Christmas Eve I bought myself a tire pressure gauge because after visiting Gpa in ID I came home to a nearly flat tire. My tires say 44psi. I'm having a hard time believing that one, let alone believing my gauge. But I filled em up to at least 39-40 psi and man can I feel the difference. Now I know why I felt I would tip over every time I took that corner going home...
I also happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time - just in time to hear Dad vent his dislike of Christmas and the most hated part of it - gift giving. v. depressing I must say for any Christmas lover. He complained he didnt have any money to get a present for Mum, he complained that they agreed not to get each other presents but he knows she got him some, he complained he didnt know what to get even if he did have money. yadda yadda yadda. So I paid him my phone bill in cash and told him to get her pants like mine, the stretchy jeans. She mentioned she wanted to try it. That didnt go so well either. So I had to take him to the store and hand him the pair of jeans. And he handed me the tire pressure gauge to buy/rely on. Everyone feel better now?
Christmas was wonderfully chaotic, as usual.
I slept til about 10 or so. Dustin and his crew showed up around 11:00 with a deadline of 12:30 to take the kids to the 'other' parents houses. Min and her crew showed up soon after and the chaos started with Mum attempting to read the "to" and "from" labels. Ultimately we ended up getting back whatever we intended to give. Oh mother.
I was slightly disappointed that Sarah got like three pairs of slippers, esp when I claimed that gift for her. But she said she'd use the payless gift card for her wedding shoes. Yay. I gave them cash and they didnt even look at it and it prolly wont play a part of their wedding plans as intended. I felt bad that Yolanda only got one gift out of the whole family... I can never tell the expressions on Dustins face but I think he liked his kitchen aide....pritti sure. And as soon as Mum found the most obvious unwrapped gifts for the two boys they received their fishing poles.
Patsy sent up a tin of popcorn. I haven't had a huge tin like that in forever! Renee sent up a bracelet I forgot to get at Gmas. Sarah gave me a charm bracelet for all my charms and a Trans Siberian Orch - Beethoven CD. Mom got me a pink tool set. Breat Cancer Research/Awareness is going to sponsor my whole house when I get one. She also got me a set of silverware for my new place in June. I got some speckled and square designed silverware now! I'm unique. Scott got me a pink scarf, well at least I think its pink, he comes up with the oddest 'shades of pink' makes me wonder about that boy. Billy and Yolanda got me a waffle maker. Waffles are my favorite! I can make four in one shot! That was nice of them tho, they weren't obligated to get me anything, only Sarah and Dust were.
Mum insisted on feeding us all before Dustins crew disappeared and split up for the rest of the day. I dont think we've ever cooked and ate that fast before. It seemed Mum was cooking the whole time quickly while we were eating it, quickly. These poor kids have to go to like 3 or 4 houses on Christmas day. I snuck me and Cole in the back of the table and sat down to eat, nobody else was venturing that side of table. I helped with the first batch of food, but I dont know why Mum insists on making so much food when she doesnt know if anyone will stick around to eat it let alone trying to force a group to eat it so I gave up and ate it.
It was much calmer after that and nice to sit in the front room and play with our new toys and chat. Cole finally got in the mood to open gifts, it wasn't working all morning. Yay for the obviously overwhelmed children on Christmas, the grown ups that dont get it and the youngters that are overly excited about the event.
It didnt really feel like Christmas with the lack of snow which lead to the easier transportation of children from house to house. The boys even rode their bikes they got that morning from their house to ours for goodness sake. I stayed in my PJs all day and didn't leave the house for anything.