December Photo Project: Day 25

Remembering Grandpa

10.15.1926 - 12.25.2013

December Photo Project: Day 24

From addressing cards at 3 am

 

to arranging packages and stuffing stockings at 11:30 pm,

 

it was full day.

December Photo Project: Day 23

This is one of my most-favorite Christmas ornaments.

 

 

Sometime during my childhood, the tree was overturned and the glass top shattered.  My loving dad, however, came to the rescue and in MacGyver-esque fashion, repurposed a small lightbulb to hold all those tiny gumballs.  Thanks, Dad!

December Photo Project: Day 22

December Photo Project: Day 21

Considering his volume, I think a walkie-talkie is superfluous.

December Photo Project: Day 20

It must be the Year of Cheap Decorating.

 

 

My friend Meg employs masking tape; I exalt the lowly noodle.

 

 

I think they are surprisingly lovely for pasta.

December Photo Project: Day 19

The Herdmans were absolutely the worst kids in the history of the world.  They lied and stole and smoked cigars (even the girls) and talked dirty and hit little kids and cussed their teachers and took the name of the Lord in vain and set fire to Fred Shoemaker's old broken-down toolhouse....

 

They were just so all-around awful you could hardly believe they were real: Ralph, Imogene, Leroy, Claude, Ollie and Gladys - six skinny, string-haired kids all alike except for being different sizes and having different black-and-blue places where they had clonked each other.

 

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson

 

 

Sometimes I wonder if it is wise to read this book each year.  I'm so afraid someone may pick up on a new method of mayhem.

 

 

  And speaking of mayhem, it was just a little bit crazy around here when we had a dozen kids decorating faux gingerbread houses.

 

We did it a couple of years ago but had to skip last year because of travel plans.  Some more friends joined the party this year, and it was a blast.

When I ran out of gluten-free graham crackers, we made do with a rice krispie sod house.  (It wouldn't have mattered at all seeing as the underlying form was just a canvas for lots of icing and candy).

Mrs. Snow came to the rescue when the toppings were applied just a "little" too thickly.

 

All was good in the world once again.

 

And Best of Show?

 

I just loved the Santa Sucker (though it looks a little like a steeple on a church).

December Photo Project: Day 18

You can't see their pointed ears but note the red pants (Doug would describe them as "garish").

 

 

The big boys (who can keep secrets) served as Santa's assistants today.  The only comment was "we got two things I think you're going to like."

 

 

And if you are on my Christmas card list and have been anxiously checking your mailbox for a card, it should be coming soon.  I was a little late in ordering this year, and Snapfish was even slower in delivering (nothing snappy about it).  Maybe I'll get them addressed and stamped before Christmas Eve.

December Photo Project: Day 17

"You'd better watch out, you'd better not cry.

You'd better not pout I'm telling you why.

Santa Claus is comin' to town."

 

 

I couldn't resist taking a shot of this meltdown even if it isn't the best quality photo.  I don't remember what set her off, but the day really hadn't been so bad.  I rallied the troops for a trip to Sam's where I was asked an untold number of times, "Are they all yours?" 

 

Here was another exchange:

 

Older lady to the kids:  Is Santa coming to your house?

Jonathan:  Well, Santa is not even real!

Older Lady:  You know if you don't believe in Santa you will get underwear in your stocking.

Matthew:  Well, we already did get underwear.

 

Too true.  Underwear and socks are staple stocking stuffers at our house.

 

 

After hearing Jonathan's nasty cough this morning I'm thinking that letting the kids share a drink was a poor parental decision.  At least I had my own!

And last but not least, we got to hear the geriatric Santa's toot their own horns!

December Photo Project: Day 16

It's Monday which generally means Mexican.

 

In dealing with multiple food issues (allergies & sensitivities as well as preferences), the easiest thing is to plan customizable meals - variations on a theme - and Mexican fits the bill.  Tacos, fajitas, beans & chips(not my exact recipe but close enough), loaded nachos and rice bowls are easily adaptable.  Can't have milk products?  Skip the cheese and sour cream.  Gluten free?  Choose rice or corn alternatives.  Just do yourself a favor and make some semi-homemade salsa via Pioneer Woman; we don't eat anything else.

December Photo Project: Day 15

“What else can I be,” returned the uncle, “when I live in such a world of fools as this? Merry Christmas! Out upon merry Christmas! What’s Christmas time to you but a time for paying bills without money; a time for finding yourself a year older, but not an hour richer; a time for balancing your books and having every item in ’em through a round dozen of months presented dead against you? If I could work my will,” said Scrooge indignantly, “every idiot who goes about with ‘Merry Christmas’ on his lips, should be boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart. He should!”      

A Christmas Carol  by Charles Dickens

December Photo Project: Day 14

 

 

 

 

Katherine at 5 months

December Photo Project; Day 13

We joined up with a friend and her two sets of twins for our own "school field trip."

 

I felt just like a teacher, constantly counting heads and scanning for familiar faces.

 

 

To top it off, we went out to lunch afterwards.  Though the restaurant was empty, they seated us in the back.  A few minutes later, a party of 7 adults was seated nearby but they quickly requested to be moved.  "We'll just sit in the bar."  (I've often thought my kids could drive me to drink but I didn't realize it could happen so quickly).

 

A stop at the grocery store and an adjoining toy store did me in.  But it was a fun full day, and the kids behaved perfectly!

December Photo Project: Day 12

This is my kind of Christmas shopping.  No stores.  No crowds. 

Delivered straight to my door.

December Photo Project: Day 11

Reading Christmas books is still one of my favorite holiday traditions.

Here's a link to some of the best of the best in our collection.

I'm still undecided about Babar and Father Christmas by Jean de Brunhoff.  I admit to sighing each time a grubby hand chooses it, knowing I'm in for an extra-long, wordy read.   On the other hand, there's one phrase that's stuck with me since the first read: "the danger of obstinately forging ahead blindly."  There are many who could benefit from that advice.

December Photo Project: Day 10

In my childhood dreams, I was going to be one of those mothers who welcomes their dear children home from school with a plate of cookies and a glass of milk.

I never pictured three types of milk (cow, rice, and coconut) or two types of cookies (dairy/egg/nut free and gluten free) or the fact that kids would not be going off to school.  It's worth the extra effort, however; all of it!

December Photo Project: Day 9

 

Sous chefs sans shirts.

December Photo Project: Day 8

 

 Red cashmere sweater

Goodwill

$2.94



December Photo Project: Day 7

It was the monthly LEGO club at our local library.

 

But who says it's just for the kids?



Parents like them, too!

Ho, ho, ho!

December Photo Project: Day 6

Half-hearted Christmas.

Maybe getting some more lights for the wreath would throw me into the Christmas mood.

December Photo Project: Day 5

I've often felt the best way to deal with house frustration is to purge.

Our house shrinks with the closing of windows and doors and the accumulation of boots and jackets makes it feel tight.  Add to that the excitement five children eagerly awaiting Christmas, and you've got one crazy mom.  So over the last couple of weeks I've been systematically moving through the house, filling bags and tossing like nobody's business. 

Fortunately, we were able open the windows and doors (the weather is unseasonably warm and not quite in keeping with the Christmas atmosphere).  And I finally decided to tackle the growing mountain of papers accumulated through the year.  I will admit that I'm not on the cutting edge of technology.  And I might just have a touch of hoarding running through my veins which would explain why I feel it is necessary to keep every. single. receipt for purchases throughout the year.  But after nearly 3 hours of sorting, filing, and hole-punching, all of the receipts/bills/statements were neatly arranged.  (I even managed to throw away some gas and restaurant receipts...whoopee!)

I think my New Year's resolution should be to go paperless.