Notes from Christmas:
The best way to keep from snacking on the holiday treats and goodies is to hold your six-week-old baby niece for as much of the holiday as possible, holding her while she sleeps and smiling at the size of her chubby little baby cheeks.
Most Useful Gadget of 2006: The “Tide to Go! Instant Stain Remover” pen. 
Crucial for moments when Baby A has has her first taste of red Jell-O, then fallen asleep against your new, ivory colored Ann Taylor sweater and drooled just the tiniest bit. Tide, to the rescue!
Most Unnecessary (read: Fabulous!) Gifts of 2006: A cappuccino/espresso maker and a Motorola Q. Now I can drink high-octane coffee at home and can access the internet whenever I damn please. I can already feel my hours for sleep waning...
My newly six-year-old nephew received a RoboSapien from my father for Christmas. It dances, it talks, and it picks things up. It also burps and simulates flatulance, as when my nephew pried away the wrapping paper, he announced to the room, “Hey! It’s that farting robot!”
Chris and I made eggs and chocolate chip pancakes for my mother for Christmas morning, and we ate breakfast while the sun shone through the sliding glass door and made rainbows in our orange juice.
I still have never seen “It’s a Wonderful Life” or “Miracle on 34th Street,” but I have seen “A Christmas Story” about fifteen thousand times and I am very thankful for sugar-free Ovaltine. (“You’ll shoot your eye out!”)The flurry of the holiday season had me out to dinner with friends and realizing that I had 1.6u left in the pump. Thank goodness for always keeping a backup insulin pen in my purse. And thank goodness for friends who don’t think twice about me discreetly shooting up at the table.
Watching my mother and her sisters host their first Christmas without Grammie almost broke my heart into a thousand pieces. It was aching. But Grammie’s spirit lived on in every laugh and every hand of Skip Bo.
Nothing makes you appreciate “home” more than having moved away from it.
Comments
Those special times of year are really hard without those you have lost. I'm still trying to deal with losing my mom, and I think I will probably always be dealing. In a way, I think that is pretty normal.
I must admit, "The Christmas Story" is a tradition in my family. It's on, non-stop, for almost the whole TNT Marathon. I love that movie.
"I TRIPLE dog dare you!"
Posted by: Scott Johnson | December 28, 2006 12:41 AM
Kerri- Sounds like a beautiful, fun and bittersweet Christmas. Are we ready for a new year?
Posted by: Vivian | December 28, 2006 12:43 AM
It's good to see you had a good Christmas (must've been bittersweet without your grandma though).
Kids can't get enough of things that make farting sounds. I bought the kids Flarp for Christmas which is a cross between Silly Putty and Play Dough. When you squish it, it makes fart sounds. It was a huge hit.
Posted by: Shannon | December 28, 2006 05:37 AM
Sounds like you had a lovely christmas. All the best for 2007.
Posted by: caramaena | December 28, 2006 06:29 AM
Glad you had a nice christmas! I'm cracking up at your nephew exclaiming about the farting robot... My mom got my dad the robo dog this year -they are pretty cool.
"Nothing makes you appreciate “home” more than having moved away from it." The absolute truth.
Posted by: Erica | December 28, 2006 08:28 AM
Nothing makes you appreciate “home” more than having moved away from it.
It's true. And to me, that town will always be "home," no matter where I travel or settle.
Posted by: Bobby | December 28, 2006 09:23 AM
As I was pulling up in front of my house last night, I kept thinking how it still doesn't quite feel like the home my husband and I moved two hours away from five years ago. We love going "home".
Posted by: Michelle | December 28, 2006 11:18 AM
Kerri, It sounds like you had a lovely holiday! I am very happy for you and your family.
I must now check out the farting robot.
Posted by: George | December 28, 2006 11:22 AM
Can you add software to the Motorola Q?
What we really need to do is to get Calorie King to do a mobile version -- in fact, I think I'll get on that now.
Posted by: Kathleen Weaver | December 28, 2006 12:42 PM
That farting robot sounds so cool. Glad you had a good christmas.
Posted by: vicjki | December 28, 2006 04:21 PM
We too watched "Christmas Story." Kids dug it. However, it's criminal that you haven't seen the other two classics. Farting dogs rule! Even those of robotic variety. Glad your Christmas was nice.
Posted by: Carey | December 28, 2006 04:33 PM
Glad to hear you had a good Christmas. Kids love farting sounds - my kids got a whoopi cushion before xmas and it's been the bane of my existence ever since. I'll be sitting upstairs and somewhere in the house I'll hear a huge "RRRIIIIPPP" followed by gales of laughter. Seriously, how long can my kids think this is funny?? LOL. (Ok, I'll admit it - I still giggle too).
We watch Christmas Vacation over and over and over and over ..... we're addicted to it at Christmas time :)
Posted by: Jamie | December 28, 2006 04:50 PM
Christmas with kids! I miss it, but maybe next year another niece or nephew will be in the bunch.
You have never seen Miracle on 34th Street? FOR SHAME.
Posted by: Rachel | December 29, 2006 07:59 AM
"Nothing makes you appreciate 'home' more than having moved away from it." Ain't that the truth! We just spent a week back in Providence and it was great! Dinner at Gregg's, a few hours at the Children's museum (Toronto doesn't have one), coffee at the Coffee Exchange, sushi from Sakura (yum), New Year's eve fireworks in front of the State House, tax-free clothing shopping (vs. the 14% you'll pay here), etc etc. Sigh...If only there were biotech jobs in Providence!
Posted by: Lee in Toronto | January 5, 2007 11:42 AM
Wow, totally sweet! I hope you have a good christmas/new year.
How do you like the Q so far? I just sold my old WM5 phone, time for a new one!
Also I have some stuff to talk to ya about, but I'll email you. Later!
Posted by: Marston | January 10, 2007 09:46 AM
Boy, I wouldn't mind having you for a daughter! My kids just think I am the plague! First they went off to college, but when we went off to Belgium we were deserting them! Hmmmph! Bloglines also has not been functioning correctly.
Posted by: Chrissie in Belgium | January 17, 2007 03:16 PM