Putting the Fun in disfunctional.

Come and gone quickly. It always seems that way in the end. The boys are home today playing with their toys. I'm at work keeping myself busy in a nearly empty office.

Christmas Eve was all about cleaning and getting things ready for the big day. It ended up fairly normal with a simple dinner, bath for the boy and bed. I was going to chill out before Santa time but suddenly decided I had to have a pecan pie. So at 9:30 Christmas Eve I baked a pecan pie and watched a bit of LOTR on the tv. Then Santa came and bestowed a pile of goodies next to the tree.

One item was held back for return to the store after it was determined that the boy got it last year too and has used it once and never since. No wonder it wasn't memorable. Must be one of those things I wanted more than he does. The husband remarked that the pile looked smaller than last year. Funny, I think I spent nearly twice as much.

The morning of I really wanted to sleep in. The man made a point of telling the boy not to get up if the lights weren't on downstairs. After DH got up, however, it struck me that it would be just like him to put all the lights on when he went down, with no regard for whether I was up or not. So I got up. The boy slept in. (The lights were on.)

There was much ripping of paper and exclaiming over toys when the boy did get up. In the end the things he seems to like best are 1) his present to his father 2) a present from DH to he and the boy, and 3) two of the very cheap trinkets from his stocking. I blew it on one offering to the husband - I bought the wrong type of blank DVD, I'll be exchanging them this weekend. DH seemed sulky - I guess because I didn't get the $200 number one present on the list but instead got all the other items. I cut back on him a bit this year and I think he noticed.

The boy immediately nabbed the electronics and started playing many beeping booping games. I started getting ready to feed the masses. My family usually shows up in the early afternoon for these family feasts, but this year they had a brunch together at my other sister's house and didn't show up until 3:30 ish. All ready to party but no one to entertain made it kind of boring for most the day. Therefore my afternoon was spent snoozing on the couch and watching LOTR on my new dvd player.

DH is very touchy about my new dvd player. It was the only thing I asked for. He however is quick to point out that I could watch whenever I wanted downstairs. I point out that he's ususally watching downstairs and he allows as how he'd always defer to me if I wanted. I guess he doesn't get that I don't prefer to hang out in the basement - that's his domain.

So the family arrived rather late, which was odd, but the meal was fine. For a while there I was flashing back to the "Bugs Life Christmas". I ended up feeding 16 which is the limit of real meal seating in my house. Any more and it would have been card tables and tv trays. We did have a bit of culture clash after the meal. My family eats dinner then cleans up a bit and then eats desert. DH's eat desert immediately. DH's sister and neice came to dinner with my family. SIL paced like a caged animal while we cleaned up. She swooped as soon as she could to set out the deserts. It was more amusing than anything else.

A couple of us had to work today so it ended fairly early. Quietly, like it started with DH putting the boy to bed and me washing the crystal. But the second installment happens on Sunday with an even larger installment of family. That one will exceed not only seating, but dishes (which is to say more than 20).

Two amusements:

My husband stopped to inform me that I was right and the mint m&m cookies were mint, as he threw out the remainder (he doesn't like mint).

This morning DH and I were talking about an actor and I mentioned one of his movies "Liar Liar". From the other room the boy echoed back "pants on fire".

Oh, and Grouse, my sisters dried and put away the most of the dishes and pans. Would they have noticed the crumbs? Who knows! But hey, it was an excuse to do what had to be done.