Well, here it is
Let's talk about Christmas first, shall we?
Christmas, on the whole, was pretty good.
I got the usual bout of homesickness that just about any holiday and my birthday brings on. I hate to say "the usual bout" because, to me, it sounds like it's less than what it actually feels like. I have aunts & uncles in Oklahoma & Kansas that I've seen a couple of times, as well as my parents, but that's been a couple of years now. The majority of my family (and I have a big one) since November of '09. Not to mention all of my friends! I can't tell you how much I want to have a holiday at Aunt Diana's house and then go sit around the fire pit at Hoss & CEG's.
Anyway... Shawn & I both had Christmas Eve off but had to work Christmas. Put kind of a damper on the whole thing but Shawn took it harder than I did. I've worked holidays off & on for years. Shawn, not so much. Lorna, Chris' mom, came over CE morning to spend a few hours with Chris & Shawn & I went back to bed. We got back up around noon and actually headed to that most dreaded of places, Wal-Mart. That place was nasty busy. The family thing was that night and we still had to pick up the appetizers. After we did that, we got a couple of last minute gifts & stocking stuffers. We had a great meal at the in-law's. Chris & I had a talk beforehand about how he couldn't open any presents until after he'd cleaned his plate. (See, we'd had dinner there a couple of days before. Chris had about 4 bites of his pot pie & decided he didn't want anymore.) Don't you know, he was the first one finished. lol! Everybody's pocket book was hit pretty hard this year so we all agreed to just buy presents for Chris since he's the only kid in the family. My MIL did get me one of those Snuggie things that's advertised on TV but it hadn't come in yet.
After we loaded up Chris' booty, we went home and opened some presents of our own. I had to work 7a-3p Christmas Day and Shawn had to work 10p-7a Christmas night. After talking about it, we decided to open some presents C. E. and then open the rest once I got home Christmas Day. I didn't want to do all of it on Christmas Eve because then Christmas Day just feels like any other day.
Chris got that Tag Reader system, a Hot Wheels city set (that I'm constantly hitting with his closet door), a RC bulldozer, 2 sets of Cars sheets and a Cars comforter. I'm hoping to get the pics posted this week.
Shawn got some house pants, a dremel set, and a couple of handheld games to play while he's on break at work. I know he got other things but I can't think of them. *ponder, ponder*
The only thing Shawn would tell me about my gifts was that he went "all corny" on me. That he'd paid attention to things I'd said over the past months. Know what he got me? Board games!! I got Yatzee, Sorry and Battleship! I loved it! See, I'm an only child so I never really had anyone to play board games with when I was a kid. He was so afraid that I wouldn't like his idea. I told him it was very thoughtful and a great idea. I also got a Sleeping Beauty magnetized dress up set for the fridge. I got a metric ass load of mystery books from my parents (recycled since she'd already read them) as well as some slipper socks from L.L. Bean.
Work was a strange day. I was scheduled to work 7a - 3p. The woman who was scheduled to work the continental breakfast that we have called in just because she didn't want to work. So, I had to work her job too. Not a hard job but still... Anyway, I was kind of cheesed because we had to work full shifts on Christmas Day when we only had to work 4 hour shifts on Thanksgiving Day. My manager (Pam) said flat out that she won't work Christmas Day so that was that. The owner (Doris, Pam's aunt) called, like usual, around 9:30 just to check in and see how things were going. She asked who was working when and all that so I told her. She wasn't happy about us working full shifts either and asked for Pam's number. She called back about 30 minutes later with more of her usual questions and asked if Pam had called me yet. No, she hadn't. About 11:30, Pam called & told me to call Kyle (my relief) & tell him not to come in until 5 p.m. "Okay," I said. "Who's coming in the interim?" "Well, I'm on my way to relieve you right now." she said. Oh! Okay! So, apparently she got chewed out and guilted into coming in. Freaked my husband out when I came walking in 3 hours early, I can tell you.
After that, Chris & Shawn unwrapped the rest of their gifts and their stockings. The only things in my stockings were a couple of candy filled plastic candy canes. Turns out I'd unknowingly unwrapped all of my other presents the night before. Oops. After that, Shawn went back to bed for a few hours and the day went on pretty much like any other.
My dad called me that morning so I tried calling him back when I made the rest of my usual Christmas calls. Nobody wanted to talk to me though, I guess, because I got everyone's answering machines and no one called me back!! I feel SO loved. j/k
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