I had to go to the mall today.
Surely, that explains all of the horror without further detail, so I may go onto the pleasant things.
Steve and his family arrived during the night and somehow managed to get a teenager, a proto-teenager and a three year-old into the house without waking anyone. Now that, is fine parenting. This morning Rob and I went downstairs to the smell of pancakes cooking and Mom bustling around the kitchen. She is a non-stop cooking machine.
Well, almost. She did consent to go to Couch’s Barbecue for supper. I don’t think it had anything to do with being tired, I think it was a decision based entirely on having no where to put anymore leftovers. At dinner we gave Katherine her birthday presents. I think, and it’s hard to tell with fifteen year olds, that she liked the jacket that Rob and I gave her.
That was part of my mall activities today. I finally resorted to going into a store, Wet Seal, and saying, “Help. Fifteen-year old niece. I see her once a year and I’m clueless about what teens are wearing these days.” I felt like such a fogey and I’m nowhere near the right age for that.
After dinner Mom, Rob and I tackled prep work for dinner tomorrow. While we did that Dad, Steve and Rob did a mini-beer tasting. I’m very impressed that my husband managed to taste beer and help in the kitchen. Everyone else went to the basement to watch The Grinch. Had it been the original, I would have joined them.
Now, I just need to finish wrapping gifts, a feat which is complicated by the fact that our box o’presents has not arrived from Portland. I will be very put-out if my party favors arrive after the party.
