On the plus side, it is 2359 on the 24th, and all of the Chrimbo stuff is upstairs and ready and everything. We did it! We couldn't stop Christmas from coming, it came!

Here's some stuff from today:

Woke up and did fairly leisurely breakfast, while chatting with Alys and Charlie and mom. We had time to play a game of Moonshine, which I lost spectacularly, and then it was Off To The Shops, for last minute christmas shopping and also groceries.

We started with a couple of Very Large presents for dad, which necessitated me forcing mom to take a photo of me so I could send it to Shaenon Garrity, as life imitated art. I sure was a replica of Tip from the first storyline of Skin Horse, minus the gender-inappropriate pink angora sweater. (I was instead wearing a very gender appropriate Maya Kern skirt with pumpkins on it)

The presents were so large that we went straight home to swap the car out for those and collect Jonny!!!!! who is going to be doing Chrimbo with us this year. I'm excited about it! It's been ages and ages since we've had a brother at Christmas, and Jonny!!!!! is better than most. (He's one of the drama department teens mom adopted when I was in high school, who moved back to Maryland and joined the Gay Man's Choir of Washington like a year before mom did. It's great that they've gotten to spend a lot more time together!). Then mom and Jonny!!!!! and I went out to get the groceries, which was extra charming because he and I basically entered into a mini-contest of who could be more helpful at any given moment.

Ah, oldest daughter syndrome. <3

We got home, where Charlie put away the groceries and did some preliminary reorganization of the pantry, which badly needs it (I believe he plans to do more on the 26th). Then we ordered some Thai food for dinner (Chinese would be more traditional, but my parents have not yet located a good Chinese place, to everyone's sadness) and taught Jonny!!!!! how to play Moonshine. I did much better, but Jonny!!!!! still clinched the win.

Somewhere along the way "the kids" (a phrase I use ambiguously --using it exclusively like this, I mean just the people younger than me, if I use it inclusively, it's also me and Jonny!!!!!) watched Once Upon a Mattress, which was fun to hear in the other room.

We all finished wrapping presents, and then dad called for the traditional reading of The Night Before Christmas to us over the phone --he's working at the hospital overnight tonight, meaning I haven't actually seen him since getting to MD. To be fair, I arrived at piss late last night (I think my train was delayed by almost 2.5 hours altogether, most of it at the front end...I got on around 1525 for a train that was supposed to depart at 1337.). So he was in bed already, and then left for work well before I got up. I'll see him tomorrow!

Alys read Charlie the last two chapters of The Woman Who Rides Like A Man, with mom and I happily eavesdropping and fucking around mindlessly a bit. We're all very excited listening to Charlie make predictions since he didn't know the Alanna books at all before Al started reading them to him! Then it was time for evening chores and putting away the dishes and stuff, and just before bed, Santa showed up to fill the stockings! I helped with that, and off we went.

To write words, remembered at the last minute, and now I am cozy and warm. Time to find them sugarplums, because apparently the morning sibling gossip time starts at 0630. I am obviously complaining about it and equally obviously, am probably just fine with it. We'll see how I feel tomorrow morn.

Goodnight and be well!

~Sor
MOOP!