December 26, 2002 - 9:12 p.m.
I miss the Christmas Break we had in school. All December was anticipation. Christmas Day was gift wrap and food. And then there was a full week to play with new toys, read new books, sleep in, hang around the house with the family (my father always took the bulk of his vacation time around Christmas) and generally do nothing productive. Now, in absence of any carry over holiday, I get a little depressed the day after Christmas. Nothing to do now but unload the metric ton of toys from the car and start packing things to move.
The boys had a fine Christmas. For Zachary, this marks the year he's old enough for matchbox cars - and he loves them. I think he received about 16 and a big play carpet illustrated with city streets on which to drive and park them. His Daddy also gave him a spring-loaded launcher to shoot them through a break away wall. For safety, however, it really only nudges them to roll through it. Of course, Zachary finds Marcus's Ocean Wonders Fish Bowl to be an equally distracting toy and I've found myself saying "No, Marcus is playing with that right now" so many times I think I recite it in my sleep.
Nearly everything they received makes some sort of noise and few have "off" switches, so the rear of the minivan was a cacophony of beeps, bells, vrooms, and bars of children's songs all during the ride home today.
So, before it gets too late, I'm going to go enjoy the silence and start one of my new books - a signed first edition of Baudolino by Umberto Eco. (Thank you Sweetie!) :)
