We were fortunate that on the morning of the 24th, the Peace Bridge wasn't particularly busy. In fact, we found it odd that there were so many cashiers at the duty free shop and hardly any customers. Hardly any questions at customs, too... So, we made it to my 'rent's place in record time. Time to go to Licks (damn how i wish they had a location closer to here; even in St Kits would be better!) and get me some veggie poutine! Then, we did something odd. We went to a couple of malls... just to see how crowded they would be. Lame crowds. We could actually walk without having to dodge bodies. What kind of fun is that? Later in the day, i went with my dad to visit his mom. Was nice to see her, but i just don't have much of a connection with her. I guess all those years of her telling me i was going to hell because i do not believe in god and cannot have children just wore me down. I am happy she is mellowing in her old age..
Christmas day was nice. Opened pressies with my parents, hung out. My dad tried to get it out of my mom what the "you will NEVER EVER guess what this present is" that we made for my dad, but she didn't spill. Would have ruined everything. We made him some Kate Bush coasters. See, he has this silly idea that gifts should be something the giver likes, but the receiver doesn't have to. When i argue with him how ridiculous that theory is, i threaten to give him Kate Bush cds, since i love her, and he hates her. Well, this year, we made it look like we burned him some Kate Bush cds, but i had felt stuck on them so he could use them as coaters. Something (e:Uncutsaniflush) says he does when he burns a distro cd wrong -- he makes beer coaters. The look on my dad's face was priceless. My mom liked the calendar i made her. The same one i make almost every year. She has kept them all, too. I have been doing this for her since 1993! I didn't get the chance to do last year, and she missed it. I made a modified one, and it just wasn't the same, she said. Looks like i am stuck doing it until they close their business. They better not do that in January!! My mom made turkey and i made the carrot recipe that was so good, my grandpa wanted it. Got it from Good Eats on Food Network. Carrots cooked in gingerale. Very good. My dad and (E:Uncutsaniflush) worked tirelessly on getting the weekly crossword then the New York Times Crossword puzzles done... with a little help from the bossmom (and nothing from me, i am useless at crosswords!).
Boxing Day (awe, come on, you guys live close enough to Canada so i don't have to explain what that is, do i?) my brother and his family came over. It source of tension with my mom. They haven't been in touch much. They are currently living with my sister in law's parents, while their house is being built. Their last one was burnt down when my brother came home wasted and decided to make deep fried french fries and fall asleep. Thank goodness he was the only one home. Thank goodness the dog woke him up. The new house is almost done. Sometime in January, we heard. They were trying to get it done by xmas, but it just didn't happen. My mom's issue is that they had to spend xmas day with her family. They live with them, and they do not exchange gifts, so why can't they come to see her? I don't know why. I do know that my brother got a new job and had to work on the 27th, so they drove for about 5 hours that day. The kids liked the gifts we got them, which is good. Buying for their age groups is hard enough, let alone the fact that i barely know them. And they barely know or remember me. Or, at least what they buy me for xmas. We agreed not to exchange gifts, just for the kids. And i know my sister in law did the shopping herself, so passing off what they gave me this year as something the kids picked out is not an option. So, now, i have 2 rice cookers. We will test the one they gave us last year (now that the left over tofurkey has been gobbled up), to see if it is me, the foodie that is a moron with rice, or if it is a crappy rice cooker. Then, we will think about whether or not we want to open up the new one, or regift it. So, be warned... if you get a rice cooker from one of us as a birthday gift or an xmas gift next year, it was the one my sister in law foolishly bought and didn't offer to take back or give me a gift recipt for. Then again, i expect so very little from her. She once laughed at me when i told her she upset me. Took me a while to realize that if i wasn't one of her children, then there was no way on earth she was going to care... my brother suspects he is below the dog when it comes to his place in the house in the eyes of his wife. Poor guy.
The 27th, my mom's side of the family came to visit. Not everyone was there this year. My cousin Michael and his wife went to Florida to be with her family, my brother and his family had to leave and, unfortunately, my cousin, Robbie broke up with his girlfriend. My cousin, Krista, had a baby on December 9th, so that cute little thing was passed around a lot, and barely showed her eyes much. In fact, Krista challendged me to wake her up. No luck. Amelia just kept on sleeping. Boss mom manged to get a cry out of her, though...
And here is the evidence.
Here is Amelia and her Mom, Krista.
I really like the composition of this pic, but i hate that our camera autofocused on my cousin, Robbie's bald head rather than Amelia, the cute baby.
And here is part of me, looking like i am cooing her to sleep, when in reality, i am trying to wake her up.
And lastly, or else i will post all the pics of her i have, here is Amelia and her older brother, Jacob.
The 28th, we came home. We could barely get out the information and the customs officer was waving us through. And i came home to a green card in the mail!! Woo hoo!