Christmas

There are many events that signal the start of the Christmas season, but here is the list of my favorite happenings.

1. Advent calendars and books.  The tree going up.
2. The Redeemer Pageant.  I love watching the kids sing the carols and do the nativity play.  I have been to probably 10-12 of them.
3. The McDonogh lower school's Peace & Light choral concert.  This was my 10th performance to attend.  It drags on a bit sometimes, but the songs are beautiful.  The kids are all in their dress clothes and look so happy.   This year's stage was especially pretty.  I should have taken a picture.
4. The kids and I have a Christmas Eve party every year.  It is always fun!  I always have a big ham, it is a big hit.  We then use the ham for Christmas morning to have Eggs Goldenrod.  I hide the pickle ornament and the finder gets a present.  We generally have approx. 20 kids running around.  An elf brings each of them a present.  It ends with the "Night Before Christmas" being read and reindeer food being tossed out in the driveway. 

This year I am making ice lanterns again.  Last year I wasn't organized.  The year before was a bust, because we had a heat wave and wind.  This year will be my year.  It sounds fancy, but I just make ice in containers and put a votive inside.  Teri said bundt pans, because the votives sit lower in the center.

My December quilt has been up, I just haven't posted a picture. It is felt this time, I used the leftovers from a preschool project.  I think I am going to finally buy a good camera, every picture I add stinks.  This was the last quilt of 2010!

The kids and I went to the school holiday bazaar.  I gave each of the wild ones $10 to spend as they wanted, Mom did no censoring.  It is interesting to see what they do with it.  Ian did the games.  Ellen bought a bracelet.  Ned bought candy, bake sale goodies and pop.  He had a spectacular melt-down at the end of the day and put himself to bed at 4:30. 

Last night I finished a good book.  I had seen it in the bookstore for the last couple years, but never picked it up.  I thought it was going to be another "Marley and Me", a cute but trite, smarmy book. My friend told me I should read "The Art of Racing in the Rain"  and it was excellent.  It is the story of a family told from the dog's perspective.  The main character is from Spangle, WA.  My dad's family is from Spangle.  When we go to Washington we stay in Spangle.  The story really takes in Seattle, but Spangle is mentioned several times.  The book has some dark turns, but is written well.  I enjoyed it very much. I am now reading "A Mennonite in a Little Black Dress".  It is a memoir and actually "laugh-out-loud" funny.  I actually despise saying LOL, next time I will use a better adjective.  Lately, books say they are funny, but I don't really find myself laughing.  This book is making me laugh. I never know if memoirs really are true, they keep having their veracity questioned.  The last memoir I read was excellent, but made me sad that it was true.