So Long, And Thanks for all the Fish

So, a couple of things about our Christmas weren't necessarily what you'd call "expected."

It was really a wonderful day overall. We had breakfast, opened presents in our PJ's, and spent several hours figuring out how some of them worked. Later in the afternoon we drove to Ma & Pa Wright's house, where we had dinner, hung out and opened more presents. We had the kids in bed by 9:15, and watched "A Christmas Story" - the best Christmas movie ever made - for the 86th time. All in all, a best-case scenario. However, there were a few interesting elements to the day. . .

To begin with, none of our stomachs are accustomed to heavy fare in the morning, so the special breakfast I got up early to fix (french toast with strawberry topping and cheesy scrambled eggs) left all of us feeling a little sick. (A sidenote: I looked over as I was making breakfast, to see that Kari Bou had torn a page out of my magazine - the page with the recipe for the french toast - and was happily eating/shredding it. She must have known in advance that she'd never want to eat this meal again.)

Then there was the silly string I picked up the day before Christmas, thinking it would be just the coolest stocking-stuffer ever for both Rach and Zekers. I wasn't prepared for the tragedy that ensued when Rachel sprayed it and ran out the living room holding her nose and crying hysterically. I was really annoyed with her and her hypersensitive sense of smell, until I got a whiff of the stuff. I didn't know it was possible for silly string to give off such a stench. (The really great thing about it is when she's not cooperating, I just aim the can in her direction and she becomes amazingly obedient.)

One of the best parts of the day was taking down our tree. That's right - we got rid of our Christmas tree on Christmas Day, and we haven't suffered even a moment of remorse. I'm sure I've forever ruined any good opinion of me that remains out there, but even so, it was well worth it. See, I've discovered something about myself in recent years: I have exactly four weeks of Christmas spirit in me. Not a day more.

I'm always SO ready for the Christmas season to come. This year I began listening to Christmas music the week before Thanksgiving. We cut our tree the second day the farm was open - 2 days after Thanksgiving. We did all our decorating - indoor and out - that same day. I threw myself into shopping, mailing out cards, wrapping gifts, making cookies. We took the kids to a local mall so they could ride the "Christmas trian" and of course, saw loads and loads of lights. I took such delight in all of it. Until December 18th.

Without warning, it hit me: the "Bah-Humbugs". I was party-ed out. I was sick of watering the tree and the poinsettias. Sticking a fork in my eye sounded more appealing than doing five more minutes of shopping. I thought to myself, "If I hear 'Have Yourself a Merry Stinkin' Little Christmas' just one more time, I will spontaneously combust." I began having nightmares in which I endlessly rolled out cookie dough and frosted horrid little snowmen and reindeer cookies, while Rach and Zekers shoved handfuls of dough into their mouths and got flour all over their faces, hair and clothing, and I began yelling incoherently . . . Oh, wait a second - that wasn't a dream.

Anyway, one of the highlights of Christmas for me was finally getting my living room back. It looks HUGE after the holidays, without a 7-foot tree taking up half the room. I'm sure that, come next October, I will once again be chomping at the bit to welcome the Christmas season back into our lives, but for now - Adios, Navidad. I'm ready to get on with my life.

As for Zekers, "Santa" (alias = Grandpa & Grandma) granted him his greatest wish. Not only did he receive a spiderman costume, he got his little dog for Chrismtas. "Sparky" hasn't been out of his sight in four days. And the best part is that the dog is off-limits to Kari Bou!