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December 15, 2004
Christmas preparations
Our house has become a twisted version of what was once a divided Germany.
Fabulous Babe’s territory is the spare bedroom. I am now forbidden to enter or come near it. She came home the other night after getting her haircut and rushed upstairs clutching a bag which vanished into the “no-Jim-land” before I could discern the contents. She tends to stockpile them in there and I play along by not peeking. With such security measures I expect East German border guards and a wall at the door.
On the other hand yours truly, representing the larger, free wheeling, democratic West Germany tend to disperse her presents throughout the house. (Heating ducts, the trunk of the Miata, etc.) Gradually they’re wrapped and then show up under the tree one by one. We don’t need borders or secret present police on my side of the border. I do have to remember where I put something that I bought a few weeks ago but otherwise all is well.
I’m crap with secrets. Fabulous Babe’s Birthday surprise took every ounce of energy for me not to blow. Christmas usually results in FB getting a string of small gifts leading up to a few on Christmas Day. So far she’s received a few KMTT CD’s that I ordered from Seattle and a bauble I’ll wait to describe. I still have a few things left so next week should see a few smiles.
I have a member of Fabulous Babe’s family for Secret Santa. I have no idea what I am going to get this person. Last year I got her father in the name draw and bought him that Far Side complete collection that weighed 18 pounds. (Which I swear had nothing to do with his hospital stay.) The person whose name I have this year I don’t know what to get. I thought about bidding on a 25 year collection of moist towelettes from Kentucky Fried Chicken on Ebay as a gag but I doubt they would get the joke. Same goes for an autographed copy of the script for “Cannonball Run” that I found. *sigh*
A Canadian friend of ours, the King of the Zulaks, has already received a great Christmas present: He and his wife just had their second daughter. The King is the fellow that sent Jack the Toronto Maple Leaf outfit that I’m afraid he has already outgrown. I can only imagine what his daughters are going to be like in pee wee hockey. (Hopefully nothing like his brother whose motto as goalie was “If you come into my crease you will pay a terrible price.”)
Jack’s Christmas list is pretty short. He’s not asking for much at this point. His only real want, hair on the side of his head, seems to be coming along nicely. He’s refusing to eat cereal so far and makes sure that we realize how little he wants to do with it when we try. Formula is disappearing at a furious rate and I’m debating just arranging for 55 gallon drums of the powder.
My grandfather had to have his eye surgery re-scheduled which means that when we are in Kentucky the chances of him actually being able to see Jack are slim. It’s heartbreaking, annoying, etc. I realize he’ll be able to hold Jack and feel him but the sight of your first great-grandchild is something that no-one should ever be denied. Jack’s blessed with having four great-grandparents alive right now. I pray he gets to know all of them before they’re gone but know the odds are long.
I usually have a hard time with this time of year. (Long story.) With some of the things going on for me right now it’s harder than usual. The nice thing is that Jack takes some of that edge off. He and I were alone last night while Fabulous Babe went to a wine tasting. (She needed a night off.) Jack demonstrated his windmill arm motion to great effect and I got him to laugh and carry on for most of the evening. We played and sang and when I finally put him to bed he fussed for only a few minutes before beginning to snore. (He gets that from his mother.) Before I went to bed I checked on him one last time and as he lay there with his arms above his head, tucked into his sleep sack, soggy froggy in hand, I wondered how we were ever so lucky to have him.
Posted by Jim at December 15, 2004 11:41 PM