Chocolate Wine

This is my new tradition on how to survive Christmas.     I used to LOVE Christmas - I couldn't wait until  Thanksgiving day to watch The Macy's Parade and it was my official day to start playing Christmas music which I wouldn't turn off until the 26th.    What happened?   It has become such a pain to face.   When it's just Joey and me, we have so much fun and I love being with him.   On Christmas Eve we had a great snowball fight and I took a cool picture outside.    How does snow make EVERYTHING seem amazing and beautiful?   Even my back yard with a chair turned upside down looks ultra cool. ;)

On Christmas Eve Joey built a fire and I was too impressed.    This is the first year he was in charge of it and he did a better job than his Dad ever has.    Anyone can start a fire if they have have matches, paper and wood.    BUT keeping a fire going ... woah.   My boy has learned so much from boy scouts.    We have a weird location of our fireplace - it's in the basement.     JTK had that fire blazing and I ended up having to change into a short sleeved shirt - it made the temp in our house go up 5 degrees!!    At one point I was upstairs making dressing, cookies, etc and he yelled up to me "Bring a bucket filled with water in case the fire gets out of control." WHAT??  Man, he had the flames huge - I was so proud of him and he was so proud that I was so proud.   What a great kid.


I do love our Tree!!

 One thing that's awful is between Christmas Eve and Christmas I spend A LOT of time with my ex husband and his current wife.    They're very judgemental of me and spend quite a bit of their time whispering to each other.   I end up feeling like an outsider in my own house.    On Christmas Eve they were at my house and she inspected one of my chairs, decided it was too dirty to sit in and proceeded to stand the entire time she was here.   Oh yeah ... she's terrified of dogs.  At least she doesn't scream and hold on to my ex husband any more to save her.    Last year I was instructed by my ex to keep the dogs locked up in a separate area ... screw that.   It's their house too.    TRex isn't the most gracious host, so he can be quite terrifying and obnoxious.     I have to admit, this is one time I don't mind TRex's peculiarities.  hahahaha    This year, we ended up with Joey opening the presents from me before anyone came over so that made things extra fun as well.     As I said, just JTK and I = FUN!!!!   Annoying relatives and ex relatives = BAH HUMBUG!!

If I have my Mom over I'm pretty much a handmaid for the duration of her visit.   And getting her to my house is generally a huge ordeal as well.    Yesterday  my brother was supposed to bring her and she called me and said she wouldn't come because her neighbor hadn't shoveled her walk.   I was like "Have someone else do it" and she told me she threw her shovel away.   Who in their right mind would throw a shovel away?   Oh yeah, my Mom is crazy - she doesn't figure into that question.    So ... I had to call my bro and tell him to go back and get her ass and not to let her say No.     She's very  dramatic and usually cries because she's crazy and acts like she's going to fall over whether is sunny and bright outside or there's snow on the ground.    She's pretty much a hypochondriac that has started to believe her own press. ; )    To get her into my house (mind you, my walk and stairs were 100% clean and dry) it took me, my brother, JTK and my nephew Tristan all working together.    My Mom will hold on to your arm and literally shake it, and she thinks that shows how unbalanced she is.   (Um, Mom, your shaking my arm - it has nothing to do with your legs)   aaarrrggghhh   She spent the night last night and in the middle of the night she hollered at me to get her a cough drop while I was sound asleep.   WTF???   I've said it a million times before, when she's around it's like having two kids and Joey's the more mature of the two.    Oh yeah, TRex ended up biting her accidentally when he lunged for Cooper.    I think TRex is my enforcer for annoying house guests. ; ) 



Whacha need me to do now KIMZ???

Everyone asks me why do I put up with this crap?   Why do I subject myself to the company of people that make me miserable?   It's JTK - he loves his Dad and his loves Grandma.  It's my job at Christmas time to do whatever I can to give him wonderful and happy memories.    It's the price we pay, as Mom's to put up with stuff we hate but our kid's like.    How else can one explain the existence of Barney? ; )

Oh well, today I am alone.   I spent the morning getting some fantastic after Christmas deals and this afternoon I took a 4 hour nap with the doggies.    And now I'm listening to my new Glee CD from JTK  - have you listened to "Blaine's" version of Teenage Dream?   LOVE IT!!!   If you haven't, you must go HERE!!    And I'm drinking this delicious chocolate wine.   woohoo    All is right with the world.  

I did make a successful turkey dinner for the first time in my life - my turkey always sucks.   It's dry and everyone says that's just turkey.    Well I work with a woman from England and she loves Gordon Ramsey.   She told me about this Christmas special he had and a guaranteed way to have a moist turkey .... OMG did it ever work.   First, you must get a fresh bird.   Then, you take the skin on the breast and put spices, butter and olive oil in there.    Cook at the noted temp for 15 minutes, take the turkey out and cover it in BACON.  You're supposed to let it rest for as long as you cook it, which about sent my Mom into a frenzy.   Apparently she hadn't eaten in days ;) and I got a lecture on how she's cooked turkeys all her life, blah, blah blah.     :)     But it was unbelievably moist and delicious.  I am thrilled to know THE secret on turkey baking.   Thank you Gina!!!

Again .... Chocolate Wine is now the answer to all my Christmas Dramas.  ;)