Hey. So sorry I haven't updated in a while. You know, the Christmas rush and all that activity. Some interesting things have happened to me since when you last heard from me actually.
So, first of all I am not religious. I am an atheist who has never been to church before or really been involved in any sort of activity like that. So it may come as a surprise that on Christmas Eve I went to Christmas mass. (Sorry if any detail or grammar mistakes turn up. I am not experienced.) My mom suggested that me and my aunt and my grandma go because she had gone as a child with her siblings and she wanted to see if it was the same as it used to be in Rochester since we were in Columbus in a different time. So we went and I was slightly excited if not reluctant. To me it sounded like something I did not have to experience. But we did go just to see what it was like. Now, I don't know what Christmas Masses are like where you are but I hope they are much more merry and exciting than this one. It was not that interesting although there were some highlights. The outside decorations. Those were really pretty with red bows and pine garlands and little brown paper bags with small candles lit in them. There was some singing and walking up and receiving of some things. The priest did most of the talking and well, I don't think I will go to another Christmas Mass. I do hope if yu go to them though you enjoy them. There was one other highlight too. There was family sitting in front of us who were enjoying the service. They were happy and together as a family and at one point they were all holding hands and then they turned around to shake hands and say "peace be with you".
Christmas this year moved very quickly. The opening of the gifts I mean. You see, on my dad's side of the family we have a very slow but precise way of doing things. My mom loves to explain why she hates that we do it this way very much. I find it amusing. This is how we do it.
Most of the time the kids wake up first. Maybe around 5-7 AM. We are not allowed downstairs until at least 7. While we wait we are basically vibrating with excitement to see what's under le tree. When 7 rolls around we all freak out and probably wake everyone up with our racket as we plunge down the stairs and to our stockings. Now, only the stockings are allowed to be opened before people come down. Although me and my cousin's dads are usually already down. The stockings are empty in a matter of seconds. But then, comes the part my mother hates most of all. In her youth her family opened gifts in a rush of Christmas excitement in about 10 mins. My youth is a little different. After stockings nothings even related to presents happens for 2-4 hrs. (4 is like maximum wait time. Not very often. Most likely it takes 2.5 hrs until we get there.) In those 2.5 hrs we wait for al the grown ups to come down. We wait for breakfast to be made. We wait for breakfast to be eaten. While all this is happening the children are being drained of their excitement bit by bit. After breakfast it all comes back as we rush to the tree. But wait. "No wait Emma! Theo! Lets all sit in a circle for a bit and digest," my uncle so sternly says to his kids. The circle is still in formation when the kids start to pass out the gists. One by one and eventually after about 15 mins of that we all sit down again. Then the excruciating process of opening begins. Youngest goes first. She (My little girl cousin. 7 yrs old.) opens one present, thanks whoever gave it, is happy fir a minute, and then the next to youngest does the same. This goes on and on for 2 more hours. Round and round the circle we go, youngest to oldest many times. Would you survive that? What my mother calls torture and Operation Agonizing Wait? Could you? What is your Christmas like? Tell in comments.
Ok so most of this is 2 very long paragraphs describing what my Christmases are and have been like? For Xmas this year I got something quite interesting and goofy. A Unicorn onesie/suit/heater. It is light blue and pink and a total surprise! I am going to a sleepover next week and am going to wear it if my friends wear their onesies. It is super soft and overheats you if you have an extra blanket. Fab-u-lary! The rest of my Xmas gifts are many soft and fluffy things to add to my wardrobe, other articles of clothing, some stuff related to drawing and art, a sciency book that answers some cool questions like why do primates eat a certain type of thing?, The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings series (You haven't read them? I know it crazazy.), The Giver Quartet, a mermaid knit blanket which are all the rage right now, a new comforter for my bed (it's flannel so no more sheets!), and pics of my cats that I love. Einstein and Gypsy. I may have left some stuff out but that's okay right?
Man this is a long section of my rant. I have a lot of stuff to get out right now don't I? Like how my friends can be very frustrating sometimes but I still love them. How my mom is harsh sometimes and overreacts about stuff be she is incredibly important to me and I love her. How my cat Einstein is super fat and sneezes and snores like person. How high school worries me and I want to stay connected to my friends even after we are separated by that force. How my baby cousin is the cutest little thing ever. How I should probably stop cuz my dinner is basically ready and I'm probably boring you to sleep with my well crafted sentences of life. Goodbye!
