Merry Christmas
For some reason, I’m more excited about Christmas this year than I was last year. Maybe it has to do with the fact that I don’t have homework to do. My Dad and I were discussing this the other day. Last year, I had to work on my Senior Paper over break, and college applications were on the table. There were a few scholarship applications that were due right after break, too. I was working at the store, and still wanted some free time. Things got a bit busy over break.
I finished my Christmas shopping last Saturday, and so that front is covered. My sister and I went shopping for my parents over Thanksgiving break, and bought several things. Most were on their lists, but we also got one of those water fountain type things, with the rocks and different levels for the water to flow down. We don’t have anything like that yet, so we’ll see how it goes over.
One gift that I know will be a hit, is the gift for my sister. She’s always complaining about being cold, or needing extra blankets and such at night. I got an electric blanket for her, and I’m almost positive she’ll be using it tonight. (In all fairness, she put it on her list, so I didn’t actually think of the idea, but I still feel really good about it.)
We’ve always been a family to open presents on Christmas Eve, and so we’re going start cooking dinner soon. We always have some sort of dinner, tacos, hamburgers, or something before we open the presents. This year, it’s enchiladas, a recipe adapted from Home Ec class, which in turn was adapted from a student’s mother’s recipe. The recipe is called ‘Tino’s Chicken Enchiladas’, and, aside from the chicken, had red and green enchilada sauce, and a “cream of…” soup over the whole pan. This year, I think we’re using Cream of Mushroom. Then there’s cheese over the top of the whole thing. A bit of work to make them, but they’re pretty good. I’ll have to post the recipe sometime, maybe.
Anyway, after we eat, there’s always a rush to get everything cleaned up so we can open the presents. My parents have used the fact that my sister and I want to get to the presents quite constructively in years past, and when we were younger, we were VERY helpful Christmas Eve. As we got older, the excitement isn’t quite as much, but this year feels a bit better than last year.
After presents are opened, it’s time to get dressed and head off to Church. This year, as it has been the past 3 years or so, I’m doing incense at both masses, so I come home about 11 from the 9pm mass, and have to be back for the 9am mass. Not that I mind that much. I’ll still get more sleep than I did some nights last semester!
I really don’t know much of what I’m getting this year. I didn’t have much on my list, and we use the lists as a starting point anyway. I can tell that one of the packages is a paperback book, and I suspect that one of the packages is some t-shirts I asked for. But there are some, including a package that has all the weight at one end, that I have no idea about. Oh well, I’ll find out soon enough.
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I was helping my mom making a plastic canvas thing that spins in the wind to give to my Uncle and Aunt at the gathering on Monday. I took a series of pictures, but once again, I’m feeling too lazy to post them. I’ll mention it on the blog when I do.
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Just informed that it’s time to head upstairs to start cooking, and I’ve been online for the better part on an hour, so I’d best be going.
–Nathan