But it's OK. It's nice, even. We were having a lot of fun opening the gifts. I think I probably meant to go back and take some pictures of the presents later, but I didn't, and today I put away all the ones that were still lying around on the coffee table -- before realizing that I'd never taken a picture of them. It's OK.
- The cats' gifts: Baby Kitty got a ball with a feather attached and Sillers got a stuffed hermit crab (they got the squid and the lobster last year). Baby Kitty chased his ball around and it's now lost somewhere, and Sillers looked at her hermit crab and it's now lost somewhere too.
- Twins' gifts: I got them each a "desk bar" -- a little desk organizer thing that I found online (Teen B liked his, Teen A ignored his). They each got a calendar (cats for Teen B, weather for Teen A). Lots of candy in their stockings, mini flashlights, yo-yos, some squeezable rubber cats that the cats have decided are actually cat toys. A little robot kit for each (Teen B built his, Teen A ignored his), a little game for each (one has been opened, neither have been played), a couple of books (Teen B thumbed through the "Breaking Cat News" cartoon book), a new Life is Good shirt for each (Teen B sighed at his, Teen A actively complained about his), a $20 gift card for each (Steam for Teen A, Google Play for Teen B). I didn't have high expectations for the gifts, and even so my expectations were not met. But it's OK -- teenagers are very hard to buy for. Their wants are not things you can buy at a store. They got money from both aunts, plus a little from our next-door neighbor. Teen A used some of his money to open a bank account, so he now has a debit card, very exciting.
- Rocket Boy's gifts: a calendar, a bar of persimmon soap, a copy of On the Way Home by Laura Ingalls Wilder (about their move to Missouri), and a set of Date Night cards. (I really failed with him this year.) We tried one of the Date Night cards, but it was weirdly complicated. We decided we'll try more of them when he goes back to St. Louis. That is, on Fridays (which are Date Night, according to the FlyLady), I will scratch off one card and we will attempt to follow its instructions long distance. That will be very interesting for the more "intimate" suggestions. Hmm. I should have gotten him a new flannel shirt. He wanted a new flannel shirt. Bad wife.
- My gifts: a calendar, a Wilma Mankiller Barbie doll (I found her at Barnes & Noble), All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir (a YA novel set in Ridgecrest), and from Rocket Boy, two hardback novels (North Woods by Daniel Mason, which I've already read and The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBridge, which I haven't), an Eisenhower biography from the Eisenhower Library where he stopped on his drive out here (I'd asked for it, even though I won't read it until 2026) and a manicure set, which I'd also asked for.
I think I made out better than anyone else in the family. I liked what I bought for myself and I liked what Rocket Boy bought me. This is quite a change from the old days when I would receive nothing, or almost nothing, and the twins would be drowning in gifts that they loved. I think it was when I started buying for myself that Rocket Boy got inspired -- he got ideas about what I would like.
Oh, well, presents. They seem a little silly at this point, honestly. Nobody needs anything, we can buy anything we want at any time.
But it's fun to have stuff to unwrap on Christmas morning (even though the twins slept late and actually had to be forced to come to the living room and look in their stockings). So, we go on with the tradition. I don't think we'll give it up any time soon. But it is winding down.
***
This has been a slightly strange Christmas vacation/visit for two reasons.
- The driving! Rocket Boy has taken one or the other of the boys out every day (except Dec. 27th, for reasons I'll explain later) for a long drive. Because of this, we didn't take any family outings. We talked about it, but never did anything. No hikes, no museum trips, nothing. It's so odd. But it's the fault of the driving. I really appreciate how hard he worked on that. I don't remember what the numbers were before he got here, but Teen A has now driven 27 hours and 33 minutes, and Teen B has now driven 19 hours and 43 minutes, for a grand total of 47 hours and 16 minutes between them. So maybe by next weekend we'll be up to 50 hours and I can make a cake and write on it "Congratulations on 50 hours." It's still a long way till 100 hours, but we're making good progress.
- The vaccinations! On December 26th we all marched off to King Soopers for our Covid shots and I also got the RSV shot. Big mistake. I mean, I'm glad we got the shots, but it was a big mistake to get two at a time. I was so sick on the 27th it was like I really had the flu -- or Covid -- or RSV -- or whatever. We all felt horrible. My right arm still hurts, five days after the shot. When the kids and I got the flu shot, a month ago or whenever that was, I didn't have any reaction at all. I know they say a strong reaction means the vaccine is working, but wow, I really did not enjoy this reaction.
So what with the driving and being sick from the vaccines, time has passed quickly and now it is almost over. Rocket Boy plans to start driving back tomorrow morning. I am sad about that, but it's really been such a nice visit in so many ways -- despite not doing anything special. We did take a few walks around the neighborhood together, including one tonight. We talked and talked about anything and everything. We had fun together.
We also argued, got snippy with each other. But it didn't escalate. I think dealing with teenagers has taught me something about patience and forbearance. Just like nobody benefits from criticism, nobody benefits from being blown up at.
Tonight, New Year's Eve, I think we will play some board games. I have several bottles of sparkling cider in the fridge along with a container of dip, there are several kinds of chips, and we still have lots of Christmas candy, though not many cookies left. We had salmon for dinner, plus leftovers from previous dinners. I cooked salmon FOUR TIMES over the last week, and Rocket Boy made a cod dish one night. That's a lot of fish for someone who's normally mostly veggie. We tried three different salmon recipes. They were all good. And one night I made a carrot risotto, but it was a little too spicy.
***
On a more personal note, there's the twins getting their licenses (and our car insurance skyrocketing as a result).
Rocket Boy should come back home some time this year, either with a new job or retired. I've kind of given him a deadline of next September, when he turns 70. Of course he wants to be home before then, but if no Boulder jobs come through, I want him to just come home and retire. He could always teach part-time, or whatever. I'm also hoping that one or both of the twins will get a summer job.
I will get my braces off. Maybe in March, maybe in April, maybe in May.
Rocket Boy's supposed to have another surgery in March, so if that happens, we'll be going back to St. Louis for Spring Break. We hope hope hope to be able to visit California this summer -- it's been way too long since we were last there, five and a half years. Maybe my little sister and I will take another baseball trip (hint, hint). And who knows what else will happen.
I'll write a couple more posts in the next few days, one about what I read in 2023, and maybe one with resolutions. But for now I think this is good enough. I have to go hang out with the family now, do some New Year's Eve stuff. Enjoy everyone while I can.
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