i'm so totally behind in everything, it's really quite amazing.

so, the wrap up. the holidays were crazy and exhausting and fun. take 6 of 7 family members who haven't spent more than a day together in the last, oh, 10 years (or more) and put them in a house in vermont with a 2 year old for a week. it's different. for the most part it was so wonderful having my family be able to share christmas in our house that i really can't explain it. but i think we all had moments where we needed a little corner of the house to ourselves.

rory had a great time waking up the aunties in the morning. at first she wouldn't go into their room by herself, but by the end of the visit, we'd just ask her to go in and wake up the aunties and she would just trot off and do it. and they staggered their departures, which was good, but a little confusing for her. she went in one morning and auntie holly was gone. she looked at the air mattress and said to auntie jojo and auntie val 'auntie holly?'

auntie val stayed longer than anyone and now has the benefit of rory believing that ALL the christmas presents came from auntie val.

christmas day itself was great-having had a warmup in present opening at her birthday 2 weeks before christmas, rory was a pro at the present thing. she was also very patient when we told her that a present was not for her. and unlike me, she would actually wait for someone to open their gift before trotting off to find another for her. i don't think i was ever that way. to me, it's always been about finding out what's under the wrapping.

newyears was the usual craziness at mike and laurie's. the adults didn't sit down to dinner until about 10:00 pm. rory dozed and hung out with the kids while we ate and then woke up cranky around 11. we left at 11:30 pm and when we got home, of course she was raring to go and play. and we were raring to go to bed.

in the course of the whole visit, my sisters and i (with help from a few others) managed to finish THREE sunday new york times crossword puzzles, and val and i finished one thursday one (supposedly the hardest). i tried to do the sunday one last weekend and got about 15 of the words. it's much more fun doing it as a committee.

phew-now that the review isn't having over my head, i can move on with my life! we're still working on the new years cards, they are trickling out and i hope to crank on thank you cards this weekend. in my (ha!) spare time.