'Tis the season!! I love Christmas time, and this weekend is a little reason why. We had holiday fun all weekend long with friends, work, family and of course food! Friday we headed off to an adult Christmas party with Austin's work. It was a great chance to leave Dax with Grandma and Grandpa Mac for a few hours and have some fun. The physical therapy office Austin works at is a small, tight-knit group that has been together for 5 years. Austin just joined them in July and they have taken him in like one of the family. There are basically only 4 other employees and they really are like a family. They always do such fun things in his office and I was really looking forward to seeing the spouses again. We started off at the Cheesecake Factory for dinner---yum! Then we went to his boss's house (which is absolutely beautiful) and had a gift exchange and played games to win some prizes. To make a long, super fun night short, I walked off with a brand new smoothie maker/blender/(& my favorite part) FOOD PROCESSOR! I really felt like I won the ultimate prize, even though they gave away the new 80gig video iPod. I am such a kitchen accessories lover, but I never buy any of that fun stuff. So it was really fun for us to take this home. It looks so pretty in my kitchen! Thank you Marc and Michelle!
On Saturday we went to Austin's parents for their annual family Christmas party that we've only ever been able to get to once before. The party is usually in CA, but now that his parents live out here, we can make it ever year from now on! So, I was really looking forward to it. I was asked to bring a broccoli cheese soup and I finally found a recipe that turned out super yummy! I thought it tasted great, but then again maybe I was just overly excited because i chopped the onion in my new food processor?! Either way, there were great soups and great desserts. The most anticipated activity of the night is the gift exchange, because with Austin's family, you never quite know how that is going to go. This year there was a kid game and an adult game. For the kid game they kids choose a number corresponding with a numbered present and they went youngest to oldest, making Dax the second one to get a gift. Here's a little preview of how it all happened...
"Here I am waiting with all the kids for my turn to open my much anticipated present! What will it be?"
"Yes! I scored! A new basketball!! I'm having so much fun!"
"What? They didn't tell me this?" At the end of the game all the kids had the option of exchanging gifts and my big cousin Chandler decides to exchange my basketball for his lame DVD about 150 cartoons from decades ago. "I was so not happy about that!"
So, fast forward to the adult game. Dax is still upset he lost his basketball, and even though I okayed the exchange from his big cousin ('cause who really needs ANOTHER ball in the house?) I was feeling pretty crappy Dax was so hurt by it. I mean look at his face! So, the adult game went a little differently. We all choose a number 1 to 21 and started at 21. The person had to pick a wrapped gift or an opened gift to steal. The gift could only be stolen once during each round. I was number 11 and choose a pretty box full of Dentyne Ice! Awesome!! Considering some of the gifts were pretty ridiculous, I was feeling like I really scored. That is until the final round when crap hit the fan. Austin's family is pretty ruthless and no feelings are spared. You have to be tough! My big bad brother-in-law comes and swipes my gum, for no reason at all. Now it's my turn to steal from someone else. My poor sister-in-law got a hideous hydraulic raising, reindeer singing, grandma riding car that plays "Grandma got Ran Over by a Reindeer" and who has been camped out by her side all night long playing with the stupid thing?? Just my son! He loved it. I decide to "steal" it from her. She gets to choose and new gift (some nice slippers), Dax is ecstatic he gets to take "grandma" home, and I'm shaking my head at the stupid things you do as a mom sometimes. But really, it made Dax so happy, isn't that what being a mom is all about it?!? I was just trying to spread Christmas cheer...who knew 48 hours later I would be ready to throw the thing out with the trash if I heard that song one more time!!!
Merry Christmas to all!!
5 comments:
I'm with Dax, I HATE those games where you get to steal other peoples gifts! It looks like you guys had a lot of fun!
Cute story! I can see it all play out as I was reading it! He looks so cute in his Christmas sweater! I think I would have ok'd the ball stealing idea too!...even if it meant getting grandma, the novelty should wear off soon, then it can go away for good!
Bryn...Last year for Christmas my sweet cousin gave me a Cat holding an umbrella & when you pushed it's hand it sang. "It's raining men, alleluia, raining men, very special men". My 4 year old step daughter found it & for 2 months we had to tolerate it. Then I got a brilliant idea....lets send it home with sweet Nichole & let her SINGLE Momma deal with it. The best idea I have ever had.
That is such a cute story you told with your pictures. Man, the loud toys we deal with because we know our kids love them. I had a big chicken Elmo who sang and danced to the chicken dance song. I tried to give that away to everyone who came into my house... and finally did. She took it for the same reason I bought it, her Son loved the annoying thing.
And where did you get the sweater? I LOVE it!!!
What a fun story. I love that Dax was only consoled by that one most awful gift. Isn't that the way it goes? The sacrifices we make for our kids' happiness. Just think, only another week and you can put it away...or get rid of it.
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