I'm up early, waiting for everyone else to get up. It's funny how Christmas mornings change when your kids get older. I can remember past times when the girls would be up at the crack of dawn, giggling with anticipation and having orders not to wake us before 9 - since we knew we'd be up all night getting everything wrapped or stuffed in the stockings. Last year we had to practically drag daughter 1 out of bed to get started at 9.

Some things, on the other hand, don't change. I know that once all the presents under the tree are unwrapped, the girls will eagerly go for the stockings. There's never anything expensive in them, but I try to put a variety of odd and interesting little doo-dads in there - and they get such a kick out of seeing what's there.

After the unwrapping of the gifts, it's Christmas morning brunch time, a tradition I started many years ago and which replaces any other kind of Christmas dinner. I make everyone their own omelet to their specs, and we have bacon, sausage, hashbrowns and toast.

Then it's an afternoon of nothing that has to be done... which is my Christmas gift.

Both my girls were up before 7 and went downstairs to peek at their stuff. They didn't disturb anything (but us, lol) and came back up and went back to bed.

We didn't get started for real until about 9. Now all the gifts are opened and I'm in the middle of cooking. We played a few games of Katie's new Uno Attack game. Deanna's playing her GH3. I have some new PC games I'm looking forward to playing. Rob and I finished the Christmas puzzle last night watching the 1st Lotr movie.

Waiting for the kids and their bf/gf to get here around two to eat and open presents, although for the most part they already have them. Got a stove for my son and his girl.....a new sewing machine for my daughter.....plus various other sundried items that are currently wrapped.

It's first emply nest Christmas, isn't it? At least they haven't moved across the country and you are all able to still get together. I'm sure there's a damper on things this year but it's good to celebrate being with each other while you can. You never know what next Christmas will bring.

we have no plans, no food, no present, no holiday cheer in any form. I wish this week would just hurry up and end.

I'm sorry, PD.

I hope things get better.

As usual, my son is running late. I gotta go nibble on something....I'm hungry.

So.... what did you all get for Christmas?

I got all the predictable stuff (for me)... books, pajamas, a sweater, earrings, flavored coffee, Fannie Mae melt-a-way mints and a couple of things I wasn't expecting - a soup cookbook and a thing for my lap that my computer can sit on. Hopefully the discoloration on my left leg from the heat of my laptop will go away now.

here's what I got today:

I got 3 PC games: Double Murder Mystery Pack Agatha Christie and Mystery Case Files: RavenHearst. My m-i-l gave me a ginormous skillet that I can hopefully return. I got some socks and a room plug-in thing from Bath & Body Works and a sweatshirt. My parents gave money as per usual. Our big gift to us all is the Disney trip next week.

I just read an escaped tiger killed a visitor at the San Francisco zoo.

Blimey.

I got a security monitoring system from my son and his g/f for the little juvenile delinquents that have gotten into my cars three times the past month. I don't lock my cars.....I'd rather for them to open the door rather than break the window, and I don't keep anything of value in them. But I will catch the little bastards, and I hope their parents have a lot of money to reimburse the more than twenty neighbors in the subdivision who's cars they've gotten into and stolen shit from. My daughter gave me a new battery operated drill and screwdriver set, to replace the ones I wore out while renovating her house. I hope she isn't planning on me to have to use them very soon.

I got a snickers ice cream bar.