Christmas eve was with my dad. I went over around 5:00 to start the dinner cooking. I made my shrimp pasta, and dad made an appetizer of prochutto, parmesan cheese, and balsamic vinegar. There was a distinct lack of vegetables, but that isn't unusual at my dad's. I figure we came close, since there was tomato juice in the pasta.
We didn't end up decorating the grapefruit tree, or even the ficus. Dad had already "decorated" by the time I got there: he set up the nativity on top of the piano (actually an electronic keyboard), draped a string of lights over the piano, and added a little 8" tinsel tree. We put the presents under the Christmas piano:
After dinner we opened stockings and presents. I'm not sure if O liked the scarf, or if she was just being polite. She certainly wasn't excited about it, but when I told her it was okay if she said she didn't like it, she said it was nice. Oh well... maybe it'll grow on her. (That reminds me... I need to send her the care instructions from the label.) T liked what I gave him, and O thought the sparkle nightlight I put in his stocking was really neat. (I think I'll pick up a second one for O, to make up for the scarf.) Oh... O really liked the chocolate I put in her stocking. :)
Dad really liked all the stuff I got him. He even liked the Christmas ornaments! I got him a little paper deer, a blown glass pheasant, and a wooden moose. He even said he'd have to make sure to get a tree next year! Ah ha! I've found a compromise! Tree ornaments that he likes too! :)
I got the backpack, trackball, and candy that I knew about. I got a different calendar than I expected (still a free one, and luckily just as nice), and even a few things I didn't expect! I got an LED flashlight from O, and dad put a car power converter and a nifty screwdriver in my stocking. I'm not sure what I'll do with the car power converter... I don't own a car, after all... but the screwdriver is great! It has 15 different bits that are held in place by a magnet, and an extender. And it's not pink! (Pink isn't my favourite colour... the previous screwdriver dad got me was hot pink "so the guys wouldn't steal it.)
After opening presents we sat around and talked for a while. I had brought a bunch of DVDs over in case we wanted to watch one, but dinner took longer than expected to cook, and there wasn't enough time after presents before dad and O had to leave for midnight mass. They're in the choir, so they needed to get there for 10:30. Dad said he was going to wear the tie I gave him. (Navy blue, with tiny gazelles on it, so it looks like a regular pattern tie.)
Christmas Day
Christmas day was with mom, B, T and S (B's mom). S and T didn't come over until around 2:00, so I had a relaxing morning, trying not to wonder what was in my stocking. ;) A friend of B's son dropped in at 2, so we invited him in for a glass of wine, and sat and chatted with him for about an hour. (P really had us confused, because he arrived before T... I couldn't figure out why T was using the doorbell, and then my mom had trouble recognizing P because he's put on weight since we saw him last. I've only met P once or twice, so I didn't know who it was until the conversation started to fill in the clues.)
After P left we opened stockings. I got lots of neat stuff, including three ornaments from Mexico, and a neat frog necklace (also from Mexico). Interestingly, I didn't get any yarn... I had thought I might get some sock yarn. Apparently I was the easiest to buy stocking stuffers for, and mom didn't want to overdo it.
Mom and B both loved the stuff I had added to their stockings, and S was happy that I was able to fix her brooch. (I stuck it in her stocking, because I didn't want to let her pay for the replacement "stone".)
I got a nice set of watercolour paints, a few *really* nice brushes, and some good quality watercolour paper. :)) Mom and I will be painting after Christmas! Mom *loved* the watercolour books I got her, and B was thrilled with the pint glass and little beer mug ornament. S liked the calendar I gave her, but she has a bit of a problem... another friend of hers bought her a calendar (dang!), but the numbers are hard to read from where she sits. She'd like to put mine up (I always check the numbers to make sure they're big enough), but she's worried that her other friend will feel hurt that she's using mine instead of hers. *sigh* From the sounds of things, she's going to put up mine, but then switch them when she's expecting a visit from her other friend. It's hard for her, because she has problems lifting her arms up that high. (Sadly, she's getting old. However, she is feeling better now than she was last summer, when we were afraid we would lose her.)
T had fun playing with a dollar store toy mom stuck in his stocking, until he opened the present containing his new digital camera. Boy, did he like that present! (He's already gone through his first set of batteries.)
We had roast beef and mashed potatoes for dinner, and I cooked my *really* good steamed broccoli. (I *don't* overcook it... just until it turns bright green.) For dessert, we had some of S's cinnamon buns. They're *really* good too... my mom told her about the trick of putting some butter and sugar at the bottom of the pan before baking, and then flipping it over while it's still hot after taking it out of the oven.
After dinner mom took S home, and then we sat and played and read for a bit. I suggested watching a DVD, so we watched "The Italian Job", which B said he wanted to see. However, it turns out we had indeed watched it on one of my previous trips home, so mom went back to reading her new books from me. :) T hadn't seen the movie before. I worked on my blue Kroy socks while watching the movie.
Boxing Day
Boxing Day is when B's kids come over. They weren't due until around 2:00, so I worked on my socks some, then moved my clutter up to the guest room until after they're gone.
I basically hid in the guest room too. B's kids smell... some of them smoke, and most of them wear perfume/cologne, which I'm allergic to. There isn't really enough room in the living room for everyone anyway. (B has three kids, two of which have significant others, and then there's S and my mom too.) So after giving the leftover earring to A, I went up and watched one of my cheap Walmart DVDs on my laptop ("Evelyn"... not bad), and worked on my socks. I am now past the heel on both socks. (I stop and switch socks before doing the heel, because I do a better job of getting them the same length that way.)
I went down for dinner... we had "turkey in a box". It's this new thing where they partially debone the turkey, then prestuff it. All you have to do is stick it in the oven when it's still frozen. Five hours later, *poof*, instant turkey. The only bones in the beast were in the drumsticks. It didn't look much like a turkey when it went in the oven, but it tasted not too bad when it came out. I prefer my mom's stuffing and turkey... she makes sure some of the turkey is dry an stringy the way I like it. :) (Yes, I'm strange.) The turkey in a box didn't manage any dry and stringy bits.
I thought about hanging around downstairs after dinner, but decided to abscond to the guest room again. Thus, you are gifted with a really long post about my three days of Christmas. (At least I included a picture to relieve the boredom. ;) )
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