Merry Christmas / Happy New Year

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Yes Christmas was almost a month ago, but I did drive past a Vietnamese church yesterday and evidently it’s Vietnamese New Year…so I figure I’m still safe on that part of the greeting.

This was our first Christmas in Texas in 3 years. Let me tell you, it was nice to run around in shorts and flip-flops for a change. Although White Christmases are cool too…I’m so indecisive about what I want sometimes. For a week SOLID we entertained family members from several branches of the family tree, both Green and Finch. We enjoyed some great cooking thanks to Raye and her army of sous-chefs. And this year we ventured off the beaten menu and had surf and turf for Christmas dinner. It was fantastic. Plus it was nice not to have to head out to the airport multiple times over the holidays. GG and Big Daddy’s is only 7 mins away, so no additional drama there. We bounced back and forth all holiday season quite effortlessly.

The kids scored quite to load this year. Although this year Santa didn’t bring any large gifts…for some reason no one asked for anything of substantial size. This made Christmas morning a bit anticlimactic for me (of course it’s all about me right ?)…there were no huge toys. But they were plenty excited, even Lazarus. This was his first Christmas in 9 years without Baby. We lost her days before we left Illinois to cancer. Super sad story that I won’t be posting. Anyway…he was sufficiently bothersome (his usual self) and roamed around the living room looking for candy. He found lots of it later in the week. Did you know dogs could eat candy through the foot of stocking? Even Lazarus has some talent left in him.

Easy Bake Oven, new bike, Dora Pegasus, Swim to me Puppy, i-dogs, Hulk hands…a very eclectic morning but precious too.

Most of the week was refreshingly uneventful, with the exception of one evening. All of us were tired of “snacking” on leftovers, candy, junk, etc. Someone mentioned fried chicken and of course, instead of everyone moaning and saying “please no more” we all joined in “sure…that sounds GREAT”, let’s add on another layer of winter insulation to our bodies. It will make the New Year even more challenging; we all love a challenge right?

So I ventured out to the nearest KFC and attempted to order enough chicken for 12 people. Which really ended up being enough chicken for 30 people. The manager was wheeling and dealing with me too. It really was quite a unique experience. I’ve never bargained for food before, not in Spring, TX.

I get back and we attempt to enjoy the cheap, lukewarm fried chicken, smiling all along and refusing to admit that none of us needed it or that it really tasted bad. The usual activities then began, the kids started one of their many new movies they got for Christmas and the adults began a game of Mexican Train dominoes. AT the end of the game, my great uncle Archie Jaroy (pick one of the names, he answers to both…usually) got a little ill feeling and needed to get up from the table. I don’t need to tell you how it all ended, but just to give you some snippets…several of us bailed from the room, the garbage disposal was needed and Rachel entertained us all with her extremely sensitive and LOUD gagging reflex.

Poor Arch…but he’s better now. And Rachel and I have added yet another new word to our unusual and cryptic vocabulary…Arching. Plus we got to use this new term only days later with Paige. What a nice segue…guess I’m getting the hang of this…
As part of the adventure that is entertaining 6 kids and four adults (Rachel’s brother’s family visited for a few days over Christmas too) we decided to go out for brunch and hit the bowling alley. Cracker Barrel was chosen as the place lucky enough to host all of us (it takes 2 cars). We headed out for the 20 min car ride over to the Barrel, ate and headed back 20 min back to go bowling. Andy’s minivan is equipped with the ever popular flip-down DVD player. It’s a hit with my kids especially since our bus doesn’t have one. So Paige and Jake rode with the other cousins in the van while Rachel and I chose solitude in our car and typically Caleb, their oldest son. It provided us with a parenting break and let us only be Uncle Jason and Aunt Rachel for 20 min stints. It was nice.

When we arrived at the AMF lanes, Paige was getting out the van (she was in the very back row and watching a movie). She mentioned that she felt sick and needed to throw-up…Rachel acted quickly and tried to get her out. It all happened so fast…she Arched in the van and on the parking lot, shoes, clothes, anything that was within a 5 ft striking distance. Nice…in the van ? Yes IN the van, on the carpet, the seat belt…and all those little places that you don’t know stuff can get in until it does.

The next 30 mins were spent with Andy and me driving around the neighborhood with the windows down, the sliding doors open, my face out trying to find a car wash. We found one and we found some very potent body spray too (it’s amazing what you can find in a family of 6’s minivan).

You know what they say about a new word..use it 3 times and it’s yours..let’s not hold out for that 3rd time.

4greens