Unexpected Guests
My well made plans for Christmas Day fell apart late on Christmas Eve when we got a panicked phone call from Denise, the oldest of my step-children. She had to work and was planning on leaving Nic, her two year old son, with her mother who got called in to work unexpectedly. Could Nic come over and stay the night? Carrie and her sister Carmen would take care of them. (Carmen, by the way is not her real name, she has long dark hair and dark eyes and reminds me of the tempestuous gypsy from Bizet's opera.) I had some misgivings, but agreed as Denise was desperate.
We don't see Nic much. Denise has an older daughter as well and is very busy working. I was afraid that Nic would be frightened at being left with people he didn't know.
I was right, a half hour later Terri dropped off a sobbing Nic who tried to cling to her, She pried him off and handed him to Carmen and took off. Carrie and Carmen got him interested in a toy and some cookies and he settled down. He slept with them in Carrie's bed as I had no suitable bed for a toddler. (Does this sound familiar on Christmas Eve?)
I spent the night worrying about food. Christmas was supposed to be very quiet and only Jake and Mariah would be coming over for dinner. Now Carrie and Carmen were here and I wasn't sure I had planned enough food. Unable to sleep I woke at five in the morning and went into the living room. I turned on the tree lights and tried to sleep in their glow. I finally gave up and decided that some one needed to shovel the driveway. Since no one else was up yet I got dressed and went out.
The shovel I like was broken and the new shovel C bought wasn't working well. The snow kept slipping out of the side. I finally found a small scoop shovel. The handle was too short and the snow was wet. I was not happy. Everyone else was peacefully sleeping and I was out here alone shovelling the driveway and worrying that I would not have enough food to feed my guests. I got the driveway half done and went in to roust C out of bed for some help. He told me that he would take care of the rest and that I should come in and dry off.
I put my wet things on a rack to dry and tied on my trusty apron. I usually make popovers for breakfast on holidays. I started the first batch and made coffee. I opened the loaf of panettone and cut a slice. C has never had it before and he liked it. I nibbled on it and when the popovers were ready we ate them with butter, jam, apple curd and lemon curd. Carrie woke up and had some too.
Nic woke up and Carrie went downstairs to get him. He seemed much better for having some rest and wanted to the cookie that he was told Santa would bring him. He got his cookie and also a toy that Santa also brought. (Santa had stopped in Minneapolis on Christmas Eve. I know because I checked the Santa tracker on the NORAD website.) Nic was starting to warm up to us. He liked to sit on the top of the cat tree and look out the window at the cars. We tried to get him to eat something besides cookies. I finally told him no more cookies and gave him some applesauce. He likes applesauce but didn't want to eat it. I told him to eat one bite. He got a little look in his eye and ate two. Then he ran off. We kept this up until he ate the entire cup.
I got a foot bath for Christmas from C. I had one and somehow lost it in a move. I asked Nic if he wanted to try it out. He said yes. I found a small stool for him and filled the foot bath with water. We didn't turn on the massage as the noise startled him too much. He seemed to be enjoying himself. We played a game of "peek" using a bath towel. He'd put the towel over his face and I'd pull it away and say, "I see you." We decided to sneak up on C, who was dressing after his shower. Nic climbed on my back and I crawled into the bed room. It was unsuccessful, but we had fun anyway.
As it got later into the afternoon another small problem was starting to develop. Jake,Mariah and Pat, their little boy, were supposed to come between two and three pm. They had not arrived yet and I need to start dinner. I had asked Mariah to help me with the cooking so we could talk. C called them and found out that they were still at her father's house. Her great- grandmother had died at age 98.
At three thirty I decided to start cooking. The stuffed manicotti needed an hour and a half to bake. The spaghetti with sauce and tortellini would take less time. I checked my pasta supply. I was pretty sure that I would have enough.
Denise showed up at five thirty or so to pick up Nic. I offered her a glass of wine and told her dinner would be served shortly. I had decided that the rest of us needed to eat and that Jake, Mariah and Pat could join us whenever they showed up. It turned out to be just as I was putting food on the table.
It went well. Denise got to spend time with Jake. I had a long talk about all kinds of things with Mariah. Pat and Nic ran around the house screaming and playing. Carrie and Carmen got to watch a movie. I had enough food and even some leftovers. C got to see his children. Everyone had a good time.
We don't see Nic much. Denise has an older daughter as well and is very busy working. I was afraid that Nic would be frightened at being left with people he didn't know.
I was right, a half hour later Terri dropped off a sobbing Nic who tried to cling to her, She pried him off and handed him to Carmen and took off. Carrie and Carmen got him interested in a toy and some cookies and he settled down. He slept with them in Carrie's bed as I had no suitable bed for a toddler. (Does this sound familiar on Christmas Eve?)
I spent the night worrying about food. Christmas was supposed to be very quiet and only Jake and Mariah would be coming over for dinner. Now Carrie and Carmen were here and I wasn't sure I had planned enough food. Unable to sleep I woke at five in the morning and went into the living room. I turned on the tree lights and tried to sleep in their glow. I finally gave up and decided that some one needed to shovel the driveway. Since no one else was up yet I got dressed and went out.
The shovel I like was broken and the new shovel C bought wasn't working well. The snow kept slipping out of the side. I finally found a small scoop shovel. The handle was too short and the snow was wet. I was not happy. Everyone else was peacefully sleeping and I was out here alone shovelling the driveway and worrying that I would not have enough food to feed my guests. I got the driveway half done and went in to roust C out of bed for some help. He told me that he would take care of the rest and that I should come in and dry off.
I put my wet things on a rack to dry and tied on my trusty apron. I usually make popovers for breakfast on holidays. I started the first batch and made coffee. I opened the loaf of panettone and cut a slice. C has never had it before and he liked it. I nibbled on it and when the popovers were ready we ate them with butter, jam, apple curd and lemon curd. Carrie woke up and had some too.
Nic woke up and Carrie went downstairs to get him. He seemed much better for having some rest and wanted to the cookie that he was told Santa would bring him. He got his cookie and also a toy that Santa also brought. (Santa had stopped in Minneapolis on Christmas Eve. I know because I checked the Santa tracker on the NORAD website.) Nic was starting to warm up to us. He liked to sit on the top of the cat tree and look out the window at the cars. We tried to get him to eat something besides cookies. I finally told him no more cookies and gave him some applesauce. He likes applesauce but didn't want to eat it. I told him to eat one bite. He got a little look in his eye and ate two. Then he ran off. We kept this up until he ate the entire cup.
I got a foot bath for Christmas from C. I had one and somehow lost it in a move. I asked Nic if he wanted to try it out. He said yes. I found a small stool for him and filled the foot bath with water. We didn't turn on the massage as the noise startled him too much. He seemed to be enjoying himself. We played a game of "peek" using a bath towel. He'd put the towel over his face and I'd pull it away and say, "I see you." We decided to sneak up on C, who was dressing after his shower. Nic climbed on my back and I crawled into the bed room. It was unsuccessful, but we had fun anyway.
As it got later into the afternoon another small problem was starting to develop. Jake,Mariah and Pat, their little boy, were supposed to come between two and three pm. They had not arrived yet and I need to start dinner. I had asked Mariah to help me with the cooking so we could talk. C called them and found out that they were still at her father's house. Her great- grandmother had died at age 98.
At three thirty I decided to start cooking. The stuffed manicotti needed an hour and a half to bake. The spaghetti with sauce and tortellini would take less time. I checked my pasta supply. I was pretty sure that I would have enough.
Denise showed up at five thirty or so to pick up Nic. I offered her a glass of wine and told her dinner would be served shortly. I had decided that the rest of us needed to eat and that Jake, Mariah and Pat could join us whenever they showed up. It turned out to be just as I was putting food on the table.
It went well. Denise got to spend time with Jake. I had a long talk about all kinds of things with Mariah. Pat and Nic ran around the house screaming and playing. Carrie and Carmen got to watch a movie. I had enough food and even some leftovers. C got to see his children. Everyone had a good time.
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