Post Christmas Primer

All the days leading up to Christmas you spend a very large amount of time cooking (ham), baking (cookies, candies, prune buns) and decorating and then fixing the very same decorations over and over and over due to children and a very bad wee kitten. Christmas comes you eat your yummy things, fix the decorations for the last day you'll care this year and go to your events (church and popping over to the neighbors to wish them well). Wake up in the morning (8:30am my two young ones keep very respectable hours thank you very much no 5:30am, "MOMMY Get UP IT'S CHRISTMAS!!! Not for them. Actually, Bob and I were up first drinking coffee and waiting; we refrained from running in their room screaming for them to get up we sat quietly looking at the tree sipping our little hot cups and trying very hard to pretend like we were indeed grown ups. )

The children arose, we exchanged gifts. Ate Christmas appetizers, baked goods and ham.


Ok. It's all over. Now what? What does one do with the days after Christmas? You observe that you have serious amounts of leftovers so you firstly, stop cooking. Secondly, remove all the childrens new toys from their bondage of boxes covered in wire ties and plastic straps (someone is apparently afraid that all the "Little People Toys" have a very well plotted plan to take over the world and should therefore be restrained in EVERY SINGLE MANNER POSSIBLE to make sure they don't leave their little red and yellow boxes and GET US WHILE WE SLEEP!) Anyway, you get your scissors, wire cutter, blow torch and box cutter and get to work. Make sure you get every single toy out of it's bondage. Because if you leave just one in the child will find you later and demand the toys' freedom papers while you, my dear grown up, are try to play with your own new toys. So if you follow my instructions your children should in theory busy themselves with their new stuff and leave you to your own devices.

Ahhh, I love the quietness of the season....



Here's a bit of a laugh for you. Bob ordered me some lovely clothes from a catalog this Christmas. He received them, wrapped them very nicely and placed them under the tree. Didn't double check the invoice (or so he says). He gave me a rose colored 1920 or 30's? style dress that makes me want to run put on my hat and run on down to the USO and dance the jitterbug, a long white dress w/just a little bit of sequins and a set of capris. A set of capris that will fit both Bob, myself and all the children in quite comfortably at the same time. They are size 26W. I don't know if you can tell from the picture but these pants are really a bit too gynormous for me, anyone I know, the mini van... So the day after Christmas Bob contacts the catalogue company to exchange these for the size that is me, (that info is so classified) the size he allegedly ordered and they cannot be exchanged. They were on Clearance. So I have a good 2 yards of pretty fabric to remake into something fitting. He also got me a George Foreman Fat Reduction Grill... coincidence? You do the math, here's a hint it adds up to 26W.

I'm gonna go now and read my new books. I think I'll have some celery and water while I do it.

All Was Calm... for some that is!

Here are some pictures of Christmas Eve and morning.


Bob had some assembly required of him, do not feel too sorrowful for him though, this happens every year and has come to be quite the tradition. This year was much easier than others and after all he does bring it on himself. You don't see me in the picture because I was in my rightful supervisory position.

Rylin asked if he could open the gift early that had been sitting under the tree and he had been I quote: "squishing to try to find out what was in it when you weren't looking". It turned out to be his quilt and he was happy and snuggled under it for his Christmas Eve sleep. Finn started screaming when he saw it saying, "THAT'S MINE! THAT'S MY MOTORCYCLES! NOT YOURS!" He was a rather purple color actually. The quilt has cars fabric squares I bought last year ummm.... before Christmas, the rest is mostly scraps left over from other stuff.

Bob also gave me a gift early... a new camera. Can you tell? It even does video, just imagine the myriad of ways I can and most likely will humiliate my family with this shiny, bright new object. Hehehe. I love presents, specially useful ones.

Thought this was cute and there is a lesson.

T'was the Night Before Christmas for Moms

T'was the night before Christmas, when all thru the abode Only one creature was stirring and she was cleaning the commode. The children were sleeping, all snug in their beds While visions of Wii games and Barbie danced through their heads. The dad was snoring in front of the TV With a half-constructed bicycle on his knee. So only the mom heard the reindeer hooves clatter Which made her sigh, "Now...what's the matter?" With toilet bowl brush still clutched in her hand She descended the stairs and saw the old man. He was covered with ashes and soot, which fell with a shrug. "Oh, great", muttered the mom, "Now I have to clean the rug." "Ho-ho-ho!", cried Santa, "I'm glad you're awake. Your gift was especially difficult to make." "Thanks, Santa, but all I want is some time alone." "Exactly!", he chuckled , "I've made you a clone!" "A clone?", she asked, "What good is that? Run along Santa, I've no time for chit-chat." Then she saw what appeared to be her twin.... Same hair, same eyes, same double chin. "She'll cook , she'll dust, she'll mop every mess. You'll relax, take it easy, watch the Young and the Restless". "Fantastic!", the mom cheered, "my dream come true! I'll shop, I'll read, I'll sleep a whole night through!" From the room above, the youngest began to fret. "Mommy?! I'm scared....and I'm wet." The clone replied, "I'm coming sweetheart." "Hey", the mom smiled, "she knows her part." The clone changed the small one and hummed a tune as she bundled the child, in a blanket cocoon. "You're the best mommy ever, I really love you." The clone smiled and sighed, "I love you, too". The mom frowned and said, "Sorry, Santa, no deal! That's my child's love she's trying to steal." Smiling wisely Santa said,"To me it is clear, only one loving mother is needed here." The mom kissed her child and tucked her into bed. "Thank you Santa for clearing my head. I sometimes forget, it won't be very long, until they'll be too old for my cradle-song." The clock on the mantle began to chime. Santa whispered to the clone, "It works every time." With the clone by his side, Santa said, "Good Night. Merry Christmas mom. You'll be all right." -Author Unknown

Ginger Dwellings and Christmas Concerts

Tonight is the last night Gage and Frankie will be home until January 4th when they return from the land of snow, bitter coldness and rusty cars. At the moment there is a pretty decent sized storm going on there both Mother and Carrie called today to report that... "it is snowing". Imagine...


Ok, I'm back I had to get some more sunscreen on.

Tonight after dinner the boys built a Gingerbread house. For once I just sat and watched and offered the occasional suggestion. I did not get all overbearing and demand perfection. In a house filled with children a Gingerbread house should look like children made it and enjoyed themselves in the process (by that I mean sneaking the candy meant for the house), not Martha Stewart.





























Tuesday evening we all went to Frankie's Christmas chorus concert. It was actually very good. They have a new music teacher and he knows his stuff. In case you're having some trouble my kid is the one dressed like a spearmint candy cane.


As an aside Frankie made the All County Chorus. A very small amount of children are honored with this priviledge, unfortunately their big concert is New Years Eve at the college. Frankie won't be here so we decided the correct thing to do was to decline so that another child may have that spot.

Tonight we are eating popcorn and watching Chronicles of Narnia Prince Caspian. Then tomorrow it's the LONG drive to the airport and the even longer drive home alone.

Sugar Cookie Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

Sugar Cookie Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

I'M GOING TO WIN THIS TIME! I'M GONNA GONNA GONNA! AND I KNOW SOMEONE WHO WANTS IT REALLY, REALLY BAD!

A Parade of Pictures

Christmas card picture out-takes.































Bob's handknit b'day socks.



Finn on his birthday present motorcycle and with his kitten Gilbert.







Frankie's December Court of Honor for Boyscout's.

Apron Giveaway!

They are giving away a vintage apron as well as some other vintage stuff at the blog http://lifeinacordwoodcabin.blogspot.com/2008/12/good-afternoon.html.