- watching a christmas story while putting ornaments on the same fake tree we've had for at least six years
- mom making fudge and divinity
- mom and emily wrapping presents for days; i am wrapping paper stupid.
- making the 12 hour drive to kentucky from pennsylvania to be at my paternal grandparents' house
- regardless of weather or sickness, ahem
- all of us staying at grandma and papa's house, even though by christmas day there's about 15 people and 6 or 7 dogs
- making piles and piles of sugar cookies for the grandkids to frost and sprinkle
- getting annoyed at the christmas song-playing clock
- watching football games on the sometimes-boring days leading up to christmas, while trying not to stare at the presents that cover 1/2 of the room
- if it snows, pulling the younger kids around on sleds
- if it doesn't snow, climbing trees and exploring the frozen creeks
- big christmas eve dinner with ham and all the staples
- going to midnight mass on christmas eve/day
- opening everyone's immediate familys' presents after mass
- having cocoa and cookies before going to bed at two in the morning
- waking up 5-6 hours later to open all the extended familys' presents
- christmas day dinner, usually with the priest
- driving 3 hours to my maternal grandfather's (and his wife's) house in tennessee for more family and more presents
- being really bored in his retirement village, with nothing to do but go to the outlet mall and movies and play video games
- making the 10 hour drive home
- leaving the tree and the lights up for weeks afterward, or until it's sort of warm
jul 5 2009 ∞
jan 6 2010 +