I Can't Believe I Forgot To Mention The Best Part

What can make an evening more perfect than finding out that there is one other person in the world that knows the song about the Erie Canal? And starts singing it at the exact same moment that you do? I swear we were separated at birth. Otherwise, there is no explanation for the freakishness that is our coincidence.

Mr. Bartender,

That's what I'm talking about! Thanks for the best December 28th/29ishth I've had in recent memory. Even if you did cut my hair with kid scissors. Even if you did make me eat that cookie so I wouldn't be "rude." Even if that piece of Nerds Rope had a bit of CE drool on it. Even if I did lose the last hand of the night. Even if all sentences had to end in Bee-yotch. Even with Debbie Gibson singing it like it should be. It was fun :)

This Is What Procrastination Will Get You

For about two or three years now we've been taking a "back roads" way to get to my dad's house. And, there by the side of one of these rural winding roads is a pair of trees that I love...a giant oak tree - ancient branches spreading out forever and, underneath, a 20 foot straight and tall evergreen. The smaller tree doesn't even begin to reach the lower branches of the oak. The two trees stand together in a field by themselves and remind me of a parent and child every single time we drive past. And every time I wish I had my camera and say that I need to stop and take a picture someday. (Because if you don't know this already, I have a thing for trees).

So, this year we're driving down the road and I look to my left, anxiously awaiting my first glimpse of the trees. I see the top of the oak as we get closer and, then, suddenly we're zooming past and I realize that the evergreen has been cut down. The big tree is standing by itself in the middle of the field now with no one to watch over. Silly that a missing tree would disappoint me so much? Probably. But it did. I wish I had taken that photo...

Remember When I Foolishly Spoke

And said I wasn't going to drive anywhere today? Oh, I was so, so very wrong. Not including errands that I decided not to put off (library, grocery store, pet store) I had to drive an additional 140 miles to pick up my daughter who decided that she was in no way spending another day with her grandparents. Sheesh. No wonder I'm getting nothing done around here...too much time spent in the car this week. And, after all that, I just found out that J used all the dishwasher detergent and forgot to tell me...back to the store I go...tomorrow.

Christmas By Numbers

Number of days spent celebrating so far - 3
Number of days left to go - 1
Number of families visited in 3 days - 4

Sunday, December 23rd - The In-Laws
They came to our house for presents and a show (piano and singing by Noah and Olivia, naturally). Then out to dinner.
Number of carols played on the piano - 3
Number of carols refused by Liv - 3
Number of Hannah Montana songs performed instead by Liv - 2
Number of people we saw at Outback that we knew - 2
Number of people we saw at Outback that we knew and that I had been thinking of only moments before - 1
Number of times we were asked by the Mother-In-Law if we really, honestly, truly liked our gifts - countless

Monday, December 24th - My Dad's House
Number of grown-ups present -13
Number of children present - 8
Number of super shy children that actually sat and talked to me for the first time ever - 1 (thanks, Tuck! I should mention that he couldn't resist me only because I had stickers and glitter glue available for his little 2 year old use)
Varieties of desserts available - 7
Turkeys fried - 2
Height of my "baby" 17 year old cousin - 6'5"
Number of strangers who showed up and whose name I don't remember (Amber? Amanda? Amy?) -1

Tuesday, December 25th - Our House
Smiling faces Christmas morning - 4
Number of cookies Santa ate - 2
Number of amazing priceless gifts received - at least a hundred (A few years ago our computer died without warning and bad, bad me had never backed up our digital pictures. Every baby picture I had of Olivia was lost. For Christmas J called all the grandparents and had them send copies of any baby picture they had of her. Awesomely Awesome. I almost want to cry just thinking about the awesomeness of them all :)

Tuesday Afternoon - My aunt and uncle's house
Number of adults present - 16
Number of children present - 7
Number of dogs -2
Number of real parrots - 1
Number of toy parrots - 1
Number of new people to meet - 3
Number of new people names I remembered - 3!
Number of incredibly shy children who would have nothing to do with me because I no longer had the allure of glitter glue and stickers - 1
Number of whisky sours I had to drink - 1/2 (Mr. Bartender, you really should've been there!!)


Wednesday December 26th - The Wrap Up
Number of Children currently in my house until Friday - 0
Number of Husbands currently in my house until 7pm - 0
Number of dates I will go on tonight - 1 (with above mentioned husband, of course!)
Number of gift cards used today - 1
Items bought with gift card - 5 storage containers in various sizes to hold all the gifty stuff children received and 2 movies (Annie for me. And, um, The Goonies...for me. Because, hey, it was my gift card)
Number of miles traveled since Sunday - 443
Number of miles I'm traveling tomorrow - 0
Days until next Christmas - 365

Time's A'Tickin'

There's so much I wanted to post about today. But time is growing short and I don't think I have time to organize all the randomness floating around in my head. Instead, I'll save it for another day and just wish you all a Merry Christmas, safe journeys, and good times with family and friends. Sleep tight :)