‘Twas the night before Christmas 2007

January 4, 2008 by Barbara.

Reid and I took Ken to work on Christmas Eve. Reid was interested in why there would be a party at Mama’s work but not at Daddy’s. We sidestepped the question a bit, not having time to explain the Grinch and all. Reid did manage to scope out Ken’s building during a trip to the bathroom and then we made our way to the building where most of the people in my branch work. As my office is off-site, Reid’s current impression of Mama’s workplace is a somewhat posh boardroom with treats on the side table, craft supplies on the main table and a movie playing on the screens at the one end.

Between Reid eating most of the orange slices single-handedly (but with pauses in between trips to the tray to allow other people a chance) and sticking me with a chocolate-glazed doughnut and cutting, colouring and pasting we whiled away an hour or before the main event. Santa made an appearance, though his elves were busy getting everything ready for the big night. Reid wanted me to walk with her when her name was called but broke into a run as we got near to jolly Old Saint Nick and launched herself into his hug. The Spud Buds that Santa gave were well received. I thought it an interesting commentary on sociey that the carrot has a cell phone and the ear of corn has a handful of money. Or maybe it was the little potato that was supposed to have the cell phone and the carrot the money or the ear of corn should have had … You know how confusing Potato Heads can be. At least there was no requirement for the Mama to have a moustache.

We picked Ken up and stopped at Wendy’s for lunch. The drive-thru staff were pretty awful, putting pickles on Reid’s no-pickles hamburger and giving us white milk instead of the requested chocolate. They didn’t give us straws for the drinks Ken and I ordered and the chili I ordered was entirely absent. Was I glad we decided to eat in the parking lot? You bet. I went in for the chilli and pointed out the other errors. Rather than an apology (or a nothing-says-sorry-like-a-free-Frosty) the manager told me that she’d said “no pickles” several times. We dallied almost long enough for the cleaners to finish the house. We need to check that the kitties can get to their food and water after the cleaners leave.

We got the car packed and were on the road fairly close to our target time. As usual, I sat in the back with Reid and also, as usual, Ken drove through awful weather while Reid and I napped. I woke to a strong wind that even I, oblivious in the backseat, could tell was causing Ken trouble. We pulled off the highway for a bathroom break for Reid (thankful not to be risking the same wet carseat as the last time we travelled) but Ken stayed in the car - I think that his body was nearly frozen into place with the strain of the drive. We made it to our hotel in good time and, after a trek through the bowels of the hotel to get to our room since the lobby entrance was closed, ordered pizza for supper.

Pizza for Christmas Eve supper is a tradition in my family and it is always popular with Reid. She and I sat on the bed with a towel for our picnic blanket but we had proper china plates and flatware as well as linen napkins from the hotel’s restaurant. It was a fun meal. After supper, Reid and I went swimming. It was odd to be in a swimming pool while listening to Christmas carols, I have to say. Reid didn’t comment on it, though. We used the hot tub and sauna before returning to our room. Reid wasn’t as excited as I might have expected. Santa visit is still a bit of an abstract concept, I guess. With our 6″ tree on the desk, we settled down for a long winter’s sleep. I think that the Daddy creature was stirring for a while after Reid and I went down but I don’t have any first hand knowledge of it.

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