Pre-Christmas Christmas

Hanukkah lasts 8 days. I feel like Christmas lasts 30. Don't get me wrong, I love "the season" but it takes considerable effort to 1) keep the focus where it should be, and 2) keep the rest of our life and house in order while enjoying all the extras. 

Here is a glimpse into some of our pre-Christmas activities...

Decorating the tree. Owen liked to put his ornaments all in a little clump towards the bottom. Rebecca likes all of hers up high - which required help. She's the same with our little Advent tree. We have this little (fake) tree and a set of 25 books/ornaments that tell the Christmas story. Each night we read one and hang it on the little tree in their room - and she always wants to put her book on the top branch. Owen has to remind her each night that he wants to save that branch for "baby Jesus".

 

Our ornament this year. I have three of these - all a little different - one for each of the years we've grown as a family.

 A shout-out to pinterest.com. Here is one of the pinterest-inspired projects we actually did. Owen's handprints are the light green, Rebecca's are the dark green and the star on top is made from Maggie's feet!

 Our Advent series at church has been amazing! Perhaps the best sermons leading up to Christmas I've ever heard. Matt has used a collection of Puritan Prayers called "The Valley of Vision" as a key text. Here is Rebecca having some quiet time...

Another pinterest idea. I'm into glass etching (thanks to my silhouette - now making a stencil is easy)! I've etched wine glasses, these cute little trifle dishes, and a few other things (that I can't mention because the recipients haven't opened them yet). So fun!!! (I'm also into chalk-board paint - if you stand in front of me too long, you're going to get painted.)

Rebecca wanted to help so badly. At a minimum she wanted in the picture. Cheese!

Don't you just want seconds?

 On Friday Owen's preschool put on a little mini-pageant - his class sang "Twinkle Twinkle Christmas Star". So sweet.

 Now we're in the middle of "school break" - I'm excited to be able to have playdates with our friends who have opposite preschool schedules...and we'll need to have some, because I'm not sure what I'm going to do with everyone at home for 3 weeks!

 Last weekend we went to my Uncle Don's ranch in San Saba for the McElroy family Christmas - it was good to see a bunch of my aunts/uncles/cousins on my dad's side of the family. Here are some of my cousins taking pictures of all the kids with Santa. We're such old fogies!

 All the kids - Owen & Rebecca - with their second cousins.

 Our three with the big jolly guy.

 Maggie checking out Dahdo.

 Maggie feeling Uncle Alex's scruff. Scratchy!

We still have a lot to look forward to - we are scheduled to make Christmas cookies with Bee tomorrow afternoon. We also have to make Jesus his birthday cake - although I'm thinking cupcakes this year. And of course we have 4 days of celebrations from the 23rd through the 26th.

I'll leave you with the lyrics of one of our favorite seasonal songs - at least Rebecca's interpretation of it...

Rah-ty a no-man...wa a howy jowy man. Wida corntob pipe in button no, and two eye made ow-a no...tumpitytumptump tumpitytumptump wook a roh-ty doe...tumpitytumptump tumpitytumptump o'er da hills a no!

Peace. And. Joy. To You and Yours.

Okay, everybody in the backyard. No, put down the trucks/ball/chalk - we don't want to mess up your pretty picture clothes. Okay, everybody sit - you here, you here, and you here. Perfect. Oops, don't mess up the chalk - oh, you wiped it on your shirt. Awesome. Let me rewrite that. Okay, now, everybody hold up your sign and smile!

 Um, hold it up so I can still see your face. Say cheese!

 Okay, don't say cheese - just smile! Rebecca - hold up your sign - oh well.

 (Why am I determined to do this while Kyle is at work?) Let's try this one at a time. Say cheese Owen. Can you smile where I see your teeth a little? Can you smile where I can see your teeth a little and your eyes stay open? (No, neither can I.)

 Rebecca - look at Mommy and smile! No teeth? Okay. Good job holding your sign and looking at me.

 Maggie - I don't even have to try with you! Boogaboogaboogabooga! Yea!

 Ah, thank goodness for naptime. And Kyle being home. And a tripod.

 Someday we'll get a photo where everyone is together - looking and smiling, right? Until that elusive day...that's what photoshop is for.

Peace and Joy to You and Yours.

Could you do me a little favor?

Let me start out by saying that without our local grandparents (Bee & Jojo, Dahdo & Pam, Nana) I literally do not know how we would make it through a week. Seriously. Maaaaaaajor dependence issues here. Sometimes I start conversations by saying "can you do me a little favor?" even when I don't need a favor because I'm just so use to asking - its sort of like my hello.

Since we rely SO much on these wonderful folks, it is actually really nice to be able to "give back" a little when we can. You know - can you help me move X, or would you lend me the grandkids for the evening so I can show them off to X, or can I borrow X, or would you do X on my computer...that sort of thing. It makes me feel like less of a pitiful need-to-shower-oh-no-what's-for-dinner weakling when I (or Kyle) gets to pitch in to make one of their lives a little better...since it's truly the least we can do. 

And every once in a while I get a voice mail like this:

Alison - this is CRITICAL. I must have a picture of myself on a snowmobile. By tonight.

I do not know (and I dare not ask) the series of events that preceded the request. I simply oblige. 

Here is the product of my mad photoshop skills.

And here is the corresponding poem Bee wrote for the event - to live (without her permission) eternally on the internet. Happy sledding, Bee! ~Your loving daughter.

BORIS THE SINGING MULE*

There is a mule who likes to sing, his given name is Boris.

At Christmas time, he bellows out, the mule tide in a chorus.

He sings of holidays gone by and sparkling Christmas jewels.

Proclaiming "Eat your veggies, red and green! Share peace of earth with mules!"

He thinks of friends and shares his gifts, with others not so able:

The cows, the chickens, pigs and goats that end up on your table.

At PETA, we love little girls and sometimes little boys,

But Reindeer, they can fly all night and bring us Christmas toys!

They dash, they prance, they snort, and jingle bringing Santa to our Roofs.

But even with their magic, Santa’s Reindeers still need hoofs!

Next time you think of Donner and his goofy cousin Blitzen,

Don’t let it be cuz you are hungry and the dinner you are fixen!

So please remember for Boris’ sake, no Reindeers in your stew.

For as you know at Christmas time, Reindeers are people too!

(*A_ _ replaced to accommodate the G-rated nature of this blog.)