Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year!!

...so it's been nice this year to stay home and not travel. This is the second year of seven that we've done that. The only problem is that we're getting cabin fever being around each other so much!! We need a break!

Christmas morning was so nice. We opened gifts and played all morning, afternoon and evening. Very calm and relaxed and fun. When C got a gift that wasn't a toy (ie. pajamas, socks, pants...) he would just dump it on the floor and look for a toy. (I think next year he only gets underoos!!) A declared that everything was just she wanted. I didn't even come close to finishing all the projects I wanted, but I managed to get bathrobes done, and A's Christmas dress and C's Christmas tie. Her dress turned out so cute, I made a tie for C from the same fabric. They were adorable! Maybe if I start now, I can get the rest done for next year....

Christmas Eve we went sledding in the mountains with some families from church who have been going for 12 years. I don't think I've ever had more fun in the snow. The hill was gentle enough that A and C could go down by themselves, and the other boys (all bigger) would watch out for them and help carry sleds (and occasionally A) back up the hill. Running into trees was the most problematic. A insisted on trying out every sled until she found the fastest one. Then she had a hard time going down on anything else. C suprised me by being willing to go down solo, and even face first once! Perhaps I have a Skeleton Racer in the making. (A is the thrill seeker, wanting to go higher and faster; C doesn't like to go so high, or so fast). We made a frantic run that morning to get snow pants and boots for them, and it paid off. They were warm and toasty and played in the snow for hours. I'll have to figure out how to upload pics on the new computer to share. My favorite was when C would lay down in the sled and let S haul him back up. He just fit, and would stare at the tall pines and white sky as he was pulled along. So much fun. They were exhausted for bed that night. Perfect.

Well, that's the tast of what we've been up to. Just taking it easy.

I'm still working on the picture for Christmas Cards...so if you haven't sent your address to me, you still have a chance.

Mission Accomplished

Just a quick update--the goods got delivered. Most of them anyway. If I found your house last night, you got something. =) Looks like I won't be gaining 10 lbs from eating fudge this year. Perhaps just 2 or 3--it's pretty good for breakfast. Nothing like a good chocolate fix to start the day.

May your morning be as sweet!

Holiday Shopping Adventures

Don't you love holiday shopping?

Trying to get that just right gift that will delight it's intended recipient. This feat is difficult enough to accomplish solo. Throw in a child or two (or three) and it becomes near impossible. (No wonder gift cards are so popular.) Now, those with a bit of practice under their belts, (and smaller children) can somehow manage to buy their gifts right under their noses, and they're none the wiser. Just a little distraction can work wonders. Not to mention a competent clerk at the checkout stand--one who understands the wink and nod and strategic placement of intended gifts behind large packages of toilet paper (how else do you keep things hidden in the cart and increase the year's supply at the same time?) and pulls out the large BLACK sack to bag your purchases. They understand the need for conspiracy and secrecy.

Enter the incompetent clerk. The one who removes intentionally placed items from behind large camoflauge right in the sight path of the small person(s) you're trying desperately to distract with leftover Halloween candy.

"What's that?" --detection by child.

Now you have to play dumb.

"What's what?" you query as you bodily place yourself in the line of fire and whisper fiercly over your shoulder that you'd rather s/he not see those particular items.

"Should I put them in this?" --holding out the BLACK bag, the one that is usually understood to be standard issue in these cases.

You can only nod in frustration, since your teeth are ground together in an attempt keep holiday spirit and joy.

The child taunts, "I saw it! I saw it!"

"There, now, you can't peek anymore." Do they have to actually draw attention to the fact that the unmentionable "nothings" have disappeared into the BLACK sack? Black holes/sacks are supposed to suck in mass and make it disappear. You forget it's there, it doesn't exist anymore. Don't remind the child--now you have to get a gumball on the way out for increased sugar buzz and distraction from the "nothings".

Good Grief.

I'll be shopping online next year for Christmas gifts...or getting gift cards.

Baking Bonanza

Holiday stress is a legitimate concern. We tend to pack a gallon of activity into a quart jar. For those of us who haven't realized it yet, it doesn't fit--never has and never will. Inevitibly something spills out, lost in the hustle and bustle of creating memories, keeping traditions and loving our neighbors. Then we feel guilt about what is lost. Yeah...because things didn't turn out the way we wanted--perfect. (Once again, not going to happen anytime soon....;)

I tend to, usually in creative situations, live by the motto, "Anything worth doing is worth overdoing." Yes, friends, this is a step up from, "Anything worth doing is worth doing well." This gets me into trouble. (Sometimes.) My innocent enough plans snowball and pretty soon I'm barreling around, wondering "who's driving this flying circus"?

Usually I curtail my plans when they are just that-plans. Before they turn into action and actual deeds. Those two are harder to rein in.

Case in Point: Christmas Goodies.

Every year, I have great plans of what delicious treats I will shower upon my friends and neighbors. Unfortunately, these plans rarely see fruition, and I've moved about enough that none of you are much the wiser.

Not this year.

The problem now, though, is I've spent my energy creating the goodies and I'm running out of steam to deliver them. What, you ask, are the culinary delicacies I have concocted? Well, I started with Holly Cornflake Wreaths (a childhood favorite), then spicy Gingerbread Snowflakes (disaster getting kids to help cut out, so I decorated them all--I'll reverse that next year), Grandma Rose's Five Minute Fudge (a taste of heaven--pure chocolate bliss), Biscotti drizzeled in white and dark chocolate, and carmel dipped pretzel rods, smothered in assorted toppings (again, not so great with little helpers). I haven't gotten around to the marshmallow log, peanut brittle, or double chocolate mint biscotti. (I think I made double batches of everything. For those of you who know me...this isn't a suprise.)

I've doubled the time I ment to spend, and I've got other things to get done. If they don't go out tonight, y'all are invited over for a dessert party--just bring a plate to take a load home with you!!

Oh, wonder what got dropped in the flour and sugar frenzy in the kitchen? The Christmas cards and family letter. Look for them around Valentines Day. Serious.

Next year will be simpler, I promise. (But don't hold your breath!!)

What the...?

Getting children to eat, especially while not in the comfort of our own snug bungalow, is always a challenge. This dilemma is increased at pot-luck functions, where adults love the food, and children would rather....well, you get the idea.

So. We're at the ward Christmas Luau party. Delicious sweet'n sour meatballs and marinated pork are the main entree. Mmmmm....

A looks at her plate, at the thin strip of delectable meat and says:

"It looks like dead hippo."

(I wonder what the heck they serve for school lunches in Oregon...)

ps. She did try it, and actually liked it. She needed a second piece. May your "hippo" adventures turn out as well.

I'm Not Dead Yet!

So. We were driving down the road when A and C had this conversation:

(background: we had just passed a cemetary)

A: That's where the dead people are. You get really ill and then die.

C: I'm not going to be ill.

A: Yes you are. You're too young now. I'm too young. Mommy and Daddy are almost there. They're halfway there.

C: (after pausing to reflect and think) You're just making this up.

A: No, I'm not. I know alot about stuff.

I don't know how S managed to miss this conversation. I nearly bust up laughing in the front seat. I take comfort in the fact that I'm not dead yet! =)

Common Denominator

So. Most of the new television shows are over until January. Due to my present pathetic state, I have acquired a new set of "shows" to follow. (Please understand, I never watched every episode of a show until Lost, and I don't have cable, so I only follow what's publicly available.) Usually I have limited myself to Numbers and Lost. Because Lost isn't starting until Jan, I filled in with others.

The shows I enjoy now are: Chuck, Pushing Daisies, Life, Numbers.

The Facts are These: Upon reflection of the shows I like, I found a common thread...some form of the name Charles. We have Charles "Chuck" Bartowski (aka Charles Carmichael), Charlotte "Chuck" Charles, Detective Charlie Crews, and Professor Charles "Charlie" Epps. (If we stretch, Lost even has a Charley, but I think he got knocked off last season...)

So. Just another crazy pattern, of the not so obvious type that I love to find. (Perhaps that's a topic for another blog...how I love to see things relate to each other...)

What mindless entertainment to you crave from the B-Tube?

Trim a Tree

My children are super excited for the holidays. I've been slow to drag out the boxes of Christmas decor, because we don't really have places to put all the stuff. (last year we had a super great mantle and table and ledges....) We finally brought out the little fir grove last week. This is the arrangement we used as a tree while in school, since we usually traveled to our parents houses during the holidays, and couldn't afford a live tree. We now live in the land where people get a tree permit and head to yon' hills to chop down their own token of Christmas spirit. (After reading Lindsay's commentary, I'm glad we went to the kmart lot!)

Anyway. We got the stuff out Saturday night, and the kids couldn't pull objects out of the tubs fast enough. (translation: mess and mom trying to remain calm). We corralled most of the stuff before bed and snuggled them down with promises of decorating the next day.

We awoke to excited giggles and trees decorated by A. She was so proud to have put all the ornaments she could find (plus the flower arrangement she pulled apart) on the trees. I asked C what he helped with. He informed me, "The mess." Referring, I assumed, to the havoc wrecked at the base of the trees, and throughout the room. He did a very good job.

Children do make the holidays exciting.

"Teeth" are the Times...

...when I realize my kids will not be small forever.

A is estatic.

She noticed a loose tooth a few days ago. Seriously beginning to loosen up. (She couldn't eat whatever was for dinner until it was minced into bite-size pieces, to be consumed daintily via fork.) I'm convinced that she's too young to be saying good-bye to her baby teeth. They don't fall out until age six, right? Five is much too early. Perhaps superglue will delay the process?

She already knows all about the Tooth Fairy. She explained the whole process to little bro, with stardust shining in her eyes. She is so excited about this first tooth, I'd better let her eat it up (not the tooth, just the experience) because the next 19 may not be so fun....

P.S. She confessed that she hid a bean under her pillow one night to see if the Tooth Fairy would take it and leave her a small treat. Didn't work. Dad told her that the Tooth Fairy is too smart to be tricked...he knows because he tried something similar when he, too, was an aspiring enamel venture capitalist.

Yahtzee Champ

So. S and I have passed many a moment (frequently when driving, er, traveling) transfixed by our electronic hand held yahtzee game. S is the hands down, consistent champion. He once had a game that scored 623. No kidding. If I hadn't witnessed the game, I wouldn't have believed it. The digital dots were spot on for him. I even made him a t-shirt to commemorate the occasion. You have to understand, I rarely get "yahtzee" (all five dice displaying the same number of dots, in three or less rolls, for those of y'all not up to speed). A good game scores around 250, sometimes I don't even break 200.

Everything changed last week.

I had the game of all games, and even woke Scott from his afternoon nap (recovering sickie) so he could groggily witness my triumph. (I was trying to engage in quiet activity whilst everyone slept.) I could go into detail, but it would only make sense if you already play the game. I scored yahtzee not once, but four times, my friends. Yes, FOUR times!! with a bonus of 100 per extra time....that adds up!

Final score: 648

I think I have to retire now...

...or at least make a new t-shirt.