Christmas Eve 2009...

We had quite the eventful Christmas Eve this year!!! What we thought might just be a quiet day... a little church.... a little family... a little Santa... turned out to make for quite the story!

We did spend the day at home to start out with. I was feeling really, really tired. Uncharacteristically so actually, so I laid down when Luke did and ended up sleeping for quite some time. Scott picked up the house from the gathering we had the night before (will post on that next!) and Ally was being angelic (Santa was watching of course!) so I slept... When I got up, I showered and got ready for church, which was at 5:00. We had to get there a bit early though. We were meeting some of my aunts and uncle, grandma and cousin at mass as it was being said in honor of my grandpa who passed away years ago.

Luke is not feeling well. At. All. We have been battling diarrhea for days. DAYS!!!!!! Since the previous Sunday.... and he has the worst rash in the world. Is generally grumpy and clingy. We can already see that church is going to be a challenge. This really rang true, when we're trying to leave the house and he's just having the meltdown of a century. Won't wear a coat. Has a complete FIT about his sweater (tries to pull it off as I put it on). Just complete meltdown mode about anything and everything. Ugh.

Off to church we go..... we get there and he doesn't even make it to the pew. He's just freaking out. Scott immediately walks out to the back of the church.... then, he tries the cry room. I am sitting with Ally... who of course, won't sit still. I am having challenges of my own.... but nothing like what Scott is experiencing. He tries to take Luke to the cry room. Luke will have none of this. There are no other kids crying in the cry room. It's like the quiet room. Quieter than the church itself. So, he takes him outside... no other choices here at this point.

Now, it's December. And it's Michigan. And it's DAMN COLD outside. He goes to the car, knowing full well, I have the keys, but hoping against hope that we forgot to lock it. Or something. Ha. Right. It's like breathing. I get out, I lock the car. No chance.

He then tries the playground.... he places Luke on a ride on toy on the playground... Luke just sits there, stiff and looks up at him, crying... and says "cold Daddy." Ugh. What to do?????

So.... Scott takes Luke... and they walk about half a block down to the only warm place he figures he can get in at 5:00 on Christmas Eve. A bar. Duffy's Bar to be exact. :-)

He goes into the bar, in his church finery. He is also wearing a brand new Kenneth Cole coat (gorgeous wool coat) that I brought him back from NYC. So... into VERY smokey bar he goes with a brand new wool nice ass coat (that will soak up the smoke like a sponge!) with a TWO year old - on CHRISTMAS EVE!!!! Everyone and I mean, EVERYONE looks at him. He asks if it's okay to bring Luke in... orders a beer and a basket of fries....

He said Luke was INSTANTLY happy when they went in the bar. Turns out my son is more of a bar kind of guy... than a church kind of guy. :-) So, for about an hour, Scott sits there at the bar, drinks couple beers, eats french fries and caramel corn (that the bartenders gave Luke) and has a great ole time....

I know none of this is happening until I check my phone after mass cuz I can't find Scott and Luke. I drive down to get them - and Ally sees where they have been and just loses it. She is convinced that Luke got to do something more fun that she did. She yells at Scott when he gets in the car. "Daddy - you took Luke to a bar and I had to go to CHURCH!!!! It was like being in PRISON!!!!" Nice. Real nice Ally.....

Then, she yells at him for smelling so bad. I chuckle at this. It's true. He does. ;-) He is of course PISSED at me for not coming to help him with Luke. I am all the while trying to deal with Ally. I think he must have things under control or he would come get me. But, of course, he can't come get me because Luke is having such a fit... that it would disturb mass.

MERRY. FREAKIN'. CHRISTMAS!!!! He is pissed at me... things are a bit tense.... but somewhere in the evening, he gets over it. Maybe it was the beer... or the shots we did later at my Grandma's... and the additional beer he had there.... Whatever it was... he worked through his anger... and we had a nice Christmas Eve. And, a GREAT story to share for years to come....

After mass/Duffy's (depending on who you are talking about)... we went over to my Grandma's and got together with some of my side of the family over there. Ally and Eugene enjoyed dancing to a singing reindeer....






Scott continued to drink.... PBR....


And we did some shots of a fabulous Polish honey whiskey with my Uncle Joe...



We attempted some family pictures...




And eventually, Luke cheered up enough to enjoy the evening... and a Christmas cookie or three!!!






All in all, it was a fun evening... and I like the Duffy's story. It cracks me up and rings so true of our life most of the time. Nothing ever quite turns out the way you think. It is not a picture perfect life... we don't have this fabulous easy going little family of four that can go to church together on Christmas Eve.... we have this crazy family of four that most days can't get our shit together... and we end up at the bar... and reeking of smoke... ;-) And, I am thankful for that craziness. Normalcy is so boring....... ;-)