I just spent the last two-ish hours contemplating whether I should type this up and post it, even though I’ll want to post about my gingerbread house today after I put it together today when it is daytime and not two in the morning. 😎

Anyway, Saturday we ate spaghetti and meatballs for our get-together because they were something simple and didn’t involve too much cooking from/for Grandmama, or a lot of preparation. We also ate on paper plates so there wouldn’t be as many dishes. There are twenty-five family members total on this side of the family[1. That number includes me.] I consider in the group when I say ‘my dad’s side of the family’, and somehow we all fit together in a space that probably isn’t meant for more than ten or fifteen.

After we ate, the long fold out table was folded up and put away. Ruby and I played a little — we played blocks before they put away the table, then we played Go Fish with Slap Jack cards, which was interesting with an uncle, four kids aged toddler to preschool and myself. I tried really hard to catch Ruby’s thinking face; she was so cute when she was concentrating really hard. Four cards each were passed out, and they needed two of the same cards per match. It was interesting because the kids don’t really understand that sharing cards isn’t what they want to do. ;o After about three games, if that, it was time to open presents.

On this side of the family, presents are opened from youngest to oldest, every year. Sometimes, if there are two people of the same age, they open them together. It’s a long process, and there are twelve kids, not including Bri or myself. Bri’s guy was also there, J, so this time there was a total of twenty-six people in the house and at least fifteen people to wait on before the exchange.

The gift exchange activity is a white elephant gift exchange; last year’s theme and limit was the first letter of the buyer’s name, males with males and females with females, and $15, and this year’s limit was $25 with no theme, but buying unisex gifts. They did this because of the money, and I guess because of time. Maybe it was easier to buy better gifts for either gender with a bigger budget and that’s why they did it. I liked last year’s because it was a bit easier to shop for ladies, and also because most of what was in this pile were gifts that I can’t really use because 1) I don’t drive and 2) I’m not heading off to college or anything. It was still fun, though.

I bought one of those sausage gift sets with a cutting board and hard cheese, paying about $17 for it, rounded up. My other idea was to buy a Starbuck’s gift card, some popcorn, and some other goodies and put it into a basket somehow. I ended up not because I actually totally forgot about it until afterward. Oh, well; maybe next year I could do that. :p

My left arm hurt a lot Sunday and yesterday; it’s gotten better today, even though it’s only 2:30 am. I spent the majority of the day Saturday holding Ezzie because I hadn’t seen him in so long and knew that soon he’d be even more against being held and I wouldn’t be able to hold him anymore. Babies grow up way too fast, ugh.

All in all, I guess this post served some purpose; now you know how Christmas get-togethers go at Grandmama’s house: You put on an unwrapping show, people ooh and ah over what you got, etc. You also participate in getting sweets for being a part of the email list… In my next post I’ll include Bri’s cookie dough mix jar she handed out.