Merry Christmas!

A very merry Christmas to each of you! I've had a great day with just the right amount of food - some SUPER new presents, and now - the need for a nap.

I can tell that I'm mellowing in my old age. I finally pulled myself out of bed at 10 - and my parents were scheduled to arrive for lunch at 12. In the "olden days" I'd have been up at 7 stressing about the food. Not now!

I told Mom it was probably the worst Christmas dinner she ever had. In our family, Christmas dinner is always a big to-do, complete with ham and potatoes and all sorts of other dishes. What did I serve? Baked potato soup and sloppy joes. Tacky, perhaps, but SO yummy. And my dad even had seconds on the soup, forcing me to search for breathing assistance. (Dad doesn't do well with new dishes - and I was shocked he made it through one bowl - let alone seconds.) We had cherry crisp for dessert and it was all very yummy.

We exchanged gifts...including Kaegan and Braeya. They are pretty wired from catnip. It was fun to watch them attack the toys. Braeya was trotting (literally) around the house with her toys in her mouth - as if Kaegan would steal them from her. What!?!? He's scared of her! I don't think she has to worry.

Mom and Dad liked their gifts - though most of Dad's were less than exciting. (The man asks for garden hose and copy paper...it's so thrilling to purchase.)

And I was SUPER excited about my gifts. I received a new blender which not only SAYS it crushes ice...it ACTUALLY crushes the ice. I make blended coffee drinks all the time, so this is an amazing help. I also received a new shirt that Cassie might fight me for...it's that turquoise color you like so much, Cass. I also received some hodge-podge coffee stuff for my kitchen, which I recently redecorated with a coffee theme. I was pretty excited about that.

As usual, I also received the gift I call the "lack-of-husband consolation prize." I can't remember if I blogged about it last year or not. When my sisters were out on their own and then still when they were first married, Mom gave them a box of food every year for Christmas. The staple stuff - flour and sugar, Hamburger Helper, chocolate chips, pudding, stuff like that. I couldn't wait to grow up so I could get one too. And even though I'm past the "living on Ramen noodles" stage of adulthood, I still get the box - and I call it my consolation prize for not having a husband to buy gifts for. Not near as cute as a man - but it's a fun present anyway.

After lunch and presents, we sat around watching the Christmas music specials on the IWU station while the cats continued to chase catnip mice around the floor.

A pretty perfect Christmas, I have to say!

Hope all of you are enjoying your day as well!