Adventures with Christmas Presents

Right now I live in a very small house, so it's difficult to find a spot to secretly wrap Christmas presents. (or presents for any event)
But our old house on the east coast was much larger, so around Christmas time we designated one particular room as the 'wrapping' room. I put all sorts of wrapping supplies in there and the family took turns bringing their goodies to the room, wrapping them and putting them under the tree.
Well, that was when the kids were older and could resist those delicious looking packages.
When they were young, we hid the wrapped presents, only bringing them out and putting them under the tree after they were asleep. (Don't ask about how many hidden presents weren't found until months later.)

This system worked fine except for the one time when they woke up on Christmas day before us, went downstairs, and opened everything.
Usually I would sit there with a pad and pen recording what gifts they received from relatives, but that year we had NO IDEA because, of course, the kids had shoved all the wrappings aside in their hurry to open Their presents.  The poor relatives received very generic 'thank you for the present' letters that year.

Merrie Christmas

I hope everyone had a Happy Christmas Day.

We began with opening presents with my oldest daughter, her husband and almost 2-year-old son. Then they went north to Oceanside to have Christmas Lamb dinner with her father-in-law.


Meanwhile my younger daughter brought her husband over to our house to have Christmas Roast Beast dinner with the 13-year-old (yes, she had a birthday) and me.

The topper was when my oldest daughter shared leftover lamb with us in the evening.  We had the best of both families this year.

I hope your day was stress-free and full of joy.
wo

Christmas Day

Hope your day was happy, healthy and stress-free.

Merrie Christmas

Well, was it a Merrie Christmas for you?   It was for us.

This was the year to have a red and gold, Angel tree.  (last year the trim was all silver)  We put up the tree on Sunday and much to my surprise, the 8-year old took the remaining decorations and "decorated" the house.  I only hope she can find everything she put up when we take it all down on Three Kings Day.  I'm finding pine cones and bells and angels everywhere.

Yesterday, I bought new lampshades for the living room (ones that light will shine through) to replace the old ones which were  opaque.  Amazing.  The rooms I had thought were too dark to use are now brightly lit and welcoming. 

Everyone received something for Christmas that was totally a surprise.   Nick and Chip got remote-controlled helicopters.  and immediately had them buzzing around the living room.  The 8-year old got the locket she had always (always?) wanted.  And my sister sent me a shawl she had knit herself, along with an old-fashioned wooden stick topped with a painted bead to keep it closed.  It's cozy to wear in the evenings when I sit at the computer.  Like wearing a warm hug.

Today for dinner, we had ham -- Silver Label Ham -- for the first time in years.  yum!   Usually we have roast beast and yorkshire pudding.

And now everyone is out in the back yard playing wiffle ball.  The 8-year old is getting pretty good at hitting it.  If only she wouldn't attempt to hit every ball that passes her -- high/ low/ and inbetween.  Oh well, it's exercise -- for her if not for us.

On the writing side -- I got an invitation from an agent to send a full manuscript to her.  (and the Lance, the Fire Dog story got rejected.  Gotta get that one back out in the mail.)

-wendieO