Originally posted at 12:43 pm, added to my list at 8:51…
Miranda often accuses me of being a big kid. She sometimes even uses the word “childish.” I have told her that I prefer the word “childlike” as it has positive connotations, but she seems pretty stuck on childish. I suppose she has her reasons.
One of the ways that I am childlike is that I get incredibly excited at Christmas, and I admit it, one of the reasons is the gifts. I like seeing the looks on people’s faces when they unwrap a gift that I have put thought into… I love seeing my girls excited about their gifts. At the same time, I like opening my own gifts as well. So, what did I get this year?
The ultimate pocketknife for a geek. Okay, technically, this was an anniversary present, but since our anniversary is on December 21st, it almost counts as a Christmas present, right? Miranda said she couldn’t fathom why I would want or need this, but I remain convinced that it will be a handy little tool to have when working on computers… both at home and at school.
A way-cool pair of new glasses. As an employee of LensCrafters, Miranda gets a free pair of glasses each year. I am lucky that she prefers to wear her contacts, so she often gives me her free pair. This year, I didn;t even think about it. I really like the pair that I got last year… and the four other pairs that I have… so I assumed she was going to use her free pair this year. Instead, she gave it to me, and I found a fresh pair of DKNY frames that I like.
A DeWalt DW368 Circular Saw and a Black and Decker 24 Volt Drill and Driver. My dad is the absolute greatest gift-giver. He is doing all he can to equip toolboxes for both me and my brother, but I am afraid that I always feel more like Tim “The Toolman” Taylor and less like Al… in other words, more inept than skilled.
An iPod Mini. Yeah, I know. You are thinking to yourself, “Hey, don’t you mean an iPod Nano?” Nope. A 4GB mini. One of my students gave me her iPod. When I called her parents to let them know what she was trying to do, her father responded, “Mr. Andress, Morgan is one of the most giving people I know… if she wants you to have it, we do, too. Have a Merry Christmas!” Wow. I have never had anything like that happen in my nine years in the classroom. Thanks, Morgan!
A hamster. That’s right, a tail-less rat. Ian and Laura, who used to be really good friends of ours until they gave our daughters a rodent, decided that we needed their hamster. (They recently got a puppy, and the hamster was feeling left out… well, as left out as a hamster can feel.) They gave us a hamster named Sarah, but I decided that Sarah was too prentious a name for a little ball of fur, so I dubbed it Booger. Miranda and Jordyn tried to keep calling it Sarah, but Chloe and I have won… it is now known only as Booger. (By the way. Ian and Laura are still great friends, and we love them dearly. I can’t wait for them to get home from Colorado so I can give Myka, their daughter, her Christmas present. I hope she enjoys her ant farm, her drum set, her pet tarantula, and the boa constrictor that we bought her!)
Gift Cards. My mother-in-love and Miranda’s Aunt Donna (who is practically another mother for her) hit one out of the ball park with gift cards for Books-a-Million. I went in there with $65 worth of gift cards and came out with $.46 left. Too bad I couldn’t find something worth $.46.
Fudge for me and my bride and books for my girls. Gunter not only showed me some love, she showed some love to the Andress girls. I don’t think she realizes how much those two idolize her. She is the type of student that makes me think to myself, “Yeah… maybe my girls will turn out a little like her…”
Lots of other assorted stuff that I feel guilty even mentioning cause I am so blessed…
Time with my family. I got to see my parents, my sister and her family, my brother and sister-in-love came over for dinner… it has been good. Best of all, I have been able to hang out with the two greatest little girls EVER. They absolutely rock, and I am going to quit blogging now so I can go hang out with them.
So what about you? Did Santa leave anything other than sticks and lumps of coal under the tree for you?
do you know that i still get super huge switches in my stocking and every year there is a mad rush to see who can beat a kid with it first?
That is because you, Gunter, are all too often naughty, and Santa knows this.
i have made a new year’s resolution….
ready?
i’m going to make an effort to help all the short people in millbrook take their christmas trees down
you’re first on my list…
Gunter…You better watch it sister! He is not short, we prefer the term vertically challenged at my house.
HEY HEY MR.A!!!! whats up!? yer christmas sounds awesome! I was just dropping by to say “hey” and that i reeeaaaly miss yer class! I h0pe t0 see ya in the hall way!! well…that’s about it!!
And so the girl waited in front of her computer for her teacher to post a blog…but he never did. Still she waited until she DIED cause he never posted anything!!!!!!!
The End
Sarcastic little cretin.