Daley Ponderings

Christmas Eve, we went to a church family's party and then had a candlelight service at church. Christmas Day, there was no service (we meet in a school and they didn't want to make the janitor work on Christmas) so we had the day at home.
We woke up and opened stockings (sample toothpaste for me and a travel toothbrush holder for Jonathan.) Then we fixed Eggs Presnor and put it in the oven. While it was baking, we went down to the piano for our lessons and carols. Jon played some and I played some. Jon read the scriptures. Jonathan also played his guitar during some of the hymns.

We talked to Janet in the middle, then we went back upstairs to eat our breakfast. Then we opened presents, taking many play with the new toys breaks and also calling various family.

Throughout the day, we did laundry and generally got packed up for our trip. This included taking the tree down and placing it outside, hopefully to spare its life. We got a live tree again this year and could be pretty sure it would not survive if we left it inside by itself for a week.

The plan was to leave at 4am, but Jon woke up at 2 and said, well let's just go. So we were out of there at 2:30. Around 5 he stopped to sleep for about an hour. Then we continued on our way, but it took longer than expected. We arrived in New Hampshire at 3:30, which was when they were expecting us, thinking we had left at 4.

General happy greetings and unpacking. Then Jonathan opened some birthday presents from Auntie E and then we had Christmas Eve. I can't remember which nights we went in Grammy's hot tub, but that first night was likely. She lowered the temperature to 98 F so that I could go in without harming the baby. Jonathan also liked that temperature and had a fun time. It's nice and relaxing but it's too bad you have to run back in the house with freezing feet before you can dry off comfortably.

"Christmas Day" they brought Aunt Eleanor home and we had Swedish Pancakes for breakfast. We opened stockings, Jonathan got lots of matchbox cars. After breakfast we opened presents and generally enjoyed ourselves. Dad got a 1000 piece puzzle of NH which we did the next day. It was a fun one - lots of pictures, words, colors, so it was fun, rather than tedious like some really difficult puzzles. Jonathan got plenty of things to play with and so did we. I got a book of solitaire hangman puzzles (scratch-off circles under the letter tells you which space it goes in if you're right) which I completed by the end of our visit.

Jonathan went on an adventure with Grammy, walking in the rain, stomping in slushy puddles, getting tea at a shop, reading at the library, standing under dripping awnings, generally getting soaking wet and having a great time.

Friday, we left in the morning for the Westons on Cape Cod. We got there for lunch and then played and talked. Eric and Wendy were there (Jon's cousin and new wife.) We played cribbage, went for a walk on the cranberry bogs, Jon and Jonathan "picked" mussels with Uncle Rod on the beach. Saturday, the rest of the Daleys came down and we had our Weston Christmas.

One of the traditions is a putt-type golf game around the yard - this time the course was in the cranberry bogs. Jonathan went out, too, wearing his new golf shirt, and toting along his own new golf bag with clubs and balls. He played for about an hour and then ran back in saying, "I had a fun golf game!"

At their town dump, they have a "Swap Shop" where you can exchange your junk for other people's treasures. They found all sorts of fun things for Jonathan to play with, including a couch chair just his size which we managed to fit in the car to take home. Uncle Rod also got a perfectly good computer chair with ottoman for himself. Uncle Jay will agree - after Christmas is a great time to get stuff at the dump!

Saturday evening, Jon was talking to Uncle Rod about the best way to get home. He realized that we were going to go right by Grandpa Wightman's house in Old Saybrook, so we should stop by and visit.

We left Sunday morning, calling Aunt Prudence before we left. She said it was a good plan, since they were going to go to Grandpa's for lunch anyway. We got to the Flounder around 1 or so, had hugs all around, ate pizza, opened presents, and chatted. Then we played in the snow for about an hour, throwing snowballs, making a snowman, Uncle Jay pulled Jonathan in the sled. Then it was time to go home.

We took 80 across PA, and when we got to 28, Jon was too tired to do windy roads, so I took over driving. I was more tired than I realized, so after about a half hour, I pulled into a Park and Ride lot to take a nap. We were almost home! But I knew it wouldn't do any good to be almost home and then fall asleep on the road. By then, Jon had gotten sufficient rest to drive us safely the rest of the way. It was about midnight when we tumbled into bed.

Jon had Monday off, which was great, we just hung around the house, unpacking and generally relaxing and enjoying each other.