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It's almost Christmas
Dec. 24th, 2003 11:41 pmI've been in a flurry of wrapping and family activities, and thus on Christmas morning I'm still going to have to pole vault over mountains of shit to get out of bed. *sigh* I really wanted a clean room for Christmas, but there just wasn't time.
Highlights of the last few days:
1) I seem to have been adopted into![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
cristoforio's family as a de facto in-law, in that even his mom's boyfriend's parents got me a present.
2) I really like his mom's boyfriend, who is a trucker and, on an off-hand comment I made about the lack of Batman Underoos in adult sizes, bought me a pair of boxers that scream YABBA DABBA DOO in 150 pt. font.
3) What seems to be working for my family this year is buying the things we really want for ourselves, then handing them to other family members for wrapping so we can be surprised. This is mercenary, but efficient, and we will get all the cool presents we want without worrying about demanding big-ticket items from other people.
4) Christmas Eve at House Prime went spectacularly. It was warm and cozy, we played Apples to Apples and ate the traditional clam chowder with fresh-baked bread. We made stockings for mom's boyfriend and forcristoforio, and about darn time, since they've both been involved in our family for seven or eight years at this point.
5) Christmas Eve at House 2.0 (swapping all gifts between Dad and Pat's children) went spectacularly. It was warm and cozy, we played Apples to Apples, and the very best: we were each presented with a hoodie emblazoned with the family crest (a three point green knot with a purple circle woven through). I'm not sure how the step-sibs felt about them, but all the kids from my half of the family were thrilled. It feels like a sense of belonging, and it's the first time in my life I've ever been proud to wear an emblem.
Exploration of that thought: The first phrasing that sprang to mind was "to wear someone else's colors" -- and then I corrected it, because it's OUR colors. I guess that's why everyone's proud to wear them. I just hadn't really felt connected to an US with colors before.
I love my families. All of them. Yes, you too.
Highlights of the last few days:
1) I seem to have been adopted into
cristoforio's family as a de facto in-law, in that even his mom's boyfriend's parents got me a present.2) I really like his mom's boyfriend, who is a trucker and, on an off-hand comment I made about the lack of Batman Underoos in adult sizes, bought me a pair of boxers that scream YABBA DABBA DOO in 150 pt. font.
3) What seems to be working for my family this year is buying the things we really want for ourselves, then handing them to other family members for wrapping so we can be surprised. This is mercenary, but efficient, and we will get all the cool presents we want without worrying about demanding big-ticket items from other people.
4) Christmas Eve at House Prime went spectacularly. It was warm and cozy, we played Apples to Apples and ate the traditional clam chowder with fresh-baked bread. We made stockings for mom's boyfriend and for
cristoforio, and about darn time, since they've both been involved in our family for seven or eight years at this point.5) Christmas Eve at House 2.0 (swapping all gifts between Dad and Pat's children) went spectacularly. It was warm and cozy, we played Apples to Apples, and the very best: we were each presented with a hoodie emblazoned with the family crest (a three point green knot with a purple circle woven through). I'm not sure how the step-sibs felt about them, but all the kids from my half of the family were thrilled. It feels like a sense of belonging, and it's the first time in my life I've ever been proud to wear an emblem.
Exploration of that thought: The first phrasing that sprang to mind was "to wear someone else's colors" -- and then I corrected it, because it's OUR colors. I guess that's why everyone's proud to wear them. I just hadn't really felt connected to an US with colors before.
I love my families. All of them. Yes, you too.
