The Present
This year we got the Present. You know the present from someone you didn't get anything for after you've given away all the extra presents that you had squirreled away for just such an emergency. Our neighbors gave us a bottle of wine. We don't drink wine, but I could tell that it was a recognizable type and it wasn't an obvious re-gift. The two little kids from the family actually hand delivered it and made a card to go with it. The family is Armenian and they don't celebrate Christmas until January 6th, but I digress.
I had some Sees Candy left over for ABWA at my office which is located at the mall. The mall was going to be teeming with traffic, but I braved the traffic, went to my office, got the sees candy and heaved a sigh of relief. Emergency averted. When I got home, Adrienne said that she was baking cookies for the neighbors. I could have avoided the whole go to the office ordeal, but that's ok, cookies are a much nicer present. Of course, then I let a few of the burn, so it was a few less cookies and the burned ones were a little tough, so they may not have been the best cookies in the world, but it's the thought that counts. We put them on a Christmas plate that we could live without and wrapped them in green reynolds wrap. I think that I am the only person in the house who has ever spoken with our neighbors, so I took the cookies with a Winny the Pooh Christmas Card. [Wise choice as I would later learn.]
I really hadn't seen the kids for about two years and two years makes a big difference in a five and two year old. Now they are seven and four. The four year old literally did not stop talking the entire time I was there. I was probably over there for just 20 minutes, but it seemed like hours. I tried to include the seven year old in the conversation, but she invariably talked about something different than her brother so I was carrying on two conversations at once with both kids the entire time. Arthur told me that he had lots of movies and went on to tell me that he had two, not one, two Winny the Pooh movies, did I want to see them? Lillian opened the card I got them and then put it next to the card that Steve, their neighbor on the other side gave them. His just had a snow scene on it. I think Winny the Pooh won, but who's keeping score.
As usual, the entire family was very disappointed that I didn't want anything to eat and that I really, really, really would not like a cup of coffee. It is so hard to not like anything. I used, I'm on a diet, I have weird taste buds, I just ate, I'm not thirsty--everything and they kept asking. Finally, the four year old said, you could have a glass of water and I said yes, thank you. He was so grown up about it, as though it were a puzzle and he figured it out. He doesn't like superman, but he likes spiderman. He didn't know that there was a spiderman movie. His Christmas tree goes around in a circle, but the lights will get hot if you leave it on too long. Lillian had a new backpack with wheels and lots of compartments. I saw them all. She bought her brother an eraser, but he is storing it in her backpack for now until he needs it.
It was actually a very lovely visit and next year the family will be on the proper list. I always have lots of Sees candy and who doesn't like Sees candy (besides me of course--I don't like anything.)
I had some Sees Candy left over for ABWA at my office which is located at the mall. The mall was going to be teeming with traffic, but I braved the traffic, went to my office, got the sees candy and heaved a sigh of relief. Emergency averted. When I got home, Adrienne said that she was baking cookies for the neighbors. I could have avoided the whole go to the office ordeal, but that's ok, cookies are a much nicer present. Of course, then I let a few of the burn, so it was a few less cookies and the burned ones were a little tough, so they may not have been the best cookies in the world, but it's the thought that counts. We put them on a Christmas plate that we could live without and wrapped them in green reynolds wrap. I think that I am the only person in the house who has ever spoken with our neighbors, so I took the cookies with a Winny the Pooh Christmas Card. [Wise choice as I would later learn.]
I really hadn't seen the kids for about two years and two years makes a big difference in a five and two year old. Now they are seven and four. The four year old literally did not stop talking the entire time I was there. I was probably over there for just 20 minutes, but it seemed like hours. I tried to include the seven year old in the conversation, but she invariably talked about something different than her brother so I was carrying on two conversations at once with both kids the entire time. Arthur told me that he had lots of movies and went on to tell me that he had two, not one, two Winny the Pooh movies, did I want to see them? Lillian opened the card I got them and then put it next to the card that Steve, their neighbor on the other side gave them. His just had a snow scene on it. I think Winny the Pooh won, but who's keeping score.
As usual, the entire family was very disappointed that I didn't want anything to eat and that I really, really, really would not like a cup of coffee. It is so hard to not like anything. I used, I'm on a diet, I have weird taste buds, I just ate, I'm not thirsty--everything and they kept asking. Finally, the four year old said, you could have a glass of water and I said yes, thank you. He was so grown up about it, as though it were a puzzle and he figured it out. He doesn't like superman, but he likes spiderman. He didn't know that there was a spiderman movie. His Christmas tree goes around in a circle, but the lights will get hot if you leave it on too long. Lillian had a new backpack with wheels and lots of compartments. I saw them all. She bought her brother an eraser, but he is storing it in her backpack for now until he needs it.
It was actually a very lovely visit and next year the family will be on the proper list. I always have lots of Sees candy and who doesn't like Sees candy (besides me of course--I don't like anything.)
posted by KathrynVH @ 4:28 PM
3 Comments:
At December 27, 2006 at 12:07 PM,
paulette said…
Boy, were you ever the right one to send over there. A lesser person might have become annoyed with those kids.
At January 4, 2007 at 4:03 PM,
Marcel said…
Kids, like dogs, are to be ignored or they will ruin your time when visiting. If they need a friend the parents should provide someone their age. What did you learn about your neighbor, the Armenian?
At January 5, 2007 at 11:19 AM,
KathrynVH said…
"the" Armenian? Half the population of Glendale is Armenian. I know many.
When we lived in the Condo, my Armenian neighbor told us about the churchs built in caves in Armenia--You walk in what looks like an animal's burro hole in the side of a mountain and inside is a Cathedral. A year or so later, we had a speaker at Kiwanias who had just visited Armenia and he had pictures. He showed a picture of the opening and it was just as Armen had described it--it looked like grass covering the side of the mountain. The inside was huge and amazing--as beautiful as any Cathedral in France, but no windows.
Armenians seem very patriarchal, but the Armenian women that I know are very strong. At the YWCA thrift store we get nervous when an older Armenian woman comes in to shop, because they must haggle with you. It costs $1.00, they want it for a nickle. You explain that the price is $1.00 and they argue with you forever. I'm a volunteer--I usually reach in my pocket and pay for them. But these are sterotypes and they don't fit everyone. The Armenian population in Glendale is actually quite diverse--just like the Asian population. There are over twenty-three different languages spoken in the homes of the students in the Glendale School.
My theory is that since Glendale was extremely racist, immigrants who were afraid of blacks settled here. They told two immigrant friends and so on and so on. When I first got a job here, I wanted my roommate to move here too. Michelle (who is black) worked downtown, so Glendale was a lot closer than West LA where we lived. Her mother wouldn't let her. She said that she would be afraid for her everyday in Glendale that the police would kill her. Michelle worked for the Los Angeles Police Department, but her mother was terrified of Glendale. I know guys in the police department here. While none of them are openly racist, I peg them as pretty conservative.
But I digress--what did I learn from my neighbor--they love to entertain and feed guests. As much as I really like my neighbors and I really do enjoy visiting with their kids too, I just can't visit fighting off the constant attacks to try to feed me stuff I don't want to eat.
Post a Comment
<< Home