One Day Till Lift-Off... On the First Day of Christmas: Jesus Christ
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Another good gray day for the first official day of Christmas. And likely most of that day would be spent in everyone operating their new gifts. Linnea was the proud owner of a little red Swiss Army knife. Frances was very concerned about this, and watched her every move when she was allowed to open the box in which it resided.
Collette had also finally been able to open her birthday gift from Diana: a good Starbucks mug and pumpkin spiced biscotti.
While at the Combs’ the afternoon before, Grandma had set out one of her gifts to everyone. After secretively keeping them all out of the dining room, she allowed them back in where on the table sat an array of cellophane holly bags. Each was filled with the glow of a battery-operated bulb.
“That’s for the next storm that comes through,” Grandma laughed (especially for the Florissant folks).
‘This is the most awesome thing I’ve ever had!” Joe said enthusiastically, pulling the cord on and off.
Meanwhile, Tuesday morning, Collette headed over to the house to help Rose with her last minute preparations. Lucia was sitting in the rocking chair cuddled up in a blanket waiting for Carrie to get ready to go and soon they were off for shopping, returned to let Lucia finish designing her tattoo (which represented the Trinity), and then out again for Lucia to get the tattoo.
Collette and Rose carefully worked through Rose’s checklist during the morning hours. Rose just couldn’t imagine staying in Egypt for eleven days with less than four pairs of jeans. Collette only sighed, and decided to chose her battles wisely. Rose finished up her laundry and they wrote out the last small list of items still needed to be purchased.
And then, while Mom was off shopping Old Saint Charles with Grandma and Aunt Petunia, Joe was carefully pondering how to spend his gift certificate out at a bike shop in Florissant, and Dad was working on the computer in preparation for teaching a class (wearing his new t-shirt from Grandma for Christmas, which read: If I’m talking, you should be taking notes), Rose was dropped off at the coffeehouse with Ben-Hur, Curly, and Molly (who all later went to Laurel Park) as her last get-together before boarding the plane.
Later in the evening, Joe and Frances hurried off to the air-soft shop with several of the other boys. And Mom served up some dinner just as OLeif walked in the door. There was much talk on Egypt – such as how to ask Where is the tattoo parlor? in Arabic and of the various souvenirs they were considering bringing back.
“Molly wants a camel,” Rose said.
“I hate buying souvenirs,” Carrie moaned. “I already have a list of things I’m supposed to get. Elizabeth is dropping off money tonight so that I can get her something.”
“Just pick up a chunk of rock in the Valley of the Kings and you’ll be fine for souvenirs,” Collette suggested.
“And be cursed?” Carrie asked.
“Oooooh…” Rose put on a ghostly face and waved her hands in the air, “Return the chunk…”
Rose seemed more concerned that the guards would start throwing rocks at her if she tried to take a piece of rubble.
“No, really, if the guards see you taking something you shouldn’t, they’ll throw rocks at you. They can’t carry guns, so they throw rocks.”
“I’m going to climb up the Sphinx at night and draw a mustache on it,” Carrie grinned.
And Carrie was still insisting that she was not going to take a shower during the trip.
“It won’t be bad,” she said, laughing at everyone’s reaction. “The water’s too bad to use over there anyway.”
“I am going to have to apologize to everyone on the tour for how stinky my sister is!” Rose protested, shaking her head in disbelief.
“Don’t worry – I’m bringing plenty of Febreeze.”
“But we have to share the same deodorant stick! Half-way through the trip everyone is going to be asking you to sign a petition for you to take a shower!”
The table rather snorted in laughter.
And somehow Carrie was still thinking that carrying all of her valuables in her shoe would be a good idea.
Dad just sat through the entire dialog with smile lines, working through several chocolate covered peppermint ice cream stars and Italian ices.
And the biggest news of the day (which Collette predicted would happen Christmas Eve), happened – cousin Polly was engaged to the Guatemalan lacrosse-playing Fernando. Mom was waiting to receive all the details from her over the phone that very evening. Fourth cousin-wedding in four years… Collette wondered if someone would snag the fifth year, or if it would pass unoccupied by such an event (even though no one took 2005, as Collette’s wedding and Brit’s wedding both took place in 2004).
In the meantime, it was nearly time for lift-off…