Phoenix asked what I'm doing this year for Christmas! This is the first time in two years that we are not going to New Jersey/Pennsylvania to visit Antne's family (and therefore missing Phoenix, Benni, Glow and PWinkle for a fun NYC trip [argh]), but I'm super excited, even though I'll be missing Mama Nina's amazing traditional Sicilian 7 Fishes Christmas Eve Dinner (7 fishes is a misnomer, as there are like, 104 different dishes she makes with a whole slew of different seafood. Usually when Papa Joe picks us up from the Newark airport, he's still bringing Mama different fish home from the market. Crazy good food, let me tell you!) I'll also be missing out on my yearly total immersion Italian lessons, which I'm becoming very good at! My grammar is terrible, but I'm learning more vocabulary! I love visiting Antne's family because most of them are actually from Italy and when they greet you, they kiss you on each cheek, and my first phrase I learned was Buono Natale! which, because it is Italian, you shout as loud as you can. It's pronounced Bon Nah-TAHL-lay, and you have to move your hands excitedly like you're tossing up a light Christmas gift. I felt immediately welcomed into his family, and they all like me. And they all pressure him into buying me a specific piece of jewelry for my hand. I swear to god, when his mom found out he bought me an iPhone for Christmas, she said, "She can't wear that on her finger!" (okay, so she didn't. And that joke credit really goes to Mrs.Wood. Her real name is Sarah, or as she says to others when they have to write it down, "Sarah with an H," and one woman actually wrote down "Hsara" which to this day still makes me laugh out loud. )
Okay, but true story: (and I can tell I am somewhat still out of it, based on my going back and forth and ALL THESE PARENTHESES) Mama Nina did call us a few weeks ago and asked what we wanted for christmas. I said, "Uno Esposo!" which means "a husband," and she replied back in English with her lovely Sicilian accent, "almost!" Yeah, so much Amore for his famiglia.
Anyways, back to my family.
The last time I was with them for Christmas was when the twins were 3 1/2. They couldn't read by then, and instead of putting their names on their Christmas gifts, I instead put pictures of me and whoever it was for. I got the idea from Martha Stewart Magazine, and did it for the whole family. It was a HIT. Now everyone looks forward to it.Here's me with my little Missy-Pie when I came to visit in July. So cute, right?
Aaaaanyways.
My dad and stepmom live a hop skip and a jump away from a motel, which I'm so happy about. Full kitchen and our own place to sleep! Hurrah! No having to wake up early unless we want to!
What else? I'm sorry, my brain is just tired. I feel funny. I'm not hungry at all and haven't been but I know I need to eat things.
I haven't even taken any drugs today!
Take your vitamin C and Zinc my friends. Stay healthy!
Happy Holidays!
xoxo Lira
Bummed I'm going to miss you...wouldn't a NYC trip with the whole gang been kick ASS?
ReplyDeleteI hope you have some lovely holidays, my dear...and that you feel better and give the twins snuggles for me, even though they've never met me.
And when 2010 arrives, oh yes...we WILL be hanging out. For sures.
Feel better soon please!! very soon!!
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