i arrived back in the states for a visit the evening of saturday, december 23rd. the next day of course was christmas eve, so it was straight into holiday family gatherings. we started with going to my aunt dot and uncle larry's house for the evening. it was nice to see everyone, but i had a hard time staying awake through it all due to jet lag. christmas day was a bit more relaxing in that we didn't have to go anywhere and could just chill out at home all day.

after breakfast we tore through the insane amount of gifts, not only just for ben, but we all seemed to go overboard this year. i got lots of books and dvds off my amazon wish list, but by far the best gift i got was a really nice leather jacket from my parents. we all got a ton of stuff for ben, who of course still isn't quite at the age where he really knows what's going on with this whole present thing. he gets the first present, and from then on he just wants to play with that first thing. he hasn't yet learned to toss the first one aside and keep going, keep going, plow through those toys until you get to the red ryder bb gun (only an official one with carbine action, a compass in the stock, and this thing which tells time will do). he did enjoy playing with a few new items, but it wasn't long before he got tuckered out.

ben has this amazingly fascinating ritual he goes through every time he decides its time to take his socks off. he'll pull of a sock and then he'll stretch it between his two hands and hold it up to his neck under his chin. he does this every time. it's hilarious. what i think is most funny about it is that i was told that he does this, and to then see it in person was just too funny. it's like he is compelled to do it, for some reason it comforts him to hold a freshly removed sock from his foot and hold it under his chin. of course, in our family the poor kid will never hear the end of it as long as he lives. his prom date will be over getting ready to go to the dance and we'll be telling her all about how he used to take his socks off and hold them up to his neck.

after finally digging through all the presents, caran, joe, and ben had to get going and drive down to joe's parents' house in maryland to have christmas with them.

my parents and i spent a relaxing afternoon, i think i may have even snuck a nap in there somewhere. late in the afternoon there was a big game between the locally loved and revered philadelphia eagles and my beloved dallas cowboys. i've always been somewhat of the black sheep of the family for having betrayed the local team and chosen to support not just another team, but the most hated team for anyone living in the delaware valley. we've learned if not to agree to at least respect our different allegiances, and my father even went so far as to buy me a dallas t-shirt for christmas so i could support the team in the big game that day (he had a hell of a time finding anything in the nearby stores since no one would want such a shirt).

as it turned out the eagles showed up and dallas didn't, starting a slide with would of course ended in the infamous botched field goal attempt loss to seattle in the playoffs.

tagged: baby bacon christmas christmas tree eagles eggs family food pancakes presents