Happy...Everything!

MomQueenBee, Husband, Three, Two, One, Four, and Lovely Girl as we tried to cover up the swaths of tree where the lights had given up the ghost.

Hey there!

Merry Christmas! Also, Happy New Year! And Happy Birthday Boy#3! In addition, Joyful Back to Work Week!

Yes, many, many things have happened in the House on the Corner since the last time I put more words onto the Internet. (The 'net did seem to keep chugging along without me, thanks to year-end best-and-worst-of lists and Star Wars.)

To cut to the chase: It was a wonderful, wonderful vacation, made even more wonderful by the presence of all four of the Boys, plus Lovely Girl, plus a bonus Boy who we're claiming as part of the family with apologies to his actual family. We ate, we exchanged gifts, we played games, we laughed, we watched bowl games, and we did all of these with not even a hint of moderation. We didn't just eat, we AAAAAAATTTEE. (Oooo-eeee, that peppermint cheesecake.) We didn't just exchange gifts, we exchanged this many gifts:

You didn't believe me? Christmas morning.

I know! Obviously we were extra-special-tremendously good children this year. Also, this year the gifts seemed to be of the type that left the FedEx guy gasping as he heaved our orders onto the porch. Our poor postal carrier (a woman) had one hoisted onto her shoulder as she rang the doorbell--"Just let me bring this inside; you aren't going to be able to lift it." Delivery people of the world who survived December, I salute you.

For the first time in years and years (yay! No bowl games of intense interest!), all of the offspring were able to stay for several days, and some of them were in the house for the full break. I was reminded again how much fun grown-up kids are, as well as how many times it is necessary to run the dishwasher in a full house, and how often the toilet paper roll has to be changed.

On Sunday, when the final kid had driven away and back to adult responsibilities, I settled into my chair and picked up my knitting, but after this week of raucous good spirits this Christmas will be with me for a good long time. As will the peppermint cheesecake, which went straight to my hips.

God bless us, every one.