Last Post about Christmas

My kids totally owe me. When their stupid wives decide to evict me from their family rooms and move me to the nursing home, I’m going to remind my sons of this week, and it will yield enough guilt to keep me in their homes for another year. This week bought me one year out of the nursing home.

Today we took them into Manhattan for Steve’s company holiday party. It’s a big deal, and well worth a missing a day of school. The kids rode the train into Manhattan and played on the computers on the desks next to Steve. The firm also handed out free Build a Bears, had face painters, story reading, three rooms of food, balloon twisters, craft rooms, cupcakes everywhere. But the kids really liked the train trip and sitting next to Daddy, as he made some last minute phone calls.

After the party, Jonah really wanted to see the “big tree,” so we waded through Times Square and went to Rockefeller Center. Obligatory, boring pictures in front of the tree.

Then a schlep back to New Jersey with two boys who were so tired that they could only walk very, very slowly.

All the while in the city, I was shooting calls back to my mom. Last night right before Jonah went to bed, he sighed and said, “all I really want for Christmas is the Lego airport set.” I knew he wanted the Lego City Airport; it was on my list, but I just hadn’t had a chance to pick it up yet. I suddenly became worried that it might be sold out. I immediately called my mom to see if she could get it for me while we were in the city. She called the Lego store to see if they had it. She called back. It was sold out. She called the Lego store in Rockland County. Sold out. She called to tell me about. At 10:00, she learned that might be a couple left at the Target in Hackensack, and she resolved to head out there at 8:00am the next morning. When she got there, the airports were gone. She made some more calls and heard a rumor that FAO Schwartz in Manhattan had it, but there was no freakin’ way I was going to wait on that line, so we decided that Jonah might have to get an IOU from Santa this year.

When I got back from the city marathon this afternoon, the IOU thing was really bothering me. I called some places in Westchester to see if they had it. Nada. I checked out ebay, which was selling them for double the price. Not. On a whim, I called the local Lego store one more time. They had it! Well, not quite the same thing, but they got a shipment last night of a new and improved airport. So, I zoomed over the mall and got it. It’s more expensive then I planned, so Jonah is going to get a couple of things removed from his pile and reserved for his birthday.

My mom might have bought herself an extra year in our guest room.

I’m signing off here. I’m busy preparing for our Italian Christmas Eve (scallops wrapped in bacon, shrimp scampi, stuffed clams, tuna sauce over pasta, salmon spread, mussels in tomato sauce and garlic, crab cakes, lobster in phillo triangles), wrapping presents, and getting some last minute stocking stuffers (Dora Band-Aids for Ian). I’ll mostly be gone until after the new year. Have an excellent holiday everyone! Laura

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