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All over the place.
Dec. 12th, 2009 04:21 amWe are deeply immersed in the Christmas season.
A few days ago, it was St Nicholas day, and Isaac and I read books about St Nicholas that led to aaaaaaaaaaaaaaall kinds of conversation, and set up our whole nativity set, just the two of us.
Last night, the kids and I went to a big Tree Lighting the city put on - it was outside in a park with a bandshell and involved choir and dance company performances from local schools as well as Santa Claus and all the free candy canes people could eat, followed by a hugely projected movie we all sat around on blankets and in camping chairs to watch (classic Rudolph). It was pretty fun - we saw some adult people we knew and a few of my older kids' friends were there for them to run around with, and Grant was able to join us for the movie part.
Tonight, we went to St Louis for their Family Adoration Ministry, which aside from adoring the blessed sacrament involved prayers, singing and everyone bringing the Baby Jesus part of their nativity sets to be blessed, which my kids thought was awesome. Ananda and Aaron were pestering me about when we were going to get to go do this 5 times a day since we heard about it during Mass on Sunday morning. They were actually all eager for turns holding it on the way up and back, Elise was clutching this porcelain infant to her chest and kissing it's head the whole way up in the van. This was another "Grant met us there right after work" event.
A and A pooled their money to get a 3.5 foot (live) table top tree the other day when we were grocery shopping. Last year I scored this box of about 30 bird ornaments, all clear, white or frosted glass, in many different shapes and types - for $10 with shipping, from eBay. So this tree is on our bar is the bird themed tree, with white lights. We just decorated it tonight. This is as opposed to the large main Christmas tree we have in the library, which my mother was kind enough to buy for us, and is 6', covered in colored lights and hodge-podged crafted ornaments (mostly tri-bead-on-pipe-cleaner candy canes, and actual candy canes googly eyed and pipe cleaner'd into looking like reindeers).
I am loving Advent this year. And I'm glad we're getting a lot out of it as a season, because Christmas itself is going to be so different. Grant has to work Christmas Eve, we're not going to Nana and Pa's, and we can't afford "big" Christmas presents by any stretch of the imagination...we kind of can't afford any, but I had already done a lot of shopping before our biggest financial woes hit (sounds ironic, doesn't it?).
It's like;
Annie has a cuorduroy owl tote bag; black tights with peace signs on them; a boxed E.B. White book trilogy, as well as 2 single books (Henry and Beezus and a very well done Rapunzel, after her middle name); a (costume, cool) owl necklace; a nightgown that matches a smaller one we got Elise; a robe like she's been asking for; and these felt letters that spell out her name that I've finally finished, to hang by her bed.
This is about the level everyone is at; Aaron's getting a couple of Choose Your Own Adventure books; this small plaster molding kit; a set of wooden brain teasers; a couple of clothing items; and a love letter pillow like he's always wanted, made by me - his will be a star shape, in shades of green and black. Isaac has a big floor puzzle of a castle; some flashcard type game I know he'll like; 3 different books including a ladybug one, a bunch more Pooh stories by an alternate author, and Walter the Farting Dog, which he will DIE over; and the flowered vine he wants for over his bed, crocheted by me.
I wasn't going to list everyone's but since I'm down to it, we have a Scholastic video set for Jake (he LOVES those Reading Rainbow style "about a book" dvds), a little boxed set of mini-Eric Carle books (he also loves tiny books), along with a vintage copy I got used of The Gingerbread Man; a bowling set; and a blanket made by me. For Elise - an outfit; sunglasses; tiny adorable purse; Tale of Jemima Puddleduck by Beatrix Potter; tiny boardbook about birds; nightgown that matches Annie's; waldorf doll made by me. Everyone gets flannel pajamas on Christmas Eve to wear to bed, and a wooden robot made by Daddy in their stocking.
So I know that is awesome, and Grandparents will be gifting too, but I am a little dissapointed because I really, REALLY wanted to get the three oldest kids bikes and there's just no way, now. A and A have really outgrown theirs and Isaac has never had one (non-trike) - we do a LOT of bike riding. There aren't really going to be "big" gifts.
There are a lot of good new things to replace good old things, like Nana and Pa's and Big Gifts, though...extra church services and Midnight Mass, extra driving to see lights, extra trees in our house (we scored a mini fake tree for ONE DOLLAR at Goodwill awhile back for the little kids' room, so now both kids' rooms have 2' trees in them covered in crafted candy canes). Grant is also using some stored up paid vacation time immediately following Christmas, to give each kid a day alone with Dad, and that is something that seriously makes them FLIP.
Alright. I just spent like 2 hours out on the couch in the tv room with Aaron, who sometimes ends up awake in the middle of the night while everyone else sleeps, and then we get this amazing time just the two of us. We read the first 3 chapters of Hatchett, stopping often to talk about everything it made him think, while wrapped up in his blanket together on the couch with his cat on top of us. I'll let him sleep in tomorrow...
Random stuff from my sleep-fogged brain:
-We cut Jake's giant awesome fro off today. It was just too much, hanging in his eyes and getting big flat patches. We found some matted clay in it last night? I mean, really... Mostly, he was asking us to cut it everyday. I was really sad initially but he LOVES his "regular" haircut, now. I ended up trimming Isaac's while I was at it, and I'm glad to say I've gotten way better with the clippers and tapered lengths and haircuts that make sense...
( My Brother...this got long and ended the whole bullet point format completely )
A few days ago, it was St Nicholas day, and Isaac and I read books about St Nicholas that led to aaaaaaaaaaaaaaall kinds of conversation, and set up our whole nativity set, just the two of us.
Last night, the kids and I went to a big Tree Lighting the city put on - it was outside in a park with a bandshell and involved choir and dance company performances from local schools as well as Santa Claus and all the free candy canes people could eat, followed by a hugely projected movie we all sat around on blankets and in camping chairs to watch (classic Rudolph). It was pretty fun - we saw some adult people we knew and a few of my older kids' friends were there for them to run around with, and Grant was able to join us for the movie part.
Tonight, we went to St Louis for their Family Adoration Ministry, which aside from adoring the blessed sacrament involved prayers, singing and everyone bringing the Baby Jesus part of their nativity sets to be blessed, which my kids thought was awesome. Ananda and Aaron were pestering me about when we were going to get to go do this 5 times a day since we heard about it during Mass on Sunday morning. They were actually all eager for turns holding it on the way up and back, Elise was clutching this porcelain infant to her chest and kissing it's head the whole way up in the van. This was another "Grant met us there right after work" event.
A and A pooled their money to get a 3.5 foot (live) table top tree the other day when we were grocery shopping. Last year I scored this box of about 30 bird ornaments, all clear, white or frosted glass, in many different shapes and types - for $10 with shipping, from eBay. So this tree is on our bar is the bird themed tree, with white lights. We just decorated it tonight. This is as opposed to the large main Christmas tree we have in the library, which my mother was kind enough to buy for us, and is 6', covered in colored lights and hodge-podged crafted ornaments (mostly tri-bead-on-pipe-cleaner candy canes, and actual candy canes googly eyed and pipe cleaner'd into looking like reindeers).
I am loving Advent this year. And I'm glad we're getting a lot out of it as a season, because Christmas itself is going to be so different. Grant has to work Christmas Eve, we're not going to Nana and Pa's, and we can't afford "big" Christmas presents by any stretch of the imagination...we kind of can't afford any, but I had already done a lot of shopping before our biggest financial woes hit (sounds ironic, doesn't it?).
It's like;
Annie has a cuorduroy owl tote bag; black tights with peace signs on them; a boxed E.B. White book trilogy, as well as 2 single books (Henry and Beezus and a very well done Rapunzel, after her middle name); a (costume, cool) owl necklace; a nightgown that matches a smaller one we got Elise; a robe like she's been asking for; and these felt letters that spell out her name that I've finally finished, to hang by her bed.
This is about the level everyone is at; Aaron's getting a couple of Choose Your Own Adventure books; this small plaster molding kit; a set of wooden brain teasers; a couple of clothing items; and a love letter pillow like he's always wanted, made by me - his will be a star shape, in shades of green and black. Isaac has a big floor puzzle of a castle; some flashcard type game I know he'll like; 3 different books including a ladybug one, a bunch more Pooh stories by an alternate author, and Walter the Farting Dog, which he will DIE over; and the flowered vine he wants for over his bed, crocheted by me.
I wasn't going to list everyone's but since I'm down to it, we have a Scholastic video set for Jake (he LOVES those Reading Rainbow style "about a book" dvds), a little boxed set of mini-Eric Carle books (he also loves tiny books), along with a vintage copy I got used of The Gingerbread Man; a bowling set; and a blanket made by me. For Elise - an outfit; sunglasses; tiny adorable purse; Tale of Jemima Puddleduck by Beatrix Potter; tiny boardbook about birds; nightgown that matches Annie's; waldorf doll made by me. Everyone gets flannel pajamas on Christmas Eve to wear to bed, and a wooden robot made by Daddy in their stocking.
So I know that is awesome, and Grandparents will be gifting too, but I am a little dissapointed because I really, REALLY wanted to get the three oldest kids bikes and there's just no way, now. A and A have really outgrown theirs and Isaac has never had one (non-trike) - we do a LOT of bike riding. There aren't really going to be "big" gifts.
There are a lot of good new things to replace good old things, like Nana and Pa's and Big Gifts, though...extra church services and Midnight Mass, extra driving to see lights, extra trees in our house (we scored a mini fake tree for ONE DOLLAR at Goodwill awhile back for the little kids' room, so now both kids' rooms have 2' trees in them covered in crafted candy canes). Grant is also using some stored up paid vacation time immediately following Christmas, to give each kid a day alone with Dad, and that is something that seriously makes them FLIP.
Alright. I just spent like 2 hours out on the couch in the tv room with Aaron, who sometimes ends up awake in the middle of the night while everyone else sleeps, and then we get this amazing time just the two of us. We read the first 3 chapters of Hatchett, stopping often to talk about everything it made him think, while wrapped up in his blanket together on the couch with his cat on top of us. I'll let him sleep in tomorrow...
Random stuff from my sleep-fogged brain:
-We cut Jake's giant awesome fro off today. It was just too much, hanging in his eyes and getting big flat patches. We found some matted clay in it last night? I mean, really... Mostly, he was asking us to cut it everyday. I was really sad initially but he LOVES his "regular" haircut, now. I ended up trimming Isaac's while I was at it, and I'm glad to say I've gotten way better with the clippers and tapered lengths and haircuts that make sense...
( My Brother...this got long and ended the whole bullet point format completely )
