She doesn't even go here!

Blame the belatedness on the dual snow day madness, and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

Christmas Eve was spent with Andrew and his family for the first time!  Andrew’s aunt and uncle and four cousins came from Brooklyn, as well as his brother and sister-in-law and two nieces and nephew.  After the exchanging of presents, we enjoyed a traditional Christmas Eve dinner… of McDonalds.

(His family cooks, but for so long the kids were so picky that it was just easier to let the kids eat what they want.  It was good for me because the main course for the grownups was roast beef, which I don’t eat!  Total win-win.  I love fast food.)

I felt very included in all the traditions - they even got me gifts, which was totally unnecessary.  Andrew’s parents got me a beautiful Coach wristlet and made a big deal over the MOUNTAIN OF COOKIES I made for them.

Around the perimeter are snickerdoodles and Pillsbury sugar cookies.  Left to right are more snickerdoodles, chocolate peppermint crinkle cookies, and chocolate chip cookies.  All the way on the left cooling were the cookie part of the pumpkin whoopie pies I made for my family.  It made me feel good that grownups and children alike were taking two and three at a time.  I worked damn hard!  EAT UP!  (Oh, and I made a sweet potato pie for my family that I probably want to eat every day forever.)

After that, obviously, it was time for video games.

Andrew helped his niece Jackie and his nephew Alex navigate Super Smash Brothers, which they weren’t very good at.  That’s his cousin Kevin behind him.  (ALL WERE ADORABLE.  But Alex was so hyped up on sugar that eventually I kinda wanted to lock him in the dryer.  He stepped on me a lot.)

Christmas morning was lovely as usual.  I love being home for Christmas morning because for a long time post-divorce I had to spend Christmas Eve at my dad’s house.  I didn’t get a Christmas Eve in my own bed until I was 17.  Mom got me lots of beautiful clothes and a set of 6 strands of colored freshwater pearls she found on JTV with which I am OBSESSED.  Dad came up to spend the day with us and gave me money and a vintage Coach wristlet I had my eye on in an estate shop/restaurant near his house.  Grandparents are taking grandkids to see Spiderman: Turn Off The Dark … if equity doesn’t shut it down.

Best part of family Christmas gathering was my stepcousins getting Just Dance II for the Wii, and my entire family taking turns playing.

Chelsea on the left, cousin Katie on the right, enthralled parents watching in the doorway.

This was the peak of the night: cousin Russy vs. 76-year-old Grandpa.  GRANDPA WON.  (Sorry for the blurry picture.  I just needed proof that it happened.)

And that was my Christmas.  We had two lovely snow days after that, and I really couldn’t have asked for a better long weekend.  I hope you all enjoyed yourselves as well, and since I hate New Year’s Eve, I’ll just send good vibes that you enjoy whatever you do that wretched night too.  :)

I don’t talk much about my family on here.  I don’t know why.  They’re a pretty crucial part of my everyday.  So, without further ado, as far as backstory goes: My parents are divorced, and after college I moved back home with my mom.  My sister Chelsea lives here when she’s not at college.  The three of us are incredibly close.  My mom is my best friend.  It’s cliched and overused but it’s true in our case.

She also hasn’t dated since 2003.  The reason she gives makes me slightly older-child-bitter: she had a boyfriend for about five years while I was in middle school/high school, and when they broke up she realized she’d been focusing a lot of her energy and attention on him, and not on Chelsea and me.  (This is certainly not to say she was neglecting us AT ALL.  This is not that single parent story.  Her boyfriend was just a needy little whiner and my mom had Catholic guilt about it.  Story of our lives.)  

So, in 2003, my mom decided not to date until Chelsea was out of high school.  Obviously, I had a “WAIT REALLY” teenage shit fit about my own adolescence being plagued with a crybaby Napoleon-complexed boyfriend.  But I got over it, and the next seven years went by without my mom dating anyone.  She talked to me often about feeling like a 3rd-5th-7th wheel, and how she felt like a lot of her female friends got possessive around their husbands (completely stupidly, if you ask me - my mom just wants to talk about football and hockey with guys!), but she still held her damn promise.  The stubborn Irish in her.

When Chelsea graduated, I put on the full court press.  I nudged her towards my friends’ parents and their friends, towards online dating, towards FINALLY taking up her former coworker on the date he’s been trying to set for two years.  Nothing worked.  It’s frustrating, because on nights when her friends and our family is busy, she ends up chilling at home and then I get the Catholic guilt about it.  I know it’s not my job to babysit her, but I just don’t enjoy seeing her left in a lurch like that.

Here’s the best part (for all you tl;dr people): after almost a straight year of praying and sending good vibes into the universe and bargaining with God, my mom went on a successful first date last night!  My uncle set her up with one of his coworkers who is attractive, and a good father, and dedicated to his career, and - importantly for my mother - even balding!  This is HUGE.  Chelsea and I sat around the house waiting like anxious parents, and she came home with a smile on her face and a second date.  We practically skipped around the house with our joy.  The two of us have serious boyfriends, and it’d be cool if my mom could have someone with whom to go on her own date nights.  She deserves to be happy.

This is big.  I’m really stoked.  I just got some prayers answered.  I blame Christmas.  :)

I took a half hour break to eat a sandwich and another half hour break to run to ShopRite.  Then I was forced to take an hour break to eat dinner because my crinkle cookie dough was setting.

But I’ve pretty much been going straight since then.

The final roster:

• classic chocolate chip cookies
• my snickerdoodles that everyone always asks for
• Pillsbury sugar cookies with a cute Christmas tree on them (EVERYONE TAKES HELP I refuse to be Sandra Lee but damnit sugar cookies all taste the same)
• chocolate peppermint crinkle cookies, recipe courtesy of Emily (I think?)
• two more packages of Pillsbury cookies and more chocolate chip cookies for the homeless shelter nearby
• maple pumpkin whoopie pies (recipe once again from the lovely Lauren)
• candied pecans, Disney style
• sweet potato pie for in case when Christmas dinner sucks.

I feel good about this.  Pictures tomorrow.  Too tired now.  Hope Andrew’s family likes them.