christmas eve into christmas day ...

Since grainne has demanded it, here's my breakdown of Christmas Eve with my godsons and family, into the wee hours of Christmas morning ...

Here's me about 9 p.m., getting ready to head over —Santa Big Daddy. I had to stop by a gas station convenience store first to pick up some sodas, and did that. As I was loading the cases into my passenger-side door, I looked over and saw this family by the air station. The mom was adding air to the front tire, but her little 3- or 4-year-old was staring at me, wide-eyed with jaw dropped.

It hit me then: He's a little kid looking at a jolly, fat man wearing a red shirt and glasses, with a Santa hat. He was thinking, "Omigod! Is that ... HIM?"

I drove by on my way out and waved, callling, "Merry Christmas!" He managed a wave. His mom was clueless, her attention focused on the tire. I wonder about the discussion afterward. LOL

This is MOST of the spread of gifts at the house — there were a few more added later and I forgot to update the pic. That's a LOT of loot! LOL

Here's me with all the boys. From left: godson Jordan, their cousin Aaron, godson Aidan, and cousin Indera. Yes, Indera looks pouty and about to cry in the photo, but I fixed that after with a patented "lift the kid over my head so they're flying" move. He was all giggles after that.

I pretty much spent about 1-1/2 to 2 hours being the giant, living jungle gym for them — picking them up, tossing them around, letting them jump on me, etc. Now Aidan is a LOAD these days ... just one of them big boys. The others are all light and bony, so they're easy to toss around. With Aidan I have to brace and lift carefully LOL. The poor guy knows it too; I can't press him over my head anymore and he's all like, "It's OK, Nino. I'm too heavy." Aww ... so of course I lift him and rock him around in all kinds of other ways, and let him take running jumps onto me. LOL

Of course there was food! Look at that spread! God, I was soooooo full ... yet again. LOL

I barely managed to eat dessert ... just a little fruit salad.

But Ri made me a big balutan (take home food platter), filled with all my favorites (had it for breakfast, yum!). She also made sure I got coconut cream pie, banana cream pie, pumpkin pie and more of the delicious fruit salad. Yum again! LOL

The present opening was pure carnage, even with two trash bags stationed to the sides to get all the wrapping paper, ribbons, bows and packaging. The kids all seemed to get stuff that they really liked — Aidan got one of those super-fancy and realistic light sabres ... Jordan got a ton of science stuff and a Zathura book and game (we just hope he doesn't expect meteors and space flight to happen when they pay it! LMAO) ... Aaron Power Ranger and Dragonball Z stuff ... Indera was infatuated with a little bus thing.

Everyone else seemed to get the stuff they wanted and liked their gifts.

I got some cool Brian Urlacher (from my fave football team, the Chicago Bears) figurines, some books on DVD, a golf shirt (Izod, nice), gift certificate at this awesome restaurant that I love (woohooo) and the SNL version of Trivial Pursuit. The piece de resistance ... a Two-Ball putter from Odyssey, a putter I've wanted for months and months, but couldn't bring myself to spend the money on ... it's not a cheap putter LOL

Anyway ... that's how it went for me. Hope your Christmas Eve/Christmas went well and that all of you got some good loot and great food!