Christmas round up

Really, Christmas 2010 was great. Any time spent with family (in short doses) is great. We actually start the day the night before and always spend Christmas Eve with good friends. We talk, laugh, eat fondue and generally have a terrific time. The next morning, it's just the three of us - the boy wakes us up (after 8am these days - nice!) and we go downstairs, get coffee, and open gifts. Santa always seems to know when we've got home and gone to sleep because gifts that weren't there the night before have appeared. This year the big man brought an XBox 360, because I guess a Playstation and a Wii weren't enough video game consoles in the house...

Once we've fortified ourselves with breakfast, we're off to my Mom's place for a while, then to my brother's house - he and his wife, her parents and my niece and 2 nephews. Great fun. The added bonus this year was a friend of my brother's that came by with his wife and two kids - they live in Atlanta, and I haven't seen Rich in almost 6 years - as much as he and my bro were friends, Rich was really a part of our family and a really good friend of mine, and it was such as surprise to see him! I loved it, and loved seeing his family. It was hard to leave but we had to be at the husband's sister's place for dinner, and there were rumours that she was having it early, so we made tracks.

Not quick enough, obviously, as they had already finished dinner by the time we arrived. Okkkaayyyy. thanks for that. We have cell phones - you couldn't have checked timing with us? What ever, we threw together some plates of food (eaten cold because her microwave wasn't working), then were hurried into the other room for gift exchanging. There was some snarkiness from a couple of them, but I was still on a high from the mittens earlier, so I blew it off. Really, it's not worth the drama.

Did I mention the wine bag we have been given earlier in the week by a friend? It seemed fitting for the occasion:

Whatever, gifts were exchanged (among the kids, mostly, because that's what it's all about), and we then cleaned up and got on the road in good time.

One thing I found funny, (and a little sad), when we were leaving the SIL's, one of my nephews had on a new hat. A chullo hat (with earflaps and braids) (similar to one I offered to make him a while back). It was acrylic, and not very well made, but it had a label on the back. I say to him, jokingly, as he walks by (his label-conscious mom nearby), "What the ?? you're wearing a store bought hat in front of me? Why don't you just ask me for one?" He looks at me, and says, "yours wouldn't be the right type". His mom explains that it has to have the "right" label in order to be cool. Whatever. His Mom has drilled into those kids the joys of shopping, and obviously, it's all about the label, the brand, the name. No originality, no individuality, and in this specific case - no warmth! Really? An acrylic hat? for a Canadian winter?

I give up with this group. I'm so happy my kid puts comfort and value ahead of labels and brands. (I admit - he's got some American Eagle, Aeropostale and West 49th stuff, but not much). He would rather I make his pajama pants, and knit his hats and neckies. He doesn't understand the draw of the mall, and often wonders aloud how he and his cousin can be related, when his cousin talks about going shopping for the entire day.

At least I have my husband, son and brother's kids to knit for...