It could not be a better day to stay inside -- POURING rain out. Alas, I have to go to work. That was a mistake.

Hey, all! Glad most people had good holidays, and sorries to the peeps with frustrations.

We traveled a LOT and although it was very cold, the weather was clear and our highways were in great shape so WHEW!

Our friends who normally watch Arthur over Xmas were in CT for the holidays -- first time my friend M has been home to his fam there for 7 years -- so we took the dog with us and he was SO GOOD. I was very pleasantly surprised. He has really grown on me, with my training. I just wish I'd gotten to him before he was 5 years.

We had a splendid Xmas. LOTS of family, since M has 3 sets of grandparents on our front alone to visit, but I like all my in-laws and their families for the most part -- a couple of subtly racist things inferred from the Iowa relative contingent with I quietly pointed out as racist and that I was uncomfortable with intolerant statements, as it sets a bad example for the way I wish to raise my child, and it was quietly dropped. But that was it.

D got a Blu-Ray player from my folks, which I had NO idea he was getting and his face was just fucking geekily ecstatic and priceless with the glee/shock.

From my family, M got (among, good Lord, so much stuff, le sigh) Skylanders Giants and the Granite Crusher guy, which is A Thing akin, to a 10 y.o. boy, to winning an all expenses paid trip to an Italian villa.

Me? Some more fucking CUTE AS HELL owl stuff, Smashbox stuff (my precccioussss) and...oh, mom...another Coach purse. Which I love and I am TRULY SO GRATEFUL but... in all honesty, I would rather have had the money to apply toward a new laptop, but I do love it, and it is lovely.

I did get some money for my Laptop Fund, so it is a wee seed that will hopefuly grow, barring yet another emergency. *knock wood...NAY, a forest!*

All in all, fantastic. But now it is back to work for me. My depression is lifted from a the morass I have been in in late November and most of December and I am hauling ass on stuff this week and weekend.

Our friends who normally watch Arthur over Xmas

It is incredible how long it took me to read that as referring to anything other than this: [link]

Strix, I too know the wonder that is Skylander unto a 10 year old boy. I swear, he disappeared after openIng his bday gifts.

Heh, Jesse.

sarameg, oh gawd, yes. He is immersed in them now. He slept with the new ones last night.

Bah, I am at work. And there are people here! WTF, people.

Someone actually left me voicemail over the holiday: what is wrong with those people?

I had very few emails from yesterday, no voicemails. A bunch of people in my department are here, but it is super quiet. I've been doing database updates and listening to old Fresh Airs so as not to die of boredom.

At least it's almost lunchtime here?

Good morning! Naproxen seems to be working and the swelling in my knees is way down. Which is good, because I mostly lazed on the couch last night but I won't be able to do that today, today I need to stand and walk and such.

My kids aren't into Skylander, but they've played it a bit and I am familiar enough to attest that yes, for many a 10 yo, it is the One Gift. The latest gaming obsessions in our house seem to be Angry Birds Star Wars and Mine Craft.

Kids are still asleep. JZ was up a good chunk of the night coughing, as she's had a persistent hacking cough for over a month now. Convinced her it was time to visit the walk-in clinic before she did her half day of work.

She looked rather dashing though in her new Burberry coat that her father gave her for Christmas.

We've had coffee and I've cooked bacon. I think Emmett and I might see Django Unchained tonight.

We got Minecraft for Christmas and the kids love it. They are also currently obsessed with Pocket Frogs.

We went sledding (basically grass with a frosting of ice, but it worked ok) and Dillo got his face washed and scraped off a scab, so we walked all the way home with him crying. But now they are wrapped up and watching Dirty Jobs and eating chocolate.