Sean keeps reminding me that I've been seriously neglecting putting up posts on this blog. What better time to do it than the day after Christmas?
We both agreed that Christmas didn't quite feel like Christmas this year, with no snow, and days of 50-degree temperatures, but it was still a Christmas of firsts. We put up our first Christmas tree together (a real one, despite my protests that there was a perfectly good fake one in the basement), discovering in the process that we had some of the same little wooden ornaments from the '90s. We argued over Sean's desire to decorate said tree with tinsel (vetoed), wooden balls that supposedly resemble popcorn (vetoed) and strings of gold beads (reluctantly accepted). Growing up, our trees were just decorated with ornaments, balls, and lights! Is that so strange? (According to Sean, yes.)
We also decorated our first gingerbread house together, during which process Sean insisted on using every godforsaken piece of candy that had come with the kit, resulting in the creation of a candy fence, koi pond, and decorative bushes. I had the idea (genius, if I do say so myself) to use sugar to fill the yard with snow! It was a lovely house, and it lasted maybe 36 hours until Sean took a giant bite out of one corner of the roof. The next day he took another bite, this time taking off about half the roof, and it was just downhill from there. This is why we can't have nice things.
As for Christmas itself, my only disappointment in celebrating with Sean's family is that they have no respect for the concept of Christmas morning. Last year we opened presents at 5pm. This year was better--only 2pm! Personally, I think 10am is the ideal present-opening time, but that's just me. Anyway, I got a number of lovely gifts, but this one Sean gave me is without a doubt the most awesome:
The globe even spins, how cool is that?? Sean's favorite gift was actually received a few weeks back and is sitting in the driveway--his Buick, freshly repainted, shining as though it were new instead of being two years away from antique status. I'm distinctly less embarrassed to drive it now, I have to say, which is good, because it is way more comfortable than the Corolla.
The other awesome part of Christmas: the ham. Dear god, I think I was actually in danger of a food coma yesterday. We hadn't eaten all day, so when we finally ate dinner around 5, I think I must have eaten 8 or 9 slices of ham. I barely paid attention to the mashed potatoes, and that's saying something. Then, of course, I felt like I was dying of thirst the rest of the night thanks to all that salt. Oh, also of note: Rachel Buglione Corbett, lifelong vegetarian, tried a bit of ham yesterday! This from the girl who didn't want to try chicken because it might be a "gateway meat." Lol.
In conclusion, it was a wonderful Christmas, and I am, officially, the Best Wife Ever (2011).