Holiday Holding Pattern

If you think of Thanksgiving as the start of "The Holidays" as I do, then this week, as I like to think, is some downtime between the frenzy of month-long festivities and preparations for the late winter holidays and the last big hurrah that closes down the holiday season, New Year's. I can't think yet that it's all over. There's a little more partying left to do.

I thought I wouldn't like reading post-Christmas blog posts about what gifts people gave and received, kind of like my annual childhood post-Christmas morning phone call to my best friend 10 blocks away in which we listed everything we got and planned to come over one or the others' house the next day to play. But actually I'm loving these posts. I guess I'm so nosy that I love to hear what other people got for Christmas, even as an adult.

We had a nice Christmas Eve at the in-laws house. My parents went, too, which is always kind of weird to have both sets of parents together. I don't know why, it just is. Maybe because my parents are so northeast New Jersey and his parents are so rural southern Virginia. But they get along extremely well and accept the differences with grace. They went with us because my negligent busy? faraway? sister and brother were in England and California, respectively. I know California is far but considering my brother was in Iraq this time last year, he could at least have planned his Christmas trip ahead of time when the flight prices were considerably lower and not left our mom without him two Christmases in a row. But he's just starting out out there and all that so whatever. Next year.

MIL overloaded us with gifts as usual and Toddler practically has a whole new wardrobe now complete with new crib sheets and pajamas. Toddler won't be two-and-a-half until late February so he's still a bit lukewarm about receiving presents. I opened most of his for him and he did get excited about some of the stuff but I think most of it was too overwhelming. He did love his new basketball net and sponge ball for the bathtub, though. That's why I was glad we didn't overload him with Santa presents. Or so I thought. We didn't get him that much: a few puzzles, smaller Legos than the ones he has, a set of wooden blocks, a Kipper book and video, Aqua Doodle, Little People airplane, a tiny bike with training wheels, and a Play Doh set. OK, it sounds like a lot when I list it all. But he still has to open some Play Doh and a puzzle. He opened the Aqua Doodle this morning. I guess we didn't have to wrap his stuff this year, but oh well. We didn't wrap his stocking stuffers.

He also got a Leapster TV game system from my parents which he might have to grow into a little and my brother and sister sent him nice packages. Christmas morning we let him take his time opening stuff, then we had banana pancakes of which Toddler ate none. About 2:00, my parents came over and we made filet mignon from Rachael Ray, spinach gratin from Ina Garten, stuffed mushrooms, roasted asparagus, rolls, and a Panetonne bread pudding with amaretto sauce from Giada DeLaurentiis. It was a Food Network feast.

I'm making this post too long.

Here's what I got for Christmas:

This adorable cake plate

This cookie press

This kitchen scale

And my husband and I both got each other a probe meat/oven thermometer with the wire so your temperature shows up on a little screen you can magnet onto your stove and the probe stays in the oven.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and Hanukkah and whatever winter holiday you do.