Advent box

Last year I started the search for an advent calendar but I didn't get much past searching. I decided on Martha's Matchbox job for it's general simplicity and itty-bitty fun-ness but then I couldn't figure out where the matches were in the store (at the front by the ice freezers) and soon it was too late.

 This year, having gained the knowledge of where to find match boxes, I got it done. I have a ziplock baggie full of matches in my cupboard but what-cha gonna do?

 One side has numbers and the other has a picture, everyday we open a drawer, turn it around and put it back in. The only problem is I painted it up with out considering that the portion of the picture on each box would need to be both rotated and flipped in order to line up once it's turned around. Does what I just wrote make any sense? Look at drawer number 6, see how the picture doesn't line up? Bummer.

It was an easy fix though, I just turned them all around and now were working out way through turning them back again. The only difference it makes is that now the numbered side runs right to left instead of left to right. Live and learn.

I write activities on little slips of paper and slip them in everyday. I didn't stock the whole thing at the beginning because I wanted to be able to chose an activity that would fit in with the days activities. On crazy days we're apt to find a paper directing us to do something like read a Christmas book, once it even said "eat a piece of candy." On less busy days we've had things like snow paint, paper chains, baking cookies, and taking a drive to look at lights. We also took turns singing favorite Christmas carols in the glow of a flash light spot one day.

 Ah, Christmas.

 What do you think I should put in the box the day we drive to Utah? Sit in the Car and watch The Grinch over and over?

First comes love

Enzo has reached a milestone.  

He likes a girl.

She is in his preschool class.

At the Church trunk or treat he went missing.  The Mr was busy judging the chili cook off (poor guy) and I was busy taking Moo to the bathroom 3 times in 30 minutes (every time we got settled ready to start eating our dinner she'd proclaim again that she had to go) After the third bathroom trip I decided I needed to take her home so her tummy could work out it's troubles in peace.  But where was Enzo?

We looked and looked.  We looked between all the cars, we checked the dark corners, we located  his friends and ascertained that he was not with them. We looked around the two similar parties being held in other portions of the parking lot.  Couldn't find him.  Zizza sacrificed candy collecting time to help search.  Finally, we thought to check inside the building. I was sure he wouldn't be there, aside from the bathrooms the whole building was dark and lonely (or so I thought) Lo and behold, there he was in the Gym running around with Miss Cutie Pants.

Since then he's started mentioning her more and more often.  We walked by her house on the way home from preschool and he suggested we drop in and say hello, you know, since we were in the neighborhood.  He heard her name mentioned at church and immediately sat up straight and scanned the surrounding area until his eyes settled on her.

The best part is, it hasn't occurred to him to be shy or embarrassed.  We try to tease him.  "Enzo, do you like her?" and he says enthusiastically, "Yeah! she's my friend!" Sometimes we approach it from a different angle, "Do you think she's pretty?" This one generally earns a baffled stare as a response.

Last week we received her family Christmas Card.  

A photo Christmas Card.

I gave it to him.  "Hey Dude, look what we got today," A smile broke across his face when he saw her picture. He admired the card all evening.  At one point he hugged it to his chest and proclaimed "I love this piece of paper!" He asked if I'd hang it on the wall in his bedroom.  We decided instead on a place on the bottom shelf of the hutch.  It's positioned so he can rest his chin on the shelf and gaze at it.  

I hope he doesn't grow heart sick missing her over Christmas break. 

The Kids Wrote to Santa

Dear Santa,
I would like a flashlight for Christmas.  By the way, what list am I on?

Love, Zizza


Dear Santa,
I will make a new list for you.

Santa, I know that the scriptures are true! You should read them a lot.

Santa, Now I want to do the list.

I want a blue umbrella and all of the race cars I love I want.  And also a book. And I want to have a new...
some more monster trucks.

I wish I had another cat and can you please give us, our whole family a cat? And dear Santa will you please give me one more thing that's a new notebook when I'm bigger and a new pen?

Love, Enzo



Dear Santa Mrs. Claus,

I love Santa. I love Grandma, and I like love Dada.
I like you. I like Duke, I love chairs, I like books, I like pencils, I like the Christmas tree, I like the ottoman, I love our Christmas tree, I love my bowl, I like our table, I love and ride and ride and ride, go on a train. I love library books, I love making lunch and have a good quiet time.

Love, Moo Moo

The morning's emotions.

Tonight at our church the young women are babysitting.  One needs only drop one's children off and they will be played with, fed a snack, helped to make a craft of some kind.  Meanwhile the parents are free to buy stocking stuff, go out to dinner or do whatever it is they wish to do for two hours.

This service project is brilliant, perfect, inspired!  For day's I've looked forward to it.  This morning I woke, practically giddy with anticipation.  

Then I realized.

Dance.

The girl's Ballet recital is on Friday.  This means practice practice practice every evening until then.  

I was crestfallen, dejected, mournful.  Why? I asked myself. Why did I enroll my children in this time consuming activity? 

Then a glimmer of hope entered into my heart.  Hope that I'd mis-remembered the schedule.  I opened my email, I found the message outlining the weeks rehearsals. SUCCESS! JOY! JUBILATION! Tonight's practice is from 4-5.  My evening is saved.

To Enzo from Zizza

Zizza was feeling a little anxious to get a present under the tree after both Enzo and Moo got their's wrapped. (Moo bought rather than made) By Friday there was no holding her back, she simply had to get a present made.

 Another thing Zizza was distressed about during the past week was her lack of play dates. (I hate that term, I don't use it myself (wait, I just did) but I lack the power to expel it from the vocabulary of my children) Enzo and Moo had both played with friends during the week and she had not. This simply was not fair.

As luck, and strategic planning would have it, I downed the two birds with a single stone.

 On Friday after school we invited her friend over to play and together they made air planes as gifts for their respective little brothers. The idea came from Pinterest. We had, a good plan for what Ziz would make for Enz already but she chucked it when she saw the shampoo bottle planes.   Here you see how our's turned out.

The girls had fun making them and I think they'll be well received, but I'm not too sure how well they'll hold up. My fingers are crossed for the strength of the hot glue. The total cost of this project was $3.50(ish) for a pack of 5 colors of tape. Not too shabby.

 I'm pleased to report that  I've not heard a word of complaint from my dear Ziz on either front in over twenty-four hours. In other words, our Friday afternoon was a complete success.

More Christmas Music

Remember how I was all Christmas Music-y early in the holiday season this year? Here's the sad thing about that. I can't find any of my Christmas Music.

 It wasn't too bad at first. When I was listening on the sly before Thanksgiving it didn't bother me too much just listening to the Christmas Station on the radio. I can't really relax and listen to that though, because I'm always afraid that shoe song will come on and ruin my day.

 I hate that song with a startling intensity. In so much that I had to stop myself from typing the worn "damn" about five times during the composing of the past two sentences.  Not only is the song pure awful, it's also catchy so if perchance I wind up listening to it, days pass before I can chase the horror out of my head.

If you don't know what song I'm talking about count yourself lucky. Don't go and investigate to see if it really is as bad as I say it is, just trust me and live a blissful life, free and unencumbered. Honestly, it's a sickness.  I've been forced to leave a store before when that song came on because try as I might to endure I couldn't take another second of it. You don't need that in your life.

 The other problem with radio Christmas music is commercials. I live a relatively commercial free life. Sure, I see billboards (especially in Utah, what is with Utah and the billboards anyway?) and internet adds but I mostly only listen to Car Talk on the radio and I don't ever and I mean ever watch live T.V. so willingly subjecting myself to commercials on the radio is a tough burden to bear.

 Anyway, back to the matter at hand. I was able to deal with the radio before Thanksgiving because I knew (or thought) my own favorites were there waiting for me on the other side with a promise that as soon as I'd eaten my Turkey and felt properly thankful I could pull all the Christmas paraphernalia out from under the stairs and there would be my CD's packed happily in their box and the sun would shine it's happy face down on everyone and everything even the bugs and the worms THE END (name that book)

 But the CD's weren't in any of the Christmas boxes.

They also weren't in any of the CD cases. Or the cabinet in my sewing room where I've got a few others stashed.

 This means that in my car we're still listening to the radio. The other day the song came on. (shudder) I'd let my guard down so far that I listened past the opening chords almost to the onset of the lyrics before I realized the dire straights I was in and turned it off.

 In the house there's a Trans Siberian Orchestra CD, and there's Pandora so things are pretty ok but Zizza does continue to try to turn on the Radio.

 I can't handle the radio in the house. For one thing, commercials as background with the kids making kid sounds and the dog barking at the tree branches outside and all. For another thing, what if the song came on while I was more than arms length from the off button? Huh? What then?

 The good news is new CD's are on their way. The Mr, armed with a hard drive full of music and a little help from his good friend Amazon is coming to my rescue, and not a moment too soon.