"You and Fran is Good Cookers"

Last night, Fran and I went over to Ivy and Rodney's house to deliver Christmas presents and have dinner. Fran and I always love going over to their house, not only to hang out with the adults, but also to hear the antics of Olivia (6) and Landon (3).

Landon loves to play this game, where I put him on my shoulders and then pretend I can't find him anywhere. He could play for hours and hours, and thinks it's the funniest thing that I seem not to know where he has gone. So when I walked in the door this time and picked him up, he said, "You say, 'Where Landon?'"

Along with the gifts, we brought all the makings for pear and spinach salad, including some homemade candied pecans. Landon, who loves nuts, had to try some. Upon eating them, he declared, turning to Fran and me, "You and Fran is good cookers." That's probably the most ringing endorsement I've heard of my capabilities as a chef.

Landon also loves to cook and seems to have a keen sense for good food. While sitting in the living room later, Ivy started making some shrimp-cake soup. Landon declared, "Me smell something yummy," again, looking at Fran and me to see if we had caught a whiff, too.

Next, Landon and Olivia showed us the loot that was already piling up under the Holms' 20-foot-high Christmas tree. I asked Olivia what you do with all those presents, and she quickly put on a demonstration for me. "First, you lay the present on the ground," she said, "Then, you tear it open, and shout, 'Yes!'" Olivia jumped up when she declared the, "Yes!" acting as if she was surprised and delighted by the contents within the box.

Then, our attention turned to The Never Ending Story DVD we got them for Christmas, which was opened and ready to be played within about two seconds of Fran and me walking through the door. Landon said that they had the book. "That movie has scary parts?" asked Landon. "Maybe two?" he wondered, holding up his fingers to clarify.

I forget just how scary movies can be when you're younger.

Every time Landon and Olivia come over to our house, they watch The Princess Bride. But they are always terrified of the R.O.U.S.'s (Rodents Of Unusual Size). It's been such a long time since I watched The Never Ending Story, I hadn't remembered "The Nothing," and its henchman, a big, nasty-looking wolf.

As the movie began, all was going well. Olivia thought at first that Atreyu, the warrior who's supposed to save Fantasia, was a girl. When I told her it was a boy, she said, "Oh, that boy has a really pretty face. He must use lotion on it." And after he talked for the first time, said, "Yeah, his voice does sound like a boy voice. Girls have prettier and softer voices."

The first time "The Nothing's" wolf appeared, Olivia sighed, "That part was rather scary." After the wolf had come a few times, Olivia couldn't take it anymore and had to leave the room. Landon, however, quickly said, "I'm brave of the wolf," holding up his hands and shrugging, like he couldn't help not getting as scared as his older sister. This is the same guy who touches cacti in the store, and says, "Ouch!" Then, "Me want one of those."

We wrapped up the evening - after a delicious dinner of soup and shrimp gumbo and amazing banana caramel bread pudding - with a rousing rendition of "Oh, Christmas Tree." I played the piano, while Ivy and Landon sang along. But instead of singing the regular words the whole way through, Landon decided, "Oh, Christmas Pee," was a lot funnier way to go about the song.

All in all, it was a fun night with good friends. That's what Christmas is all about.