You know you’re settled…

You know you're settled when your Christmas present is a toaster oven from your partner, and it makes you really happy. To be fair, some of the happy is that Kevin doesn't like toaster ovens (prefers the toaster + oven combo), and so is giving up some precious counter space in our future kitchen for it. But still, ridiculously domestic. And much of my delight is simply in imagining delectable melted cheese creations in the cold midwinter. Mmm...

Other excellent gifts -- his parents got us promissory notes for the kitchen knobs and drawer pulls, and for a blackboard, freeing us to get exactly what we want, rather than the super-budget version. Hardware for a kitchen is expensive! Who knew? Okay, everyone but me, apparently. I keep getting sticker shock over some of the house items, like Victorian-style push-buttons and covers for the lights. It's not so much for one switch (or one cupboard handle), but multiply it by a whole house or kitchen, and eep. Anyway, great gift from his folks.

The rest of my holiday gifts are pretty craft-oriented, which is great -- knitting and sewing books, part of a stained glass class (I'm starting the intermediate class in January, and will try to make a small window for the house), that sort of thing. I'm hoping once Anand starts sleeping through the night, I'll have time to get back to all my crafting. I miss it -- I've only managed to do a few things in the last several months.

Kavi made out pretty darn well -- I think so far, her favorites are the Plan Toys lacing beads, the Little Doctor set (which I had as a kid!), and the Leapster Tag Junior (which reads books out loud, with sound effects). I think she's really going to like the Ladybug game and the Tell Me a Story cards, but we haven't opened those yet. Anand mostly got adorable clothes, which really, are more of a gift for his mother. For example, Aunt Susan found him an entire outfit with pirate monkeys. Pirate monkeys! And his Chinnama (my sister) got him blue alien astronaut shoes. Super-cool!

I'm not sure I got Kevin anything he really loved, but he is very difficult, as he admits. At least the mana potion was pretty funny (we play Warcraft together, or at least used to, and may again someday if the children ever let us), and might help him stay awake with baby when Kev runs out of coffee/soda (happens occasionally). And I'm curious to see what he manages to cook with his molecular gastronomy starter set....