The Big Chill

This past Sunday marked the first week of Advent and in this household, the youngest always gets to light the first candle in the wreath.  Up until Gigi came along, it was my job.  Now I've been usurped by a enthusiastic little fire starter and I've grudgingly given up my place in the lighting order.   Dammit, that was my job *pouts*.

ANYHOW, Sunday dinner was obviously a big deal this past weekend because of the advent of Advent.  Now I don't know what your household is like when extended family is all gathered but my mom likes to run a tight ship (whatever that means since we have nary a sailor in our midst but she's always saying that and "your going to miss the boat" so apparently this nautical theme runs deep for no apparent reason other than you can see water from our dining room table).

Well our ship wasn't tight this past Sunday and people were being ordered to do this and that and that and this and my older brother, in the wisest of decisions, decided to hide away until the meal actually hit the table.  He's not stupid; one should not surface in this household until the whites of the potatoes eyes can be seen.

Of course, this absence made my mother spin around while shouting without taking a breath between demands: "WHERE IS EVERYONE?" "everyone to the table", "where's the butter?", "where's Uncle ____", "somebody pour the drinks",  It's quite a sight really, seeing her spin around, barking orders without the use of oxygen, it makes me feel... well it makes me feel at home [duh, because I am at home].

You know, after almost forty years of this, I'm used to her shenanigans (another word I've lifted from her vocabulary, a vocab that includes gems like "kitty corner" and "comrades" and "eat your vegetables") and in this particular instance, I was able to calmly go about my business of staying out of my mom's firing range.

But it was too much for Gigi.

Gigi stood up on her chair for maximum exposure and just as mom finished yelling (without disguising her exasperation), "for pete's sake, would someone get Uncle ______ NOW" my darling daughter thrust out her hand in a "talk to the hand, becasue the face don't understand" style, aimed right at my mom's face, and yelled "You... you must chill out NOW! ....[and then more calmly] mommy, go get Uncle _____".

When a three year old tells you the chill the hell out, trust me, you listen.

I'm so proud of her back talk but she sure as hell better not pull that shit on me.  Seriously kid, don't pull that one on me.

Also I've reviewed another game for the DS over at motherbumper's lab, the Littlest Pet Shop Garden. Go on over and check it out.