Aub flew in on the 23rd.  We all went to see Star Wars.  It was entertaining.  I have such nostalgic feelings about Star Wars since the first Star Wars movie was the first movie I ever saw and it made a huge impression on me.  I was a nine year old in total awe.  I think about the technological advances that our kids take for granted and am half excited, half scared of how far technology will advance by the time my kids are my age. I’m not sure they are in awe now but for me it’s mind boggling. Maybe in their 40’s they’ll be in awe.

The kids and I spent Christmas eve cleaning out the basement laundry/craft/junk room and the cold storage.  B told each one of us separately that was all he wanted for Christmas.  After four truckloads – two to the dump and two to DI – they were fabulously clean and organized.  We even all got along.

Later on we made graham cracker trains and ate clam chowder with Jeff, Christina and boys.  We’ve done this for years (copied from the Zimmermans:) but master D had this brilliant plan to use melted sugar instead of royal icing.  It worked beautifully as cement and even better as a blister maker. We started out on the stove but switched to a fondue pot to melt it (thanks Dave & Shel). Of course I didn’t get any pajama photos and they were really cute this year…duh! We all watched a past christmas video from 12 years ago and laughed a lot. The kids have changed so much. Ari said she wished she could hold herself at that age.  They sure were cute and busy.  I am genuinely sad not making our annual trip to Toys R Us anymore. 

Hmmm Christmas day…. It wasn’t the best we’ve ever had – I won’t bore you with the details or shame anyone for posterity. I am determined not to lock my kids identity into their teenage years. It’s really such a short little nasty passionate painful time. And it’s never pretty to drag anyone through the mud especially the written-for-all-time mud.  We did have a very beautiful white Christmas day.