Happy Christmas...

It's Christmas Eve here in "northern" California. It's been an interesting day, to say the least.

We got up this morning and did our usual dinking around. After showers, we went to Costco to pick up lunch (pizza) and a couple long folding tables. We needed to move the model trains to another room and needed something large enough for them to sit on. Hence the tables. Costco was, of course, insane with last-minute shoppers.

Upon our arrival home, we had some lunch and I wound up cleaning around the house (picking up toys, sweeping, etc.). It needed to be done.

Around 4pm, our friends arrived and we had fondue for dinner. The kids had PB&J (and stole some of the veggies and hot dogs for the fondue).

And then, friends, we went to church.

Now, a disclaimer (of sorts). I grew up going to the Methodist church down the street from my childhood home (which is now Christ the King). My mother went to the same church growing up. My grandparents...well, there's a different story. My maternal grandmother was born and raised Lutheran in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. My maternal grandfather was born and raised Catholic in Elk Mound, Wisconsin (which is about midway between Eau Claire and Menomonie, Wisconsin). Upon my grandfather's divorce from his first wife, he was kicked out of that particular church. He and my grandmother were married in St. Paul, Minnesota...I think at a Lutheran church but I don't know for sure off the top of my head. Anyway, when they moved to Stoughton in 1951, the Catholic church wouldn't take them because my grandmother wasn't Catholic. None of the Lutheran churches would take them because of some asinine reason or another (one was because my grandfather was Catholic, another was because neither of them were Norwegian, and so on and so forth). The Methodist church was the one that took them. So, that's where we went. Around 8th grade (when confirmation classes started), I started to have some serious disillusions about church, not specific to the Methodist church. I think what sealed the deal was when our youth group leaders were caught in a huge scandal involving keeping our fundraising money as their own. I basically said I was done after that. I was never confirmed. I'm not even sure if I was baptized, to be honest. I don't know much about my father's family but I do know that my paternal grandfather and my paternal grandmother's brother both had their funerals in the Moravian church in Madison...

Husband, on the other hand, was born and raised a Jesuit Catholic (Irish Jesuit Catholic, specifically). His disillusionment came about the same time mine did, for other reasons. He basically quit going and never finished Catechism. Thus, he is not a member of the Catholic church.

Anyway, the last time I actually went to church was while I was in college...so that's been at least 10 years...and the last time I went to my church was sometime in high school...so at least 15 years ago. Husband hasn't been to church in at least that long.

So, we went to church. With Little Man (who has never been to church). And our friends and their kids (who have been to church). I don't know if we'll be back in church again anytime soon but I don't necessarily want Little Man to grow up a godless heathen. I think he needs to have some understanding of religion (in a very broad sense) in order to fully appreciate so many things including music, art, history, architecture, civil rights, etc. So, we'll see.

Like I said...interesting day.

Many presents were opened and I think the Tardis blanket, Angry Birds bed sheets set (with comforter), and the Thomas the Train ball pit were probably the big hits. But, not everything has been opened. There's more to see...and Santa hasn't arrived yet. I expect there will be Legos and Play Dough involved there...not that I know anything about that.


So, you you know, Happy Christmas and all that :) And if you're not of the Christmas persuasion, Happy Holidays :)

Also, our neighbors have the entire family over...and the last time that happened, it involved well over 100 people. It's currently 10:30pm and I hear people screaming through our closed doors/windows, loud music, and lots of people.

::sigh:: Am I going to hell if I call San Mateo's Finest to tell them to knock it off?