Family is good.

I got lots of nice things for Christmas. Lots. Probably most useful right off the top of my head will be the camera-related stuff and a "static discharger." There are also some new teas to try, a gift card to some indian food place, a couple electronic accessories I love, little bowls for tea-related stuff, some soap for the bathroom (courtesy of my niece, who has, since Thanksgiving, grown TALLER than me by a good inch or two), and two Big Bang Theory DVDs. Another really cool thing that I wouldn't use if I didn't have it (meaning I don't bake but now I probably will because I have stuff to bake in) are these bakeware things with covers and trivets... very neat things, you can bake in them, cool them on the trivet rack things, cover them, refrigerate them, and then shove them right back in the oven. It's a gorgeous matching set, too, in green.

I think my favourite thing right now, though, is a pewter cup that Dale got me. We had been at a Danforth shoppe not too long ago and I saw these beautiful "baby" cups. There was one with engraving on it so it was dirt cheap by Danforth standards, but still too high for me to want to get it, especially since it had engraving on it that I couldn't rationalize around at the time and besides, I have /lots/ of things to drink my tea from so to me it was WAY too extravagant for on-the-whim purchasing. So I walked out without it (lots of willpower that day). I also did not buy myself a pewter teapot, which /was/ worth the price to me, but again, could not rationalize... especially since I'd be unlikely to actually /use/ it, and already have a gorgeous silver one that Dale got me a year or two ago from an antique shoppe. Anywho, Dale got me a beautiful pewter cup, but that wasn't the really cool part. He had it engraved. At first, I thought it was really sweet... "For Tea Only," in blackletter font. Then after I finished drooling over it he's like, "You didn't finish reading." I'm like, "Huh?" and spent a good thirty seconds searching the packaging for text. He finally goes, "Turn the cup around." On the other side is reads "(or Guinness)" which is the beer I like.

THAT was the coolest part. I told him, however, that the cup was most definitely for tea and that the pint-sized tankard with a pewter "Guinness" on it was for the Guinness. He smiled. (He got me the tankard, too.)

:D :D :D

Oh, and he loved his gifts, too. I done better than I'd hoped... he saw the thoughtfulness in them that I'd intended before I got spooked by numbers (he out-gifted me numerically, which I realised after everything was under the tree). I had nothing at all to worry about. I don't know why I worry so much at times... and usually for all the wrong reasons. Probably just upbringing to an extent, and living in a material-oriented world. Human? LOL

Anywho, three days of Christmas is a lot but I loved every minute of it. My niece is just about to turn 12 and even though from my perspective, she's spoiled rotten and has her moments of showing it, she's actually /very/ well-behaved now, and took great pleasure in giving out gifts of her own this year. She obviously loved everything people gave her and any training she's had on thanking people for everything has become innate. It's interesting to have been able to watch these changes in her as she's gotten older. She has a couple good role models in her life, methinks, including her mom. Of course, my nephew was also a little ray of sunshine until yesterday afternoon when he had a bit of a tantrum for a few minutes. That was highly unusual but he's three, had a lot of activity, and had been away from Mom for the longest ever. (She just had an operation so he's staying with Dad for two weeks... this is the half-way point.) I figured it was related to the last, because he kept saying "Momma" into the floor. Eventually his curiosity roused him out of it, though. Felt bad for him but I was more inclined to simply keep playing with family instead of giving him attention. I thought he could figure it out himself... he won't always be catered to in life and needs to learn to be with himself. In case I was wrong, I have nothing to worry about... Grammy was the one to help regain his interest in the proceedings around him. We've got another spoiled kid in our midst!

Great times, lots of family everywhere, and for the first time I think I enjoyed ALL of it instead of just the first couple hours. It's been a welcome addition to my life, having all this family around, but also hard to adjust to. Today Paul and Lynn are coming down and we'll finish up Christmas with friends. :) I cannot convey how lucky I feel this weekend, to experience so much happiness and love around me. I wish Mum could have had this experience at some point in her life and seen what it's really like.

But OH!!! More most awesomeness!!!!!!! Dale got the cats a new toy, and they LOVE it. GO, DALE!!!!!

~w