Christmas Snapshots

Best pendant. Best tree(s).

Best time had taking family pictures. I didn't know it was possible to have fun taking fam pics; but with Arianna behind the tripod doing what she's great at, and everyone else being hilarious and freezing but trying to look relaxed.... well, it was a grand family time.

Fave eccentric tradition: The television fireplace. A must-have for first-born and me.

Alternately: the scariest christmas gift. "The Devil Came on Horseback"- a documentary film of violence in Sudan.

Most blown-away kid/ happiest gamer.

(she never saw that coming!)

The "Hey!~ I didn't know I wanted that, but I sooo wanted that!" gift.

And the- wah-hoo extravagant gift.

The prettiest way to drink coffee.

Ever.

The most rapidly re-gifted gifts ever. Fingerless mitts that I totally could tell Arianna was faking happiness over. I quickly took those as my own. Great way to keep the wrists warm when you might need to take your for real mitts off to deal with kids or keys or whatever. The USB cup warmer? One of Brian's teacher gifts. Belongs with my laptop. It just does.

Best gift to myself. Saw those socks at Joe and wanted them in my stocking; so I put them there.

Jane. Sweet Jane.

She knows.

It is Jane after all, who gets the award for making mama cry at Christmas.

She stitched together a reversible bag full of hand embroidered pictures of what I love.

Sometimes, there are no words.

Then there's the category that as far as I know; has never been mentioned before at Christmas time. (except maybe at some indiscriminate office parties.....)

The Throw-your-arms-around-someone-else's-husband gifts.

You daycare people. What makes you think that I have a gin and tonic on Friday at 5:30 anyway?! sheesh. And here I've always been soooooo subtle.... (well, ok. There was that parent meeting that involved mojitos on the deck.....And the sharp scent of lemons that herald the start of the end of the week....)

(look out Jenn. I might come after you and Paul with the bear hugs yet...)

And what else to do with the weekend? A dinner out, of course!!
(might have scared him with the affection as well.)

And the champion Throw-Your-Arms-- gift? An alligator skin handbag dating back to 1909. Big surprise, that one. However, I may have equally surprised a certain community member when I barrelled him over with my award winning bear hug at the local gas station.

Watch yerselves at the pumps, fellas.

Best newsletter. I always want to read what Karla is reading.

I'd like to parent more like her too. (kudos to you people) (wanna watch Devil with me?)

Best greeting card/Christmas photo/family picture: Some of my favourite people. Another "kudo" family.

And in the same breath: best reminder of another life in another city. Amazing yoyos, Ginny. Wowzers.

Cutest, most heart-warming surprise under the tree:

Thank you Sammy Jane. You're one of my favourite four year old artists.

(found this rolled up under the tree this morning. One of my daycare cherubs left it there for me. :)

Merry Christmas.