Crinkly meat squooshed sandwiches

Christmas is over. As is the painful attempt to explain why Christmas started to Miss 6. We did the whole Jesus thing, but as non-church-goers, I think it was lost on her. And she responded with, “Can we please celebrate Hanukkah too?” She also threw in Kwanza and Diwali requests – hoping one more would stick. Saint Lucy’s Day was a shoe-in, although I have no idea how to follow through on that one. I’m a little leery of lighting candles and putting them on her head. But the general idea of the celebration (overcoming darkness with light) works for me. And we already incorporated an advent calendar into the mix (which hails from Germany no less). So next year may be interesting. The hubby and I will be in even more of a frenzy trying to pull in all of these various celebrations to pacify our little party girl. Because that’s what it really is after all. One big party for Miss 6.

But seriously. That’s what Boulder does to you. Exposes you to so much melting pot stuff that you end up back in church on Christmas Eve because of the celebration overload. That or you start celebrating in November (Diwali) and keep it going through February (Chinese New Year). Gotta love that.

Meanwhile, we did have a nice holiday. And still are. The hubby decided to take a long weekend despite having zero vacation time now. (He used to have 18 days a year and now, under the new ownership, gets 10.) So we have to beg and steal to get time together when neither of us are working. It becomes this elaborate bartering system. “Okay, I’ll give you one week in the summer, one day for Christmas and…” His sick time is completely separate now and not usable for vacation. And he gets exactly 5 holidays per year. After the rundown I just laid out for you above, you try figuring out which ones are acknowledged by the company…☺

We actually had one of the best Christmases ever. We spent Saturday going to see Santa at Pearl Street then hosting a dinner for the hubby’s aunt, uncle and cousin. Sunday I spent the morning with True Blue and her friend cooking in preparation for her big Christmas Eve bash. Then, that night we went ice skating, had dinner at Gondolier and then drove around looking at lights. Funny side note: When the waiter uncorked the wine at dinner Sunday evening, Bean smiled, picked up her sippy cup and said, “Cheers!” The waiter was astounded. As were we. She’s already giving us away in public at 15 months!

We went to True Blue’s annual shindig on Christmas Eve and lasted as long we could while chasing Bean up and down and all around. With nearly 70 people standing around eating, drinking and being merry, trying to keep a teeny crawling bean’s fingers from getting stepped on is no small task. And making sure she doesn’t drink alcohol or pick up any nuts or. Or. Or. Then there was Miss 6 and her temporary (for the evening at least) best friend. Prancing around with a tray of hors d’oeuvres like she owned the place. Then getting self righteous and pissed when there were no takers for the turkey spinach puffs. We headed out around 7 and stopped by T2 and L Rocks’ after our car was safely parked in the driveway. We made it home around 9 and Miss 6 nearly flipped when she checked the Norad site and found that Santa was already in Ohio. Panic-striken, she got into PJs, brushed teeth, set out cookies and counted out 8 carrots for the reindeer faster than I’ve ever seen her move. We sent her off to bed with, “No getting up before 6!”

At exactly 6:02 her little face was beside our bed. “Did Santa come yet?” “Can we get up now?” Who can say no to that? So we did our usual routine of stockings first, Santa loot second and breakfast. Marveling at the white Christmas that unfolded outside. Then phone calls to the fam and opening presents. We spent the morning lounging and decided to venture out into our Christmas wonderland for a snowshoe around the park. This put us behind with the hubby still needing to make pasta for butternut squash cannelloni (another annual tradition) and Bean needing a nap. We didn’t make it to Purse Girl’s until almost 6 and most people had already been there for hours.

I arrived wearing my brand new sweater — all full of myself thinking I was all that. When precisely one minute after arriving, red wine in hand, bean on hip, bean drops her sippy cup straight into my wine glass. Which was still full. Sending red wine everywhere including my brand new sweater. Not my proudest moment. But the stains did come out so I can laugh at it all now. ☺

Then, the week has consisted of two days in PJs while it snowed and snowed some more. Cleaning up and putting away. Laundry. With the hubby concerned for my sanity in the midst of the post-holiday chaos that our house had become (and two girls to wrangle ) — then leaving me alone to deal anyway. And absolutely no work (except an e-mail or so). Glorious! Today we all got out and ran errands, went out to lunch and then met up with Purse Girl and fam for dinner so little PG could have a sleep over with Miss 6. They only stopped giggling a few minutes ago…

So in my last post, I had a little fun. Took some liberties with the truth (okay, so I went ahead and fictionalized parts to make it more entertaining). But it seems some readers took the yarns at face value. Which makes me laugh even more. I tried explaining that almost any writer from the south uses their family as fodder. And, admittedly, I have more fodder than most. But I haven’t ever gone Pat Conroy on the clan and laid it all out to bear. At least not yet. One day, one day… But if you need help understanding my humor, try reading David Sedaris or Ayun Halliday. It might help or it may just confuse you more. Or you may think, “That biatch plain STOLE from those people…” I could have. But I tried not to.

And there you have it. My life condensed and back out for display. Happy times. And looking forward to 2008. Really I am.

TODAY’S THEME SONG: Christmakwanzakah. The Dan Band. Why pick one when you can pick ‘em all?