Sunday, December 25, 2011

NYR - one week before Christmas!

What I'm thankful for this week:

12-19-11 - only 8 more work days until we leave for Hawaii.

12-20-11 - a family dinner out at Sr. Choo (remember our new favorite Chinese restaurant?). Tonight we took Mac (always a gamble with ethnic food that doesn't involve pasta) and he loved it. We got off to a great start because the first item on the appetizer menu was called "Bang Bang Chicken Wraps". Mac's "lovey" from the time he was about 1 until he was about 3 was a plastic hammer from a toolkit my sister and brother-in-law brought him as a gift when he was a baby in Mozambique. He called this hammer "Bang-Bang" and took it everywhere with us. And by "everywhere", I mean "everywhere" (literally). I remember Mac having a meltdown in an airport when a TSA agent made him give up Bang-Bang to go through the x-ray scanner - major drama. I remember leaving Bang-Bang behind in the gift shop in the zoo in Melbourne, Australia and hurriedly buying a replacement to get us through the night before our friend Jenny could go back to retrieve the hammer the next day. We have a great affinity for "Bang-Bang anything" at our house and Bang Bang Chicken Wraps at Sr. Choo did not disappoint.

12-21-11 - my book club's ornament exchange where I enjoyed the most amazing butternut-apple soup topped with fried scallions and a curried yogurt sauce. Yes, it was as delicious as it sounds. And I got an awesome globe ornament too!

12-22-11 - Two years ago, I bought a Lands End Dory jacket that I raved about. You may remember my ravings? I have worn that jacket (and washed it) so many times that I'm really surprised it's still together. I bought a supplemental (as opposed to replacement) Dory jacket a few weeks ago because it was on sale for $26 (including shipping). How can you go wrong with a $26 jacket from Lands End??? I like it a lot, but I have to tell you it's not the same jacket. They have changed the design a lot and I don't like the design or detail nearly as much. But for $26? It's a keeper.

12-23-11 - Today we got early release from the embassy for the holiday weekend. It sounds like a good behavior parole program and maybe that's sort of what it is. Regardless, I was so happy to be out of that building at 2:30. The other thing I'm thankful for is that Mac had a sleepover at our house with 2 friends and they behaved perfectly. No squabbling, no bickering, just happy play and giggling.

12-24-11 - Tonight we hosted a Christmas Eve get-together for friends here in Bogota. It was a really nice, relaxing evening of drinks and nibbles with dear sweet friends who I am so grateful to have in our lives.

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