M woke up at 5:30AM today, crawled into our bed for a snuggle, and called, "Merry Christmas!" so loudly that he woke B who also wanted a snuggle. After the traditional bowl of "cruel gruel," we phoned my Mom to let her know we were on our way, found shoes and clothes, and drove over to Grandma’s house. The sun was just coloring the sky over my neighbor’s house by then, the moon looked huge over Mechanic’s pond.
Mom is supposed to be in bed, so the boys can "wake," her up, like my father used to do when he was alive. She had to unlock the door fro us, then race back to bed for the boys to bounce her awake. She’d already started the coffee pot and sticky buns were in the oven.
By 9:30 the boys were begging to quit opening gifts and just play with them. So we had second breakfast: sticky buns, scrambled eggs, sausage and fruit salad. Then we went back to presents.
At 10:30, DH was taking on B’s new Rubic’s Cube as a second chance at beating a childhood nemisis. I took the boys outside to play the Chinese feathered hacky-sack I’d bought them in Guangzhou this Fall. We never did manage to get all three of us kick it before it hit the ground, but I declared that very pregnant mothers don’t have to wind themselves. We walked around Grandma’s garden, a surprising amount of perenials still have leaves, and the magnolia’s buds feel soft.
DH organized a game of Clue after that, various family members phoned, we ate an Elevensie of cheese and crackers, DH put M down for his nap, then we began the turkey and stuffing preparations in earnest. I wanted to try the Cook’s magazine recipe for gravy without drippings, which worked beautifully, and I got a nap in too.
Mom set M up a card table in the kitchen so he could play with his new huge play dough set without getting in the way of the dinner prep, but be part of things anyway.
For my Birthday cake, Mom made a buche de Noel, with merangue mushrooms, the boys thought they were too full for cake, but wanted a cute candy mushroom, and found they had room not only for cake, but ice cream too!
After dinner dishes, we came over to my apartment, so the older ones could keep playing games after M went to bed. He came in 4th in a game of "Qwerkle" our new game this year. He caught on just fine to how to play (although as we looked at the rules, we hadn’t caught on ourselves to 3 important rules) sometimes he climbed completely onto the table to make his moves, I’ll have to wipe it down good before breakfast, wish I’d had the camera handy, he was so cute. He cried at bedtime, it was 8:03, and that’s a bit late for him.
After that we played Clue again, and I won! Mom drove herself the 1 mile home, she has to open the office tomorrow. DH has work tomorrow too, and we should … well, begin cleaning in earnest for the Mommom and Dadddad visit this Friday? We are not starting up regular lessons that’s for sure!
Blessings, Christine!
Love,
Annie