masterofmidgets (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
masterofmidgets) wrote2007-12-25 05:27 pm
masterofmidgets) wrote2007-12-25 05:27 pm
Merry Christmas!
So, most of my memories of Christmas as a small child are rather vague and blurry, which is probably a good thing; if I had a set idea in my head now of what a family Christmas is /supposed/ to be, I'd probably be pretty thoroughly miserable every year - not that our Christmases aren't good, but with my cousins moving in and out, my parents splitting up, etc etc, we've had to juggle around and reform and reinvent a lot of Christmas traditions, with the end result of every year being a lot different. This year, of course, was no exception.
I spent all day yesterday in the kitchen or very close to it. Of all the new things we've had to think up to do with my parents divorced, Dim Sum Day on Christmas Eve is certainly one of my favorites. Chinese food! All day long! Even though none of us are Chinese, even a little bit! And then we end with tamales. Cause that makes sense. Although not this year, because my grandma's been having some kind of health problem that makes it hard for her to stand, so she decided not to make them. *sad* But she said my dad and I (with her guidance, of course) can do them next year. But really there was all kinds of wonderful food, including shrimp toast, sweet chili squid, spring rolls, this spicy beef dish, and these really interesting chicken and lemongrass dumplings. Mmmm. And then I went to my mom's and we played board games and I helped her baste a quilt. Fun! Also I got to see the completed top for my (graduation) quilt that she's giving me soon. Soooooooo preeeeeetty...
Today was presents, of course! Got up painfully early (okay, like 8, but still) and opened presents with my dad, grandparents, and aunt. My grandma really loved the digital picture frame dad and I gave her, especially once we explained that he can scan her old, actual physical pictures and put them on there - they're going to sell the house as soon as my dad gets a place, and they just won't have room for all her pictures. So yeah, that was cool. After presents we had tamales (leftover frozen from last Christmas, but still homemade). I love my grandma's tamales. Guatemalan style are so many times better than Mexican...
This afternoon I went back to my mom's so she could do Christmas dinner for us, and my grandpa, and my Aunt Joan and her boyfriend. Which was just generally lovely and fun - my aunt is deranged. And awesome. And she tells the most disgusting stories. I love her. Her boyfriend can be kind of a dick, but he was sober for once, and on good behavior, so he was fun. And of course my grandpa is awesome. He made a pie XD. And we had cornish game hens and cornbread dressing and rosemary bread and mushroom and onion rice and I need to stop describing food. But there's been a lot of good food the last few days. Also I love my momma. Really really really.
So yeah, Christmas was very, very good. And I am happy. I also have presents.
So, I hope everyone else had a Merry Christmas/Hanukah/Kwanzaa/Yule/Newtonmas/anything else they might celebrate!
I spent all day yesterday in the kitchen or very close to it. Of all the new things we've had to think up to do with my parents divorced, Dim Sum Day on Christmas Eve is certainly one of my favorites. Chinese food! All day long! Even though none of us are Chinese, even a little bit! And then we end with tamales. Cause that makes sense. Although not this year, because my grandma's been having some kind of health problem that makes it hard for her to stand, so she decided not to make them. *sad* But she said my dad and I (with her guidance, of course) can do them next year. But really there was all kinds of wonderful food, including shrimp toast, sweet chili squid, spring rolls, this spicy beef dish, and these really interesting chicken and lemongrass dumplings. Mmmm. And then I went to my mom's and we played board games and I helped her baste a quilt. Fun! Also I got to see the completed top for my (graduation) quilt that she's giving me soon. Soooooooo preeeeeetty...
Today was presents, of course! Got up painfully early (okay, like 8, but still) and opened presents with my dad, grandparents, and aunt. My grandma really loved the digital picture frame dad and I gave her, especially once we explained that he can scan her old, actual physical pictures and put them on there - they're going to sell the house as soon as my dad gets a place, and they just won't have room for all her pictures. So yeah, that was cool. After presents we had tamales (leftover frozen from last Christmas, but still homemade). I love my grandma's tamales. Guatemalan style are so many times better than Mexican...
This afternoon I went back to my mom's so she could do Christmas dinner for us, and my grandpa, and my Aunt Joan and her boyfriend. Which was just generally lovely and fun - my aunt is deranged. And awesome. And she tells the most disgusting stories. I love her. Her boyfriend can be kind of a dick, but he was sober for once, and on good behavior, so he was fun. And of course my grandpa is awesome. He made a pie XD. And we had cornish game hens and cornbread dressing and rosemary bread and mushroom and onion rice and I need to stop describing food. But there's been a lot of good food the last few days. Also I love my momma. Really really really.
So yeah, Christmas was very, very good. And I am happy. I also have presents.
From my grandparents: mostly small stuff, because my real present was the suitcase they bought me before I left for school - not terribly exciting, but I badly needed one since mine /died/ during Admit Weekend at Stanford (I had to duct-tape it shut to get home), and it's a /really/ /nice/ suitcase. But they also gave me a Nutcracker music box (so sad I missed that this year!), totally awesome socks from BARNES AND NOBLE that are made not to match, and a nice picture of them. Which almost made me cry, because my grandma said she got it because she knows my grandpa might not be around that many more years, and he'll probably be getting sicker, and she wanted everyone to have a picture of them together so we'll remember him like that. *sniffs*
From my aunt Geri: money! Money is good. Also a journal with the most gorgeous heavy paper, a guidebook to China, a Japanese-style paper wallet, and a pair of tabi(!!). *hearts* She got them at an estate sale or something, and how cool is that? I want some zori now. And a kimono...
From my Daddy: some random free hockey stuff, including a wallet, and...A SIGNED KEVIN HARVEY HOCKEY JERSEY OMG *SQUEE* Sorry about that. But he's one of my favorite players ever, and he's cute, and he /kicks ass/, and it's a Scorpions jersey, and yeah, love it.
From my Dad's girlfriend/fiancee Reba: a hand-lacquered anime box! Neat! It has Edo on the front, so I love it. Also a nice pen and pencil set, and some dark chocolate. Yay Reba!
From my Mama: Three Teresa Wensler-pattern Christmas ornaments that she cross-stitched (for anyone who doesn't cross-stitch, TW patterns are about the most gorgeous things ever, esp for fantasy fans, but insanely, evilly, brutally, demonically complicated and hard, especially if, like my mom, you do them in 32 count or however small it is). I have no words. They are /fabulous/. And they are a French hen, a turtle dove, and a partridge, (yes, in a pear tree), so if you know your Christmas carols you know where this is going. She said she wants to make me three each year, so that by the time I graduate from college, I have a full set. I...I love my mom.
From my aunt Geri: money! Money is good. Also a journal with the most gorgeous heavy paper, a guidebook to China, a Japanese-style paper wallet, and a pair of tabi(!!). *hearts* She got them at an estate sale or something, and how cool is that? I want some zori now. And a kimono...
From my Daddy: some random free hockey stuff, including a wallet, and...A SIGNED KEVIN HARVEY HOCKEY JERSEY OMG *SQUEE* Sorry about that. But he's one of my favorite players ever, and he's cute, and he /kicks ass/, and it's a Scorpions jersey, and yeah, love it.
From my Dad's girlfriend/fiancee Reba: a hand-lacquered anime box! Neat! It has Edo on the front, so I love it. Also a nice pen and pencil set, and some dark chocolate. Yay Reba!
From my Mama: Three Teresa Wensler-pattern Christmas ornaments that she cross-stitched (for anyone who doesn't cross-stitch, TW patterns are about the most gorgeous things ever, esp for fantasy fans, but insanely, evilly, brutally, demonically complicated and hard, especially if, like my mom, you do them in 32 count or however small it is). I have no words. They are /fabulous/. And they are a French hen, a turtle dove, and a partridge, (yes, in a pear tree), so if you know your Christmas carols you know where this is going. She said she wants to make me three each year, so that by the time I graduate from college, I have a full set. I...I love my mom.
So, I hope everyone else had a Merry Christmas/Hanukah/Kwanzaa/Yule/Newtonmas/anything else they might celebrate!