Sunday, December 24, 2006

Christmas Eve

Heading south today, to spend Christmas Day with inlaws. This will be the first Christmas since my children were born (except for one memorable family Christmas at the Outer Banks) that we've been away from 'home' on Christmas morning. Never mind that we have no common home this year! Ken didn't even bother with decorating in NC - how can you decorate boxes, an apartment fridge, and a futon? Mom and I decorated in anticipation of family gathering on the 28th, but she will be in Wburg with my sister tomorrow.

TC came to spend a few days with me last week. He came by school on the last day before the break, and gave all my freshman girls the flutters. I was the most popular teacher in school that day - it really is true that you are known by the company you keep. He is riding to Winston with me today, and back on Tuesday. Dave may come with us, but Ken won't be able to come up until Wednesday evening.

I've bought and wrapped all the presents for the boys and Ken, and am taking them with us today. Ken's family does this 'Dirty Santa' thing, where you pick and steal presents. The limit this year is $25, so the choice of gifts should be interesting. For my part, I seriously couldn't think of something that everyone would be crazy about (range from my 70ish mother-in-law, through my faintly creepy 35 year-old brother-in-law and my 6-figure income 40 something sister-in-law, down to my 18 year-old son - yeah, we all want the same thing!) So, I picked out something that I would want, figuring I could always steal it if no one else seemed to like it. It's a little mean. My in-laws are born and bred ACC fans, but only if the teams are from NC. My mother-in-law LOVES anything UNC, as does my brother-in-law. My husband likes Wake Forest and Duke. So, one night at a basketball game, I purchased a UVA hoody. I wrapped it up, and included the free foam finger received at the last game. The only people who might get excited about it (simply because it is, after all, a hoody) are my sons, and maybe my sister-in-law. In any case, I figure I'll get the foam finger back. Merry Christmas to me.

We do plan to go ahead and have our little family (Me, Ken, and the boys) Christmas tomorrow morning. Ken's family never does the Christmas morning thing, which makes me twitch. Since we'll be at my sister-in-law's house, I felt a little wierd about the whole idea, but Ken says it will be fine. Anyway, the boys expect to have something to open on Christmas morning and even though they are 'big boys' now, I hate to disappoint. So, I guess everyone else will sit around and ooh and aah over our presents. Fa la la

Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy!

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