24x24: Saturday, Dec. 18, 2010

24x24 is a series posted at totally irregular and unpredictable intervals. I invite you to participate anytime you'd like! Simply post 24 pictures from a 24-hour time period. You can just post the pictures alone, caption them, put a time stamp on each one ... whatever you'd like. If you'd like to write a 24x24 post of your own, grab the button at the top right of my blog and come back and let me know when you've published your post. I'd love to visit!

We need to all take a moment and absorb the fact that one particular reader asked to be featured in a 24x24 post. Laurel, consider your Christmas Wish guh-ranted.

Let's get this show on the road so Laurel's mug will pop up sooner rather than later.

Yesterday was Nathaniel's 8th birthday, but we celebrated on Saturday afternoon after two hours at an indoor inflatable play place. My cake lady wasn't available, so I had to make do with a Publix cake that I added Harry Potter Legos to. SO SUBSTANDARD. In other words, I am spoiled.

I haven't paid enough attention to the movies to be able to tell you why the ugly little dude in front is holding a sock.

I got Harry Potter plates. GOSH they look serious considering they're sold as "party plates."

A moment of silence, please, as I realize that my baby is 8.

S-word.

As I mentioned recently, he opted against a party this year in favor of putting the money we would have spent on a party toward his laptop computer fund.

Nicholas was not fond of this decision. Nick wanted a party.

So there were only a couple of actual gifts to open from other family members, but he loved what he got. And he asked me to make the bank deposit on Monday so he can see the high! balance! on Monday night.

Later we went to drop off gifts for Operation Grateful Heart at our neighborhood fire station. A 2-year-old who lives in my house had switched my camera to manual focus, but I didn't know it until we got inside. Hence, blurry children.

As part of the program, Hoover residents are encouraged to deliver new, unwrapped toys to Hoover fire stations. The firefighters and paramedics then deliver the gifts to military families in need through Christmas Eve.

I’ve taken Nathaniel and Nicholas to drop off gifts for each of the last four years. The firefighters are so kind, and if they have time they always take our boys out to the truck and let them climb on it.

At a time of year when it’s easy for our children to get caught up in receiving gifts, I love to remind them of the importance of giving, as well.

Finally it was time to go to our friends Melanie and Shelly's Christmas party. An annual event, it is EPIC in the fun-being-had category. Below, LAUREL IS ON THE RIGHT. Shelly's in the middle.

LAUREL, seen here on the left, is literally the funniest person I know. She cracks me up like no one else. I wish she was my next-door neighbor.

Although if that were the case, I'd never have dry underwear. All the laughing, and the peeing ... on second thought, it's probably a good thing she lives in Auburn.

It is POSSIBLE that I MIGHT have knocked one or four things down while completing the annual Scavenger Hunt Challenge ... but at least I didn't break anything, LAUREL.

Oops. This is known as destroying evidence. LAUREL.

This was Melanie and Shelly's beautiful basket of glass ornaments. Minus one.

Known as the Queens of Games, Mel and Shelly had just gotten Buzz Word but hadn't played it yet. We broke it in.

First five minutes: not too fun. Remainder of game: fantastic!

AND my team ("Team Awesome") won. As the Lord intended.

We began the night listening to the new Glee Christmas album. Three times. And then some dodo turned it to "Hair Guitar." GAH.

It is impossible -- IMPOSSIBLE, I say -- to not have fun with this crowd. I laughed so hard I got a headache.

Melanie was worried about the fire pit, but she let me take a picture.

And then the girls (Shelly, Mel and LAUREL OF AUBURN, ALABAMA) almost died of smoke inhalation for the photo. I appreciate folks who will risk a trip to the hospital in the middle of a Christmas party for the sake of a picture.

THESE ARE MY PEOPLE.