Christmas eve ended with the call from JP, describing his disastrous, yet ultimately successful, proposal to Royana.  I dropped into bed around 1:30, to the sound of Katie and Zack, watching that Holiday classic; 300, in the tv room.  Nothing like nodding off to dreams of sugar plum fairies and Persian hordes...

We were yanked from sleep by Tyler, who called at 7:30, worried that he might miss joining the present opening on the phone.  He had been up for two hours, opening presents with his buddy's family, in which very young kids still awake before the crack of insanity.  I explained to him that Josie had been up very late and all were still abed and that we'd call him when we were ready to open his gift to us.

Two hours later, he was back on the phone while his dad opened the big box containing a gorgeous new, customized iron and the rest of us received our magic bracelets; the kind that alleviates muscle and joint pain.  They may work like voodoo; only if you believe in them, but I think it's worth a try.  Like glucosamine.  There's no scientific proof that it works.  All I know is my knees haven't ached since I started taking it.  So, YAY! I'm never taking my magic bracelet off.

Ty hung up and went back to bed and the rest of us buckled down to the serious job of opening presents.  For the first time ever, we had to take a break to get to Mass, then came back and finished afterward.

The two dresses I'd given Katie seemed to fit, which made Katie and happy and Josie not so much.  She was really hoping the black sequined cocktail dress would be too big for Kate.  Although was cause a 13 has for a black cocktail dress, Josie was unclear on.

Jay is difficult to buy gifts for.  We hate doing it.  But this year, I gave him something he really wanted; a crock pot.  I'm sure that once he's taken it out of the box and used it, he'll discover that it's the wrong size, shape, color, brand name or whatever but as long as it's still in the box, he likes it. 

As with most Christmases, there were lots of dvds of movies and tv shows for the whole family.  The highlight of the day for me was when almost all the presents were opened and Zack was unwrapping his last, little gift, he looked at me and said "I can't believe you gave all the movies I wanted to the whole family..." then he looked at what he pulled out of the box and screamed "An IPOD??!!  I can't believe I complained about movies!"

It's always fun when you can give them something they want but didn't put on their lists.

I got a new, baby blue Columbia fleece jacket.  I've been wearing an old, gray one of Jay's.  Now I have a pretty one.

There was also lots of candy, books, clothes and of course, what would Christmas be without some nerf weapons?  The best ever were the nerf swords but I haven't seen those in years.  This year it was a nerf shotgun.  Double barreled.

Then we had brunch and settled in to watch some of our new movies before heading off to my folks' for dinner.

Josie, Jay and I made a stop over at Pam and Steve's to see Janelle and the babies, who had skipped the big wing ding the night before.  Marcus and Graydon are adorable.  They're tiny, perfect baby boys.  One is dark and charming and the other angelic.  I only spent about twenty minutes with them but I predict that Marcus, who looks like an angel, will be the one to get them into all kinds of trouble, and Graydon, the black eyed charmer, will be able to talk their way out of it.  They'll be the perfect one/two punch.

Dinner at my folks was a loud, chaotic, delicious feast, as usual.  There were 33 of us.  Missing were Tyler, JP, Royana, Margy and her boys.  After dinner were loads of presents, mostly from our out of town relatives.  Mike and Lester sent everyone big boxes of peanut brittle!  Ymmmmm.  Our Aunt Helen, who always provides the highlight of the season, once again sent every family a 2008 White House Christmas tree Ornament.  She also sent cards and gifts to all the grandkids.  Someday, I hope she comes herself.  Most of the kids have never met her, yet her name in our family is synonymous with Santa Claus.

Then we played an old game of trivial pursuit, as it was the only game we could find.  There was lots of cheating so it was fun.  I was accused of acting like a baby, but I just wanted the cheating to be equal opportunity.  My team lost.  I will never forgive those rotten cheaters as long as I live!!!!  Act like a baby?  Moi?

Our greed gift was to the whole family.  Katie came up with the idea and Josie and I built it.  We took an old game of Monopoly and changed all the places, deeds, utilities, chance and community chest cards with places and events that were significant to our family.  Over the middle of the board, we made a new label that looked the same, but said "Hubbellopoly".   We should have played that instead of trivial pursuit.  I'm good at cheating at Monopoly.  Turns out when I'm full of wine and turkey, the only trivia I can remember is "Secretariat" and that didn't happen to be the answer to any of the actual questions.  Stupid game. 

I talked to Tyler again around 8:00.  He said he was never spending Christmas away from home again.  He had had a great time the night before, but after his nap, spent the day by himself.  He went to church but was worried that it wasn't a Catholic church.  The place was called Our Lady of Guadalupe, which seemed like a safe bet, but the service was like nothing he'd ever encountered.  He described it to me and I assured him that it was indeed Catholic, in fact it was an old school, traditional Latin High Mass.  Not only was it Catholic, it was Catholic Extreme.  He was relieved.  After mass, he went to Denny's for dinner and picked up the tab for the only other lonely diner that was there.  That's what kind of a guy Tyler is.  I miss him.

Sounds like the fun is winding down but it's not; Friday was not only the Winter Waddle, it was that rarest of occurrences; Second Frank Day!

 

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