I had long been promising Michael a trip to Dave & Buster’s
for lunch and time in the mega gameroom, so I combined that with seeing my
friend Maria, whom I have not seen in months. She has a son a year younger than
Alesia, and at the moment she has an exchange student from Ukraine living with
her.
The exchange student was polite, but she and Alesia didn’t speak
to each other at all. Alesia wouldn’t look at the girl, and ate almost no
lunch, which is rare for her. She refused to speak Russian, either, and looked
embarrassed when I spoke it. I don’t know what that was about. In the car going
home, Alesia just couldn’t grasp the idea of a child coming to spend a few
months or a year with an American family, then going back. I don’t know what
that’s hard for her.
Maria brought little gifts for all of us. I gave her some Harry
& David apples and a Home Depot shopping bag. We actually had some time to
talk, which was the point of going to Dave & Buster’s.
I had some time this afternoon to read, and I started the new
Philip Norman book I got for Christmas, John Lennon The Life . It’s a
really interesting book – a tome, but very readable. I don't say that about many books..
I took the kids to Wolf camera this afternoon and got more memory
cards for their cameras. They are really intrigued with the cameras. We then rode around a
bit and looked at Christmas lights. Michael kept snapping photos and I kept
telling him the twilight would mean the photos wouldn’t turn out right. Finally,
I just told Mother, “Let’s just let them take the pictures. They will learn the
hard way.” Of course, Alesia later showed me some very cool shots she made of Christmas lights blurred in abstract designs.
Mother had some teary moments when reading some sympathy notes we
got, but she’s bearing up. She said in the car, “This is just the weirdest
Christmas. It’s surreal.” It’s so hard for her to imagine the world without her
brother and sister in law.
My cousin Frann sent us the most incredible Williams Sonoma mini croissants
I’ve ever eaten. I think the intention was we would have them for breakfast
Christmas morning. We ate cinnamon rolls I had bought instead, but that’s fine. The mini croissants
were incredibly delicious with dinner tonight, and we will get another meal out
of them. I told Mother, when I die and get to heaven, these croissants will be
there waiting for me, in all their sinful, buttery goodness…
I finally got the shots reduced from yesterday, and here they are…
Michael in his new Georgia shirt, and Coco in her new Georgia shirt.. I think I heard her muttering "Go you hairy junkyard dawgs!!"
Here are the kids with Lesleigh.
Here are the kids examining their new cameras from Uncle Bruce. The family room has never looked so trashed.
Alesia looking elegant in her now shirt from Granny..
Coco gets her closeup -
