Christmas Aftermath

We have survived 6 out of 8 Christmas celebrations. The remaining two aren't for a bit. One is next Sunday and the other not until the 15th of January. I have to apologize for a total lack of pictures (I still haven't replaced my camera cable).

The office Christmas party was a great success. With the attorney leaving to become Judge on the 1st, we had a huge turnout. I actually mingled more this year (mainly because I didn't knit) instead of letting the people come to me. I got to hold three babies which was fabulous. Ben and the 8 month old were having a great time. She would lean over to get hugs and give him big kisses all over. It was adorable. Nate charmed his way through all of the ladies at the party and at one point had some lady I had never met helping him get some food. We left pretty early since we had the kids and I had a big deadline the next day. I think that was probably a good thing as the alcohol consumption grew as the night went on.

Friday, I got to work to the aftermath of the party. I had never experienced that before as it was always cleaned up by the next workday. Unfortunately, I had to finish my BIG deadline item before I could help clean. On the plus side it didn't take long. I headed to the copy shop with it and while they were copying it, I went to Toys-R-Us to finish some of the shopping. I really needed to go to the mall as well, but I couldn't take the crowds and traffic so I gave up and went back to work. We started our small office party at around 1 with leftover food from the previous night. (Most of the food was made by our Office Manager. She made all kinds of cookies, candies and 13 separate types of cheese balls). Then we opened gifts. I had given the ladies their scarves and they all responded nicely. At least nice enough that I think they will each wear them at least some. I gave booze to the attorneys, since I know it is one thing they will definetely use. I got some really good chocolate -- Godiva and Hershey's. I also got a couple of gift certificates and one of the best scented candles ever. It is bayberry and cinamon and you can smell it in the room without even lighting it.

Bossman gave me a LYS gift certificate (he has every year that I have worked there, he knows I will use it and it requires very little thought). I used it immediately. I had planned all year what I wanted to buy with it and had begun to worry that he might have bought me something else this year. I got a copy of Victorian Lace which I loved when I first saw it, 4 skeins of ArtYarns 100% silk yarn in a beautiful blue/green/yellow colorway and a Addi natura in the proper size to make a pattern with the silk. This is the first year the gift certificate went entirely for stuff for me.

Friday evening, Shane went to Lowe's to finish the shopping. My parents also brought by my nephew for his visit. He had been feeling pretty sick and was just starting to perk up. But with the boys and Remus (our dog), he was very lively at our house. He can talk quite a bit but is very soft spoken most of the time, plus he had been away from his parents for over five days at that point and was missing them something terrible as he rarely is away for more than 24 hours at a time.

Saturday my cousin came over for a visit and my boys monopolized her time while Shane and I sat in the living room. She went back to college this fall and between college, work and her fiance she doesn't have much spare time so we hadn't seen her in months. (This is very unusual for my family and we were both missing each other). It was nice to see her and it kept me from killing my boys who spent the day bickering.

My MIL tried to do me in. I had to send Shane to get a gift card for Ben after he got home because I had miscalculcated what I had spent. When he got home, he checked the message from his mother only to find out she had decided (one day before Christmas Eve) that she was going to give him the bike she picked up for us. I could have killed her. I mean a couple of weeks before Christmas is one thing but one day before you need the gift, come on! Since I had already gotten the gift card and had no intention of going to any store big enough to carry anything he might want that he wasn't already getting I was at a loss for what to do. I called my sister who saved my bacon (and my MIL's). She was in a bigger town with some shopping potential and picked up a couple things for me.

This just goes to prove that I need to keep all the boys gifts at hand until the day I need them. Next year I will definetely also save back a little of each of their lists so that I am not scrambling for things to buy them. My boys don't really put a lot on their lists and we both have pretty good size families so their lists were dry by the fourth person or so. I try to get them to go for things like legos and train tracks for Nate, but Ben doesn't really do much beside swim and play video games. For some reason, the MIL would't buy the swimming items he wanted. If I had known she wasn't going to get them, I would have.

My sister gave me Handmaiden Sea Silk yarn in Amethyst and a set of Crystal Palace needles. My sister-in-law gave me ebony needles. I was as happy as could be.

We ate to much. Visited a lot. I played some pinocchle (racehorse my favorite). I could barely get out of bed today, besides eating stuff I wasn't supposed to I didn't get to bed early enough any night and got up way to early. I had planned on taking the day off, but the big deadline that ended up being on Friday was supposed to be today so I couldn't take it off. It is a good thing I didn't as we had a sick call and one girl out with vacation time. The office is what it will look and sound like after the 1st.

Tonight, I get to enjoy the putting away of gifts and washing of new clothes. Anybody else wash new clothes before wearing? I never used to but Shane is allergic to the dyes or packing materials and breaks out if we don't so he makes me wash everything.