Today started on a high note. I got a call at 645am that the courier was in the driveway with my suitcase. Hallelujah! No doubt, a Christmas miracle.
I went back to bed after joyously dragging my bag inside. My next two hours of sleep were much more restful knowing that Christmas had been saved.
When I finally got up I ate some Delallo’s nut roll with coffee. Then we decided to venture out to Nemacolin. Thank goodness the car ride wasn’t indicative of the rest of the day. And thank goodness we weren’t deterred. After a miserable drive over we had a great day. We entered through the chateau then walked the length of the resort indoors. The decorations were first class. Every room presented multiple more photo opps. It was hard to believe something so Chicago like in its grandeur could be located in Fayette county. While walking around we ran into an old colleague of mine who works as a PIO for the state police. So fun! We also had lunch at the tavern where Arabella sat in a big girl high chair for the first time– and ate biscuits, puffs and French fries.
After Nemacolin we went home and got a surprise visit from the newest Orlando cousin- Madeline! Her mama, Lexi, and I got married a year apart and now have our first babies a few months apart. Madeline is perfect and we were so happy to get some extra time with her before the family Christmas Eve party.
My favorite photos of the evening are the ones of Madeline and Arabella alone on the couch. I could post a whole series of how it played out, but it can be summed up pretty simply.
Arabella: I touch the baby!
Madeline: Please send help!
After Madeline went home and Arabella went to bed, I wrapped Christmas presents. It was at this point that I realized about half of the Christmas presents I ordered hadn’t arrived. And not just any gifts— but the ones that I ordered the earliest and was absolutely sure would have arrived. (I had everything shipped to my parents house so there was no way for me to track arrivals from Chicago). I logged on to my account to see that my order had been cancelled (not by me)— despite having received a confirmation email. I called Macy’s to look for an explanation. Not only could they not offer one, but one of the items was no longer available. If I thought I could have found the gifts elsewhere with minimal effort, I would have cancelled the order and never shopped at Macy’s again. But the reality is that finding new gifts the day before Christmas Eve wasn’t going to happen. And it definitely wasn’t going to happen at Friends & Family pricing. So, the gifts are arriving later in the week— and I am committed to never shopping at Macy’s again. The whole situation was beyond unacceptable. But it’s also comically ironic. For the first time in my life I shopped in advance. And for the first time in my life I didn’t have gifts for my family on Christmas. So embarrassing. So annoying. So unacceptable. #neveragain
When I was done wrapping DD and I made a late night run to Walmart. We bought Arabella some baby food, a sippy cup, baby shampoo and bath toys. Specifically, a rubber ducky and a penguin that winds up and swims through the water. She doesn’t have a true bathtub at home, so I can’t wait to see her play with the toys.
When we got home Jarmon and I watched Home Alone and drank my mother’s signature holiday drink that was waiting in the freezer— apricot slush. It was a good night.
Trina Orlando 