On Exploding of Furnaces and Silliness of Universe.

The week before Christmas:

Shopping.

Cleaning of house.

Working.

Cleaning of house.

Wrapping of presents.

Cleaning of house.

Baking of treats.

Cleaning of house.

Shopping.

Putting together of teacher/physical therapist/occupational therapist/speech therapist/interpreter/aides/ASL teacher/bus drivers - I've surely forgotten someone's - Goodie bags.

Cleaning of house.

Shopping.

Cleaning of house.

Attending of parties.

Cleaning of house. *I have a problem.*

Working.

Day before Christmas Eve:

Prepping of meal for next day's party.

Keeping children's heads from exploding with anticipatory excitement.

Eating of Chinese food as kitchen must remain clean, and fridge is stocked with nothing but treats and other party provisions.

Christmas Eve:

Heads of children reaching maximum capacity, explosions imminent.

Al and I artfully dancing around each other as we get ready to prep and cook and cook and prep for party of 30ish people in smallish house.

Upstairs fridge full.  Al takes beer to downstairs fridge.  You know the one? The one in the cellar?  Near the furnace?

The furnace which is spewing water all over the basement.

On Christmas Eve.

Of course. 

(Two years ago?  Owen opened EVERYONE'S presents in the middle of the night thus ruining Christmas.  Last year?  He was so sick he lay around like a limp rag barely able to have the littlest bit of fun and came *this close* to landing in the hospital, thus ruining Christmas.  Considered going far away next year?  But plane would surely crash.)

Call to furnace guy, who's nice enough to arrive in a half hour.  To tell us that the furnace is all the way dead, but he'd be happy to get us a new one.  For only $4500!  And sometime the next week.

We have neither $4500 nor til next week.

Wringing of hands and saying of very bad words.

And not letting kids know that something has gone horribly awry.

The party will go on.  With fire in fireplace and no hot water.

Friend Sally provides wood to burn and much needed shower.

Sally's husband Mark learns of misfortune and appears on doorstep with $1400;

"I can't take this!"

"I got a huge cash bonus.  You need it more than I do."

"I don't care if you're not a hugger, you're getting hugged."

Somehow don't cry over generosity of friends.

Al knows a guy. Being married to a tradesman?  Win.  They always know a guy.

New furnace not $4500.  Same furnace $2500.  On Monday.

Yay guy!

Party happens.  House overstuffed with people?  Nice and toasty.

Hostess who'd been slaving away for weeks to have perfect party nearly ruined by exploding furnace and who'd made the most delicious batch of white wine sangria?

Totally. Wasted.

People leave. Stockings hung.  Kids tucked in.  Aero bed in front of fire for Mommy and Daddy.

*shenanigans*

Two hours of sleep before wailing of small child.  Bea heard Al put a log on fire.  Thought it was Santa.  Is scared shitless of Santa.

Spend rest of night 'sleeping' with Bea in her teeny little bed.

Christmas Morning:

Head hurty.  Body achy.  Brain furry.

Children lucky:

Nintendo DS
Leapster
Barbies
Superheroes
Puzzles
Games
Books
Clothes
Lots of other crap.

Mommy and Daddy exchanging of small things only, as plan was to purchase new large fancy TV. 

Plan revised in light of spendiness of new furnace.

More party at cousin's house. More opening of presents. More eating of food. More eating of treats.

No drinking of alcohol.

Monday brings shiny new furnace. Able to pay for furnace thanks to nice friends and fact that we don't care if mortgage gets paid.  It's so not getting paid.

Vacation week.

Kids play and play and fight and play and play some more.

I pick up extra shifts in hopes to recover from furnace hit.

New Year's Eve:

Scheduler fucks up and leaves me off schedule.  Pissed about loss of money for shift.

Tickled to have New Year's Eve off.

Check mail.

Check IN the mail.  For me. $500.  Out of nowhere.  Is long story which starts last summer and ends in my stupidity sending me $500 when I really needed $2500.

Yay stupidity!

Happy New Year!

Work at 3pm.  Hug many old people.

Text from Al regarding stupid fucking fantasy football which has consumed him for the past many months;

"I came in second in my league. Won $1500!  Booyah!!!"

Of course.

Hear Universe giggle.