I did way more cleaning than I planned today. Just started load 3 of laundry. I saved folding sheets by putting the right back on the bed.

It helped that I only baked one dessert for Christmas. I may yet make something else, but it will be tomorrow morning if I do.

Now DVDs and wrapping. I wish mac would go to bed, but alas, when you have screwed up your sleep cycle as badly as he has, I doubt I can get him to bed before midnight.

We lit Hanukkah candles and opened Hanukkah prezzies, and then read several of our favorite Christmas stories. My brother and mom are prepping the breakfast casserole for the morning. Soon to bed.

Feel better, sickies. Go to bed, Mac.

wrapping all done, I didn't even start a DVD. 2 presents each. plus some cash for mac. so 7 things to take over to mom and dad's tomorrow. little bitty Christmas.

I think next year we are going to go somewhere else for Christmas and have the trip be the present to everyone except mac. I have been fighting the suggestion for a couple of years, but I think it is actually more depressing to be home with no one in the Christmas spirit than to just go somewhere else. I suggested Scotland, but mom wants to remain in country, so I will start researching places. She and Dad love the Smokey Mountains, so maybe there.

Apparently you *can* eat too much cheese. Or, at least, *I* can. I might barf.

That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.

Oh, man, flea that's awful. And Noise! Ugh.

That cave mapping girl is indeed awesome.

Spent the day with my parents, cooking and eating: Salmon Poached in Lemon Olive Oil with Crispy Skin (so much easier than I thought it was going to be), All-the-Root-Vegetables-Except-Potato Latkes (yum), green salad with apples and lemon vinaigrette (actually made with the recovered and strained olive oil from the salmon), pears poached in red wine, and handmade chocolate dreidels. Also watched football, lit candles, and exchanged some little gifts - I got my mom sparkly slippers and a Potlucker Tote and my dad a GPS-tracking app for hiking; they gave me a Pratchett collection of nonfiction and a calendar for the Contra Costa Water District that will be good to hang in my cube (severe lack of free calendars being handed out for 2017 at work). Walter was feeling spry enough to hop out of the car and start trotting down the street when we got there and insist on heading downhill again when we were leaving, which was mildly inconvenient but always nice to see. Good day.

We watched the Charlie Brown Christmas special last night and I was amazed that my nieces and BIL had never seen it.

Turns out Chinese takeout on Christmas eve is pretty good!

Now we're killing time with the American Bake Off before we go to "midnight mass", which is actually at 10:30.

We did Papa Johns pizzas and a gift exchange with one of my cousins tonight. Tomorrow mom is baking a ham and I'm cooking dressing.

We did random appetizers and stuffed acorn squash. You'd think after being part of the family for 13 years my brother in law would be used to how my family sucks at cooking, but every year he seems surprised. I think because we like eating, just not cooking!

Sadly I had an awful headache and barely made it through gift exchange and then went to bed at 745pm. Now it's almost 1am and I'm wide awake. Oops. Tomorrow sister and I will do our traditional going to the movies. Probably Fantastic Beasts and La La Land?

Apparently you *can* eat too much cheese.

I came close to that sad state earlier. Fortunately I distracted myself by figuring out how to make cheapskate barbecue ham sandwiches. There's more cheese to eat tomorrow!

I'm discovering I can't eat *much* in one sitting. Probably from reduced diet for 2+ weeks. I've been careful, but had a normal for me pre-gallbladder attack sized salad and uffda.

Thank god my brother has proposed at least a 3 mile hike everyday.

Now fretting whether I shorted eldest nephew, but really, he won't care, and annoyed that my card started getting declined at an ecard site because too many transactions, but they won't let you buy more than one card at once. Uh, hello?