• Mood: grateful

...and we're feeling much better now.

On the first day of Chanukah, my true love gave to me... the second season of Veronica Mars! Which, heh, I'd just picked up yesterday at Newbury Comics, because it was like half off. This is why I'm not allowed to buy anything in $WINTERHOLIDAY season. But. Yay Veronica Mars!

On the first day of Chanukah, my other true love gave to me... BPAL! A bottle of Kindly Moon, and imps of the fruity goodness that is Maenad, the mossy goodness that is Niflheim, the peculiar goodness that is French Creole, and the... uncertainty of La Belle Dame Sans Merci. Thank you, Spooky. :)

Adam opened a gift from Elayna (Arrested Development, season one, and yes, mgrasso, you can come over and watch - oh, and we have both seasons of Slings and Arrows, too! cheshyre and xiphias need to see that if they haven't already, and - oh, right, Chanukah!) and one from me (Zagat and The Phantom Gourmet's Guide to Boston Restaurants - I know my man well!).

Elayna opened one from us (Princess Peach for the Nintendo DS, and every time I type "Nintendo DS" I giggle, and she calls it her DS, and ohmygoodness. This is one of the hardest parts of parenting right here.) and two from my parents - a $50 Visa gift card and oh, man, awesome clothes! She unfolded the first item, a black hoodie with a very punk rock skull and crossbones, and I gasped and complained - "They never would've gotten me something like that!" Also a cute grey sweatsuit and a long-sleevedshirt that looks dual-layered, looks like a long-sleeved T over a striped oxford, and the tee has an awesome punky tattoo-esque print. I covet my daughter's clothing. Seriously.

We already opened the gift from my parents - new dual-tuner TiVo with three years of service. :)

And this is the first year Elayna's recited the prayers. And she sat still for a discussion of the meaning of and reason for Chanukah before tearing into her gifts. Without even fidgeting.

So. Yes. Great loot!

And... I know you already know this, but there are a lot of kids who don't get near this much stuff. It's not too late to help out with that. See if the Salvation Army runs their Angel Tree program in your area. (I don't give money to them, because I'm unfond of their practices, but I'll donate a gift, because I know that *that'll* go to its intended place.) We usually give to Toys for Tots and Atlanta's Empty Stocking Fund.

Happy Chanukah, y'all. I'm going to go watch The Hebrew Hammer.