Nailed it

Tonight was the first night of Hanukah. The one thing I don't really cook is fried foods. So I bought half a dozen jelly donuts instead, on my way home to make the potato pancakes (which are fried).

I got Josh three presents, his parents got him three, and my sisters each got him one, so he's getting eight. Except he's getting more because of other relatives. He wanted a grandpa cardigan so I got him one of those. I do not really understand why this is a trend and why guys in their early 20's want to dress like Mr. Rogers. But Josh does, so now he will.

Alex had a friend over who commented on the menorah in the window. She thought it was weird. Alex tried to explain that it wasn't weird since Josh is Jewish, but the girl refused to change her mind. So no donut for her.

Resolutions

I'm not really into things like New Year's resolutions. Except the last few months, I keep thinking of things that fall into the category of "Really gotta get on that..." Since that list is kept in my head and my head is stuffed, I keep forgetting so I'm always walking around triple-checking that my keys are in my pocket, my professor's email address was typed correctly when I emailed in my paper. It's exhausting to always feel like you're forgetting something, to consistently have a low-level of panic that something is slipping through the cracks but you're not sure what.

1. find the book about inspiring through motivation instead of fear professor suggested
2. do better with making friends and doing stuff with them
3. make sure to buy fewer black clothes when buying
4. get everyone to help more consistently
5. find replacement word for retarded
6. help Dani plot out college calendar
7. eat more consistently
8. work out most days

That's it. 

Fabulous fire family dinner!

Ass o'clock to 1 p.m. - work at diner
1:45 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. - homework and cleaning
5:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. - shower and get dressed for dinner, do hair in pigtail braids, decide it looks lopsided, just use headband instead
6:05 p.m. - go to fire family home
6:30 p.m. - know it's going to be a good night when offered italian pastries before dinner even starts, eat rainbow cookie
6:32 p.m. - scoop jaw up off the ground when two huge black garbage bags of clothes are hauled in front of Danielle
6:34 p.m. - regain composure, say thank you, drop to knees with sisters and start digging through bag closest to me
6:35 p.m. - listen to Alex shriek over Ed Hardy clothing with tags in her size
6:37 p.m. - find beautiful Ralph Lauren dress that may fit me
6:48 p.m. - get yelled at to come sit down and eat already
6:52 p.m. - listen to Topher stories while checking on bags of clothes to make sure they don't grow legs and walk away from us
7:24 p.m. - eat one more meatball because they're so good even though I'm full
7:31 p.m. - listen as Alex whispers in my ear wondering if she's too old to get away with asking if we can take some leftovers home. sadly say yes, it is the end of an era
7:53 p.m. - groan as huge plate of pasticiotto, bocconotti, and cannoli is brought out
8:26 p.m. - decide we need to get home as I look at Danielle laying in recliner with a cat on her lap
8:30 p.m. - help bring dishes into the kitchen and start washing as Alex brings more and more from dining room
8:38 p.m. - hear front door open and close a couple of times, wonder what's going on but can't see from kitchen sink, wash faster
8:39 p.m. - accidentally bang plate against edge of sink in haste to rush through dishes, make sure it's not chipped, decide to slow down
8:44 p.m. - finished with dishes, wander into living room to find garbage bags and Danielle gone, wonder if she's run off with our clothes
8:46 p.m. - get told we are being driven home since there is too much to carry on trains!
8:49 p.m. - after hugs, kisses and thank yous, we are given leftovers complete with dessert (!), and packed into a car to go home
9:21 p.m. - resist huge urge to go through new clothes and instead drag Alex out of living room and tell her to go to bed

After school/work tomorrow we are all three definitely going through the bags of clothes. I am so excited - these all look really new and they're folded nicely and don't smell at all! Best Sunday night dinner in ages. Think I died and went to meatball heaven. I am so happy there are more to eat tomorrow.