Before moving on to housework, a little blog.
Today's activity was have an indoor picnic in our pajamas. This is really just a secret way of getting them to bed twice as fast, but as long as it works! Daddy requested a picnic of pancakes so it was our Pancake Picnic in Pajamas Party (PPPP).
We've done this the other years too, but this was the first attempt at eating in the living room on my new cream carpet. I was really nervous about it, so I chose a huge thick, heavy old blanket to picnic on, and nixed the syrup. Kids had chocolate chip pancakes, sweet enough.
So everything was going fine, and that's when everything went wrong. I let my guard down.
(Behold, what comes next is super overreacting on Mummy and Daddy's parts and hardly worth the phrase 'everything went wrong'. But it involved my cream carpets, as I'm sure you've already guessed, and I *heart* my new carpet nearly as much as I *heart* the children who are determined to ruin it.)
I had bought a bottle of Red Grape Shloer for Lolly's birthday party tomorrow and told the girls it was special wine they were allowed to have a taste of. Well of course, they couldn't wait to try it, so I got out the special port glasses and poured both a small glass of 'wine'. Fifi loved it. Lolly didn't and asked for milk instead. I then told them to go out of the kitchen, get the picnic ready and I'd come through with pancakes shortly.
As we sat on our blanket, merrily watching Charlie Brown's Christmas eating pancakes, the girls began complaining of thirst. Lolly kept trying to go to the kitchen to help herself, so I ended up going through and bringing the port glasses through. Fifi's had only half her juice left and Lolly had only half her milk, so I thought, 'What harm can they do? They'll drink it right up before they could spill it.'
I gave the girls their glasses with the admission that if they spilled their drinks I would 'cry all over them'. (I'm a good mum, I know.) Several times I warned them to watch their drinks. Things were going fine. The girls sat quietly, eating and watching Charlie Brown buy a sad, pathetic little tree when suddenly, Fifi had one of her classic freak-out-go-crazy-excited moments and just literally exploded like a bomb, crossed legs and crossed arms just bursting out with a sudden cry of hysterical happiness and of course... she knocked over her red grape juice all over the blanket.
I screamed. I actually screamed.
Scott screamed. He sent Fifi to her room.
I freaked out, grabbed a nearby towel and started mopping it up hysterically off the blanket, like that would save the carpet or something. Then I realised I should lift the blanket to save the carpet just to discover... the blanket and the spill had been laid over our red throw rug.
So absolutely no damage whatsoever. Except the damage to Fifi's sensitive heart, of course. She was still in her room, sobbing, crying how sorry she was, totally devestated. So Mummy and Daddy had to go through, hug her, explain to her how important it is to be careful with drinks in the living room, etc etc etc. Fifi couldn't stop crying and saying, 'I'm so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so [she must've said 'so' about thirty times] sorry!'
I think indoor picnics will be taken off next year's activity list. Because it very well could be me next year who ends up spilling the juice.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Friday, December 09, 2011
Painting Decorations for Day 9 and a Birthday to Boot
Today's activity was painting tree decorations.
The idea came when I opened up a box of Christmas things, and found a bunch of unpainted wooden ornaments with the tags still on them, and I remembered my friend Maria using the same type of ornaments a few years ago for painting.
There's not much to say about it, other than the kids enjoyed painting them. And surprisingly, they didn't get paint everywhere. Not even my childminded 18 month old! She was perhaps the most precise of all!
So what could be more interesting to tell about today?
How about the fact that I spent a ridiculous amount of money at Tesco buying stuff in for Lolly's birthday party this weekend? See, this is what happens when you don't count how much you are spending as you go. I just saw stuff and put it in the trolley. When the total was rang up at the end, I nearly collapsed.
I can't believe Scott and I did not think ahead when we decided to have another baby. Why, oh why did we not think about the fact that 9 months later would be Christmas?
There's also that worry that poor Lolly will get fewer presents because her birthday is close to Christmas. This could so easily happen so the way we get around it at the moment is I buy both Fifi AND Lolly's birthday presents at the same time so that no matter how much Lolly insists, I can assure her she got AS MANY PRESENTS AS FIFI GOT. This year they both have exactly four presents from us for their birthdays, three of them being somewhat identical, and one being individually unique to the child.
So Sunday after church we will have just a small, mostly family thing in the house for her. It is a week early, and it is also not what we planned, but with trip to America right around the corner, and Christmas and everything everything everything else, we decided it was the best way. I would've liked to give her a big party, but it just isn't going to work out that way this year.
But more about that on Sunday! (Lolly's party being the Advent Activity of the day.)
The idea came when I opened up a box of Christmas things, and found a bunch of unpainted wooden ornaments with the tags still on them, and I remembered my friend Maria using the same type of ornaments a few years ago for painting.
There's not much to say about it, other than the kids enjoyed painting them. And surprisingly, they didn't get paint everywhere. Not even my childminded 18 month old! She was perhaps the most precise of all!
So what could be more interesting to tell about today?
How about the fact that I spent a ridiculous amount of money at Tesco buying stuff in for Lolly's birthday party this weekend? See, this is what happens when you don't count how much you are spending as you go. I just saw stuff and put it in the trolley. When the total was rang up at the end, I nearly collapsed.
I can't believe Scott and I did not think ahead when we decided to have another baby. Why, oh why did we not think about the fact that 9 months later would be Christmas?
There's also that worry that poor Lolly will get fewer presents because her birthday is close to Christmas. This could so easily happen so the way we get around it at the moment is I buy both Fifi AND Lolly's birthday presents at the same time so that no matter how much Lolly insists, I can assure her she got AS MANY PRESENTS AS FIFI GOT. This year they both have exactly four presents from us for their birthdays, three of them being somewhat identical, and one being individually unique to the child.
So Sunday after church we will have just a small, mostly family thing in the house for her. It is a week early, and it is also not what we planned, but with trip to America right around the corner, and Christmas and everything everything everything else, we decided it was the best way. I would've liked to give her a big party, but it just isn't going to work out that way this year.
But more about that on Sunday! (Lolly's party being the Advent Activity of the day.)
Thursday, December 08, 2011
Some Catching Up To Do: Days 5, 7 and 8
Day 5
On Day 5, we made paper lanterns. For the last two years, we made a long string of paper lanterns and hung them out on the handrail of the staircase in the close. But since we aren't going to be around for Christmas and beyond, I decided not to clutter up our communal walk way this year. Instead we just made individual ones to hang on the tree.
Fifi is getting very grown up with scissors. She was able to do her lanterns much on her own. Lolly, however, is still a firecracker in a tornado, and had to be stopped before she cut her sister's hair off with the scissors. Gahhhh.
Day 7
Yesterday, on Day 7, we were supposed to make a 'family video e-card'. Well, that never happened. We were too busy trying to make up for the Tuesday we missed, so we spent the time cutting out snowflakes. The activity said colourful snowflakes, but I decided last minute that snowflakes AREN'T colourful at all, so we used plain http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifboring white computer paper. And made some stunning snowflakes. Fifi found this a bit more difficult with the scissors, since it was cutting through thick layers of paper, but still had fun. Then we hung them in the living room window for all to enjoy.
A video e-card may or may not happen at the weekend.
Day 8
Today we got back on schedule with our gingerbread men making. But only barely.
Today all the schools were shut because of the imposing doom of today's Hurricane Bawbag. So instead of only having my one toddler I look after during the day, I had her big brother and sister too. I also couldn't get out of the house to buy any groceries so we were living on scarcity. Still, I assumed I had enough in the pantry to make gingerbread men, so we went for it.
Well, as it turned out I had only EXACTLY enough flour to make our cookies - 200g exactly. So I melted the sugar, butter and golden syrup together, added the flour and baking powder and finally the ginger-- except, oops. I was out of ginger. Gingerbread men with no ginger?! I rallied quickly and just replaced the ginger with cinnamon for some delicious Cinnamonbread men. The kids would never know. I let the dough cool, then got out the cookie cutters for the kids, and discovered... I had no flour left to roll the dough out onto! Oh geez. So the poor kids had to watch, longingly, as I carefully rolled the sticky dough out onto greaseproof paper with no flour. Anyway, in the end they got to cut out their shapes and bake them, decorate them and eat them. Good thing they ate them right away, though, because an hour later, they were hard as rocks.
On Day 5, we made paper lanterns. For the last two years, we made a long string of paper lanterns and hung them out on the handrail of the staircase in the close. But since we aren't going to be around for Christmas and beyond, I decided not to clutter up our communal walk way this year. Instead we just made individual ones to hang on the tree.
Fifi is getting very grown up with scissors. She was able to do her lanterns much on her own. Lolly, however, is still a firecracker in a tornado, and had to be stopped before she cut her sister's hair off with the scissors. Gahhhh.
Day 7
Yesterday, on Day 7, we were supposed to make a 'family video e-card'. Well, that never happened. We were too busy trying to make up for the Tuesday we missed, so we spent the time cutting out snowflakes. The activity said colourful snowflakes, but I decided last minute that snowflakes AREN'T colourful at all, so we used plain http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifboring white computer paper. And made some stunning snowflakes. Fifi found this a bit more difficult with the scissors, since it was cutting through thick layers of paper, but still had fun. Then we hung them in the living room window for all to enjoy.
A video e-card may or may not happen at the weekend.
Day 8
Today we got back on schedule with our gingerbread men making. But only barely.
Today all the schools were shut because of the imposing doom of today's Hurricane Bawbag. So instead of only having my one toddler I look after during the day, I had her big brother and sister too. I also couldn't get out of the house to buy any groceries so we were living on scarcity. Still, I assumed I had enough in the pantry to make gingerbread men, so we went for it.
Well, as it turned out I had only EXACTLY enough flour to make our cookies - 200g exactly. So I melted the sugar, butter and golden syrup together, added the flour and baking powder and finally the ginger-- except, oops. I was out of ginger. Gingerbread men with no ginger?! I rallied quickly and just replaced the ginger with cinnamon for some delicious Cinnamonbread men. The kids would never know. I let the dough cool, then got out the cookie cutters for the kids, and discovered... I had no flour left to roll the dough out onto! Oh geez. So the poor kids had to watch, longingly, as I carefully rolled the sticky dough out onto greaseproof paper with no flour. Anyway, in the end they got to cut out their shapes and bake them, decorate them and eat them. Good thing they ate them right away, though, because an hour later, they were hard as rocks.
Tuesday, December 06, 2011
Day 6
Yes, I have skipped Day 5. I have photos for Day 5 which have not been uploaded yet, and I don't have time just now to upload.
I barely have time to post Day 6, but I am trying.
Day 6's activity was to cut out snowflakes from colourful paper and hang in the windows. I would love to say this project went well, but truth be known, it did not even go.
I forgot Tuesdays are our Busy Day.
A normal Tuesday goes like this:
-Wake up, get kids ready, take Fifi to school for 9am.
-Go to Tesco for sandwich stuff for Toddlers for 10am.
-Go to Toddlers (preferably before 10am to set up) until 12pm.
-Go home and get kitchen ready for cleaner (and put babies to sleep)
-Cleaner comes just before 2pm.
-Leave before 3pm to pick up Fifi from school.
-Get Fifi and Lolly their snacks, then take them to ballet and tap at 4pm (until 6pm)
-While kids are at dance, take minded children for weekly grocery shop, ensuring I am home before 5pm (not easy).
-Get dinner on table as soon as possible (and before 5.15pm).
-Minded children get picked up anywhere between 5.30-6pm.
-Rush back to dance to pick up kids at 6pm.
-Give them their dinner and get them in bed before 7pm.
-Rush to Gaelic class which starts at 7pm.
-After Gaelic ends (9pm), I usually go to Craft Night for the last half (until about midnight).
The only difference with today was no Gaelic class, so I have an extra hour before Craft Night starts.
So as you can see, there was no time for snowflake making. Which means we will need to double up on projects tomorrow. Which will not be that easy either, as Fifi has Drama class at 4.30, but if we get home straight from school, that gives us an hour to have a snack and make some crafts.
I barely have time to post Day 6, but I am trying.
Day 6's activity was to cut out snowflakes from colourful paper and hang in the windows. I would love to say this project went well, but truth be known, it did not even go.
I forgot Tuesdays are our Busy Day.
A normal Tuesday goes like this:
-Wake up, get kids ready, take Fifi to school for 9am.
-Go to Tesco for sandwich stuff for Toddlers for 10am.
-Go to Toddlers (preferably before 10am to set up) until 12pm.
-Go home and get kitchen ready for cleaner (and put babies to sleep)
-Cleaner comes just before 2pm.
-Leave before 3pm to pick up Fifi from school.
-Get Fifi and Lolly their snacks, then take them to ballet and tap at 4pm (until 6pm)
-While kids are at dance, take minded children for weekly grocery shop, ensuring I am home before 5pm (not easy).
-Get dinner on table as soon as possible (and before 5.15pm).
-Minded children get picked up anywhere between 5.30-6pm.
-Rush back to dance to pick up kids at 6pm.
-Give them their dinner and get them in bed before 7pm.
-Rush to Gaelic class which starts at 7pm.
-After Gaelic ends (9pm), I usually go to Craft Night for the last half (until about midnight).
The only difference with today was no Gaelic class, so I have an extra hour before Craft Night starts.
So as you can see, there was no time for snowflake making. Which means we will need to double up on projects tomorrow. Which will not be that easy either, as Fifi has Drama class at 4.30, but if we get home straight from school, that gives us an hour to have a snack and make some crafts.
Sunday, December 04, 2011
Days 2, 3 and 4
I am awesome at this blogging every day thing, aren't I.
I have my excuses though. Last week, Monday through Saturday, I was performing as Principal Boy in a pantomime, and therefore had very little to no free time whatsoever. Now that the panto is over, I will have marginally more free time, but considering I am going to America in just over two weeks, I know I will still be very busy getting caught up with everything and ready to go.
So, Day 2:
The elves letter told them they were going to see the Panto with Daddy and Granny. Which they did. I managed to get them reserved seating in the front row, so there they sat, loving every minute of it. At least, Fifi did. Lolly was petrified. You can't blame her. The opening sequence is the Evil Sorceress and her demons in black cloaks and UV masks singing and dancing in the dark, with only their white glowing faces and white glowing hands. She never really recovered from that frightening experience. My character, the lead boy, doesn't appear on stage until the third scene. When I did, all I could hear was Lolly shouting, 'Mummy! Mum! Mum! Mummy!' I managed to keep a straight face, but oh, it was tough. Luckily, very soon into that scene, I am introduced to the audience, so I was then able to look directly at the girls and address them as the audience, which satisfied her.
Fifi, on the other hand, ate up every second of it. In panto, there is a lot of audience participation, and the cast gave her a lot of individual attention. At one point, the Baddie, a miser called Titus Tightwad, has the chance to pick on an audience member, and he chose Fifi and Lolly, which they loved. Later, one of the silly duo characters, while running through the audience chasing another character, ran up to Fifi and shouted, 'FOUND HER! Oh wait, it isn't her, it's only Princess Fifi!' Fifi was absolutely giddy at that point, and asked her daddy, 'How did she know I was Princess Fifi?!'
It was a good night. Even with Lolly finding it all a bit too scary and in-your-face, they had fun. And even took pictures with the Baddie in the end.
And of course, the Hero.
I asked Fifi what her favourite part was. She said all the parts I was in. I asked Lolly if she liked the show. She said, 'No.' I said, 'Did you like it when Mummy was singing?' and she said, 'No.'
Day 3:
Mummy was at panto all day doing a matinee show and then an evening show, so Daddy did this activity with them. They were to write their letters to Santa.
Daddy chose to have them list what they wanted and draw pictures of these things. Lolly had quite a bit of Daddy's help, but Fifi did her drawing herself and only asked Daddy to do the writing. Rather than describing them here, I scanned them in this morning to keep for life, before putting them in the fire place at Granny and Grampa's to be sent to Santa up the chimney. (Apparently, the smoke flies all the way to the North Pole, and it's magic smoke that Santa can decipher or something. This is what Scott and his brother and sister did as kids.)
Day 4:
Today, they were to check their email for messages from Santa. Oops... since I wasn't in until late last night, and because my darling husband let me have a nice long lie in this morning, I'd forgotten to prepare for this one. So I told the girls Santa hadn't been on the computer yet this morning, but normally gets all his emails sent by lunch time. Then I quickly put together these brilliant video emails from Portable North Pole. These are the messages they got from Santa this year.
Fifi's Email
Lolly's Email
And that is me all caught up for Advent Blogging for now.
I have my excuses though. Last week, Monday through Saturday, I was performing as Principal Boy in a pantomime, and therefore had very little to no free time whatsoever. Now that the panto is over, I will have marginally more free time, but considering I am going to America in just over two weeks, I know I will still be very busy getting caught up with everything and ready to go.
So, Day 2:
The elves letter told them they were going to see the Panto with Daddy and Granny. Which they did. I managed to get them reserved seating in the front row, so there they sat, loving every minute of it. At least, Fifi did. Lolly was petrified. You can't blame her. The opening sequence is the Evil Sorceress and her demons in black cloaks and UV masks singing and dancing in the dark, with only their white glowing faces and white glowing hands. She never really recovered from that frightening experience. My character, the lead boy, doesn't appear on stage until the third scene. When I did, all I could hear was Lolly shouting, 'Mummy! Mum! Mum! Mummy!' I managed to keep a straight face, but oh, it was tough. Luckily, very soon into that scene, I am introduced to the audience, so I was then able to look directly at the girls and address them as the audience, which satisfied her.
Fifi, on the other hand, ate up every second of it. In panto, there is a lot of audience participation, and the cast gave her a lot of individual attention. At one point, the Baddie, a miser called Titus Tightwad, has the chance to pick on an audience member, and he chose Fifi and Lolly, which they loved. Later, one of the silly duo characters, while running through the audience chasing another character, ran up to Fifi and shouted, 'FOUND HER! Oh wait, it isn't her, it's only Princess Fifi!' Fifi was absolutely giddy at that point, and asked her daddy, 'How did she know I was Princess Fifi?!'
It was a good night. Even with Lolly finding it all a bit too scary and in-your-face, they had fun. And even took pictures with the Baddie in the end.
And of course, the Hero.
I asked Fifi what her favourite part was. She said all the parts I was in. I asked Lolly if she liked the show. She said, 'No.' I said, 'Did you like it when Mummy was singing?' and she said, 'No.'
Day 3:
Mummy was at panto all day doing a matinee show and then an evening show, so Daddy did this activity with them. They were to write their letters to Santa.
Daddy chose to have them list what they wanted and draw pictures of these things. Lolly had quite a bit of Daddy's help, but Fifi did her drawing herself and only asked Daddy to do the writing. Rather than describing them here, I scanned them in this morning to keep for life, before putting them in the fire place at Granny and Grampa's to be sent to Santa up the chimney. (Apparently, the smoke flies all the way to the North Pole, and it's magic smoke that Santa can decipher or something. This is what Scott and his brother and sister did as kids.)
Day 4:
Today, they were to check their email for messages from Santa. Oops... since I wasn't in until late last night, and because my darling husband let me have a nice long lie in this morning, I'd forgotten to prepare for this one. So I told the girls Santa hadn't been on the computer yet this morning, but normally gets all his emails sent by lunch time. Then I quickly put together these brilliant video emails from Portable North Pole. These are the messages they got from Santa this year.
Fifi's Email
Lolly's Email
And that is me all caught up for Advent Blogging for now.
Thursday, December 01, 2011
DecBloAdMo
Cheryl reminded me of something I had vaguely remembered this morning, but couldn't quite put my finger on.
DecBloAdMo.
December Blogging Advent Month.
So the idea, to remind you, is to blog each day of Advent on the run up to Christmas.
So for today, we'll start with the beginning of my Advent Activity calendar.
Last night, a friend excitedly commented that the next day was December and thus the day to open her Advent calendar.
I had completely forgotten about Advent Calendars.
Well, not completely. The chocolate ones (Peppa Pig, Hello Kitty for the kids, Disney Princesses and Thomas the Tank Engine for me and Scott) had been bought, and the felt ones made by Scott's Auntie Debbie had been filled with chocolate. But the important one, the Activity Calendar, hadn't been sorted yet. So late last night, I worked out 24 activities to get us ready for Christmas, printed them, cut them out, and stuffed them into their calendar.
It was so well worth the effort; this morning, Fifi and Lolly came bounding in, exclaiming that Santa had been and had filled their calendar with letters. (I tried to explain it was actually the 'elves' because Santa is too busy with other commitments, but Fifi insisted she had heard the sleigh bells last night and had seen Santa out the window, and besides, how would the elves fly without Santa? So who was I to argue?)
Today's activity will be to make paper chains to help count down to Christmas.
It's actually one of the least fun activities from my perspective, because they get bored halfway through, and heaven forbid the kit I bought will be the lick-n-stick sort rather than the self-adhesive. But it's sort of a ritual-turning-into-tradition, so I will just get on with it.
Below I've listed the activities for the month that we are doing in case anyone wants some ideas for your own family. Obviously some of them pertain only to our family, but it might give you some ideas for yourself.
And please, if you decide to blog about it, leave a comment and your blog address, so I can link to you!
Happy Advent Blogging!
1. Make paper chains and use them to count down Christmas!
2. Go to see ‘Goody Two Shoes’ Panto with Daddy and Granny!
3. Write and post our letters to Santa.
4. Check email for message from Santa.
5. Make paper lanterns to decorate for Christmas.
6. Cut colourful snowflakes and hang them in the window.
7. Make a family video e-card and send to family and friends.
8. Make gingerbread men for the Christmas tree and deliver some to neighbours.
9. Paint Christmas tree ornaments.
10. Have a Christmas picnic in our pajamas on the floor.
11. Go to Lolly’s birthday party!
12. Eat dinner by candlelight only with the fancy dishes.
13. Read a story about Mary and Joseph and baby Jesus.
14. Wrap up presents to take to America.
15. Make reindeer food and put in little bags for your friends.
16. Pack bags for a sleepover at Auntie Lorna’s!
17. Visit Santa at Daddy’s work.
18. Go to Christmas party at church.
19. Drink hot chocolate and watch a Christmas movie.
20. Look through old photo albums and talk about the pictures.
21. Fly to America for Christmas!
22. Have a Christmas dinner with Mamaw’s family.
23. Build a fire with Musha.
24. Put out a carrot for Rudolph and milk and cookies for Santa.
25. Eat chocolate gravy for breakfast and open presents!!
(Want to read about last year? Day 1, 2010)
DecBloAdMo.
December Blogging Advent Month.
So the idea, to remind you, is to blog each day of Advent on the run up to Christmas.
So for today, we'll start with the beginning of my Advent Activity calendar.
Last night, a friend excitedly commented that the next day was December and thus the day to open her Advent calendar.
I had completely forgotten about Advent Calendars.
Well, not completely. The chocolate ones (Peppa Pig, Hello Kitty for the kids, Disney Princesses and Thomas the Tank Engine for me and Scott) had been bought, and the felt ones made by Scott's Auntie Debbie had been filled with chocolate. But the important one, the Activity Calendar, hadn't been sorted yet. So late last night, I worked out 24 activities to get us ready for Christmas, printed them, cut them out, and stuffed them into their calendar.
It was so well worth the effort; this morning, Fifi and Lolly came bounding in, exclaiming that Santa had been and had filled their calendar with letters. (I tried to explain it was actually the 'elves' because Santa is too busy with other commitments, but Fifi insisted she had heard the sleigh bells last night and had seen Santa out the window, and besides, how would the elves fly without Santa? So who was I to argue?)
Today's activity will be to make paper chains to help count down to Christmas.
It's actually one of the least fun activities from my perspective, because they get bored halfway through, and heaven forbid the kit I bought will be the lick-n-stick sort rather than the self-adhesive. But it's sort of a ritual-turning-into-tradition, so I will just get on with it.
Below I've listed the activities for the month that we are doing in case anyone wants some ideas for your own family. Obviously some of them pertain only to our family, but it might give you some ideas for yourself.
And please, if you decide to blog about it, leave a comment and your blog address, so I can link to you!
Happy Advent Blogging!
2. Go to see ‘Goody Two Shoes’ Panto with Daddy and Granny!
3. Write and post our letters to Santa.
4. Check email for message from Santa.
5. Make paper lanterns to decorate for Christmas.
6. Cut colourful snowflakes and hang them in the window.
7. Make a family video e-card and send to family and friends.
8. Make gingerbread men for the Christmas tree and deliver some to neighbours.
9. Paint Christmas tree ornaments.
10. Have a Christmas picnic in our pajamas on the floor.
11. Go to Lolly’s birthday party!
12. Eat dinner by candlelight only with the fancy dishes.
13. Read a story about Mary and Joseph and baby Jesus.
14. Wrap up presents to take to America.
15. Make reindeer food and put in little bags for your friends.
16. Pack bags for a sleepover at Auntie Lorna’s!
17. Visit Santa at Daddy’s work.
18. Go to Christmas party at church.
19. Drink hot chocolate and watch a Christmas movie.
20. Look through old photo albums and talk about the pictures.
21. Fly to America for Christmas!
22. Have a Christmas dinner with Mamaw’s family.
23. Build a fire with Musha.
24. Put out a carrot for Rudolph and milk and cookies for Santa.
25. Eat chocolate gravy for breakfast and open presents!!
(Want to read about last year? Day 1, 2010)
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Friday, November 18, 2011
I Am (Not) A Superhero*
Trying to be perfect and trying to appear perfect are serious struggles for me. I don't like many of the things I do, so I brush them under a carpet and pretend they aren't there. I worry what people will think of me if they know about my shortfalls. I know I am not alone in this, but I still hate to admit flaws in my nature. Usually admittance of a flaw is followed by an explanation, or let's face it, an excuse or justification. If I'm wrong as a one-off, I find it easier to admit and deal with than if I am facing an ongoing struggle.
I kind of feel this desire right now to admit a few things about me that I'm not proud of. I know that my issues aren't 'The Biggies' (I'm not addicted to heroin or a cheating wife), but they are things that make me feel less good about myself. They are things that I try over and over again to correct but still end up doing or being. All right, here are some examples, with no excuses attached...
*I gossip about people a lot. Sometimes quite maliciously.
*I sometimes spank my children.
*I shout at my children far, far too often.
*I sometimes get pleasure in seeing other people fail.
*I am conceited and judgmental.
*I enjoy getting drunk now and again.
*I don't always believe in God.
*I don't clean my toilet every day.
Okay, I had to throw that last one in because I was starting to feel a bit too vulnerable there! Although frankly, I am embarrassed to admit I don't clean my toilet every day, because I really should.
But there, now that I've admitted a few things about myself, I can now stand in front of you and say, 'I am not perfect. I will never be perfect. I would like to be perfect one day but must just hope that the Bible is true, and I will one day be made perfect like Christ, because I can never be perfect here on earth.'
But I will keep trying. And my hope is that by admitting a few things, I might be taking another step in the right direction.
*Title stolen from my friend Corinne's amazing book Ralph Is (Not) A Superhero. Go buy it now!
I kind of feel this desire right now to admit a few things about me that I'm not proud of. I know that my issues aren't 'The Biggies' (I'm not addicted to heroin or a cheating wife), but they are things that make me feel less good about myself. They are things that I try over and over again to correct but still end up doing or being. All right, here are some examples, with no excuses attached...
*I gossip about people a lot. Sometimes quite maliciously.
*I sometimes spank my children.
*I shout at my children far, far too often.
*I sometimes get pleasure in seeing other people fail.
*I am conceited and judgmental.
*I enjoy getting drunk now and again.
*I don't always believe in God.
*I don't clean my toilet every day.
Okay, I had to throw that last one in because I was starting to feel a bit too vulnerable there! Although frankly, I am embarrassed to admit I don't clean my toilet every day, because I really should.
But there, now that I've admitted a few things about myself, I can now stand in front of you and say, 'I am not perfect. I will never be perfect. I would like to be perfect one day but must just hope that the Bible is true, and I will one day be made perfect like Christ, because I can never be perfect here on earth.'
But I will keep trying. And my hope is that by admitting a few things, I might be taking another step in the right direction.
*Title stolen from my friend Corinne's amazing book Ralph Is (Not) A Superhero. Go buy it now!
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Oh Christmas Tree! - Part 1
This post has been split into 2 parts. For ease of reading, I've put Part 1 second so that it will be read first. Something to do with Matthew 20.16 or something maybe.
********
Time for that once-a-month post!
(And that's really stretching it, because I hardly post once a month.)
But let's talk Christmas. I usually talk Christmas at least once a year here at the dying-a-slow-and-painful-death "Scott and Lori" blog.
Next week is Thanksgiving, and usually I wait until after Thanksgiving to get all Christmasy. But this year, I'm going to America for Christmas (yay!), and so I feel like I'll be missing some exclusive Christmas time in the house because of it. Therefore, I want to put up my tree NOW.
But Scott says no. *Pouty face.
That hasn't stopped me from watching only Christmas DVDs and listening to Christmas music. The current rotation in the DVD player has been Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, Nativity!, A Christmas Story, and Garfield's Holiday Collection. Still to come out are A Nativity Story, It's a Wonderful Life, and Charlie Brown's Christmas. Not to mention Dora's Christmas and Peppa Pig's Christmas. In the CD player, I've been enjoying the Nativity! soundtrack and Glee's Christmas soundtrack. Gotta get out my Absolute Christmas compilation, and I must Must MUST find my all-time favourite - PlaySkool's Christmas Lullabies! Have the case, but the CD's not in it!
Scott says I can put up the tree next week. I'm very excited. We will then get to enjoy it for four weeks before hopping a plane and flying home for the first Christmas in 8 years. Eight Christmases ago (not counting this one to come), I was living in an apartment with Ingrid and Amanda, eagerly awaiting the arrival of my boyfriend Scott from Scotland who was coming the day after Christmas to see me. He arrived, and a week later told me he wanted to marry me. That year, I spent Christmas with my mom and dad and brothers and their girlfriends.
********
Time for that once-a-month post!
(And that's really stretching it, because I hardly post once a month.)
But let's talk Christmas. I usually talk Christmas at least once a year here at the dying-a-slow-and-painful-death "Scott and Lori" blog.
Next week is Thanksgiving, and usually I wait until after Thanksgiving to get all Christmasy. But this year, I'm going to America for Christmas (yay!), and so I feel like I'll be missing some exclusive Christmas time in the house because of it. Therefore, I want to put up my tree NOW.
But Scott says no. *Pouty face.
That hasn't stopped me from watching only Christmas DVDs and listening to Christmas music. The current rotation in the DVD player has been Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, Nativity!, A Christmas Story, and Garfield's Holiday Collection. Still to come out are A Nativity Story, It's a Wonderful Life, and Charlie Brown's Christmas. Not to mention Dora's Christmas and Peppa Pig's Christmas. In the CD player, I've been enjoying the Nativity! soundtrack and Glee's Christmas soundtrack. Gotta get out my Absolute Christmas compilation, and I must Must MUST find my all-time favourite - PlaySkool's Christmas Lullabies! Have the case, but the CD's not in it!
Scott says I can put up the tree next week. I'm very excited. We will then get to enjoy it for four weeks before hopping a plane and flying home for the first Christmas in 8 years. Eight Christmases ago (not counting this one to come), I was living in an apartment with Ingrid and Amanda, eagerly awaiting the arrival of my boyfriend Scott from Scotland who was coming the day after Christmas to see me. He arrived, and a week later told me he wanted to marry me. That year, I spent Christmas with my mom and dad and brothers and their girlfriends.
Oh Christmas Tree! - Part 2
My, how different this Christmas will be.
This year I'll be spending part of Christmas with my mom and new step-dad and step-brother and step-sister, and the other part of Christmas with my dad and new step-mom (but not my three step-sisters and one step-brother). I will also be spending it with one brother and his wife, but not the other brother. I will hopefully be going to visit my brother-and-sister-in-law and two nieces as well. What a change it will be.
I have never met my step-mom and have only ever met my step-dad in a context outside step-family. I have never seen my mom or dad with different people. In fact, I've never seen them apart. Both have come to visit separately since their divorce, but I've never been in my childhood home without both parents there. I've never had to do the divorced thing, time with one parent equals time with the other. I hope both parents recognise that upon visiting their homes that very first time, and meeting their new spouses that first time, they are going to need to let me retreat quietly to another room for a moment to shed some serious tears. What a weird, surreal experience this all will be.
I am looking forward to my trip, and I'm looking forward to seeing everyone, and seeing my house, and having Christmas with my actual, biological family. But I'm not sure how I'm going to cope with so much change at once. I can't wait to meet my brother's new baby, and I look forward to seeing my Texan nieces and family, and there's even a tiny chance I might get to meet my new Georgian step-siblings. And I'm looking forward to meeting my new step-mom and step-dad and all those step-siblings and step-nieces and nephews that are attached to them. But I'm just not looking forward to seeing my little family all broken up and patched up so differently from how I've always known it and how I always believed it would be.
So much innocence gets lost when you grow up.
Growing up really, truly sucks. Having your foundation cracked and crumbled right from underneath you really sucks.
But I suppose that's when all these wise people say you really become stronger. I don't know anything about construction, but I suppose having to rebuild your foundation and building it according to your own specifications and needs probably indeed gives you something firmer to stand on for the future.
****
Ha. Tricked you with that happy and joyful Christmas music crap didn't I! I kinda tricked myself too... I didn't sit down to write anything sad and depressing, I genuinely started out just wanting to beg Scott to let me put up the tree now! So that's why I've split this post into two parts. Enjoy one, and then don't enjoy the other very much.
This year I'll be spending part of Christmas with my mom and new step-dad and step-brother and step-sister, and the other part of Christmas with my dad and new step-mom (but not my three step-sisters and one step-brother). I will also be spending it with one brother and his wife, but not the other brother. I will hopefully be going to visit my brother-and-sister-in-law and two nieces as well. What a change it will be.
I have never met my step-mom and have only ever met my step-dad in a context outside step-family. I have never seen my mom or dad with different people. In fact, I've never seen them apart. Both have come to visit separately since their divorce, but I've never been in my childhood home without both parents there. I've never had to do the divorced thing, time with one parent equals time with the other. I hope both parents recognise that upon visiting their homes that very first time, and meeting their new spouses that first time, they are going to need to let me retreat quietly to another room for a moment to shed some serious tears. What a weird, surreal experience this all will be.
I am looking forward to my trip, and I'm looking forward to seeing everyone, and seeing my house, and having Christmas with my actual, biological family. But I'm not sure how I'm going to cope with so much change at once. I can't wait to meet my brother's new baby, and I look forward to seeing my Texan nieces and family, and there's even a tiny chance I might get to meet my new Georgian step-siblings. And I'm looking forward to meeting my new step-mom and step-dad and all those step-siblings and step-nieces and nephews that are attached to them. But I'm just not looking forward to seeing my little family all broken up and patched up so differently from how I've always known it and how I always believed it would be.
So much innocence gets lost when you grow up.
Growing up really, truly sucks. Having your foundation cracked and crumbled right from underneath you really sucks.
But I suppose that's when all these wise people say you really become stronger. I don't know anything about construction, but I suppose having to rebuild your foundation and building it according to your own specifications and needs probably indeed gives you something firmer to stand on for the future.
****
Ha. Tricked you with that happy and joyful Christmas music crap didn't I! I kinda tricked myself too... I didn't sit down to write anything sad and depressing, I genuinely started out just wanting to beg Scott to let me put up the tree now! So that's why I've split this post into two parts. Enjoy one, and then don't enjoy the other very much.
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