WELCOME 2009!

A well-bathed Jameson sneaking a chicken wing from our New Year's Eve buffet.

Our New Year arrived with very little excitement this year. We ate junk food for dinner, buffet style and Jameson said, before he even took a bite, "This will be my favorite meal yet". We bought fried chicken wings from the restaurant near our home, leftover meatballs and potatoe soup from dinner the night before, assorted chips, cookies, fudge and french bread and cream puffs from our baker friends. I kept asking Jim what he would like to eat, but he wouldn't answer seriousely, so Jameson and I went to the store by ourselves and came home with the junk food. We settled in our living room with full plates around 7pm and watched the pilot of the 1970's Incredible Hulk with Bill Bixby and Lou Ferigno.....the kids found it....interesting. Emma wanted to continue, as we bought Jameson the complete first season for Christmas, but the rest of us had had enought. We then watched the movie "Hildago". We would have enjoyed it more if we could have heard it above the kids' constant talking and questions. By 11:30 I was so tired(and relaxed with Joseph asleep with me on the couch ) that I said my "Happy New Years"s" and went to bed. Straight up midnight fireworks....loud fireworks.......went off and the kids tried to see them out our windows. I don't remember anything after that.

On the first, we lounged around in the morning and then walked to a mall close by to try out their food court. We were clearly the only foreigners there, and we each had something different. I had cold noodles in a vinegar-based sauce. It was very good and I'd probably get it again.....reminded me of my mom's cold spaghetti salad....YUM! After lunch we walked to a nicer mall and Jameson and Emma used Christmas money to buy remote control cars.

Once home, Emma and I snuggled together on my bed and watched "Gone with the Wind" and Jim made sure we had few interruptions. She liked it, but had trouble understanding why some of the women were so frail and weak....Emma can't relate to that!! Like the scene where the women take a nap after the BBQ while the men talked politics and smoked cigars......Emma couldn't grasp that, but I wish we still did that on busy days! Anyway, a nice memory for me to treasure....introducing my daughter to Rhett Butler and being glad she saw the wickedness in Scarlett O' Hara.

Speaking of Emma, we didn't have internet connection for the biggest part of the day, and she is so disapointed that she couldn't skype Sienna at Sienna's midnight. When our computer is down, it's always a big bummer. We rely on it so much. We make all our calls back home thru the internet as well as keeping in touch with skype and emails. Although Jim and I are limited with our computer skills, we try everything when it won't work....tonight we must have done something right and I am now able to wish all a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!