gotshoo?

Christmas is over… if you hadn’t gotten the memo. This one was definitely a memorable one. GTG and I were on a Xmas tour this weekend. Her aunt’s part of Christmas Eve, then my grandparents for the rest. Afterwards we stayed the night at GTG’s parents house so we could promptly open stockings and presents in the morning. Later on Christmas day, we were at my parents for more presents and then my aunt and uncles for food and a small family get together.

I am pooped.

Memorable moments:

• I gave GTG a ’sparkly’ necklace. She was either wearing it, or it was less than five feet from her grasp. - I did good.
• I won a $116 and two free tickets from a stack of lottery tickets gifted in a gruesome game of the numbers game. (The numbers game, a Shoo family tradition, is a game where players put a gift into a pool where other players can select or take gifts. Order in which players select a present is determined by drawing numbers. A player can select a present from the pool or choose to ‘take’ a gift that has been opened by another player) Gruesome because they exchanged hands more than 5 times with four different people.
• GTG gave me a GPS and asked, “Okay, now what can you do with it?”
• My Dad gave my Mom a ’sparkly’ ring for her (age withheld)th. The ring was boxed in multiple wrapped boxes. I think she opened at least 5. When she got to the actual ring box it was a light up pink plastic ring. He got a few boxes thrown at him. He turned around and then gave her the actual ring. She was a happy kid afterwards.
• My brother, whom by all intentions needed everyone of them, had opened quite a few packages of underwear and pairs of socks was a little ba-humbug when he got to his last present. His last present was an iPod Nano that GTG and I gave for his recent graduation from LLCC and Christmas. Needless to say he was not expecting it. He had it opened and connected to his laptop in less than a minute.
• Drinking bubbly with GTG’s parents till 1am. (Makes for a long day when you went to mass at 7 am earlier in the morning)

Everything was wonderful and I am thoroughly grateful for everything I received, but I think this year I enjoyed being with my and GTG’s family as much, if not more, than opening presents. Good memories and great times.

I hope everyone else had an excellent Christmas!