Pandering

Bry and I have noticed- because I am creepy and watch our stats- that we've got readers from all over the world now:


United Kingdom
Netherlands
Canada
Australia
Saudi Arabia
Malaysia
Russia
Philippines
Australia
Denmark
Dominica
Romania
Singapore
Finland
South Africa
Georgia
Greece
Kenya
Poland
Croatia
United Arab Emirates
Lithuania
Nigeria
Germany
Spain
Czech Republic
Switzerland
Bulgaria
Iran
Brazil
Guatemala


You guys rock! If any of you are actually following us, and not just stumbling across our blog and never returning again, PLEASE keep reading. To anyone from any country outside the USA who leaves us a comment, and tells us where you're from, we'll try to include something relevant to you in an upcoming blog. If nothing else, we can start some sort of dialogue or conversation because Bry and I have only been out of the country once. Sometimes our knowledge of other countries and their cultures can be rather limited or quite offensively backwards which leads to pictures like this:

I'm sorry.

Adventures in China Part One

This is just one part of a series of blogs to come that will be describing our time in China. The blue parts are written by Bry and are from an essay she wrote for a class. The green parts are from the travel diary that I kept while we were abroad. And the purple parts are from Bry's travel diary. The parts from our two diaries are also not the entireties of our diaries as not all of our entries were relevant or remotely interesting. Enjoy.

Rachel's travel diary

Bry's travel diary

Part I- Homeward Bound:

How going to China felt like coming home.

            It is odd to think about still, but on this day two years ago I was in my favorite place on Earth.  Yes, out of the whole planet, on November 12th, 2008 I was fortunate enough to have been in China.  However, before I began my studies, I, like many others I suspect, had only the most rudimentary knowledge of this awe-inspiring country.  I knew of the capital, Beijing, and thanks to several Jackie Chan movies I had heard of Shanghai in a much removed fashion.  Despite knowing next to nothing about the Middle Kingdom I continued to hold it in the highest regard, respect, and awe.  Even I knew not of the source of my own admiration, so a voyage to the land of the Sleeping Dragon seemed the best way to solve the mystery of the intense welling emotion that was produced in me whenever someone said the word: China.

            Not to anyone’s surprise, my identical twin sister- Rachel- was possessed by the same overwhelming feelings toward China.  Against my parent’s wishes, together we applied to the Study Abroad program in 2007, and jumped for joy when we received out acceptance letters shortly thereafter.  We were surprised to hear, though, that only five students total were going to be in our group headed abroad.  It was shocking to us to learn that a mere THREE other students in all of Humboldt State University felt the same burning desire to leave these shores and dive into the mysterious land of the East.  (Five was the fewest allowed number of people to sign up, any less and the whole trip would be canceled!)  The disappointment of having so few of us travel together was quickly replaced when it dawned on us that we were about to receive a very personal experience since there would only be the five of us HSU students in each of our classes.  (Our personal experience meant separating us from all the other foreign exchange students.)  Fantastic!

August 15^th, 2008

Well, so much for that.  I leave in exactly two weeks.  14 days until Rachel and I step onto that airplane in China.

People keep asking me if I am excited, and I dutifully answer “yes” because no one wants to hear all of my real thoughts.  How would they react if my answer was “terrified, actually”?  Does anyone know how scared I am to get on a plane?  To land in another country of which I hardly know the language?  Suddenly I wonder why I didn’t choose Mexico or France or Spain or Quebec or South America or Montreal or Senegal.  I could hold easy conversations there.

People try to reassure me that I won’t have to worry about my still developing Chinese skills because China is trying to Americanize itself and they will all want to test their English skills on me.  Hey, I hope so.

August 20^th, 2008

Tonight is night one away from Arcata.  We’re staying at Sarah’s home in Walnut Creek for the night, and tomorrow- on to the consulate!

T - 8 DAYS & COUNTING...

5:49pm PST

8-21-08

Thursday

This is Rachel Fix recounting day 2 of our journey home from Sarah's couch in Walnut Creek. Yesterday, Bry, Sarah and I made the incredibly long drive from Arcata to Walnut Creek, but not before running around in circles trying to get all of our papers turned in Once we had completed that, and avoided a parking ticket, we had our epic goodbyes with Chris and Jarod and then drove our pets to Petco to be put up for adoption. We paused at Taco Bell and then made our journey south.

The dates on the pictures are off by a few days.

You're welcome.

8:53pm PST

We stopped in Garberville and Cloverdale. At Sarah's house we had pizza for dinner and finally met Nora! After a mere 7.5 hours of sleep we all got up, had breakfast, and went to Build-A-Bear.. After picking up Sarah's paycheck, we pulled into San Francisco at about noon. First we accidentally followed the wrong street, but once we were on the right path it still took us almost an hour to walk there! Once we got there we were greeted by a long line and protesters. 

They were yelling "Shame, shame!" but it sounded like "Xie, xie!"... Chinese for thank you.

It took two hours, two trips to the ATM, a trip to the Japanese Mall, and three trips back to the lady behind counter number 9 before we settled and agreed to return tomorrow morning to pick up our visas and fork over $150 each. What was awesome about today was the fact that we were in and out of the Consulate so many times that they stopped using the metal detector wand on us. I hope that the same guys are there tomorrow. We also were forced to get our pictures re-taken for the visas. I got three extras. That's all for today. I'll write more when I'm home tomorrow.

August 21^st, 2008

Sarah, Rach and I are at the Chinese consulate building right now.  Yay Yay Yay!!!

6:50 PM  Same day.  We’re back at Sarah’s and we’re going to be spending the night again. J  We pick them up tomorrow.   We had to pay $10.00 for passport photos, but they gave us 3 extras.  I’m keeping one, giving one to Jarod, but #3?  

T - 7 DAYS & COUNTING

9:51 pm PST

8-22-08

Friday

Home. It's a good feeling. It's a unique feeling that I shall have to describe tomorrow.

T - 6 DAYS & COUNTING

11:56 am PST

8-23-08

Saturday

We got a bit of a late start yesterday. We ended up getting a late start and bought breakfast at a 7/11. We got donuts but I bought the kind from the Simpsons and a Radioactive Man comic book. 

I'm a big Simpson's fan.

We got our visas hassle-free and the guard was happy to see us again. After that we ate at the Japanese mall. today Aunt Kim came up to give us a long over due visit. At 5:40 I have to go babysit four adorable boys. I'll write about it tomorrow.

T - 5 DAYS & COUNTING

10:20 am PST

8-24-08

Sunday

Today, before I'd gotten to shower, I was driven to Kat's parent's house to visit Kat and Iris. She's getting so big! We exchanged gifts.

T - 3 Days & COUNTING

6:07 pm PST

8-27-08

Wednesday

                 

Bry and I took him to Davy's Dam where Bry and I swam in our bras and jeans. Today he took Alia, Bry and me to Highland Springs. The water was nice but there was seaweed and a pair of mayflies kept trying to mate on my head. There was  a rope swing but only Eddie was strong enough to use it. On the way back we were briefly followed by the cops but we eluded them. Before we left the car, Eddie made me go into the glove compartment and take out a letter addressed to me and Bry. After he left, I opened it to find a bunch of fun things alone with letters to us. I wish I could find my gold notebook because that's where my letter to Eddie is. That's all for now. I should shower.

A sticker from Eddie

August 28^th, 2008

We’re going for it.  This could be either a huge mistake or a good thing.  Also, our flight was postponed so we’re leaving on Saturday instead of tomorrow.

Poo.                              

T - Haha, just kidding

6:30 pm PST

8-29-08

Friday

Yesterday was hell. When we called Air China to confirm our flight we found out it had been cancelled! They bumped our entire trip back a day at no charge to us because it was their fault. Now we arrive in Xi'an just in time to take our placement test. Woo! After that we called Wells Fargo and had a huge hassle with them. It would be best if while we're abroad we don't use our credit cards. On top of that, Eddie never called me back yesterday.

Good Goddess, I'm really going, aren't I?

August 29^th, 2008 Friday

Slightly drunk.  Hiccuping.  Very tired.  Last night here.  Ooooh.

Need sleep.

            The flight from SFO to LAX was not only our first flight without parental guidance, at nineteen years old it was our first flight ever.  The tone for the whole trip was set when- due to the Airports fault- our flight was delayed by one day a mere three days before the flight.  I called and argued with a representative exclaiming the urgency of my need to be in China by a specific date- the first day of classes was September 3rd.  In retrospect, this outburst over the phone was likely the reason both Rachel and I were pulled aside in SFO for a special security check-point where we were individually placed in a tube to be bomb tested.  Yes.  This was post-9/11 America.  Two nineteen year old, identical blond twins were stopped because our tickets had been marked for extra security the moment they delayed our flight and I called to complain. 

            We left early on August 30th, 2008 and after a 14 hour flight of traveling into the future, we landed in Beijing on September 1st, 2008.  Somewhere in the sky we had lost a whole day.  It seemed very fitting to be completely disoriented in the Orient (to use an outdated and racist term politely).  Picture two children carrying too much, walking alone, scared and excited (admittedly mostly scared) into the largest airport terminal in the world.  (Construction began in March of 2004 and was completed in March of 2008.)  We stepped foot into the massive terminal a mere five months after its completion.  You are now imagining in your head the moment the culture shock hit us.

Lift-off!

8:24 pm PST

8-30-08

Saturday

I'm in the air! Goodbye San Francisco! the lights are so pretty! We're curving...? Still waiting for my ears to pop... Well, now is as good a time as any to have an adventure.

8:43 pm PST

Bry and I have just been hand delivered cans of Sprite. Sweet.

(Bry writes:)

I know I wasn't paying attention in physics, but:

A) How have the soda cans NOT explode/imploded/disappeared into the same dimension as Babylon 4?

and

B) Who decided that if you pointed an aerodynamic object skyward and put the pedal to the metal... you'd end up in the air??

also

C) What is that on the wing???

and lastly

D) Where are my peanuts?

2.5  million tons of spinning metal, all alone in the night...

August 30^th, 2008 Saturday

Okay, technically it’s Sunday morning.  I’m at LAX.  Los Angeles International Airport.  Sooo tired.  What an ordeal.  This is definitely not something I recommend anyone doing alone.  So far my day has been rough and I hope to sleep well on the plane.  A word from our sponsor while I go pee:

All I want to do is brush my teeth, put on a pair of pajamas and sleep.  It sure was nice seeing Eddie this morning. J  China?  What were we thinking?  We don’t speak Chinese.  I have no idea what: Ni mama! Means.

I am ready to nod off.  This old man, who looks like Mark Twain after a deep fried Twinkie eating contest, keeps staring at Rach and I.  That’s all for now.

Air China says 6242 miles to Beijing.  Wow.  Well that explains the 14 hours flight.  We are on the plane now.  It’s HUGE. 

I’m amazed.  :O  Two stories.  Windshield wipers.  Onboard music.  Complimentary pillows and blankets! 

We’re ten across and at least 18 back.

We’re moving!  1:37 AM

1:43 we’re moving, again.

We’re 16,000 ft up.  Traveling at nearly 500 mph.  Wow.

11:39 PM PST Haha, just kidding.  We’re 35,000 feet in the air.  Isn’t it nice of the airline to tell us?

How sweet of them.

Yata?

8:10am Beijing

9-1-08

Monday

Haha... funny story. Here I am, waiting for the plane to Xi'an to take off, an hour later than we were supposed to. Why? Let's start back in LAX. After we take off. 

8:45am

My Goddess is it beautiful from up here. It doesn't look like there are trees on the mountains. It looks like they're covered in moss. Anyway, after we arrived at LAX we went first in search of a bathroom and then for baggage claim. Once we waited for 15 minutes to no avail, we asked and we were told that our luggage was being moved to our next plane for us even though United Air had told us we'd have to do it ourselves. We then walked from Terminal 7 to terminal 4 (a long walk) before being stopped by a solicitor. We gave him money in exchange for directions. 

Behind her is a very pretty plane headed to Thailand.

Finally!

Once at Terminal 2, we stood in line for at least half an hour before we could check in. Hold that thought. Breakfast.

9:27am

We're above the clouds! Or, alternatively, the smog. (I'm such a dork, but I keep looking out the window in hopes of seeing the Great Wall.) After we finally get to check in, Bry and I buy coffee from a Starbucks and a lemon loaf. We settle down for a bunch of waiting and call home. They stayed up so they could talk t us! It made me so happy to hear from them. Anywho... Bry and I were some of the last to get to board. The plane was huge! It had two stories! Bry and I were stuck in between an elderly married couple. Sleep beckons.

Horrible Book 3

Writing a horrible book is turning out to be much more of a challenge than I'd originally anticipated. I'm already super behind. I don't anticipate finishing this terrible adventure on time but I think I will attempt to finish it anyway. This horrible book needs to see the light of day. I'm thinking that when it's all said and done I may just self-publish it and give it to people as the kind of present they never wanted. For your viewing pleasure, here's another little excerpt:

"Doesn't a lady usually at least get a kiss on the cheek after the first date?" Molly saw so much joy in the smile John tried to suppress.


"She does," he replied simply.


He took a step, closing the gap between them, and gently cupped his hands on either side of her face. He placed a slow, warm kiss softly on her right cheek and held his forehead to her for a moment, breathing her in, before releasing her almost as if from a spell.


With electricity shooting through her and butterflies dancing in her stomach, her head was in a daze as he reluctantly pulled away. She shuffled into her quarters, sat down on her sofa, and placed a hand to her cheek. Maybe she'd given up on love too soon.

Don't give up, it's just the weight of the world. When you're heart's heavy I, I will lift it for you.

Horrible Book 2

For my audience around the world, here's an excerpt from my horrible book:


She had been devastated at the time. Her heart ached just remembering the pain and loneliness she had felt at 17. When she began her two year internship, working as an assistant to another ambassador, she had initially tried to find a new life partner. At 18, though, most males her age were already partnered. She had gone on one last date at 20, just before she left to move to the station, with an older, widowed man to satisfy her mother but that was the end. She threw herself into her work, bought herself a synthetic cat for company and never looked back. Mostly.


Update: In my google searching I managed to find something that should be infinitely helpful to me: THIS

On a side note, Halloween was a success.

Horrible Book

November 1st is upon us! In preparation for beginning to write, I've been taking down lots of notes when ideas come to me and coming up with ideas for my cover art. (Bry is going to be in charge of my cover art.) Today I decided to google "how to write a romance novel". (The first time I saw write, I decided it was the wrong one, and switched it to right. Oops.) First I ended up with a whole lot of nothing. Then I found this: http://www.essortment.com/all/howtowritea_rsev.htm I wish I was capable of writing something worthy of cover art like this:

Oh, what google can find.

To help me with the sci-fi part I'm gonna follow some tips from this place: http://www.ehow.com/how_2188977_write-scifi-book.html

I would love to actually be good at writing science fiction but I know I'll never write anything as amazing as Joss Whedon.

You just can't top this.

And lastly, since I have to cover magic in my story... Well, I think I've got that covered. I have  read all seven Harry Potter books after all.

They've got my back.

A Rainy Day Part I

Today is a rainy day. A day full of ups and downs and good news and bad.


Bad news: my really old troll doll with rainbow hair was on the floor  next to the litter boxes... sticky.

He looked kind of like this.

Good news: when I ran it under hot water about 17 years of who-knows-what came off. My faithful troll is now cleaner than I ever remember it being.

After a bath, he usually wants a hug.

While David was wandering through the living room he happened to come across the translator that Bry and I bought in China.  I kept in my backpack for a few months upon us returning to the states and unfortunately it suffered an accident at some point.

Not a happy touch screen.

I ran upstairs and grabbed the charger for it since it was so dead it wouldn't turn on. Once it had charged I discovered that no, the touch screen no longer works, but it could still do some other things.


Good news: as it turns out the charger for it is a wall charger thingy with a USB port... thing. However you would say it, I now have a way to charge my phone without having to plug it into my computer. Woo!

And I KNOW how to travel in style.

An Open Invitation

This is an open invitation to all of my friends, or anyone who runs across this, to join me in an endeavor for the month of November. November, among other things I'm sure, is National Novel Writing Month. http://www.nanowrimo.org/ I've contemplated being a part of this 30 day writing marathon before but never before have actually tried. So, this is an open invitation for anyone to join me in this project. Go to the website, check it out and see if it's for you. If you decide to join just let me know and we can all support each other in this  month of awesomeness. That is all. Get to writing!

Poems by Rachel

When I'm bored, or feeling creative, I decide to put some words together and see how they sound.


Just us, you and I


Let's cuddle under the blankets
And pretend we see the sky
We'll close our eyes and count the stars
Just us, you and I


Let's swim in a vast lake
And pretend we're in the sea
We'll fight off whales and giant sea snails
Just us, you and me


Let's fall in love forever
And pretend we'll never die
We'll kiss and hug and fondle and love
Just us, you and I




I Am Yours


zip
We're in the tent
ruffle
We're under the covers
Fully clothed, we're shy
After champagne, we're tipsy
Your arm makes the perfect pillow
But I'm nervous and give us space
"Do I get a goodnight kiss?" you ask
"If you want..." I stutter
For the second time that night,
and ever in 9 years,
We kiss
You're perfection personified
I'm awkward
I roll over
But wait...
What was that?
I turn towards you again
Inhale
Cool but inviting
Sharp and intoxicating
I've never smelled you before
I cuddle closer
I close my eyes, breath you in
My head swims
I am yours
How have I never noticed?
I am yours
Have you always been this soft and warm?
I am yours
Do you need me like I need you?
I am yours
Will you be mine?




From the Shelf


Oh, pull me from the shelf
And riffle through my pages
Read my words
Caress my spine
I haven't been touched in ages


Oh, pull me from the shelf
And take me out for tea
Sip your cup
Forget the world
It'll be cozy, just you and me


Oh, pull me from the shelf
And let's go to the beach
Set me down
Bask in the sun
Just keep me in arm's reach


Oh, pull me from the shelf
And take me up to bed
Close your eyes
I'll tell a tale
And let dreams dance through your head

This blank expression is my po-po-po-poetry face.

For more poems

This is what happens when your parents are hippies

Bry and I grew up without a lot of the modern amenities simply because my hippy parents didn't believe in  them or because for one reason or another they were, as my parents perceived them, bad. I realize, it could be worse. We could have been raised in Beaumont and been banned from dancing until Kevin Bacon came along and had a bitch fit. (Really Kevin Bacon? You dance when you're angry?)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsCO-YkDgnY


Kevin Bacon, it is all your fault that this:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3OnmelGuPQ&feature=related


Or THIS ever happened:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4dSG3aFXBQ


While I was looking for that last one I found this:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0LEs6c-9EI


 But no, we had parents that didn't believe in owning a microwave. Here's a list of just a few things they didn't believe in:


*Microwaves


*Mac N Cheese


*Name Brand Sunscreen


*Braces


*Dish Washers


*Christmas Trees

Now, you're probably thinking to yourself, "But Twinz, those are all such ordinary, everyday things. What on earth could your parents find wrong with them?" Let us tell you:

I'm going to pick some random scrabble tiles from this bag. Let fate decide for us. We've got a "V" and an "A" and a "G" Okay, let's start over.

My mother believes microwaves are the devil. Okay, not really. But I still never used one until middle school at a friend's house. Even after she showed us how to use it we still made her do it for us. I didn't own my first one until I was 19 and renting my own apartment and damn are they convenient! Why couldn't I have had one all these years??? I could have saved precious minutes heating up my soup for lunch! But no, our parents didn't even want one in our house. They give out radiation or something. Apparently, nobody else cares but of course OUR parents do. Hell, our parents don't even own a toaster. Process that one. No, we didn't have one of these when I was growing up:

Normal toaster

No, we had one of these:

Only ours was a reject from the early 1980's. Our little sister is still afraid to use it. She's 16.

*************

Wait, you mean mac n cheese come in other colors than white?!

The blue box is the cheesiest! It just so happens that as I write this, we are preparing a Kraft Mac'n'Cheese dinner. I imagine most adults would be embarrassed to announce that this simple meal is a staple of their diet, as it does sound rather childish, but not us. We were raised on a diet free of most foods made with artificial dyes. Kudos to my parents for keeping a stern eye on our artificial-ingredients intake, nonetheless as little children we felt deprived from such things as Kraft Mac'n'Cheese, sodas, candies, popular cereals and other such things.

The result of this was that whenever we went over to friends' houses we would absolutely pig out on ANYTHING that wasn't allowed in this Dye Free Diet. Entire sleep overs would consist of Chef Boyardee, marshmallows and Dr. Pepper. Friend's parents would think we were nuts because we would be bouncing off the walls. Our parents had good intentions but it really just led to us getting sugar-high and making regrettable choices.

Oops. This was after we'd already moved out of our parent's house. My bad.

*************

Oh, what I wouldn't have given to use one of these.

Our mom never let us use name brand sunscreen. She wasn't a fan of one of the ingredients that could also be found on a period it table. (I only got a C in high school chemistry, so I can't remember if it's Aluminum, Antimony, Aragorn or whatever.) Instead of using Coppertone or Banana Boat or something normal people use that rubs in, we got to use natural sunscreen from Trader Joes that left us forever looking like this:

Obviously, his mom shops at Trader Joes, too.

At one point that purple sunscreen was pretty popular. It went on purple and when you'd rubbed it in well enough it went away. I'd have gladly been temporarily purple. It's not that I have anything against being ghost white, it's just that I have a theory that goth make-up is actually the sunscreen my mom used to make me use:

Her mom made her use all-natural sunscreen so she became goth to stay hip at school.

*************

Everyone who's ever had these is going to think we're crazy for being jealous.

We have teeth like a chimney sweep wth a cockney accent. It's true. My bottom jaw is riddled with canines and molars that appear to be engaged in a shoving war, and while my top jaw isn't SO bad altogether there is ONE tooth that has taken it upon himself to tailgate my front incisor. It's a real party up in here.

This is equally due to poor genetics and my stupidity. My jaw is crooked. It sticks out a wee bit too far and a wee bit to the right- almost as if I were slightly drunk and forgot how to close my mouth. I wish. Having silly mouths runs in my family along my mother's side. Chiropractors and dentists alike mention this fact to me during every visit and tell me my "options." 

We politely declined.

Our mom has refused any of the three of her children to get braces or retainers because, based on her professional opinion, we're all perfect just the way we are.

Omnomnom

Rach and I knocked each other's front teeth out when we were two. The story goes something like:

As a two year old, Mom refused to buy me candy at a grocery store so I took out my anger the best way a two year old knows how- by punching Rach in the face. Later that week, when she was in obvious amounts of pain I allowed her to retaliate by taking a swing at me with a plastic bowling pin. Bye-bye teeth. This was the first time we had surgery together.

The final blow to my smile- literally- came about perhaps in 6th grade. Rach and I were in constant threat of being attacked by unleashed dogs in our neighborhood. Fences weren't all that common, but for some reason angry animals were. Thanks to the bountiful supply of ignored and untrained dogs in our area, we were forced to carry a walking stick every time we left the house just in case some rogue beast felt the need to prowl. I would like to say that I adjusted the final alignment of my teeth in a victorious battle against these creatures, however, it was actually due to my practice for such a fight. Put simply, I hit myself in the face with a stick while pretending to do karate. Now I smile like this:

Pfft, don't judge me. My mom says I'm perfect.

*************

Computer, on! Wait, how does this thing work again?

I don't think I know anyone that still washes dishes by hand. Oh, I mean outside of my family. Don't get me wrong, we owned a dishwasher when I was growing up we just never used it. To this day I'm still not really sure why. I think my parents didn't use it to conserve water or electricity or something. No idea. 


A family friend came over once and thought it was ridiculous that we had a dishwasher and didn't use it. So, to help my mom out while she was visiting, she loaded the dishwasher up and turned it on. Oh, but the thing is since we never used it we didn't own the right kind of soap... and my mom's friend really wasn't bright enough to think it through when she loaded the soap spot full of dish detergent. Our kitchen looked like this:

Except without the Barbie doll...

*************

This Christmas Tree has been inspected and approved by Jesus.

My family isn't Christian or Catholic but like so many people in America we celebrate Christmas every year because who doesn't want presents? Pshaw. I grew up knowing about normal Christmas traditions but I also knew what we got to do was way better. We never went out and picked a Christmas tree. Never. We would put up decorations over our entire house. It always looked a little like this:

Also, for every five relevant holiday decorations up there is one or two for upcoming or past holidays. I don't know why we don't just display all of our decorations at once. People would be confused every time they came inside. What month is it?! Also, since my parents don't advocate chopping down trees just for a holiday we always put presents on a couch. That is, of course, until we moved into our new house. We started an even better tradition that looked a little like this:

Little sister wonders where to put the one last present.

Yes, that is a huge bathtub full of presents. It costs a hell of a lot of money to fill that tub with hot water so this is the biggest use it goes to all year. And it's so satisfying seeing it full of presents.

Did I mention that we decorate everything in the house?