Christmas seemed quiet again this year. Things just aren’t the same without the hustle and bustle of friends and family. That combined with the fact that I’m STILL grappling with being a grown-up and missing the magic of Christmas. The day after I’m still like “That’s it?” Peter would say it’s simply a matter of expectation managment. Isn’t everything? I did, however, enjoy Peter being home from work. Life is much more fun when he’s around. We have been hoovering the Nanaimo bars we made in celebration of Christmas. There are only 4 left and I begged Peter to take them to work with him this morning. I can’t be left alone with them.

Hadley’s favorite gift has been a harmonica. She started out just blowing on the thing but now she’s actually sounding good. I put on Blues Traveler and told her John Popper plays the harmonica and she was instantly transfixed and is now sort of obsessed. She and Finn have been feeling crappy the last few days. Really lethargic and whiny and just…out of it. She was laying in my lap last night and I thought she might fall asleep. She looked up at me and said “I need my harmonica.” I gave it to her and she soulfully played a few notes. It was hysterical.

Finn’s favorite gift has been Hadley’s Strawberry Shortcake Castle courtesy of Grammie and Bompie. He also enjoys the kazoo immensely. We Santa bought a ton of musical instruments as we tend to break out in family jam sessions frequently. (Jam session=noise) He tries to play the harmonica but doesn’t actually blow. He puts it to his mouth and makes noise.

My parents gave me this soap and lotion for the kitchen and I can’t get enough. It reminds me of a what a freshly showered Mediterranean man would smell like. Coriander and Olive Sounds weird perhaps. You’d have to smell it. They also sent these fab bowls and I’ve used them 6 times since opening them 2 days ago.

I watched this show on the WE channel called The Secret Lives of Women and it was fascinating. It was about this transexual named Chris. He was flying, ALONE, to Thailand to have gender reassignment surgery because it’s cheaper there and they don’t make you jump through the hoops they do in the US. (In the US, before surgery you have to live like a woman for a year plus have massive amounts of therapy) He seemed like a really kind man and I found it interesting that he lived in Kentucky and his family and friends accepted him. It was a beautiful lesson in tolerance and unconditional love. Something that was not beautiful, however, was Cris when he turned into Christina. Ugly ugly man. And whoever did his makeup during the reveal should be shot.

Oh, and I also feel the need to clarify the mice we speak of are not IN our house. Stan finds them outside and brings them in through the cat door.

The dog’s breath is so bad I swear someone is spoon feeding him shit in the middle of the night.

And…scene.