Call It What You Want...

We had our last (probably) round of Christmas-present festivities today with Grandma AJ and Grandma Marv (no, they're really a traditional couple, but for some reason Mark keeps forgetting to call him "Grandpa"). Mark had to wait and wait and wait to open the presents that appeared under the tree during his nap; finally I could take it no longer and he helped me gather them into a basket so he didn't have to keep staring at them. Only then could he start playing with his cars and toys and such instead of worrying when Daddy and Grandma would be home from the store and we could open them.

Adam sat happily with Grandma for a while, and then with Grandpa, sucking on tags, his fist, his bib, other people's fingers... whatever he could get into his mouth. He missed his second afternoon nap, so intent he was on the goings-on.

I failed to keep a decent list of which of Grandma's friends which gift came from (bad me), but suffice it to say, cute CDs, cute coloring books, cute outfits for Adam... Tim's aunt Estee supplied a bear for the baby that's about as big as he is... Mark wanted to read every book as he got it and color with every crayon before moving on to the next item.

Then I was off to the kitchen for my first foray into The Best 30-minute Recipe from America's Test Kitchen: Quick Maple-Glazed Pork Chops. Yes, it took 30 minutes, and yes, it was reallllly yummy. I also really went all-out and opened a bagged salad, complete with sliced almonds and cranberries and its own dressing. But the focus was truly the pork. The glaze was sweet and tangy with just a hint of heat (1/8 tsp. cayenne), and the pork was cooked just the way it oughta be. Well, it should be; they've tested it so I don't have to, isn't that what they say???

Dessert was a berry pie that I made this afternoon. To bed early so I can look alert and happy and well-rested for Adam's big day tomorrow. (I also have two more recipes to try from the book while Grandpa and Grandma are here. More on those later...)