Friday Favourites - Robin, my Oprah

Abby: Mom are we done celebrating for Jesus yet?
Me: Almost, yes.
Abby: Then can we put the pool up?

Yes we are finally winding up the Christmas season of 2006. Tonight we had dinner with Robin, Tim and the girls. Abby had been dying to go all day. She spent about an hour carefully packing her backpack full of toys, movies and books. Then spent another hour wearing it around the house and asking every 30 seconds if we could please, please, puh-lease leave. The spirit crushing hold-up was Maya, who, today of all days, decided to add another hour to her afternoon nap.

So as I had mentioned Christmas funds were tight this year so the Christmas gifts weren't as extravagant as they have been in years past.



Here's Courtney opening her gift of two pennies and a Polly Pocket purse. What can I say I blew the Christmas budget on decoupage glue for Dave's gift. By the time I got to the girls there wasn't much left to play with.

Actually that is Abby's gift to Courtney. I was only half paying attention this afternoon as Abby gathered up little Christmas presents for Robin and the girls. She had found in the china cabinet the little keepsake boxes my Mom had given me for Abby and Maya. Boxes I have yet to fill with the requisite lock of hair, hospital ID bracelet and first tooth. So tonight as we unwrapped our gifts Abby disappeared down the hall and returned with her stack of keepsake boxes. One box at a time she delivered them to Robin and each of her girls. Their gifts were as much a surprise to me as they were to them.



These are the "gifts". From the top left we have one package of Laffy Taffy, one uncanceled stamp from a Christmas card, two pennies and a Polly Pocket purse, a handful of tiny cows, an elastic headband and another handful of tiny cows. Just random things she had collected from around the house. Mike had no idea she had done this and I had only vaguely paid attention to what she was doing so we were both a bit choked up by it. I think this might beat Mike falling out of the shower as my favourite Christmas moment.

Christmas with Robin is always a bit awkward for me because she's Oprah and I'm Gayle. Meaning we are BFF's in the truest sense of the world. I love her like no other. She's one of the greatest gifts in my life. It also means she's much richer than I am. So Oprah's gift to Gayle is Josh Groban appearing to serenade her and Gayle gives Oprah a decoupaged pickle jar. It's that kind of relationship. I try not to stress about it because it is what it is. Robin is certainly one of the most generous people I have met in my life and she spoils us.

On top of spoiling me this Christmas she felt it necessary to take me to school by serving up perfect punch tonight. The same punch that I massacred at our Christmas party last month. Maybe I'll play it safe and get her to make it for Maya's birthday party.

And this;



is to help with the problem of the burnt fondue. I cannot wait to give this a try.

So after the food was eaten, the girls had danced themselves silly to the Minipops and Nickelback, Abby and Kailey had taken turns crying about what the other had said/done and Maya had been "babysat" to death it was time to take the traditional Moms and daughters picture.



Photographic evidence of the entire evening is located here.