Happy Boxing Day!

To those who don't know Boxing Day is a holiday celebrated by Commonwealth countries (and a few northern US states). Wikipedia has a good rundown of its history. For our family this year it's our day of rest at home after all the excitement and running around of the past couple of weeks.

Anyhow, it gives me a little time for blogging and a bit of a rundown of our holidays.

First Christmas - We were at my parents for gift opening and Christmas dinner. They gave the kids the neatest old fashioned gifts including a magnetic spinning top. this was everyone's favourite. Harry loved it, named it 'Kaiser' ( I have no idea how he came up with that) and snuggled the thing whenever he wasn't playing with it.



The Whirl-O magnetic spinning top.

There was much eating, drinking and playing of cards.

Christmas Eve Eve - It had a very Canuckish flavour this year. We went out Christmas light watching and our first stop was for hot chocolate at Tim Horton's. It's a Canadian coffee and donut chain that's up there with the maple leaf and beaver in terms of symbols of national pride. Then we switched on the radio and found a local station playing all east coast Canadian christmas music. Jackpot! After we were done we went for poutine (french for 'heart attack'), a dish that's made up of french fries covered in cheese curds and then smothered in hot gravy. Yum.

Christmas Eve - My husband spent a few hours at works and came home with a new digital camera. I made fish/lobster/scallop/clam chowder and the in-laws came up for supper. Then we all heading off for the Christmas Eve service at my church where Catherine was doing another reading. She did a wonderful job this time. My mother-in-law really enjoyed the service and thinks she might head to church with me on her Sundays off. I don't think she's been to church (barring marriages and funerals) since my husband, then 3, first expressed his atheism by biting my father-in-law in the ass during a Roman catholic service.

Christmas Day - I had a horrible night as I knew I would. I never sleep well because I'm too excited waiting for the kids to get up. I go to sleep, wake up and listen for them, fall back to sleep and dream they DID wake up then realize it was a dream and start the cycle over. See, my kids are horrible. They go to sleep promptly and then don't wake up until 7 or 8. I don't get this. I don't understand this.

They finally did wake up and we had a great time. Just before lunch we bundled up and headed out for the in-laws. Once there we drank, laughed, ate and played cards. In fact, I thumped my husband 3 times in 45's, a previously unthinkable event.

Today was supposed to be a visit to a traditional Boxing Day get together with Shannon's extended family but we haven't had a day together by ourselves as a family in almost two weeks and the kids were dying to play with their Christmas toys so we're staying home. Pancakes for breakfast, light cleaning and much playing are on the bill.

All in all this was a fantastic Christmas for us as I hope it was for all of you.