You Betchya!

Getting back into the swing of things is not one of my favorite past times so it is with a big yawn and great need to rub my eyes that I tell you about what happened during my week in New York.  Before I do though, I would like to share with you two of the responses I received from last week's update (surprisingly, neither of them was "Way to send an update on vacation when all you want to do is play with your fam!" 

From Cristi:

I am jealous -- incredibly jealous -- of Sean's sign "It is what it is". I created my own for days when important assignments are due. It is colorful paper binder clipped to a yard stick.  I hold it up and smile. It reads, "I will be deaf to pleading and excuses" and at the bottom is a little MLA citation for Romeo and Juliet.

And from Erika:

Cute.  Maureen's kids crack me up.  Love your hair.  Fam is in town through the 2nd.  Dinner went fairly well despite my stress level and massive liquor headache.  After spending 6 months asking for power wheels, we broke down and got him them.  He rode for less than a minute, then said, 'I don't want it. '  Awesome. 

My nephew Kevin came over to help me set up the presents on Monday.  It takes around 2  1/2 hours to set them up so that your pile of presents is in front of you - but together it looks like a big pile of presents - but you still have to be able to see over it, of course.  And then we take around 5 or 6 hours to open them.  :)  As always, my parents created the perfect Christmas for everyone.  All the kids were super happy and excited and the adults were all smiles too.  Just as everyone was packing up, two of my nephews were play fighting until all of a sudden one realized where they were standing and yelled "MISTLETOE!!" and went in for a smooch. 

Christmas day, we were walking out to the car, about to perform our annual Christmas carol of "12 Days of Christmas" on our way to church when I mentioned, "I don't have anything with me.  No cash, nothing."  When we all got settled in the pew, my mom passed down a twenty to me.  When I asked what it was for, she told me it was for the collection.  I guess I DID need my wallet. 

Percy had a very eventful week in that every single day he had the opportunity to hang out with small children and larger dogs. Here are some shots of Bella & Percy:

I also brought him out into the snow, even with two coats he wasn't having any of it.  He enjoyed when Mo and the boys shoveled paths in the snow for him a lot better than going out when the snow was still coming down. 

On Wednesday, I hung out with Briana.  My dad had a special Christmas present for the both of us.  I'm not sure, but I think it was a school project from elementary school.  Even back then, Briana was good with typography.  Speaking of which, if anyone is throwing a party and needs some design help, here is her new site: http://www.sudzandink.com/index.html

On Thursday, Debina came over with baby Matthew.  Such a cutie!  I took far too many pictures.  I also bought a onsie for him that was on the small side - but Debina managed to shove him into it.  Like magic, the night he wore it to bed, he slept for 10 hours.  I'm just sorry I didn't get it to him earlier.   As he was getting ready to leave the house, Matthew started to cry a bit.  Kevin asked, "Is he afraid of the giant Santa?"

  

Thursday night, Momela, Frita, Mo and I all went to see Miracle on 34th street at the Westchester dinner theater.  After 5 minutes in the car:

Mo: Where is my purse?

Frita: Oh, the old, I forgot my purse act.

Mo: Wait, I got it. 

But then she left it in the car... conveniently.  I made two bets with everyone before it started.  The first was if the Santa was going to speak to a deaf or Dutch kid and the second, if he was going to be proved as Santa by the dollar bill or the USPS.  I won on both accounts (Dutch and USPS).

Mo: I guess if I noticed that they were going with Macy's instead of Cole's, I wouldn't have been such a loser but what are ya gonna do?

Me: I have a feeling you are just not going to pay up.

Mo: I don't know.  Dad did give Patrick [her son] three dollars today.

Mo: I was just going to drink Tiffany's.

Me: Oh? You want my wine? You can have it.

Then I proceeded to take a big swig of my wine.

There was a guy who gave a spiel before the play began. 

Me: That guy looks really tall.  How tall do you think he is?

Mo: I don't know. Go stand next to him...but don't say anything.

Friday I hung out at with my nieces followed by an evening at Mo's.  Basically, I played games for 10 hours straight.  While playing Apples to Apples, Morgan was reading the description for Canadian and it ended with "... eh?"  Only, she couldn't say it with a Canadian accent (I tried) and instead kept saying, "Ay! Howyoudoin'?" with her genuine, bona-fide New York Accent.  Love that girl!  In other news, Maureen was telling me that one of her students, in response to a nosy parker who was inquiring about something that Mo was doing, said, "Don't you worry about it." (Please insert same NY accent for full effect.)

At one point, Mo asked Kevin to take Bella out.  5 minutes later, Kevin walks back into the house.

Mo: What happened to you, Kevin?

Kevin: I forgot the dog.

Patrick: You know, pretty soon I'll be old enough to go to the rest of the gym at Club Fit.

Mo:  Don't rush time.  When you are old enough for the gym, you won't be able to go to the energy center [kid section.]

Kevin: That's probably because when you become a teenager you start using bad language.

Apparently, Mo at some point said to Kyle, her youngest, "You know if Nana and Pop-Pop weren't around we wouldn't have had you." I'm not saying it's completely related, but at every opportunity, Kyle says,  "I'm gonna sit next to Nana and Pop-Pop."

We also taught the boys how to play Canasta with us last week.  Traditionally, you ask your team members if they want a Canasta if you are going to use your wild cards.  Kevin took it to the next level, asking if we wanted a Canasta, then putting down an 8 to make the Canasta.  Also, every time we asked him a question, instead of saying yes, he said, YOU BETCHYA! Hello, new catch phrase. 

On Sunday, I went down to the city with Sean, Stacey, the girls, Sean's friend Tim and his three girls.  We got go into the BOAT (Bank of America Tower) and see the views from there.  We also hit up Times Square (because who doesn't love Times Square - before NYE that is), Rockefeller, and then up to Dylan's Candy Store.  From there we headed down to Union Square for some BBQ and then to Washington Square.  The whole day was pretty awesome, but my favorite part was the train ride down when Morgan left her friends to sit next to me with a close second, seeing Sean wear his beard head around town. 

That's all that I can remember at the moment.  I hope that you all had a wonderful holiday week.