| Got through Christmas. About that misery fit I threw Christmas Eve, I managed to push it back and decide to take it as it comes. What precipitated it was a tearful call from former-SIL informing me of things that made me view the situation in a different, and much more upsetting, light. I can’t say more on the blog. Just pray or send strong wishes out to the world that Chapin doesn’t do something super-stupid.
Anyway, Christmas Eve with the extended family was okay. Everyone was kind of in a bleh mood, probably because we all worked that day. Also because few of us had seen my two great-aunts since they lost their homes in Ike and they looked like they’d aged 20 years. My great aunt Pauline is already 96, so you can imagine how scary that was. 
It also turned into a bit of a pity party, oh joy. “Oh, you think your year was hard? My house floated away.” “Oh yeah, well I got divorced.” “Oh yeah, well I graduated last week and still don’t have a job.” “Oh yeah, well I’m just biding my time until the youngest is out of school and I can offload this nag.” “Oh yeah, well my clean-cut Air Force fiance disappeared and here is my new mohawked, tattooed lover.” “Oh yeah, well guess what, family? Not only have I decided that my dream career is in mortuary sciences, I am also a lesbian. Meet my life partner.” Big fun night! May stay home next year… We left around 10:30 and I got lost driving home. Made it back around midnight and was in bed by 2 after a screaming long distance phone call with Chapin and Santa duty.
Christmas Day was better. Blue Eyes came over to join us and take pictures (will post later when he sends them). We have a tradition of tea, fresh fruit and scones. This year we substituted a blueberry/cream cheese butter braid because my cousin has to sell them several times a year for band and our freezer was overflowing. Pumpkinhead was sooooo excited that Santa left him a letter. He read it to each of us individually and was practically jumping out of his skin. 
Then he opened all the fun things in his stocking and raced around waiting for Blue Eyes to arrive so he could open his presents. We did a lot of homemade stuff this year. Pumpkinhead made me some BEAUTIFUL hand-stamped stationary (notecards and envelopes) and decorated the plastic container with “World’s Greatest Mom.” It was the most special present and will come in so handy for notes to his teacher or aftercare. My mother made me a memory ring, which is a gold ring with ribbons, beads and bells attached. You hole-punch the bottom of each ribbon and attach a notecard with a memory, a photo, etc. It is so cool! Dad got me a motion-sensing floodlight so I don’t have to walk to the main house to pee in the dark. 
Pumpkinhead was spoiled rotten, as usual. Actually, he got less this year than normal but he didn’t notice. He loved his Nintendo games (especially Playground and Kung Fu Panda – thanks Aunt Ashante!). He also got a lot of clothes that he needed anyway (hey, we’re practical) and some board games his therapist wants him to play to learn to anticipate consequences. Blue Eyes got me some beautiful candles that I am not sure I can bear to use because they are so lovely! He also made my parents a gorgeous framed art print of a shot he took of me that he manipulated in Photoshop to make it look like a painting. They were raving. He also Photoshopped one of the pictures he took of me and Pumpkinhead. He says it didn’t print the way he wanted but I love it. I went out and got a special frame today.
I turn 30 in two days. 
Tomorrow my Dad and I are going to get pretty at my salon. My Mom made me get an appointment for Dad to get cut by my stylist because he’s shaggy and she wants him to buy into the theory that he needs at least one “good” cut every few months and then the cheap place can maintain it. I don’t know that I buy that but whatever. I have a color at 12:30 followed by a cut. I have to pick up the yummy lemon cake I ordered from a local bakery by 4 p.m. and then I’m meeting a group of friends at 7 p.m. at a restaurant downtown. Can’t wait! 
Now off to continue playing PlayDoh and watching SpongeBob: Pest of the West with Pumpkinhead.
To add some authenticity and to help a Mama out, I wrote a thank you note from Santa (hey, gotta reinforce manners where we can, right?). It thanked him for being such a good boy this year and reminded him to do a, b, and c next year and said that Santa was looking forward to watching over him in 2009 and bringing him some of his heart’s desires next Christmas. Hope it works. 
They are all getting one of these because I can print them on card stock from the comfort of my own home:
during Amazon’s boxed DVD set sale. I also got Pumpkinhead’s karate teacher and bus driver 
because they now have an option where you can print a really pretty color gift certificate at home. Throw a few chocolates in and you are all set! 
