SPT: It's Ornamental, My Dear Lelly

We have an ornament tradition at our house too.  Every year we all get a new ornament to add to the tree.  The tree used to be mostly berries and bows with a few ornaments, but this year we didn't even have room for the bows.  The thing about eating an elephant applies to Christmas trees as well, apparently.  The only sad thing about this tradition is when the process reverses itself and my kids leave our little nest taking their stash of ornaments with them.  I can just picture us twenty years from now tying bows on our empty tree.  Gulp.  Oh, that already hurts.

Here is my SPT for tonight...it took quite a bit of coercion to make this happen.  I will let you imagine the groans.

Whhhyyyyy do we have to do this?

Um...some lady in North Carolina that I've never met would like to see them.

Huh?

Somehow the explanation died on my lips.  Blogging is a wonder that is sometimes quite unexplainable.

Here are our ornaments from this year.

Can you guess mine?

With a little more "persuasion," I was able to manage this:

3 Nuts at the Nutcracker

I have been waiting my whole life to take my girls to the Nutcracker.

Friday night was finally our date with destiny.

We went to the Arts Center where Ballet Etudes put on the Nutcracker and it was gloriously fun to be all-dressed-up and out-on-the-town with my two girls.

We had a dinner at a "fancy" restaurant where Olivia said with complete incredulity, "Wow, Mom, this is better than McDonald's."  As if she could hardly believe that was possible.  (Our cultural experiences are, apparently, sadly lacking.)  They even served sorbet between courses...the girls were in complete astonishment...sherbet before dinner!?

 

We only get about three times a year where it actually rains and Friday night just happened to be one of those nights.  And it was coming down!  Of course we don't even own an umbrella, so we were pretty wet (deluged!) by the time we made it to the Nutcracker.  I actually had to take off my heels, hike up my floor-length skirt and run for it.  The girls found this delightfully improper.

The ballet was beautiful, Tchaikovsky's music incredible, and my girls we're completely mesmerized by the story and costumes and amazing dancing.  I loved sitting in the dark performance hall, watching the expressions on my girls' faces as the ballet unfolded before them, and I found this night with my girls as magical as Clara must have found hers.

Word of the Week: Sedulous

sedulous /adj./ persistently or carefully maintained. diligent in application or attention.  persevering, determined.  plugging. tireless.

sedulous /adj./  1.  I wish I hadn't chosen "sedulous" for the word of the week.  It seemed to define my whole week, and made me wish I had chosen "felicity" or "ameliorate" or even "rapture."  I could use some rapture.

sedulous /adj./  2.  My Christmas cards are still in a terrifying state of undone-ness.  David was my sedulous administrative assistant yesterday, trying to help me find correct addresses and enter them into the computer.  This was a monumental job.   My version of an address book is  just a big file (my idea of organization...ha!) where I throw scaps of paper with addresses scribbled on them (with or without a NAME!).  Yesterday I found three addresses just for Kelly jammed into this "file."   Then comes the exciting game of "Name The Current Location!"  And this is only half the battle...I did work sedulously on my Christmas letter this week, but it still needs to be folded and stuffed, not to mention writing the actual cards.  

sedulous /adj./  3.  It was also another week of sedulous work in the kingdom of God, culminating with a talk I had to give yesterday in sacrament meeting.  (So happy to have that out of my head.)  My assigned topic was our 2008 YM/YW theme "Steadfast and Immovable" from Mosiah 5:15.  (See, even the talk theme was just more synonyms for "sedulous."  Crazy.) 

sedulous /adj./  4.  Yesterday was my mom's 58th birthday.  She is the very definition of "sedulous."  Everything in her life has been carefully maintained, and she is the most persevering, tireless person I know.  She raised nine children, and I cannot comprehend the kind of commitment and covenant and "plugging" resolve that required.  Most days I wonder, "How did she do this?"  She is a wonder and wonderful.  And I love her.   I see how she gave up her life for me and spent every day sedulously working for my blessing.  Happy Birthday, Mom.

sedulous /adj./  5.  I'm not sure how to talk about this last definition, other than by saying that some weeks it is easier to be sedulous than others.  Some weeks the fetal position looks entirely more inviting than the plugging tirelessness required to keep going.  Sometimes perseverance requires real, concerted, purposeful effort.  This week was like that for me.  But through it all, I felt the tender mercies of the Lord surrounding me.  He is always there for me, and I offer my humble testimony that He knows me and takes sedulous care of my heart. 

He Might Look Like Me, But He is DEFINITELY His Father's Son

One of David's most charming (and little known) quirks is that he sometimes mixes up his compound words and idiomatic expressions....

I still remember the time he said, "That fits him to a Q!"  (Tee hee.)  Or "He really went off on his soapdish on that one."

Ethan has apparently inherited this delightful quality.

He keeps telling me, "Mom, I love my beanstalk." 

It took me a while to figure out he meant "stocking."

His beanstock. 

Do you all have your beanstocks hung?

Word of the Week: Dragoon

dragoon /vt./  to force someone to do something. coerce.

dragoon /vt./ 1.  Mostly by guilt and even a few tears, my children finally dragooned me into putting up the Christmas decorations.  I don't know why I detest this job so much, but the deed is done.  My real problem is that I think Christmas decorations look absolutely garish in the light of day, and only really like them twinkling away at me at night.   Also, it really has been too hot to even think about Christmas.  Then Friday, it clouded up and rained (real winter weather for sure) and so I pulled out the boxes.  Honestly, I am a big fan of the old-fashioned English Christmases...where you go gather holly and pine boughs on Christmas eve, light some candles and (voila!)...one magical night to celebrate the birth of the King of Kings.

(my new wool wall...it's supposed to be snowman supplies...minus the snow.)

dragoon /vt./  2.  Our bishop asked the young women to clean the church every Saturday until the end of the year.  I felt put-out, over-worked, and a bit fed-up.  All week, I fussed inside between acknowleding that I was lucky to have a building to clean and worship in, and feeling dragooned into giving up my precious Saturday morning for "more church service."  (Prone to wander, Lord I feel it.  Prone to leave the God I love.  Oh, yes.)  I had a wonderful experience, though, cleaning and scrubbing with "my girls" (who only needed gentle persuasion to show up and help...they are so good.)  I felt lighter and happier as I left that building than I have this whole holiday season.   And wondered, again, why I have to be dragooned into doing anything for the Lord...because, as usual,  any bread I cast upon the water, comes back toasted and buttered.

dragoon /vt./  3.  We went to Amy and Jim's house last night for dinner.  (I know, I know...lucky me.)  This was the first time we've ever really met Jim (he doesn't remember us from the wedding reception...other things on his mind apparently).  He said he was being dragooned into being "demure" for our benefit...but I believe he really is that charming and gracious.  The food was incredible...even cake for dessert.  (I never get to the cake part of hosting...just getting the meal on is a job.)  The conversation and the company were even better than the food (and that is saying something!) and I was again so grateful for the forces that have been at work to bring us back together.   And even better than just back together...together with "our one-and-only's" which somehow made us more complete and whole than I remember.  We had to dragoon the kids into the car when it was time to leave...they begged and begged to stay...and Jim offered the spare room.  I can't wait to have them over this way...we don't have a spare room though, so they'll have to bring sleeping bags. 

Word of the Week: Liberally

Liberally /adv./ 1.  I love to make apple pie and I consider it one of my gifts.  The secret:  three kinds of apples (one of which must be Granny Smith and one of which must be Golden Delicious) liberally piled so that your top crust climbs at least four inches above the top of your pie plate.  A mountain of sweet, apple-ly goodness.  I also eat these pies liberally (another gift)...it is good for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with snacks in-between...I can't let my blood sugar drop too low, you know.

Liberally /adv./ 2.  We found out this month, once again, how very liberally the Lord has blessed us.  We copied Annalisa's idea and made a chain of thankful leaves, adding to it every night.   When I announced the "last night" all the kids begged to continue it through the end of November.  I gave in.

 Some of my favorite "leaves" were:

"I am thankful for food."  (This was found several times in the chain...when I told them to think of something besides food, I got lots of variations like "breakfast" and "mom's cooking."  Apparently I'm not the only one with blood sugar issues.)

"I am thankful for cheese.  P.S.  I love you."  (I'm not sure if the "I love you" was directed at the cheddar or the gouda, but...)

"I am thankful to be a Primary teacher."  (I told him so.)

"I am thankful for the sacrament."  (I am humbled by my own son, every day.)

Liberally /adv./ 3.  I am most thankful for my Savior's constant goodness.  His love and grace liberally offered are always extended "in a generous manner,  openhandedly, munificently,  unstintingly, freely and generously."  He is truly my fount of every blessing. I cannot adequately express the depth of my gratitude, so I offer this song instead.  It says what I cannot.

Thanksgiving Leftovers

Here is a rather lengthy recap of our Thanksgiving festivities...

WEDNESDAY...

Wednesday was "pie-day," which is really one of my favorite days of the entire year.  I absolutely love the domesticity of it...the apron, the smells, the chopping and stirring, the nurturing feeling of pies cooling on the counter.   Other than my September canning days, nothing compares to the simple joy of this kind of creation for me.   Plus, I have a gift for apple pies.   Really.

Amidst all the cooking, Olivia was afraid I would forget her little Thanksgiving program at school.  And I found a number of these in strategic locations around the house.

I did not forget. 

All of my brothers and their "extensions" were in town this year for Thanksgiving, so we all went bowling on Wednesday night.  I actually tied Dave's score on one of our games!  This is significant only because he is extremely competitive when it comes to bowling scores, tennis games, or scrabble tournaments.  (Even if we are playing strip-scrabble...he hates to lose.)

Here are Olivia and Savannah with their cousin Emma squeezed in between.  They had a big "sleep over" after the bowling.  (Not much sleeping, of course, but lots of cousin-time.)

THURSDAY...

Dave and the kids got up bright and early to run in the Turkey Trot, which is such a big tradition here.  

We did get a picture of everyone together on Thanksgiving afternoon...which was surprisingly painless and long overdue.

(There were three pregnant ladies in the picture this year.  I was secretly thankful I wasn't one of them.)

FRIDAY...

Another bright and early morning.  My brother, Christian, is getting married in January and so we had a bridal shower for his bride-to-be early Friday morning at Crackers and Co.  It was obscenely early, but Jared and Jacob were flying out with their families, so we made it work.  And on the plus side, it wasn't quite as early as Kohl's opened.   (I will never understand that madness.  I am a completely converted online shopper.) 

Most of the rest of the weekend was games and eating, all with family.  My kids were in heaven and we are all tiredly happy.  I did get to go fabric shopping at Zoe's with two of my sisters-in-law and my mom on Saturday afternoon...and we even got in a bit of quilting.  (We were working on our block-of-the-month quilt.  My sister, Emily, said, "So which month is this...November or December?"  We said, "Uh, September."  Oh, well.  Better late than never.)  My quilting was sadly sloppy, but I've decided just to make it work.  I'm tired of cleaning up, even after myself.

A Post to Peppermint

No, not the candy.

But everything else.  I love all things peppermint.

The Patty.

My favorite line from last night's holiday special:  "Let's not play games, Chuck."  She is so fabulous.

The Shampoo and Lotion.

 

Last year, my good friend Merri gave me this combination for Christmas.  I LOVE it.   Bath and Body Works only makes it at Christmas time, though, so you better stock up.  I went back for more in February and was inconsolable.  The shampoo makes my brain tingle every morning.  I'm so happy it's back in my shower.  As for the lotion...I love smelling like candy and winter and snow.  Once when I was wearing it at church, I heard the lady in front of me whisper, "Something smells delicious! What is that?" I thought, "It's  me!"   I grinned all through the meeting. 

And my new find:  The Method "Peppermint-Vanilla" Fragrance.

I love Method products, the "people against dirty."  I found these refills for their air freshners and they are, happily, the perfect holiday scent.  Not too cloying and thankfully, not piney, which drives me crazy.  I just found out they make a countertop cleaner in this same flavor.  I've got to get to Target. 

All Hallow's Eve

Okay, I hate this holiday.  But here are my darlings in all their festive splendor...

Caleb as Albus Dumbledore...by the end of the night the itchy beard and wig and annoying glasses had all disappeared into his treat bag.  

 We searched all over for wizard robes (could only find Harry Potter) and no wizard hats  (only witches).   I told Caleb he would have to start his own trend. 

He was a bit chagrined to find his jack-o-lantern looked like a "devil."  I tried to tell him that it was only a pumpkin and not a subliminal statement about him or his soul.

 Olivia as Dorothy...or as she kept calling herself "Dorothy Ann."  Don't ask me why.  I think she thought it sounded more charming.  You can't see the ruby slippers, but they were there...she even made up a song to go with them entitled "There's No Place Like Home."  I finally had to beg her to stop. 

Her pumpkin is an Olivia original...I was concerned about the bow, but she insisted that it just wouldn't be the same without it.  I confess, I must agree.

Savannah as a 50's girl...I wish the picture showed the cute poodle on her skirt.  I thought it was appropriate given her love of all things French...including the poodle.

She found the jack-o-lantern idea online and she was pleased as punch at the final product.  This is just so Savannah.

 

And of course, Ethan as Superman.  For him, the most important part of any picture is the pose.  He's always trying something new.  Just smiling is never enough.  It's usually a crazy face and a few gang signs...it looks like in this one he's going for the "I-told-you-this-scary-jack-o-lantern-is-awesome" pose.

He was a trooper--the kids had him all over the neighborhood--during trick-or-treating and he only had to lay down on the sidewalk to rest a couple of times.    (Cue Five for Fighting:  "It's not easy to be me."  I hear you, buddy.)

Disco Dave and Emily and Harley joined us for trick-or-treating.  Em and Harley stole the show, of course.  Those two little angels were devilishly cute. 

So happy to have all that behind us again...now just wrappers and mysterious goo smashed into my carpet to deal with.  This truly is the devil's holiday.