Wii Fit

My little brother and sister chipped in to give Hal and me a Wii Fit for Christmas.

First of all, it's AWESOME. I have been using it nightly and have been having fun doing the games and exercises.

However, it is also not easy! My core is revolting against the yoga poses. Last night I was doing a half moon, which basically consists of leaning to one side, and I COULD NOT DO IT. I was breathing all heavy and my back and legs were shaking. Jeez Louise! The half moon of doom is a nightmare! Apparently I have the flexibility of a tree trunk. Sigh.

I also haven't enjoyed how my Mii blows up to epic proportions when I stand on the board. The first time I used it, my sister was cracking up. First of all, I stepped onto the board and the thing had the gall to say, "OH!" Then it made my Mii fat. So I'm kind of fighting with it right now.

But I will not let my fat Mii beat me down.

Overheard at Christmas

Jenn at Juggling Life recounts funny overheard statements, made usually by her family, every week. The past two days have been full of some good ones for us.
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Christmas Eve finds us opening presents one by one by age, youngest to oldest. My family all raised a glass during the space before my present, which is usually filled by my brother Donnie who is not able to be with us this Christmas because he is serving in the Army in Iraq.

The family: To Donnie!

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Tonight, discussing the funny things we (my cousins and I) did as children:

Mom (to Jennie, who was sitting next to her boyfriend): You didn't like to be naked. I hope that hasn't changed.

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The clue on the Catchphrase machine was for "Test Tube Babies."

Aunt Lisa: The little things that come from between your legs!

Everyone: WHAT?!

Aunt Lisa: Oh, like what you do when you get married!

Everyone: [Laughter for the next five minutes]

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My father was imitating my sister when she was little.

Dad: "My bucket huwts. I have dia-wee-a."

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My Uncle John likes to teach my cousins by calling their boyfriends and girlfriends by the wrong names. My cousin Jacob's girlfriend's name is Sarah. His grandmother's name is Shirley. (Walt is Jacob's dad.)

John: I'm glad Shirley isn't here tonight.

Dad: That's not very nice to say about Walt's Mom.

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Mom made drinks called a Woo-Hoo (also referred to as a Ho Ho in honor of the season) to give to the adults. My aunt Tami entered the room.

Mom: Tami, do you want a Woo-Hoo?

Tami: I thought I already had one.

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The uncomfortable Christmas present

When I was a youngster, I'm thinking around nine or ten, I ran downstairs on Christmas morning with my siblings, thrilled to see what Santa had brought us.

That year, my aunt had my name, so there were some presents from her under the tree.

In the midst of the present extravaganza, I opened one of these presents from my aunt.

The box under the wrapping was cube shaped. I don't remember exactly what it said, but I remember the sentiment exactly.

The box advertised a "maternity kit." Everything you need to have with you when you go to the hospital to have the baby (or when you bring the baby home, I don't remember). I can't pretend to remember what was advertised as being in the box.

I read that and felt my face flush.

Oh no. Oh no. Oh no. Oh no.

Why in the world did my aunt buy me a maternity kit? I'm 10 years old! I'm not having a baby! I'm not ready to have a baby!

I was horrified. So embarrassed, in fact, that I hid the box under some of my other presents, determined to forget that I ever received it.

My mom, though, didn't miss a trick.

"Hey," she said. "Did you open that present from Lisa?"

I nodded, silent.

"Where is it?" she said. "I want to see it."

I was beside myself. The only thing worse than getting that present at all was to open it in front of my mother and the rest of my family. I shook my head. I think perhaps there was some cajoling on the part of my mother to open it.

Finally, silently, heart hammering, I opened the box.

I reached inside and pulled out my aunt's present.

A beautiful art piece for me to hang up in my room.

And thus I learned not to judge a present by its box.

The Long Road Home

Hal and I set off for my parents' house today at 2 p.m.

It takes us about 2.5 hours to get to my parents house from our place in Bloomington.

Today, we arrived at my parents' house at 9:30 p.m.

We did drive carefully because there was some slickness, especially once we got on the expressway (which takes an hour and a half to get to itself!). But we got all the way tot the Kentucky/Indiana border and traffic was stopped. dead. on the expressway.

Through phone calls, the radio, and some internet on Hal's phone, we discovered that the bridge -- which we have to cross to get to Kentucky -- was closed. Why, we're not sure. For how long, we don't know. I do know that we sat without moving for an hour and a half, and then decided we were hungry. We jumped off the expressway and found a place to eat.

We ate for about an hour and 15 minutes and then went to get back on the expressway. The bridge was still closed. I decided that the road we were on, Route 50, had to connect to downtown Cincinnati at some point. Since it was about 8:30 at this point in time, we didn't think we would be caught in rush hour traffic (the reason we didn't get off the expressway earlier).

So we traveled down this road and, indeed, we ended up downtown. We were able to cross a bridge there to get to Kentucky, and we finally arrived home (although I slid the worst when I got off the expressway about 5 miles from my parents' house!).

But we're here safe and sound! I'm ready for Christmas.

Tomorrow: A childhood Christmas present that confused and frightened me.

furious preparations

We are furiously preparing for Christmas. I will post soon! :)

A Day in the Life (Saturday, December 6)

My sister and my cousin came down to IU for my sister's volleyball tournament. This was incredibly exciting.



Kayla and I get a little breakfast. Jennie had already gone to play her first game. (Kayla dyed my hair the night before!)

After breakfast, Kayla, Hal, and I got to watch a lot of this:



It's a little early for me still.


Jennie is gross. She and Kayla are roommates!


The three of us smile pretty for a picture.


After more of this, we require Jennie to come to lunch with us. We needed to get out of the gym!


Jennie and Kayla rejoice in finding IU's famous Sample Gates.


It took several tries to get this one.


Kayla tries to take a picture of Hal and I for our Christmas card. It is epic fail, everything in this picture is in focus BUT us.



This one could be cute -- but what's going on with my hair?!



Hal has fake smile.



Cute. And fuzzy.



Kayla is confused at the Noodle place.



Distrustful of the table number. (We're apparently 10 years old this weekend, by the way.)


Sisters!


Mac and Cheese


Then more, much more, of this.



For hours.



Until we finally get to go to dinner. First time for Jennie and Kayla to have Turkish food! They liked it.



And then a trip to the grocery store results in a Santa sighting.

After this, we all went to bed. :)

Ornament

I squinted my eyes, puzzled, at the line gold ornaments in the Target Christmas aisle. There hung an ornament of gold block letters.

That can't possibly be right. Surely not. Why in the world?

Who buys an ornament that says whore?

And who buys an ornament that spells whore incorrectly? It says HORE! What does that even mean?

I scooted a little closer, turning my head to the side to see if my eyes were deceiving me. My eyes that the eye doctor declared unchanged in prescription when I had my check up this week.

Oh dear.

The ornament says HOPE.