A very romantic Christmas.

I kept waiting for the holiday spirit to take hold of me and suddenly everything would feel less like a chore to check off my list and more of a joy to behold and savor.

Unfortunately that didn't actually happen. Though I had glimmers of hope when Logan pulled the roast out of the oven last night. Turns out that wasn't the holiday spirit, I was just really really hungry.

Oh well, at least that's over.

On the bright side I did make our Christmas much smaller and more reasonable. Something I've always intended to do since the year Maddie had just turned two and began to sob when, yet another, gift was placed in front of her to open.

Since then there has been less crying but more frantic ripping of packages and (in my opinion) a little less than appreciative kids.

I worried they'd freak out if there wasn't a lot of packages to open, but they seemed to get the whole idea that they got what they really wanted (within reason).  So that reinforced my faith that I have not raised spoiled little monsters.

My friends got a puppy for Christmas and I thought that might make Maddie's head explode because I've told her over and over for the last 10 years, "No one gets a puppy for Christmas! That's a TV thing...."

Oops! Meet Suki, the fictional Christmas Puppy.

Logan and I also kept our gifts to each other simple. At least once a week, maybe twice a week, I listen to Logan in the basement swearing and screaming and fighting with the old wooden drying rack we've had for 10 years. It's falling apart and crumbles under the relentless use Logan subjects it to.

He has very strong opinions about how his clothes are dried, underwear line dried and jeans, JESUS CHRIST DO NOT DRY THEM ALL THE WAY!!!!!

Now, you may ask yourself, "Why wouldn't Logan go out to the store and buy a new drying rack for his precious unmentionables?" Logan is a child of the Great Depression. Yes, I realize he's only 40. But this is the only way I can explain his inability to get rid of anything even when it's broken.

I bought him a nice sturdy metal drying rack for Christmas and I think it was his favorite gift. Which was a relief since, you know, buying someone a laundry drying rack is really pretty lame. But that's us, a little bit lame.

I also bought him a bottle of Maker's Mark that's as big as his head.

His eyes glistened a little bit. A tear may have slowly fallen down his cheek.

The best thing Logan gave me for Christmas was a collection of pickled foods. Things he finds so disgusting he had to wear latex gloves to even touch the jars. This meant a lot to me, especially when he put the pickled pear tomatoes in a bowl for me and tried not to gag as he smelled the brine.

We're kind of romantic over here.

Comments

[Angela]

I'm with Logan: the drying/hanging process is critical to the overall wear-ability of garments. As is any post-process wrinkle management.

[Mary]

Well, people shouldn't be getting puppies for Christmas, at least not as a gift chosen by someone else.

[Becky]

Can't show that puppy picture to my 17y/o because that baby would be in our house in a minute.

I love your gifts to each other, simple and thoughtful!

[Katy]

They sell Maker's Mark at Costco in Las Vegas. My husband swooned when he saw it on the shelves there the first time.

[Brianna Storch]

That puppy...he's so fuzzy...I think I may drown in a sea of "awww!" That fur, that face...why do I not have one?!
Oh yeah, because we live in a 1-bedroom apartment with a 1-year-old and cat who may hate me for the rest of her or my life!

[Christy]

We got a puppy too!!

[Denise]

I hear you on the romance- my man wanted a potato ricer for Christmas. I got an espresso maker. We have our priorities straight.

[Dawn]

Noggin sized vessel of Makers? The perfect gift, without a doubt.

[Lisa]

Hey! One year I got an in-sink garbage disposal for Christmas. And the next Christmas he installed it for me. I am not kidding.

[M3 Sweatt]

Romantic is as romantic does: we kept gifts simple and personal, yet quite practical and thoughtful. I was happy to get a new wallet and my wife the Le Creuset she's always wanted. And our two boys gave us the best gift of all on Christmas day: general sanity, cooperative play, civil talk and mellow tones all day.

[MiniHipster]

Great presents!

What an adorable little puppy.
However, not to be combined with the whiskey...

MiniHipster.com

[kimblahg]

I'm still a little disappointed I didn't get a puppy. Never mind that we really don't need a puppy, I've just always wanted the TV christmas morning.

[Dianna]

Hey, if you can give a laundry rack this year, may as well toss in some detergent next year. Then again, I'm mean and tell himt hat if he's that damn picky he can do his own laundry! Glad you all had a nice day! And the puppy, hope Maddie's still got her head attached.

[melissaS]

well, yeah, he does laundry. That's why he was swearing at the stupid old rack.

[kate]

Oh man, when I saw that puppy picture my first thought was "They FINALLY got Maddie her puppy! So I guess they aren't the evil parents I thought they were." hee!

I'm so with you on the "keeping it simple" this year. It made for an extra-special Christmas. Who knows, maybe this stupid economy is just what we all needed...

[Scott]

I can relate to that--the Christmas spirit not taking over on Christmas. Almost none of the best times I've ever had coincided with holidays. After all--any holiday is just another day, ultimately. And any ordinary day can be a holiday, for the person experiencing it!

[Leta]

That is the cutest damn dog I have ever seen. I don't even really like dogs and now I want one. Dammit!

[ageekymom]

I asked that my husband clean up his side of the bedroom for Christmas (he doesn't seem to understand the concept of drawers and closets) and I didn't get it.. big surprise!
The puppy is adorable!

[Meghan]

That may beb the cutest puppy I have ever seen, and I have two that were pretty darn cute.
Not to incite any kind of jealosy whatsoever, but my husband owns a bottle of makers mark that is branded by the demoratic national convention with BLUE wax dripping down the top and a picture of a starred donkey on the side. Yes, it is fabulous, but I am certain it does not taste one bit better than Logan's.

[Trish/Astrogirl426]

Sounds like our kind of xmas. The kid's toys were all non-battery-powered building-type toys, so he was in heaven. Hubs got me a canon cyber-shot (woot, good boy!) and a charging station for the tabletop. Hubs only wanted one thing for xmas, and he got it. And it didn't cost me a damn thing, ifyouknowwhatimeanandithinkyoudo. ;)

[Angela]

My mother does that not drying clothing all the way thing. She has a clothes line in the basement. She swears by it. I on the other hand dry everything, I have the electric bill to prove it.

[marlene]

husky puppies are the cutest things in the whole wide world. congrats. we had our 'puppy' for 10 wonderful years. enjoy every second with yours.