Slacker Christmas 2010

We were watching the classic "A Christmas Story" at my friend Janet's house party last night. On Christmas morning in the Parker household there on the TV, right before the Dad gives Ralphie his Red Ryder Carbide Action 200 Shot BB Gun with the compass in the stock and this thing which tells time, they are sitting with their opened gifts all around them, drinking wine.

It has to be like 8:30am, and they're drinking Breakfast Wine. So I told my daughter "tomorrow morning, I'm totally having Breakfast Wine."

It is now tomorrow morning, Christmas morning and she pointed out "Hey Lady, where is your Breakfast Wine?"

Well, I'm not having Breakfast Wine. I think if I really do ever end up having breakfast wine, you had better take me to rehab. One should not have Breakfast Wine, not even on Christmas morning.

One's common sense dictates, and one's liver thanks.

Christmas morning was uneventful in our house. Last night after getting home from Janet's awesome party (where 23 good souls perished under Banana Mountain in the great Railway Disaster above the sleepy hamlet of Pete Tom Town. Long may they be remembered), I wrapped all our presents and set them under the tree. I was done before midnight, and was once again watching "A Christmas Story" with Jessica before heading to bed around 1am.

There were 20 some odd things under the tree, all very small in size.

When your kids are older, the presents get smaller and sometimes more expensive. So the "pile" under the tree was sort of pimpy looking compared to years past, but there was a lot of great quality stuff there. In fact, all of it could have really fit inside the stockings for the kids... but I wrapped and set out as usual. Because ... what's Christmas without a few little things to actually unwrap.

Geoff woke up at 5:30, opened one present (a camera tripod, which he asked for) and went back to bed. He didn't make a sound, he just went down, and went back up. Doug woke up around 8 and came down here to enjoy the DirectTV Christmas channel by himself since I have issues with crappy phoned in Christmas music that is uninspired and autotuned to death. This is an entry best saved for me to write in utter screed mode when I'm grumpy and angry and I've had too much Breakfast Wine, so I'll save it for another day,.

I woke up at 9:30, Geoff heard me up and jumped out of bed. Together we convinced Jess to get up and come down to open presents.

We gave Jess a Yo-Yo (she asked for that), a super bouncy ball with floaty things in it (I watched her play with one at Toys R Us the other day and she was thoroughly happy doing so.... so I figured I'd pick it up for her), Bananagrams, a harmonica (she asked for that) and a DVD of how to play harmonica with some super cheesy dude on it (Doug and I figured for the hilarity factor it was a great gift. She agreed).

We got Geoff a new camera -- a little Samsung point and click, for about 70 bucks. It has 14.1 megapixels compared to my 10.1 mpxl camera, so I'm already a little jealous of it.... I so need a DSLR in my life. He had already opened his tripod. I got him a new acoustic guitar strap so he can stand and play his guitar. He stopped playing it because he just didn't like sitting down all the time to do it... And he had a pair of drumsticks wrapped up, which confused him when he opened them. There was a reason for that ... It is easier to wrap a set of sticks than it is to wrap a 5 piece drum set.

For the last few years he has shown some skill in drumming and we figured this is about the age when kids really start building bands with their friends. Since he already has kind of a clue, why not?

Doug is in the other room building the kit right now. I'm glad we didn't start or try to do this last night because he's been at it for 90 minutes. We never would have gotten it done last night.

And for the rest of the day, it is Slacker Christmas up in here. We aren't traveling, we aren't having 14 people for dinner. Anyone is welcome to pop over for cheesecake or whatever but ... it is totally mellow and we're surrounded by dogs and the warmth of the woodstove.

And this is how I like it.

Merry Christmas to you, or if you don't celebrate Christmas -- have a great day in whatever you choose to do. And on that note, I hear that they've made it to the cymbals which means they're close to being done. Fantastic. Where are my earplugs, which I will wear with a smile on my face as Geoff goes at it.