Friday, December 24, 2010

Christmas Eve with the Kids

Last night was fantastic.  I got to hang out with New Guy and his daughter and his niece and his mom (and his roommate, whom I've already met).  He was so attentive and sweet, he is a great dad and uncle, and he continues to crack me up.  I've always wanted to spend time with a guy who can make me laugh just as much as I make myself laugh (let's face it, I'm funny), and he can.  He seems to be just a plain good guy.  I can't wait to spend more time with him.  He's invited me to go with them when they go up to hike Hanging Lake on Sunday, and that's my very favorite hike in the world so I want to go.  However, I remember how hard it was when I was 17, when I was still playing a lot of soccer and was really active, so I know it will be tough, plus it's been snowing like crazy in the mountains so it will be even harder.  It's also three hours away, and I don't have my own way up there, and I really would want to bring Phoenix so I doubt there's room for both of us in whatever vehicle they are planning to take up there.  I will probably not end up going, but I'm thrilled to have been invited.  The girls last night (they're 8 and 11) took to me pretty quickly and kept asking me if I was going home with them, or spending Christmas Eve with them, or coming over on Christmas, to the point where New Guy was like, "Guys, she has her own family!"  It was awesome.  And we decided that last night was actually a date when we had our picture taken by a MetroMix photographer for Date Night at the Zoo.  The picture is awesome.  I can tell New Guy has blue eyes (BONUS!).

I soooo don't feel like writing tonight.  I'm exhausted.  Phoenix was acting really strangely last night - I came home from work, ran in the house, changed my clothes, and then left again.  When I left, he was outside, and when he came back in I was gone, and I apparently that really irked him.  My little sister said he was running all over the house looking for me.  He didn't eat his dinner, but threw up in the yard.  When I got home, he seemed subdued, and then when it was time for bed, he wouldn't hold still, and laid down literally ON my pillows, which he has never done before.  I fell asleep, but was awakened to him moving around on the squeaky part of my bedroom floor (which can only be fixed by pulling up the carpet), again not holding still.  I took him out front thinking maybe he needed to be sick or something, but even more oddly, he just laid down right in the middle of the front yard.  He didn't get sick out there, but he came back in and I was so concerned, I just sat up petting him for another hour.  He finally fell asleep and stayed asleep and when he got up this morning he seemed pretty much fine.  Today he's eaten, played, drank water, gone on a walk, gone on several car rides, and so I think he's okay.  If I'd had to guess based on how he was acting yesterday, I'd say he'd gotten a head injury or eaten something that was poisonous.

Anyway, I got up with my family at 8 this morning, ran to the bank to deposit some Christmas money I got from work, and then went back to bed til almost noon.  Phoenix slept with me the whole time, so I know he was tired too.  We got up and got going, wrapping presents and cleaning up the house, and preparing food for tomorrow.  It was a terribly efficient day, there was little to no strain in the house, except for a few moments when I got really pissed off because I couldn't find Phoenix's stocking because my older sister had placed it in a "safe place" behind the couch after one of the boys was playing with it.  Grrrr.  The communication - the lack thereof - in this house is infuriating.

My sister's ex-husband told her today that because the kids are sick, they had been uninvited to his sister's house where they were celebrating Christmas today, so could we please take them earlier than originally planned.  My parents were livid that they'd been uninvited.  We can sympathize a little with the reason - their aunt (their dad's sister) just had twins, and they don't want to get them sick, but logic would dictate that instead they just cancel the big family get together and each family do their own thing instead of just saying "Oh, the boys and the baby can't come, but we'll celebrate without them."  Also, my sister's ex made plans to go out tonight.  On Christmas Eve. 

So we ended up taking the boys to church, and they did great!  They were quiet and calm, they went up for the children's sermon, and they got to hold the candles at the end of the service.  They thought it was really cool, too.  We asked them if they wanted to go back and also go to Sunday school, and they said they did.  We took them home, got them into sweats and then took them back out to look at a couple really fantastic Christmas light displays in Broomfield.  They really liked them.

Then we came home, and put out cookies and milk for Santa and my dad read The Night Before Christmas to them, while we all sat in the room listening.  The boys could hardly stay awake, it was wonderful.  No worrying about them getting up in the middle of the night tonight, I think!

And despite all the worries that there might not be enough presents for the kids due to the marked lack of funds, there are so many presents under the tree that it's spilled over into the living room.  I cannot wait to see them rip through everything in the morning! 

Okay I have been up 22 minutes later than I anticipated, so I'm going to go pass out, but I want to say - A Merry Christmas to All and to All a Good Night!!

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