Much Ado About Nothing

Over the weekend my husband and I traveled to his cousin's house for the White Elephant gift exchange.  Last year was the first year that I attended one and I found it to be a source of fun and much chaos.

This year it was a bit more controlled and not as much fun being so; however, the gifts were interesting to say the least.  We were handed gifts this year, unable to chose the packages from under the tree and with so many of us scattered about two levels it was quite impossible to see what wrapped packages were what size, shape and prettily wrapped or not.  I heard one gal next to me complain about it being just so.

Another near me complained about the thought and amount spent on the gifts this year not being as good as last year.  This year I spent more time choosing what I would donate for the gift exchange and made sure I got my money's worth from the items.  Due to the fact that we have several outlets near here I was able to get my hands on some discount bath products.  For just five dollars I was able to purchase hand cream, body wash and a poof from B,ath & B.ody w.orks.  Its quality stuff.  I made up two sets and wrapped them carefully.  I think I did well and the items got stolen in the game a few times.

What there is gift stealing?  Yup.  I unwrapped a rather large yellow duck.  At first I was amazed that they would even attempt to make a duck that size.  Then I thought about my grandmother-in-law that passed away a few years back. Every year she would help sell tickets for the annual duck race in upstate NY.  I had to keep that duck.  I even thought of it as a good sign when I got the duck because of Gramma J.  I was thinking how lovely the duck would look in my nursery some day.

Unfortunately my duck got stolen.  I almost cried.  I wanted to refuse the steal because I didn't care what the other person had, I wanted that duck.  Others around me had heard what I was going to do with my duck and assured me that I could purchase one for the nursery and where I could buy it.  Its not the same.  I don't want to have to buy my own duck.  I wanted that DUCK!  It was mine.  I didn't care about getting a third creamer because I had two already.  What in the world would I do with another piece of chalk-ware that I can't use?  The duck I wanted.  I wanted bad. 

I refuse to buy a duck now as I promised I wouldn't buy anything for the nursery until I was about 7 months along and safely pregnant.  Now the duck is gone.  Is this an omen?

If I ever get into that safe zone of pregnancy I hope someone remembers how badly I wanted that duck and  gifts me one.

UnChristmas

Rather interesting day today.  I had my first White Elephant party.  I have never had to take a number for a gift then risk having it taken back from me or stolen as someone would put it.  Its in the rules.  I was able to keep my gift without a problem.  My husband had his gift stolen and thus was able to get another gift, a wrapped one, from under the tree.  Later they went reverse through the numbers and again we risked losing our gift in a one sided trade.  Its one sided because if you were holding onto a gift you wanted to keep and someone wanted it who's number it was to be their turn to trade you'd lose your gift.  My husband started out with a huge cocoa mug and a cake of some sort.  Someone else wanted it so his next gift was a glass butter dish.  When it came time for him to trade off he was able to get some marinades.  He loves to grill beef so he was very pleased to have his turn comes up.  No one else was able to get the marinades from him because of the rule that if a gift has been stolen three times it has to stay put where it is.  I was gifted a set of Mary Kay Satin Hands lotions.  Never used the stuff before and I'm thinking not just my hands but my feet as well would benefit from the lotions.  I have such dry skin.

After the White Elephant we had the Elf Ornaments.  My husband's eldest cousin, first cousin at that, purchases I swear about one hundred ornaments, wraps them and puts our names on them.  My husband got a dragon ornament this year.  He was very pleased with it.  I think my ornament is a plaster one with an angel on it.  I'll have to look more closely at it later.  Right now traffic is still pretty high in the house and I'd rather not risk taking it out of its box again until it gets put on our own tree.

Funny note with the Elf Ornaments is that my husband was conversing with one of his younger cousins today, she is all of eleven and very bright, about maps, globes and spelling words along with their definitions.  Well she had this cute hat on her head all day and tore off one braided strap by accident.  I took the hat from her and sewed the strap back into place then gave it back to her.  My husband grabs it when she is out of the room and hides it inside one hollow santa.  She finds it.  They playfully argue.  He then gets the bright idea to hide her hat yet again since she went to another room leaving it behind.  Being all of eleven she gets distracted easily enough to not notice that it was again gone.  She actually watched my husband finish wrapping up her hat in a peanut can and put it in the Elf Ornament basket.

So when it came time to distribute the Elf Ornaments to their tagged owners she exclaimed that she was not to get two ornaments this year.   I told her that she might want to open this particular ornament this year.  She was a little ticked at my spouse that she again got pranked.  But it was all in fun and she laughed about it swearing she'd get him somehow.  Maybe I should have her gift wrap some of my husband's chain maille and have it given back to him next time?

Well this is what constitutes my husband's West Coast Family UnChristmas.  We ate lots of food just like on Thanksgiving.  We played, we talked, we laughed.  No food fight this time.  I have to say I am a little disappointed with that little fact but there is always hope for the actual Christmas celebration still to come.  Who knows what the 24th will hold.  Maybe I should be prepared and wear a raincoat in the house?

I hope that all my readers are doing well this holiday season.  Hang in there its almost over.  Enjoy your families.