On Sundays I’m a Sleeper-Inner

Song Lyric of the Day:

So your girlfriend rolls a Honda, playin’ workout tapes by Fonda / But Fonda ain’t got a motor in the back of her Honda / My anaconda don’t want none / Unless you’ve got buns, hun

Sir Mix-A-Lot / “Baby Got Back”

1:44PM.
Rich and I slept in today, although I woke up earlier than he did. I went to meet my family for an early lunch at McAllister’s Deli. The same group, minus Rich, was there as at El Mezcal the other night; my boy stayed home since he has freelance work to do. Vanessa laughed when she saw me since I walked into the restaurant with a clear garbage bag half-full of Disney stuffed animals. As I mentioned a while back, I’m working on whittling down my stuffed animal collection, and she called dibs on anything Disney. Samantha also laughed at me when she found out I still have Kimbo, a stuffed albino gorilla Dad gave me when I was a baby; I replied I’ll someday be buried with Kimbo in my arms–that’s how long I plan on holding on to him.

Lunch was fun, with the highlight for me being when Samantha smacked Shawn on the arm and then Mom smacked Samantha on her arm in return, saying in Spanish that she’ll never end up married if she keeps that up. I found it inordinately amusing. Ken managed to introduce a new euphemism for sex, calling it the “hibbitty-bibbitty,” when we tried to create a non-scandal over Tamara and Brent coming in together; I’ll have to work that term into a conversation somewhere down the road.

Now I’m home, updating my blog here while I wait for Samantha to call me and tell me she’s on the way to pick me up. We’re working a booth at the Fantasy of Trees, an annual holiday event sponsored by and benefiting East Tennessee Children’s Hospital. Should be fun.

11:17PM.
The Fantasy of Trees was a lot of fun. This was the first time I’ve ever attended the event, and I have to say, it was really impressive. Area companies decorate and donate Christmas trees, usually going with a theme (golf, whales, Beanie Babies). Visitors can buy any tree they see, with all proceeds going to East Tennessee Children’s Hospital. The cheapest tree I saw was priced at $295, the most expensive $1250. There was also a $5 raffle to win the Target tree; I entered, thinking it’d be neat to win such an impressively decorated tree. Well, not only did I not win, I was doubly disappointed to learn that not only did the winner get this awesome Christmas tree, but they got everything under it as well. Turns out Target stocked the tree with every kind of gift imaginable, ranging from a personal DVD player to a grill. My Christmas shopping would’ve been taken care of just like that. Next year, that tree will be mine. Oh, yes.

On to the volunteer part of the event. Samantha and I worked at the Picture Me Necklace booth, where kids chose from wood necklaces shaped like an angel, snowman, Christmas tree, gingerbread man, or snowflake and colored them with markers. The necklaces had a small portrait hole for the kids to put pictures in. Some kids decorated them as gifts for grandparents or parents, and some decided to keep the necklaces for themselves. I did notice something curious, though, about the majority of parents–they tried to direct the children on how to color their necklaces. Being a non-parent myself, I guess I took it for granted that most of parents would let their kids express themselves artistically however they saw fit; that’s what I’d do if it were my kid. A few parents did let their kids draw, scribble, doodle, and deface their necklaces however they wanted. Samantha and I fell in love with one couple who were just so amazingly supportive of their young son and daughter’s efforts. The little boy colored the heart-shaped plastic pane in his gingerbread man’s portrait hole, completely covering it. What did his mom say? “Oh, look, you made a heart!” The little girl scribbled all over her angel and what did her dad say? “That is such a beautiful angel, sweetheart!” I was actually thrilled to notice that they’re expecting a third child; they were so loving and supportive, and hands-down the friendliest parents we talked to during our 3 1/2 hours there. All four of them thanked us and wished us a Merry Christmas, too. That’s the kind of parent I’d want to be.

Speaking of parenting, it was too cute hearing Samantha talk about wanting to have a great time with her soon-to-be stepson, Benjamin, next weekend. Shawn’s bringing Benjamin into town, and Samantha was asking me about activities to entertain him. She even got a recommendation from one mother about some fun coloring/activity books. I’m so proud to see the great stepmom Samantha is striving to be.