On the Tenth Day of Christmas. . .

My full life gave me to me:

10 hours running

9 piano renditions

8 ballet dancers

7 edited pages

6 o'clock neighbor dinner

5 Mountain Dews

4 pages of homework

3 friends a playing

2 hours at tennis

and a welcome early bed time for ME!

But I still managed to watch a Christmas movie, while cozily in bed early:

Under the Mistletoe

And we again defied the Advent calendar's schedule which called for a family puzzle night, (a yearly tradition around our house) but we had no time and Rob was home late anyway so we will squeeze it in later.

In case that was not entirely clear, here is a key for the song: 10- more like 12, running 8am - 8pm; 9 - the girls are practicing three Christmas songs and they ran through them three times; 8 - Signe tried out a ballet class today (with eight girls) and loved it so we will be squeezing that in every Thursday, starting in January; 7 - My final paper for school was 7 pages, which I finished editing and submitted today; 6 - just as it says(though actually it was 6:30); 5 - clearly I needed the liquid energy! 4 - Hannah's weekly homework; 3 - Friends Sig had over today; 2 - Hannah's tennis practice; 1 - much needed rest!

On the Ninth Day of Christmas. . .

We supercharged our six year old.

Well, actually, we made a gingerbread train. (Houses are over rated--remember last year?) And even though the candies look fun and festive, they really don't taste great--nor does the frosting. We test them every year, with the same results. But when you are six you don't get picky about how you take your sugar, apparently.

After using about half the frosting and candy on the train the kids consumed the remaining decorations like a couple of starving orphans. . .

And then I had to send a manically giggling Signe out of the kitchen before someone stepped on her (she was laying on the ground spinning in circles--hey, I don't have to sweep now!) I just sent her to the neighbors--Shhhh, don't tell.

Since the gingerbread is not actually that edible, we made up for it by making peanut butter bon bons. If you don't recognize me next time you see me. . . just pretend you don't notice the extra rolls, please.

Movie of the night: Under the Mistletoe

On the Eighth Day of Christmas . . .

I know people who have an aversion to having their picture taken. I am not one of them per say, but I am also highly UNphotogenic. I have a sister, and a daughter, who can roll out of bed with a veritable rats nest for a hair do and if you point a camera at them, you will end up with a fabulous picture.

Not me.

I can prep and primp and pose in the mirror and THEN get my picture taken and even my mother won't claim me in most photos. So between this issue I have and the fact that I am usually the one behind the camera, I don't have a lot of pictures of myself--and even fewer good ones.

So, if I can manage to put together a Christmas card with a picture of the WHOLE family on it--YOU. CAN. TOO. I don't just want to see your cute little kids, I want to see the whole family.

Someone once told me, "If you think you look fat or old now, (and I am not saying you do) just think, in ten years you will wish you had a picture of you now so you could say 'DANG I looked good back then!'"

I'm just saying. . .

In case you didn't get the hint, we addressed and mailed our Christmas cards today. I send them early because I like to get lots back (feel free to send me one--I kept a few, so if you do, and I didn't send you one, I will).

If that is too much work, here is a glimpse:

We usually order cards through Costco, but since I love what my mac has been doing for me this year, I decided to make them in iphoto. I am not disappointed.

Happy Holidays!

And just because we must accompany all activities with food, we made creamy risotto rice pudding and candied orange peels tonight also. Yum. You can't celebrate the holidays without gaining a little weight. . . so you better get a picture of your current skinny self before it's too late!

Movie of the night: A Christmas Proposal

On the Seventh Day of Christmas. . .

The Mission: Get to the mall and fight the crowds to see Santa.

This may seem like no problem, but last year we were so busy we didn't even get pictures. The few times we were at the mall the line was monumentally long.

The Solution: Go at 3:30 on a Monday early in the month.

The Result: NO LINE--in and out in minutes! Who knew being on top of things makes life so easy?!

Hannah's top wish: A sewing machine

(Apparently I have passed on another hobby to my mini-me!)

Signe's top wish: (after much hemming and hawing and deferring to Hannah) Ummm, maybe something Littlest Pet Shop-ish.

(I don't think this girl asked for a thing over ten bucks! She's making my job--I mean Santa's job--a whole lot easier!)

Since we rebelled against the Advent calendar on Sunday we decided to make up for it today and make homemade marshmallows. Why would anyone pay a buck a piece for these at places like Williams-Sonoma when they are so easy to make and SO much better. I think I will try peppermint marshmallows this year--spice things up a little.

Did I say how much I love our Santa? Doesn't he look authentic?

On the Sixth Day of Christmas. . .

The Advent calendar told us to make marshmallows. . .but we rebelled. So much for organizing. I could have lied and professed all was going as clockwork, but if it was it certainly wouldn't be MY life!

The second day of Christmas called for getting the tree AND decorating. But really that was a lot of work. . .and my tree lights were dead. It took me until Monday to get replacement lights so,

On the Sixth Day of Christmas. . .we decorated.

I heard somewhere that with the bad economy everyone is tending to go traditional red and white and gold/silver Christmas this year (who decides this and how they know is beyond me) but either way, I beat them to the punch! I always decorate in true red, white and silver with lots of glass. I would have a picture of my paperwhites and amaryllis (which I mingle in my decorations) but I planted them late this year and they are nowhere near blooming yet.

My living room is the one room that remains fairly clean in my house, so I love to sit in there with the glow of the Christmas tree casting shadows on the wall while soft carols play in the background and smells of baking waft in from the kitchen--mmmmm. . .NOW it feels like Christmas!

Movie: 12 Men of Christmas

On the Fifth Day of Christmas. . .

My girls are little spoiled, it's true. So, in an effort to get into the spirit of giving and remind the girls how lucky they are, we buy gifts for a giving tree each year. Typically we try to pick children the ages of my girls so they can pick out gifts they might want for Christmas and give them away to someone else.

This year, the girls' schools are doing giving trees, but they are just having you bring warm clothes and games/toys for any child up to 18. And Hannah's school is doing a canned food drive. So we chose to participate that way this year.

They picked out a scarf and glove set and a game and then went shopping in my pantry for canned goods (or apparently canned not goods in their minds, since they picked canned veggies and chili, which they don't like!)

Movie: Christmas in Boston

On the fourth Day of Christmas. . .

(I apparently took a hiatus from blogging--but now that my final papers are written I can resume!)

"For unto us a child was born. . ."

As a newlywed couple my mother-in-law gave me a Precious Moments Nativity set that has grown in size each year as a new piece is added. It's quite cute with unexpected characters like Harold, the angel (Hark the Harold Angel sings). It may not be the traditional nativity, but I have found that the nativity is highly adaptable.

Each year we attend the Festival of the Nativity in Vancouver. It is held in a LDS building but youth groups and performers come from all denominations in the area to participate. There is a fabulous bell choir that comes every year that we try not to miss.

But the cultural hall is the show stopper. Displayed about on tables draped with fabric under soft lighting and surrounded by symbols of Christmas sit hundreds of nativities--all unique and interesting, and highly adapted to culture and location. There were over 700 this year from dozens of different countries.

To make things interesting, they provide a paper with a "find the. . ." game, with things like "The Elephant" or "The Nativity made out of ivory" or "The Nativity in and egg". In a side room they have fun kid friendly nativities of less fragile material--often consisting of bears or other animals instead of people.

But the favorite stops for the girls are the interactive room and the craft room.

Here you can touch the nativities (puppets, fabric and wood ones) and dress up and hear stories.

In the craft room the crafts vary from year to year, but they generally feature a nativity of some sort. This year they made the donkey that carried Mary.

In our house, our wish lists are long and our Commercial Christmas cheer is present, but a little reminder of why we celebrate is always welcome. So of course we will be back again next year.

On the Third Day of Christmas. . .

Since my decorations are peppered with snowflakes--tree ornaments, shelf ornaments, tree skirt, stockings--I think it is fun to make paper snowflakes every year. The thing I love about snowflakes is that they remind us that we are all unique and special. . .but of course I have two girls so I print two of all the easy ones for them to cut out. (I return each year to a great site for patterns from easy to very intricate) They love it as much as I do. Some years we hang them from the ceiling, or tape them to a window. Last year we made a three dimensional snowflake (also on the third day, I just noticed!) that I loved, but when the girls were given the option this year they chose the cut out kind.

Signe liked the ones that made angels and snowmen and children holding hands.

And then we made a colossal mess. . . (which this picture CLEARLY doesn't capture!)

But we ended up with a lovely collection to hang in our window. So even if it doesn't snow much here we can look out our window and enjoy the snowflakes.

Of course they are predicting snow for Tuesday. . .we'll see.

Movie of the night: Secret Santa

On the Second Day of Christmas. . .

The girls are early out on Wednesdays and the sun was shining bright--the perfect day to take a trip to the tree farm and find our tree. All year as we have driven past the tree farm Rob would point and say: "Our tree is in there somewhere, just waiting for Christmas for us to come get it."

It was all that talk that kept me from trying a new tree farm. We couldn't very well not go get "our tree" after talking about it all year--or so Rob argued.

And besides, it IS such a cute farm.

First things first. . .we had to visit the petting zoo area. . .

. . .and feed the animals.

Rob even terrorized Signe with a rooster that was on the loose.

Then we passed the barn and I couldn't pass up a interesting picture setting. . .

Then we were off to find our tree.

I got to pick the kind we'd bring home this year. I'm a sucker for a full Noble. . .

. . .and a big old oak tree.

There are several oak trees that dot the farm and make me wish I had one making shade in my yard.

Finally we found the one. . .

(When I asked Rob what the cheapest tree on the farm cost--to compare it to the farm I was thinking of trying his response was "Why do you care, you are going to pick the most expensive one anyway!" But look! I didn't--though that might have had something to do with the height of my ceiling.)

You can actually drive your car or truck down the lanes and throw your tree in when you find it. . .

But we love to take the tree cart with us and walk around the lanes past rows and rows of trees. . .

. . .and quaint little sign posts.

Of course, I picked a tree way in the middle--and it was HEAVY--so we had to carry it through the trees back to our cart.

I am calling it my workout for the day!

Then we were off to pay for it and pick out our wreath.

You pay in this cute barn where they offer free hot chocolate and candy canes while they shake our tree for us.

There is something about driving home with a tree in your truck bed, breathing deeply to catch the fresh pine scent, that makes you smile.

We were supposed to decorate the tree also, but I got distracted by a urge to bake. I tried a new recipe for Kolaches that were yummy, but I wish I had baked them a little less to keep them softer. Oh well--the girls will have just as much fun when we do it on the third day of Christmas.

Service Update: An unforeseen phenomenon is occurring with the idea of one of us have a '"service day" each day. When it is not their day, and I ask them to, say, put their dirty clothes in the laundry room, I get "But it's not my service day!" and when it is, say, Hannah's day, Signe says "You have to do it for me, it's YOUR service day!"

I think we need to discuss the point here. They seem to be missing it.

Movie of the night: Picking up and Dropping off