After the Big Day

Many years, after the opening of gifts and general chaos that Christmas morning brings, I am sometimes let down because the kids don't always get excited about the stuff Santa brought and you know, Santa works hard to get Christmas just right. This year I think we, I mean he did very well! This is one of the games the boys got, and we had quite a fun time playing yesterday. Please excuse the piles of laundry that haven't been put away, as well as any other clutter. And my hair, please excuse my hair.

Part of what I love about this game is almost everyone can play. The easy level (colors only) is perfect for Zack, while the harder levels are a bit more fun for the boys... Even though Zack was playing on his own team every time his turn was over he'd run away crying and say "I NEBAH get a turn!!!!" He's a funny guy!

Poor Mark got stuck on my team. Kevin & Eric won almost every round. We did manage one victory towards the end. Before that he was pretty sure the ONLY way he'd EVER win would be to ditch Momma and get on Daddy's team. Whatever little dude!

Life Without Cell Phones

A while back Kevin's cell phone mysteriously disappeared. We're thinking Ben. Anyhow, we haven't replaced it because he's probably getting one through work anyway, so we've been holding off. It hasn't been too horribly inconvenient (for me anyway!) We've managed. I know it's been annoying for him because he uses his cell for work quite frequently, both for calls and email.

This morning was the first time I had the thought HOW ON EARTH DID PEOPLE FUNCTION WITHOUT CELL PHONES?!?!

I had just dropped the boys off at school and was walking in the door when I got a call from a number I did not recognize. It was one of the guys that works for Kevin. He said "I don't want to alarm you, but have you heard from Kevin?" I knew this must mean he wasn't yet at work. I looked at the clock. 8:42. He had left the house at 7:00. It generally takes 45 minutes to an hour to get to his office in morning traffic. I told him there might just be traffic trouble, and asked him to please call if Kevin got in.

My head spun. What could I do if something had happened. I was pretty limited in my course of action. At 8:44 I got a second phone call. After talking to Kevin's boss, who lives near us and drives the same route, they learned the traffic was in fact really horrible this morning. I was less worried, but still concerned. Traffic jams could cause horrendous accidents right? How long until I would know. At 8:46 I got a call from Kevin. He was safe and sound in his office. In his words "I'm neither dead nor in a ditch, traffic just sucked."

I can't help but think I would have been spared 4 minutes (it sure felt longer) of panic if he had just had his cell phone. How many years did that take off my life?