i survived christmas '08

having the world's quirkiest extended family can be a blessing and a curse.
here's what i'll remember this year:

- playing a great game with the cousins-in-law we like to call "what
if this were my hand"
- using aubrey's remote-controlled "cyclone robot" to shoot foam
discs at the cat
- scrabble tournaments
- daddy's toffee
- paul's tamales
- watching taryn's new hamster "wonder princess" crawl
backwards up its hot pink tube
- driving for hours to get to aunt betsy's and singing real loud
because the car stereo doesn't work
- bundling up in icelandic christmas sweaters to watch heima
- paulette's traumatized account of growing up in alsace, living in
constant fear come christmas of "le père fouettard"
- uncle john's collection of statues of hindu deities
- mommy's armenian novelty wine
- the "knifty knitter"
- playing "paralyze!" on the kitchen linoleum (it's every bit
as fun as it sounds)
- pretending elvis' "blue christmas" can actually pass as a carol
- cousin billy... is he related?

i love being home.