Christmas and all that

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were spent in Kingston. We managed to survive, including both boys being shepherds at the church pageant, and didn't kill each other too much. On Christmas morn, both boys were up at 7am-ish (so a somewhat reasonable hour) and ran downstairs to organize their prezzies and then came upstairs to get us. Well, actually I think we went downstairs first because we really thought that they would start opening things. Our kids aren't known for their sense of propriety on these occasions.

Boxing Day - my parents came into town and we had a nice dinner with them and relatives (Aunt and Uncle) with our second Christmas - a few gifts for the boys and an IOU for us (we know what it is - it's a lovely painting from my talented cousin and it's coming in the mail...)

Dec 27 - drive to Ottawa to be with the in-laws. Normally this fills me with dread because it's stressful being in someone else's house, on a rickety screechy bed that wobbles horrifically every time the Hubby rolls over... and with both boys sharing a small bedroom so that when one wakes up, so does the other... But this year, it filled me with dread for an entirely new reason: Hubby had booked an overnight at a cabin in the Gats. "At least," he tells me, "it has electric heating." I can hardly wait. We have our third Christmas with the in-laws -  more prezzies for the ever-spoiled kids.

Dec 28 - potluck with my Hubby's friends. My kids wisely listen to me and bring books and games, as there are no other kids. They keep asking, as if the answer will change. I lose patience several times.

Dec 29 - ski through the Gats to the cabin. We, of course, are skiing on THE coldest day of the season so far. "At least," says my ever-optimistic husband, "there is snow!" Which is true - because a few days earlier, we might have been hiking in. Ottawa (and the surrounding area) has not had much of the fluffy white stuff, except for the storm we drove in two days earlier.

To be fair, the cabin was quite nice. Room for 17+ to sleep, mostly on bunk beds. I, however, sleep very poorly the first night in a new place - especially when sharing the room with my kids. Another family was supposed to join us, but had to cancel due to poor health (they have since recovered). Next time, my kids have planned for several other families to join us. As long as I learn how to sleep with earplugs, I should be fine. Better yet - book me a room at the Chateau Laurier, and I'll stay there. On the other hand, I didn't fall down once while skiing, and there were some nasty hills. My snowplough definitely improved on that trip. Did I mention it was a 3km (2 mi) ski each way?

Dec 30 - we ski back to the car and head home. First item of business: hot shower! Did I mention that the cabin had no indoor plumbing? no running water? And only an unheated outhouse? Well it did.

We spend the evening with more family - another few small prezzies for the boys, including a book called Larry the Loon that comes with an "alternative ending" that parents are supposed to read first - except no one told me that, or told my 7 yr old son, who sat reading the book quietly in the middle of the room and then turned to me with tears in his eyes and asked "Mommy, what does it mean that Larry the Loon will wake up in heaven?" Yes, apparently the book is about a loon who gets hit by a car and the alternative ending, which is also the read ending, has Larry getting euthanized. Lovely.

Dec 31 - back home where we all stay up until midnight. Well, hubby sorta makes it. He's getting more dad-like as he ages, and spent a couple of hours stretched out in front of the fireplace, "resting".

Jan 1 - rain. Boys get antsy and at one point throw a bunch of socks at me. Which would be funny except that I asked them several times to stop and they didn't. Because, you know, when they ask me to stop doing something, it's really ok with them if I keep going. (not)  So I yelled. A lot. Because sometimes, that's the only thing that catches their attention. I don't think they care. And no one apologized. Clearly better parenting is in order.

Tomorrow Hubby and the Kids head off to Vermont for a downhill ski extravaganza at Smuggler's Notch. I hope I feel a little more charitable towards the kids by then because if they died, I'd hate to think that my last encounter with them was yelling over socks. Anyhoo, I'm back at work on Tues. And that's our vacation so far. I'm looking forward to the quiet.