all is calm, all is bright

This picture is from a few years ago. My house was not nearly this clean this year.
I may be a slob, but at least I'm honest.


I think I'm surrendering on Reverb10. It has been fun, but I'm all stressed out about catching up now and thinking of answers and I have so many other things that I should ACTUALLY be stressing about that I think I need to re-prioritize.

Like OMG my house looks like a Christmas BOMB went off and my in-laws will be here in 24 hours! Also, Cheer's birthday is in 2 days and I don't think I can LOOK at another toy.

I must say though, Christmas here was fabulous. Everyone got what they wanted. (Well, OK, *I* didn't wake up in Puerto Rico, but other than that...) Cheer (aka Johnny Holiday) got up at 4:10 AM. FOUR TEN, PEOPLE. Santa had gone to bed just two hours earlier.

We sent him back to bed, but he just went and sat on the couch WIDE AWAKE for 2 hours, staring at the presents until he just couldn't take it any more.

We we were all done opening presents and were sitting down to breakfast by 6:30AM. Don't you wish you were here?

Cheer was so excited when he opened his Nintendo DSi that he laid down on the floor and did the worm. It was the funniest thing ever. Too bad it happened outside of video camera range. (Note to self: Next year, have the Flip handy.)

For the entire rest of the day, there was NO FIGHTING. Not a single HARSH WORD. It was disorienting. I kept thinking, "THIS is what it could be like? Wow." They even put themselves to bed, for the first time EVER. There was no herding and brushing and tucking and berating and reminding. They just went upstairs and went to bed. It was almost alarming.

But never fear, things are back to normal round these parts. I've already put that DSi in time out, along with several other Christmas prezzies. And earlier today, I screamed so loudly that I was afraid I had ruptured a blood vessel in my face. (In my defense, they WERE trying to kill each other.)

I've thrown out more bags of wrapping paper and plastic packaging than I can count. I hit the Target 50% off holiday aisle. We've eaten almost all the leftovers. A Christmas Story is no longer on infinite loop on TBS (sob). The BLIZZARD we were supposed to get on Christmas was a bust here in DC, but the swirling snowflakes were picturesque while they lasted.

My mind is thinking ahead to organizing and cleaning and sweeping up all these pine needles. But for the rest of this week, we will keep celebrating. Cheer turning 8 (that noise was me fainting), my dad, a New Years Eve baby, turning 79! New Years Day with good friends and neighbors.

I'm soaking up the last of the holiday week. I'm enjoying my new iPod and the most awesome flameless LED candles. (With a REMOTE, people! I don't even have to get up off the couch to turn them off!) I'll deal with the pine needles and the credit card bill (OMG) next week!

Hope your bum got well acquainted with your couch this Christmas and Santa brought at least 24 hours of peace and happiness your way!

Merry Christmas from the Laundromat!