Wednesday, December 28, 2005
My Christmas Vacation
Every year my immediate family goes to Delaware for Christmas Eve with the Hackmans (my dad's family) and then to Maryland for Christmas day with the Chapman's (mom's family). It's fun and crazy and Christmas. This year was different because it was the first time in my life that we weren't having Christmas Eve in my grandparents' house. My Pop-Pop had brain surgery around Thanksgiving and my grandma was stressed out enough. But it was hard to come to terms with the fact that this was the first time in 25 years where I would not be opening my stockings on Christmas morning in the Hackman living room. Last year we still had to wake up my grandma and wait until she was ready before we could open the presents. Pop-Pop burned the wrapping paper in the fire place and then we had pancakes.
This year we didn't have any family presents until today. Santa came on the 27th. It marked the beginning of the end which just made it sadder. My huge family who always showed tons of love is now in the middle of spats. Hopefully it's just growing pains and we'll move on, but it's still hard when people you love and only get to see once a year show up late and want to get out of there as soon as they can.
Well this wasn't supposed to turn out depressing so here's some fun things I did over the break. Watched A Christmas Story at least 3 times on TBS. That is the best Christmas movie ever. The writers should have won an Oscar. I use quotes from that movie all the time and every year it gets better. I normally wait all year to watch it and have put off buying it, but this year my brother bought me a copy. Oh yea, that's great.
We watched The Producers and The Family Stone. Ok, the people that do commercials should be slapped around. The Family Stone was a great movie, but it was freaking sad and the ads make it look like a comedy. I was crying and not in a haha way. It's annoying to go into a movie with totally different expectations like that. In Good Company was like that too. The previews made it look hilarious and it wasn't. There were some funny parts, but overall the movie was more of a drama than a comedy. Shape up preview makers.
Got matching pjs for all the top shelf girls. Mine are Curious George wearing a suit. Super fun. My cousin Sara made me an adorable picture frame. My uncle bought me an Orlando Bloom calendar. My brother wrapped my presents while I was watching him with the paper from a gift I had just opened. He also liked the swords I bought for him and his roommate from the dollar store. My sister liked the underwear I got her. My mom liked her toolbox and her angels. Layla liked her squeaky toys.
We spent a few days at my mom's sister's house this year instead of just Christmas day. She has a gorgeous house on the Chesapeake Bay with a little apartment next door that she calls the nest. That's where the girls stayed. Somehow Jeff always manages to get to sleep inside. My mom's sister is a trip and bought herself a Rolls last year named Sunshine. She found the cutest ornaments for everyone this year. Mine says, "Don't give me attitude".
My sister and I spent most of the time talking to our grandma. She's almost 84 and is adorable. She told us that she likes us since we listen to her and that her kids don't. It was kind of sad, but understandable. We don't listen to our mom either. She knew it was a generation gap thing and wasn't mad about it, but I think her feelings still get hurt by it.
She now collects animals/dolls that sing. It started with this. I bought her one a few years ago and she brought it everywhere with her. Seriously, she brought it with her to the hospital once. That was the same year my aunt and uncle bought her a Rolex. She liked my $15 cow better- suckers! Now she has about 20 different animals lined up around her house. When Holly and I dropped her off, she made us listen to about 10 of them. She has one bear that she calls "Chappy" (which is what she called my grandpa) who has a plaid golfer's hat one and sings, "So Happy Together" which is just too cute.
I haven't gotten out of pjs for the last 3 days and I don't want to go back to school. Maybe I will in 5 days, but I doubt it.
This year we didn't have any family presents until today. Santa came on the 27th. It marked the beginning of the end which just made it sadder. My huge family who always showed tons of love is now in the middle of spats. Hopefully it's just growing pains and we'll move on, but it's still hard when people you love and only get to see once a year show up late and want to get out of there as soon as they can.
Well this wasn't supposed to turn out depressing so here's some fun things I did over the break. Watched A Christmas Story at least 3 times on TBS. That is the best Christmas movie ever. The writers should have won an Oscar. I use quotes from that movie all the time and every year it gets better. I normally wait all year to watch it and have put off buying it, but this year my brother bought me a copy. Oh yea, that's great.
We watched The Producers and The Family Stone. Ok, the people that do commercials should be slapped around. The Family Stone was a great movie, but it was freaking sad and the ads make it look like a comedy. I was crying and not in a haha way. It's annoying to go into a movie with totally different expectations like that. In Good Company was like that too. The previews made it look hilarious and it wasn't. There were some funny parts, but overall the movie was more of a drama than a comedy. Shape up preview makers.
Got matching pjs for all the top shelf girls. Mine are Curious George wearing a suit. Super fun. My cousin Sara made me an adorable picture frame. My uncle bought me an Orlando Bloom calendar. My brother wrapped my presents while I was watching him with the paper from a gift I had just opened. He also liked the swords I bought for him and his roommate from the dollar store. My sister liked the underwear I got her. My mom liked her toolbox and her angels. Layla liked her squeaky toys.
We spent a few days at my mom's sister's house this year instead of just Christmas day. She has a gorgeous house on the Chesapeake Bay with a little apartment next door that she calls the nest. That's where the girls stayed. Somehow Jeff always manages to get to sleep inside. My mom's sister is a trip and bought herself a Rolls last year named Sunshine. She found the cutest ornaments for everyone this year. Mine says, "Don't give me attitude".
My sister and I spent most of the time talking to our grandma. She's almost 84 and is adorable. She told us that she likes us since we listen to her and that her kids don't. It was kind of sad, but understandable. We don't listen to our mom either. She knew it was a generation gap thing and wasn't mad about it, but I think her feelings still get hurt by it.
She now collects animals/dolls that sing. It started with this. I bought her one a few years ago and she brought it everywhere with her. Seriously, she brought it with her to the hospital once. That was the same year my aunt and uncle bought her a Rolex. She liked my $15 cow better- suckers! Now she has about 20 different animals lined up around her house. When Holly and I dropped her off, she made us listen to about 10 of them. She has one bear that she calls "Chappy" (which is what she called my grandpa) who has a plaid golfer's hat one and sings, "So Happy Together" which is just too cute.
I haven't gotten out of pjs for the last 3 days and I don't want to go back to school. Maybe I will in 5 days, but I doubt it.
# posted by rjhackman @ 10:24 PM 
