Christmas

Christmas was one long day for most of us. I went to bed at about 4-something the night before and I woke up at about 8:30 that morning. My sister woke up not too long after I did. We went into the living room, turned on the Christmas lights, and opened our gifts. I got her the new CDs from Ashanti and Ludacris and the DVD of Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban. She got me the 5th season of The Simpsons. My parents gave me a $50 Target giftcard. My dad receives a giftcard as his holiday bonus and has given it to me as my Christmas gift for the past few years.

Not too long after we opened our gifts, Mom and Dad woke up. Mom got up and again started cooking and baking up a storm. Samone helped Mom out a bit with the cakes. Eventually, my dad opened his gift from Samone and I. We gave him a pair of pants. Eventually, Mom was able to stop cooking long enough so that Samone and I could give her her Christmas gift. We got her The Richard Pryor Show DVD box set. Samone got the idea for the present because Mom talked frequently about how she wanted to see the show again after Auntee had rented it and watched it. She also opened Dad's gift which was some clothing.

Samone and I watched the Indiana/Detroit basketball game and after it ended, we got ready to go to our grandmother's house. It took us a little while to get everything in the car. My mom baked two cakes (a double-layer yellow cake with chocolate frosting and a pound cake) and made macaroni and cheese, cornbread muffins, greens, and sweet potatoes.

We made our way to Grandmother Hattie's house and after a little while, we sat down to eat. In addition to the food Mom cooked, Auntee contributed turkey and dressing, ham, and rolls. After we ate, Auntee, Samone, and I sat down and watched a movie. My dad left to go to his family's house and visit. During the movie, Phillip called (I have to give him credit...he has been calling more). We all talked to him briefly. Afterwards, we opened the gifts from Auntee. I got a Best Buy giftcard and a fleece vest. She also gave me money for my birthday. We also gave Grandmother Hattie her gift. It included some lottery tickets, a mug with a bean bag toy, and a small clock.

We watched another movie...I, Robot. It's actually a little boring on DVD. Dad returned while the movie was going. Auntee asked some Christmas trivia questions from a book and gave out some prizes. I ended up with a little money because I answered my questions right.

Not too long after the movie ended, we got ready to leave. All of us were pretty tired. We packed up and said our goodbyes and thank yous. Rhonda (who normally stops by during Christmas) called us just as we were leaving. She didn't stop by this year because her cousin (who is currently in the military) was home for Christmas. Once we got home, we all crashed pretty early (considering). I went to sleep at about 12:30, which is still pretty early for me.

This year, my stash wasn't too bad. I thought this year's Christmas would be pretty lean. In reality, I've gotten the most combined birthday/Christmas money I've gotten in a while. I haven't been post-Christmas shopping yet. We spent much of the day after Christmas relaxing and recovering. I hope to go out to shop sometime this week.