Back from my aunt's

Christmas, as usual, has been a frenzy of food and small children. We started off, as we usually do, with my brother-in-law (Carmela's father) making breakfast for us all (including his famous scrambled eggs with potatoes), breakfast sausage with fresh lemon squeezed over it (amazing), pancakes, this great streudel my mom gets every year, coffee and more. Then we open the gifts, which is a whirling dervish of small children ripping anything with a ribbon on it to shreds. The highlight of gift opening was quite possibly when my nephew opened his Star Wars-themed gift from his mom, prompting my mom to ask "What's a 'light saver?'"

Though it was really tied for best moment when, in the middle of gift opening, the mailman arrived at the door with one more gift my sister had ordered for her son from LL Bean. The post office actually delivered it on a Sunday, Christmas day, no less. We were shocked. I've never been so impressed with the USPS in my life.

Anyway, all of that went on until 3:30pm, and we then had a nice hour to relax before having to run off to my aunt's house for dinner. My aunt is a great chef, so the food is always wonderful. I was supposed to head to my brother's now to help him put together the telescope I got my other nephew (there are 5), but I'm pooped. And then tomorrow I head to lunch with my godmother, and then later in the day head downtown to visit the Lincoln Park zoo at night with my sis (Carmela's mom) and family. Should be quite fun.

Greek Christmas is not a spectator sport.

Feel free to share your day, traditions, etc. And you Hannukah folks, don't be shy, you can chime in too.

PS Joe is not Jewish, not that there's anything wrong with hit. Though his post a bit below may have confused you. He's just visiting Jewish friends in NY, or one friend in the couple he's visiting is Jewish. Anyway, Rob sent me a text message saying "I didn't know Joe was Jewish, he NEVER mentions it!" That's because he's not :-)