Dec 24

It is official: the Crew has left and the house is clean once more.

We skipped the sermon this morning to get ready for lunch which doubled as my Christmas part 1 of 3. Earlier, Mom noticed that one of the Twins’ friend’s mom only had her younger girls. Her husband is serving overseas and her older two kids went to see their dad. So the girls and their mom joined us for Christmas part 1. It was surprisingly fun. I have been completely sister-ed and Puppy is exhausted but it was a good time.

Apparently, at their house they take turns opening stuff whereas this branch of my family just goes at it. The mom just sat back flabbergasted at the chaos. But we do chaos well.

All that aside, Christmas part 1 was good. I had an Austen/Shakespeare theme this year. Mom and StepDa found 9 editions of the 1926 Yale Shakespeare for me and bought the BBC taped performances of his comedies. The Maternal Grandparents gave me the 10^th anniversary edition of the A&E Pride and Prejudice (I was heartbroken when the Maternal Grandfather accidentally opened it and showed it to me. Why would he get it instead of me? I asked for it.). Going with the Austen theme, I also received a day planner with her quotes and a friend gave me Jane Austen’s Guide to Dating as a gag. Mom also found a sweatshirt that says: “I heart Mr. Darcy.”

I really have gotten into her lately and I am not sure why. I suppose that is because I been able to read her without some teacher standing over me pointing everything out. I have a tendency to resent some of those texts.

The Paternal Grandmother should be showing up in the next few minutes. Tomorrow is a tight calendar, after Christmas part 2: Santa, we hop on a plane to see Dad. I do not expect much in the morning by way of gifts, as most of mine was given today. Oh, Christmas Mass is this afternoon with the StepPatneral Grandmother. Yea!