Hitches

Well, we were supposed to be going to a party tonight.

Yeah. May not happen. I’m really bummed about it, though perhaps not bummed enough to try my luck at driving through this, especially with it being the first “big” snowfall of the winter and with people all trying to remember how not to die fiery screaming road deaths right and left.

We went to Eric’s company Christmas party for the children this morning. I’ve written about this before, but his company really gets its Generosity Hat on every holiday season. For the children of employees, they rent a movie theater – not a small one, mind, but a giant complex – and have crafts, contests, goodie bags, Santa, photographs, your pick of two movies (one for the younger set and one for the slightly older), and a wrapped gift for every kid. We opted to see Night at the Museum, which both Sam and Gabe loved. (There was a slightly rocky start when both boys got trembly at the sight of the “living” T. Rex, but once the silliness was revealed, it was nothing but happy giggles.)

This also wound up being the first year, barring when he was two months old and unable to care much, that Gabe willingly went anywhere near Santa Claus. He was prepared. We waited in the long line for about fifteen minutes (the time passed quickly, as the line snaked past a table with a coloring contest, a “guess how much candy in the jar” game, and Mrs. Claus reading stories to the kids), and when we got there, Gabe marched right up to Santa and said, “For Christmas, I want a big teddy bear!” (Don’t tell him – it’s on its way here as we speak…) Then he got very confused as Santa said, “Okay, we’ll see,” then picked him up and plopped him on his knee. Once Gabe spotted the camera, though, he understood and went along with it. After the photo, almost as he was being shuffled away, Sam remembered to mutter his own desire for a pickup truck with a trailer – a last-minute idea, I think. He does that every year, grabbing at random ideas when pressed. One year, it was “a stop sign.”

So we went to the movie then, and when we came out, we picked up the toys. Gabe was thrilled with a Transformer-styled Mr. Potato Head; Sam was the definition of crestfallen to get a mask that changes the wearer’s voice. I tried giving it a hard-sell, but he wasn’t getting happier, so we told him we could probably exchange it at a toy store. In the meantime, though, Sam’s shoulder got tapped by one of the party organizers – he won the coloring contest for his age group! (Don’t tell him, either – it was a random drawing from all participants… ) He got a $20 gift card to Toys ‘R Us, which brightened his mood considerably.

So we left the theater, feeling happy and content, and BOOM! walked straight into our own ill-timed Winter Wonderland. Nuts! It was supposed to be a Guitar Hero 3/Rock Band party, and we already have a sitter and everything, but…is it worth it? I hope the snow slows down soon, so we can feel good about making the decision to go, or else that it gets way worse, so we can feel more sure about skipping. This time of year is always like that – lots of good reasons to get out of the house, and lots of environmental ones to keep you home. Ah, the holidays!

By the way, as of today, I’m now down 60 pounds. Woo!