Crafty Tuesday

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Surely everyone has been creating some amazing Christmas crafts, baking…the works, right? Although finding the time to photograph and write about it, that may be another story.

I have three more kidlets to add to my creative portfolio. These ones were made last week for my best friend Kimmer’s cuties – her oldest, who happens to be my godchild turned 9 today (Monday). If finding another gray hair last week didn’t make me feel old enough – that fact definitely does! At any rate I hope you had a great birthday, Shealyn!

These were actually for Christmas gifts. Each one of them has a different flaw, but I also learned something new from each of them as well. I have 5 more to make as Christmas gifts tomorrow. I figure by the time I get around to making ones for Em and Ad I should have all the kinks worked out. Possibly.

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My sewing machine has been humming along non-stop today. I also fixed a bunch of costumes for our Christmas pageant. Mary and the Star-bearer both needed alterations, I had to re-structure and re-elasticize 15 sets of angel wings, and make a new cow costume. I should have had J. take a photo while I modeled the cow getup for him earlier. Or I should have taken a photo of him when I asked “Hey, do I look like a cow?”

The sheer terror on his face. I think he said something to the effect of, “Um…I am not exactly sure how to answer that.” (He then said that it was a good cow costume, although Addie keeps saying it looks like a dalmatian puppy, “like the 3001 Dalmatians, Mama!”)

Anyhow, the costumes are in a heap in my dining room, but I’m too exhausted to even go photograph them. Usually I have to post-date my posts for the next morning, but unfortunately…it is just about the “next” morning. So I’m going to go fall into bed, I can’t wait to see what goodies you all post tomorrow morning.

Wishbone ~ Best Shot Monday

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Whatever happened to that little wishbone that we dug out of the Thanksgiving turkey, I wonder?

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Oh, yeah! It has been drying out behind the kitchen sink for the past month. Do you think it is ready yet?

Come on, Addie – put a little muscle and enthusiasm into it!

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Yep – it apparently was plenty dry enough as it snapped into four pieces! Oddly enough, the long pieces were exactly the same and the smaller pieces were the same as well!

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I guess both of us will have our wishes come true!

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I just love this last photo of Em. I’m making it my Best Shot for today. Make sure to stop over to see if everyone else’s wishes are coming true, too!

Baby, it’s cold outside!

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One of the best things about living in SoCal? The weather.

One of the worst things about living in SoCal? The weather.

I do miss the change of seasons sometimes. Well, for about a day or so, and then I’m back to loving the endlessly sunny days. But at Christmas time, it really is a little difficult to get in the mood when it is 70 degrees and you are buying gifts while dressed in t-shirts and flip flops.

But this week…our weather has been glorious! Most people here are complaining that it is “soooo cold” and in their defense, it has been in the 40s most of the week. Yeah, yeah…I know many of you are saying, “oh, ah boo hoo hoo!” But when you don’t really own a winter coat anymore, almost freezing is pretty cold!

But I am loving this weather. Breaking out the sweaters and the hot cocoa. Tuesday afternoon when it was pouring down rain, we popped some popcorn and put in a movie and cuddled up on the sofa. A perfect rainy, gloomy day. Plus the rain has rinsed off a few layers of dirt that covers everything the other 11 months of the year.

This morning when I went out to get the papers it actually smelled like snow, you know that smell? And it did snow on our mountains – a lot, and pretty low down, too, which is unheard of this early in the season.

Best of all, it just feels like Christmas!

Plus how else can I torture my children by making them wear impossibly adorable hats like this?

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Addie calls this one her “reindeer hat.”

All I want for Christmas….

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Ah, as I was typing that title, I realized that I haven’t uploaded either of the girls’ Christmas program videos yet.

Sigh….Must. Do. That.

And in case you are wondering how my stream of consciousness writing got me from that to this – Emma’s class sang “All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth.”  Ahhh, see? I haven’t completely lost my mind. Yet.

Anywho…J. asked me what I wanted for Christmas a few weeks ago and I told him I really just wanted to go back to Michigan to see my sister and family. Let the girls soak up some cousin love for a bit, they are clearly in need of a little.

So, my Christmas present is indeed plane tickets, we leave the day after Christmas. So we get to have three different Christmases – a week of Christmases! That is a great gift if you ask me.

Last night we were making our lists (and checking it twice, ha!) of things I needed to get today and I was looking over J.’s shoulder at his very logical, engineer-like spreadsheet of gift giving. I mean, it is color-coded, I kid you not!

J: Hey! You aren’t supposed to look at this, I have presents for you on it.
C: You already got me my present. The plane tickets so I could see my sister that was supposed to be my gift.
J: Maybe I got you something else, like glasses. So you could see your sister. Or binoculars…or a telescope! You could see her with that!

Ha. Ha. Ha. HiLARious! See what I’ve got to work with here?

Favorite Holiday Memory ~ Theme Thursday

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I thought I would have a hard time picking a favorite holiday memory for today’s Theme Thursday.

Christmas has always been my favorite time of year, but to pick just one favorite memory? That might be a bit of an impossible task for me.

I thought that maybe I would write about Christmas Eve. I love the anticipation – the going to midnight mass, coming out after church to softly falling snow, putting out treats for Santa, snuggling into bed with both my brother and sister and waiting for Christmas morning to come.

And then I thought maybe I would write about the very special Christmas Eve, when J. asked me to marry him – and the Christmas Eve nine years later when he asked me again – definitely ranks as two of the best Christmas gifts on the all-time list.

But today I opened up my email and my Dad had found, and sent me, a copy of the letter. I had tried to write about this Christmas last year, but didn’t do a very good job of re-creating it. When I realized that the letter was attached, I knew there wouldn’t be a photo for today’s Theme Thursday. This memory takes a written form, and I don’t have a photo that captures it nearly as well as this.

The letter that was under the tree on Christmas morning, 1992.

To All Non-Believers

It has come to my attention that a number of you no longer believe
in me and the happiness that my efforts can produce.  You have been
identified as one who no longer wishes to enjoy the receiving part
of my efforts, and in so doing are denying me the pleasure of
giving which is the reason I exist.

I am therefore discontinuing my sharing with those who refuse to
experience this truest example of Christmas’ meaning.  But I will
take this opportunity to remind you of the Spirit of the Season
that you are forsaking.

St. Nicholas and later Santa Claus visited homes at night,
especially poor families, or those with children, to leave gifts.
The purpose of the clandestine visits were to provide gifts to
someone without them knowing who left them.  That way the recipient
could not feel obligated to return the favor.  It is much the same
way that God provided us with the gift of Eternal Life.  He sent
His Son to die for us, even before we knew who He was.  Then the
gift was completely free without obligation, it is ours for the
taking!

Your belief in those Santa presents under the tree are intended to
symbolize the same thing.  If you simply accept them, and don’t
question where they came from, or who pays for them, then the
pleasure is shared by the giver as well as the recipient.  The gift
can then be enjoyed without having to “match it” or return the
favor.

If you can agree with this reason for having Santa stay in our
celebration, you can take part in this sharing opportunity by
looking outside the door for gifts. (Just like St. Nicholas).  If
you still can’t see the advantage to believing in the need for
Santa, your gifts will be shared with someone else.

Enjoy the rest of your day, and the time you have with each other.
—Santa

This piece of paper forever changed the way I look at Christmas.  It was a very memorable Christmas indeed. I think of it often, and what a fantastic gift the letter was – back then and again now.

I think it is just a good little reminder while we are all running around, crazed and trying to get things done.

Enjoy the season.

The Nutcracker in 5 minutes

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Em’s dance teacher usually does one big recital at the end of the year, but before the semester break she lets the parents come in to see the progress the dancers have been making. Last week the class did a version of the Nutcracker – the five minute version.

Em is the very first dancer, the first snow fairy – she had to hold her arabesque the longest, she told me later that it was a good thing I made her eat her protein, so her muscles didn’t get tired.

I asked her if she was nervous having to dance by herself and she said, “Yes. I was nervous in my tummy and then I just looked at you and I didn’t feel nervous anymore – because I knew it was just all the Mamas!”

And Addie giving her favorite ballerina a little hug after it was over.

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Miss Caroline supplied the hooker-red lipstick, which of course all of the girls loved. It was promptly wiped off as much as possible before her other performance that evening – the school Christmas program.

And yes, I did let Addie go out of the house like that. And no, she was not going to dance class. But I LOVE the boots, and going for the layered look with not one – but two tutus!

Crafty Tuesday

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Well, a little birdie told me that our Christmas cards have made it to Michigan, at least, so I think it is safe to show them for today’s Crafty Tuesday.

Here is this year’s card…

(Do you see the J-O-Y?) And the inside….

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So now you know the rest of the story behind the red pajama-looking outfits in all of the previously posted photos.

I’m also trying to finish up all the kidlets that I want to make for Christmas presents. So back to the sewing machine for me….what about you? Anything for CT today?

One Smart Cookie

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Dear Emma Grace,

It isn’t the Christmas lights causing that glow you can see surrounding our house this week, it is the beaming that can only come from the very proudest of parents.

You received your very first report card on Friday. When we had talked with your teacher last month at conferences, she had explained that we shouldn’t expect to see all “4s” and “5s” on the first report card. We are supposed to take the entire year into account, and we would see progress throughout the year as you worked against the benchmarks.  Your teacher actually said, “if they had 4s and 5s on the first report card then you’d have to wonder what they were doing in kindergarten, and why they were not already in first grade.”

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Um….guess what?

Yeah, you got almost all 5’s on your report card (you did get all 5s on Reading and Listening and Speaking), a 5 = Excels in grade level standards. Plus there were a couple of 5s and a few 4s in Math, a 4=Meets grade level standards. I’m afraid you may have inherited Mommy’s horrific math skills, (sorry ’bout that) but still…girl you are smart! Not that we didn’t already know that, but it is nice to have some validation.

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Your teacher also wrote in the comments:

Emma is a happy and cooperative student. She is always eager to participate and perform her leadership responsibilities. Emma demonstrates good listening and organizational skills which allows her to complete her work neatly and accurately. She is a good friend to her classmates and is well liked in return.

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Awww….that’s my girl!

We are so very proud of you, Peanut! I hope your thirst for knowledge continues throughout your life and you never lose that excitement for learning.

Love,
Mommy

Anticipation ~ Best Shot Monday

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We had a lovely weekend filled with Santa visits, making gingerbread houses, shopping, and spending time with Daddy.

We are anxiously awaiting and anticipating Christmas this year. It really is amazing to experience Christmas through the eyes of your children.

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Wishing you a week filled with anticipation and wonder of the season. Make sure to stop over to Tracey’s for more Best Shot Mondays, as well.

Still here….

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Yes, we are still here and I *think* everyone is on the mend, now. Em contracted the lovely stomach flu on Wednesday night and was out of school for the past two days. Which I must say threw a bit of a damper on my grand plans for getting a bunch of stuff done after being MIA for a few days myself. I felt so very on top of everything last week, and then along comes a teeny, tiny, minor little setback, like not being able to hold my head up for one day, and suddenly my world feels all out of whack.

Boom. Just like that.

But, who isn’t busy? Who doesn’t have a million things going on right now? So I will quit complaining now.

At any rate, we have had dance recitals and two school Christmas programs. So, I have videos! And photos! And I also bear glad tidings of the first perfect report card! It is all here. Somewhere. Scattered in the stack of mail. Spread out from one computer to another. Stuck on a memory card or three.

It will all get done. Deep breaths.

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(Nana and Papa – you will be pleased to note that Addie upheld the fine tradition of her mother and every time she saw us point the camera at her during tonight’s school Christmas program she waved like crazy. I will get the video, and except for the curly hair, you’d swear it was me!)