Happy Boxing Day

Well I have survived Christmas, but only just barely.

I worked like a dog on Saturday while the rest of the family sat watching football games and movies. At 5:00 or so, I got the, "What's for dinner?" So then I went on to cook a dinner for the crew. And yes, my mother-in-law ate her standard 1 Tbs. of rice and 2 Tbs. of meat and vegetables. Hell, the 9 year old ate more. After dinner, I cleaned up and finished the last couple of tasks that I had left (made fudge) then sat down on the floor of the living room to wrap the remaining unwrapped gifts. At that point, around 10:30, I headed off to bed, exhausted.


The next morning, we got up around 8 and headed down. The rule in this house is that there is no kids downstairs until Mommy and Daddy say so. So we went down. Plugged in the over done Festivus pole that are calling a tree, put the dog in her crate, positioned ourselves on the couch with the camera and a diet coke and called les petites down from their room. Every one ooohed and ahhhed appropriately and were satisfied for a moment anyway. Then I went up, got dressed and started to get back to work. I checked my list, I was pretty well down to the elements that could only be done in the last couple of hours. So I set about working on the table and cleaning the kitchen floor which at best could be described as revolting. Then I sat down and took a break and called friends to wish them a Merry Christmas. My friend, Tim, who is married to my college roommate, Amy seemed surprised that I had time to chat. I explained how I had everything organized. He laughed and then uttered the damning words, "Ah," he said, "Then something big is bound to go wrong. You are going to end up in the emergency room or something!"

Damn! I hate it when I don't notice when my luck is about to change.

Sure, at the time I laughed it off... but as I got back to work and everything continued to go smoothly, I forgot all about the prediction.

Then the doorbell rang.

And in walk the filles bosom buddy, who for the purposes of this entry I will call Polly. She came over to drop off gifts to the girls. Very sweet, eh?

Then I noticed that the girls ran upstairs, Polly had a backback and her father, who had walked her over, had now left. Oh, HELL!

When I checked in with the Angel, she told me, she had no idea how long Polly would be staying. Then a couple of minutes later, I got the full confession. Polly was staying the night. Her family doesn't do Christmas dinner... and in fact, her folks were going to a movie that afternoon.

FUCK, FUCK, FUCK!

I am not entirely certain how this could happen. I know that the girls like to finangle their way into sleepovers, BUT ON CHRISTMAS? If the filles had come to me asking to go over there for evening I would have a. said "NO!" and b. said, "I don't believe Polly's parents really agreed to this... I am going to give them a call!"

Apparently this thinking is foreign at Polly's house, since they just dropped the kid right off. What the hell, kind of thing is that? ON CHRISTMAS?!!!

Now do I explode and make a scene (oh all the rest of the guests for dinner have all arrived) and unceremoniously send the child home? Or do I except this deception played on my graciously? I ultimately opted for gracious and a bottle of champagne all to myself..










Dinner, itself, went off without a hitch. Everything was tasty. All the filles helped serve the meal. Polly got to see how other people do Christmas and a rather good dinner (if I do say so myself). All the filles put on their party manners. No grownups fought. They even loved the soundtrack I prepared for the meal. After dinner, Richard and Charles danced with the grandmas and at 11:00 I put my head down on the table and fell promptly to sleep

Hope your day was good!

But I live in fear of New Years Eve now...