Yes, Woodbridge Virginia

Took a day off from the family and went in to work today, but we were magnanimously released just after noon anyway, giving me time to get home and get nothing accomplished except hold my daughter and walk around so she'd stop itch-baying at ommy-bay. I then started my traditional Daddy-surprise Christmas Eve meal, which as usual took about thirty more minutes than planned, as well as requiring two additional skillets to hold all the stupid eggplant, potatoes, peppers, and tomatoes in the Suksaka or whatever it was called, obviously designed to feed a boatful of Ottoman sailors. Thank goodness my brother helped peel and seed the tomatoes, or we'd still be there with no fried egg to stick on the hand-breaded chicken cutlet a la provolone e prosciutto, which actually didn't have a recipe, just a picture. I was well complimented by the adult members of the family, though Erin just complained until I picked her up, and Ryan was in no mood to not be three (I'm not sure the boy's eaten much of anything since June). Still, you gotta feel for the lad, snorting through his sinuses, calling his mother "Bobby" and Uncle Tim comes out "Unkl Tub."

So, if you ever need your kitchen seriously @&*# up, you know who to call.

Despite (or because of) Ryan's 'tude, we took a stroll down the street to look at the multitude of holiday lighting attempts, and tried to explain to Ryan that he should probably be good for at least fifteen seconds if he wanted Santa to bring a present (on top of the thirty-eight thousand he already sees under the tree). But it's actually fun going through the 'Santa' motions, seeing the amazed disbelief when we talk about him landing on the roof and coming through our chimney, and even leaving out cookies and milk by the fireplace for the first time.

Unfortunately, this also meant that we'll have to unwrap stockings in the morning, and what with him still coughing away up in his room, it probably won't be an early night.

Last present wrapped in 2008? 10:58pm.

Well, except for the stuff that I knew was already going to be mailed late, so why bother?