After instructing the kids not to wake us any earlier than 8 a.m., and after having a slight discrepancy over the true definition of what 8 a.m. means (you have to understand that no two clocks in our house read the same time, and our son used this to his advantage this morning by using our bedroom clock -- which is purposely set 15 minutes fast -- as his guide), we got up and enjoyed a lovely, low-key Christmas morning. This is the first year I can remember when the kids weren't trying to rip open gifts at the speed of light and instead took their time, so I got to actually enjoy watching it all.
The award for the most uniquely wrapped gift this year went to this oversized taco with purple handles...
It was really one of those round saucer chairs, which our daughter had requested. It came folded up in a taco shape in a carrying case. It is upholstered in a silky, purple fake fur, so when it is open and she's in it, she looks like she's being eaten by a muppet.
The most sought after gift was this...
...Guitar Hero World Tour Band Kit...doesn't every famous rocker jam in their, um, jammies?
There is a rather convoluted story (and long...I'll totally understand if you just skip down to the next photo...but I feel the need to write it down in hopes it will keep me from repeating the craziness at a future time) associated with this gift and the fact that no matter how well controlled I am in my shopping efforts, I lose all sense of sanity about three days before Christmas, thusly making things more complicated for myself than they need to be. In this case, it involved the kids asking for the Wii version of this game (though they both asked for a different version of it, natch), me not being able to FIND the Wii version of this game after an entire month of shopping, finally settling on buying the PlayStation 2 Band Kit version instead. I figured this was better anyway because they'd be able to use it both upstairs and downstairs whereas the Wii one would be pretty much limited to upstairs due to that little sensor bar thing being attached to the TV up there. And then, on Black Friday, I was doing some online shopping and realized I could get the Guitar Hero III for half price (this is the one my dd had asked for), and I thought -- score! two kids, two guitars, no fights! And it was only available in PS2, so I was sure it was a sight from God. I was so happy with myself for working this out.
Then. Then on Monday, I made the ill-fated decision to run into Target because I needed a few more gift bags and lo and behold, as I passed the electronics section, there on the shelf was ONE Wii version GHWT. And it caused me to pause and rethink my whole PS2 rationalization and how I didn't want the kids to be disappointed and how I honestly had NO idea if there was a big functional difference between the two versions or what. So I bought it, figuring I'd return the PS2 version (both of them!) after Christmas -- after unwrapping it, of course, because I was doing so well getting things done ahead of schedule.
So today the kids opened the Wii one this morning and before they could rip open the box, I launched into a "Tell them what's behind door number two!" explanation of how they actually had the choice of the Wii World Tour Band Kit OR the PS2 version Band Kit and GHIII, and the benefits of the PS2 version rather than their requested Wii version. So they conferenced over it and, yes, you guessed it, they chose the PS2 version, which means I bought the #@$! Wii version for no reason other than the fact that I am INSANE.
(And just so you know, my kids are not really spoiled. I don't go routinely dropping this kind of $ in duplicate just to placate their whims...this was just an instance of a lapse in sanity on my part. Honest. Truth is, they'd have been happy with whichever one they'd gotten, and they know they are fortunate to have gotten it at all and have thanked us multiple times today, which is cool because it's a good sign they're growing up and are learning to appreciate these things.)
Ok...whew! Moving on. Despite being fourteen, our son continues to be totally enthralled with Legos and so his sister's gift to him was also a winner...
After the opening was over, the kids played quietly (well as quietly as you can with electronic guitars and drums) and I made a leisurely breakfast of my "special" pancakes -- so named by my son. I make them from scratch using this recipe (without the apples, though today I did add blueberries to mine and my son's because I had some on hand and we like them...and I also add wheat germ to the batter as well as the topping), and I think it is so funny that they love them because they are really healthy and good for them, versus the Bisquick pancakes my husband often makes for them on weekends. :}
My in-laws came over for an informal lunch and we've talked to all our far-away loved ones on the phone. In between taking turns playing the drums (they are seriously fun), I've been knitting, and I finished Athena (a second one, same CPY Taos coloway for both...I made a weird error in the first...entrelac gone awry...not overly noticeable with it on, but since it is for a gift, I wanted it to be right)...
Here's me modeling...please ignore the hair because I let it air dry today and it is just curling and frizzing all over the place...ack...but at least you can see how soft and squishy this neck warmer looks when it is on. I love it! Will likely make one for me at some point. It's a terrific pattern and a great way to learn entrelac. (The yarn colors are truer in the shot above...bad lighting in this shot...bad lighting, bad hair...yikes.)
And then there has been my quest to get a nice shot of my family. What I ended up with was this...
...and this...
...and that, I'm afraid, is as good as it's gonna get today. LOL
Hope you're having some crazy fun and relaxation, too!
1 comment:
Merry Christmas! I, too, love how Christmas morning has become slower as the kids get older. I woke up before them today! And that wasn't until 10.
Your Athena turned out great! And it looks great on you, so you do need to make one for yourself. I've made two, but still have to make one for me.
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