Lots and lots of gifts this year.....
1. Lisa, of Champaign Taste, and I had been talking about the traditional meat pie I make for Christmas Eve, or more properly, the traditional French-Canadian tourtiere. She had a recipe someone had given her so although at one point we had more elaborate plans, we ended up agreeing to trade pies on Christmas Eve. I'll let her write more about the differences in our two pies but it was really a gift. Christmas Eve was always spent with my parents and our traditional meat pies and I knew this year would be hard. Christmas Day is different---more about the boys for us, but Christmas Eve would be hard. So this was the perfect gift---because it felt festive to be walking out of the house with a covered meat pie and it was such fun to have the two kinds----hers was fabulous but totally different than ours. So thank you for the gift of celebrating meat pie with me on Christmas Eve Lisa----it was perfect and exactly what we needed this year!
2. Growing up my sisters and I were always allowed to exchange our gifts to each other on Christmas Eve and we have continued this tradition. Owen, much like Judi could not WAIT so we finally agreed that Christmas Eve afternoon after we got home from Lisa's house, they could exchange gifts. They were both so excited about the gifts that they got each other that I could have cried. Leo opened his first, at Owen's insistence and was properly thrilled and even HUGGED his brother. Owen then opened his and almost burst with excitement.....more hugs followed and when I looked over at Ernie he had tears in his eyes. It was the most wonderful Christmas exchange there ever could have been....
3. The boys watched part of It's a Wonderful Life with us but went to bed a little after 8:00 so they could put themselves out of their misery of anticipation.
4. They showed up in our bedroom at 5:20 Christmas morning but we'd given them leave to wake us anytime after 5:00 so off we trudged. Owen jumped up and down in the air when he saw his guitar and if I could have only captured the ecstatic fit of Santa Claus thanking that went on when he saw his Michael Jackson Thriller figure....well you would all be weeping with tears of laughter and admiration. Leo was similarly thrilled (albeit a bit more dignified and quiet) with his cache of Lego and other presents. Owen did question the quality control of the elves as he felt the pikmins seemed a bit low-quality but he cheerfully said he would love them, he might just not TREASURE them. Soon the sounds of Michael Jackson singing and bags of Lego being dumped out on the table where we were supposed to eat were wafting through the house....
5. Periodically I have noted that Owen has shaved several years of my life with his antics. However, if sheer joy can extend your life then he has made up for it because watching him dance to the Michael Jackson Wii video game made me so happy I thought the top of MY head might pop off....
More to write but I'm feeling lazy....Merry Christmas to all......
two brothers working on figuring out presents for two boys.....Dennis always brings incredible gifts....
