥
Christmas Day was great. Stockings and presents and late afternoon breakfast here. We spent a couple of wonderful, laid back hours up at Teresa's (mil) that I think my brother even enjoyed. Then we cleaned up a lot, cooked most of dinner, and went over to Grant Sr's house WHERE THE KIDS ALL GOT BIKES - except Elise who got a very pimped out pram-style stroller for her dolls, covered in faux-satin. Grant and his Dad walked back here with the kids riding their bikes while I drove the van back and started mashing potatoes and serving plates. It was extremely awesome, let me tell you ;) Italian pot roast with tons of mushrooms, onions and garlic, steamed green beans, cheesy garlic mashed potatoes and rolls. 10pm Christmas dinner.
It is kind of weird how with Grant Sr, we have to kind of TRY to make conversation. It's never just been simple and easy to hang out with him, even in 5 years of living there. Even in Grant's whole freaking life. I feel like I love him, like I owe him a ton and have SO, so much gratitude towards him. And like we really just have almost nothing in common. *shrug* I guess what is there, like prioritizing these 5 kids, is more than enough. The kids were happy to show him the little Christmas trees in their rooms and A and A's newish Craigslist'd loft beds and the other presents they'd gotten and things around the house that Grant's made out of wood.
Speaking of which, homemade presents:
They're in love with those swords.
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no subject
Date: 2009-12-29 03:16 am (UTC)And Nick & Nora jammies are the BEST EVER. I have like 6 pairs, plus socks, slippers, a robe and bedsheets. They're excellent quality and withstand a LOT.
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Date: 2009-12-29 03:32 am (UTC)And, I think you must be right, because their N&N pjs from last Christmas are all still looking nearly new. And still fit!
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Date: 2009-12-29 03:26 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-12-29 03:33 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-12-29 03:33 am (UTC)PS. When did Aaron get so old?!
no subject
Date: 2009-12-29 03:35 am (UTC)I have a serious lot of sentimentality about our table, it's kind of ridiculous. I love it so much. How we can pull out the extra leaf and get random chairs and make it work for Thanksgiving guests and potlucks.
AND YEAH. That first pic of him in the dress shirt, I swear he could be like...in college, if I squint my eyes.
no subject
Date: 2009-12-29 03:44 am (UTC)I would have liked to see a pj shot of your kids :) I think we missed our chance to take a "dressed up" shot of ours, which is really dumb of us because we bought them dress up Christmas clothes FOR a picture. They wore them to church a couple of times and to my sister's, but now I feel we've wasted our money. Stuff just kept coming up, like Elise had an "owie" on her face one week, another Grant was sick, or he was at work all the time and we wanted to do it whole-family. Maybe we can make it happen tomorrow or something.
no subject
Date: 2009-12-29 04:51 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-12-29 04:11 am (UTC)I need to learn woodworking... it's my next goal after this sewing rampage subsides!
no subject
Date: 2009-12-29 04:50 am (UTC)Woodworking is a lot more expensive and dangerous to learn...the equipment is really daunting in more ways than one. I don't think we'd have ever been outfitted for it if not for the settlement. And still every new project he wants to try he finds there is some tool or attachment or something he doesn't have, that he needs for it.
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Date: 2009-12-29 12:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-12-29 05:57 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-12-29 06:35 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-12-29 10:04 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-12-29 07:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-12-29 05:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-12-29 05:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-12-29 07:35 pm (UTC)Four was what I thought was my "magic number" until I HAD four :p
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Date: 2009-12-29 11:00 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-12-29 07:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-12-29 04:57 pm (UTC)I love your brother's face over the pjs.
I think your three youngest have grown since I was there. They look different. Especially Elise. Ugh. STOP GROWING!
no subject
Date: 2009-12-29 07:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-12-29 05:19 pm (UTC)Have you tried spray on detangler with Ananda? I wish I could say I had, but my oldest was good (I thought!) at brushing so I stopped insisting on helping and by the time I realized she was smoothing the hair over a knot, it was too late and had to be cut. She hasn't objected to help since, though.
no subject
Date: 2009-12-29 07:32 pm (UTC)