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30 Dec 2018

Christmas ~ what a Zoo!

Hello gang!

I promised myself, about a month ago, i would tell you about our trip to the Zoo.

You see, ever since I have belonged to this Zoo I have received emails every Christmas about their Christmas lights. The ads looked nice so I finally picked a day when I could run the girls up ( and 2 of their closest friends) to sight-see the Zoo and see how Christmasy the place can be.

Well, the day I picked….

It rained!

….but I was not going to let that dampen our fun!

But first we hung our wet socks (and sneakers) by the chimney with care.

In hopes that our pizza soon would be there….

Then it was off to the Zoo to check out some Christmas lights…

And some snake frights…

There were some big Boa’s and some small green Anacondas

Sea Lions swimming….

Maine Lobsters hiding

And mermaids posing….

~You can see how we were sticking to the inside exhibits~

There were tiny Koala Bears

And huge sleeping Grizzly Bears

These I wanted to be especially careful towards.

I can picture the fierceness of a Grizzly when woken up from his winter nap!

I did not want my rowdy kids running by here and waking these sleeping giants up!

Oh wait!

They did!

They did wake them up…

There was ol’ Huck Finn Grizzly, with the piece of straw hanging out of his mouth saying,

“Scratch my belly!”

Maybe he was not so fierce after all?

All the gorillas were in their cage and out of the cold rainy night.

This smaller gorilla was hiding something and getting fed by the Zoo staff….

Oh wait again!

She was holding her little baby!

She held it up once for all on lookers (both of us) to take a picture of, like any proud Mum would do.

But a rainy night it was .

Bearly (get it?) anyone was there.

But I was not going to let that spoil the umbrella of luxury and fun I provided for the girls.

So Santa provided….

an umbrella so they could stay dry(er)….

….while they caught marshmallows on fa-fa-fa-fire.

It was chilly!

But that did not stop my school of Christmas elves from making the most of it and having a great time!

Did somebody say, ‘PRESENTS?’

That’s it for now boys and girls.

I will try to do a better job next time!

Until then, please enjoy whats left of this fabulous time of year.

Stay warm.

Stay dry.

Stay Healthy!

And give somebody a hug.

And lets see what new changes this new year may bring!

Merry Christmas Week everyone!

Posted in Archives and tagged Auld Lang Syne, bears, christmas, christmas elves, christmas lights, gorillas, stockings, zoo

22 Dec 2018

6 Comments

Christmas Eve, 1965

CHRISTMAS EVE

This I would keep forever in my heart

Among the things that ruthless years may leave;

The glad excitement, wonder, and delight

Of Christmas Eve.

This I would hold untarnished through the years,

Although the roads I take may lead me far,

The radiant molten Joy of the light

From one white star.

And oh, to keep the breathlessness, the thrill,

My heart’s swift running out to meet Surprise,

Never to lose entirely the light

Of childhood from my eyes;

Never to lose the Christmas morning joy,

And never the quick bright eagerness to give-

God, someway let my spirit keep the shine

Of Christmas while I live.

By Grace Noll Crowell

Christmas Ideals Magazine, 1965

Posted in Archives and tagged A Christmas Story, christmas, Christmas Ideals, O Holy night

19 Dec 2018

22 Comments

Sometimes kids just don’t understand…

Forgive me, this is yet another reblog from a Christmas long ago (5 years 12/19/2013). From back when I still was creative and these darn kids didn’t wear me out so much. And since lots of things are going on right now, let me introduce you to 3D of Christmas’s past….

Merry Christmas week everyone!

Hello Life in 2D! Yes I said 2D today. I am just feeling uninspired this week. You know, with the Big Day coming up. Things to do. Do we have enough time? Wrap all the gifts. Other than trips to the doctor I’m just not feeling so inspired this week. Just kinda tired.

I do my best thinking in the shower.

Seriously!

The down side to ‘brainstorming’ in the shower is that there is nothing to write with. So I have to hurry up before I run out of hot water.

So this is what I came up with…

My 3 year old still wants to know why Santa didn’t bring her presents last night, since we have all these decorations up?

I try to show her the Advent calendar but she still doesn’t understand. So it had me thinking about some of the other things our kids don’t quite grasp about Christmas.

Here is a Top Ten List of things our kids just don’t understand about Christmas:

1.   Some of Santa’s elves just wrap toys better than others. It has nothing to do with skill or the amount of time left to wrap them.
2.   The being “Naughty” or “Nice” list does not begin two weeks before Christmas. Santa and Santa’s elves actually DO watch them all year long.
3.   You can’t play with just one toy before opening every package that Santa and your grandparents bring.
4.   The elves designed some toy packages to ‘ship safely’ and not packaged to immediately play with. Dad just needs some breakfast Christmas morning before he commits to untangling the maze of wires and twists or ‘assembly’ in order to get to the toy; or else it could get broken Christmas morning.
5.   If a toy breaks Christmas morning Santa can not bring you a new one over night. A whole new ‘Naughty or Nice’ list begins Christmas morning.
6.   Santa can make it down the chimney. Sometimes he just needs to make several trips. There is no need to leave the door open this year; or a window open over night.
7.   Santa’s presents really DO have something to do with somebody’s birthday. Just not their birthday.
8.   The toys are not more important than the thought or the love behind them; even the sweaters or the books you did not ask for.
9.   Santa only makes the toys. He does not bring the batteries too.
10.   Mommy and Daddy really do want to take a nap after opening all the gifts that morning.

No Dylan. You cannot make an ornament stick on the tree by pressing on the tree

What are some other things your kids do not understand about Christmas?

Please feel free to offer them below. Maybe one of us has an explanation. And there is no such thing as exaggerating too much.

Go ahead…embellish!

Merry Christmas!

Posted in Archives and tagged christmas, christmas tree, daddy, elves, jesus birthday, mommy, Naughty and nice, Santa, toys, we ran out of tape, who left the door open

03 Dec 2018

12 Comments

Advent Sunday

Mom(riding in the car): So Dad, you want a digital clock for Christmas this year?

Dad: Well, yes, a clock with an alarm.

Mom: A clock with dual alarms!

Dad: Yes. And Digits! Dylan don’t you want a digital clock for Christmas too? You haven’t mentioned it yet?

Dylan: Nah, I’m asking for a lot of things already.

Dad: A lot of things? I only know of a handful of things you are wanting for Christmas?

Dylan: I know. I am telling the rest to Santa Clause.

Dad: How?

Dylan: In a letter. I’m testing this whole Santa Clause theory, to see if I only ask Santa for toys but don’t tell Mom and Dad, to see if I still get everything I asked for from Santa or not.

Dad: Well good luck with that!

(Note to self… the oldest one has out smarted me again!)

No Miracles Of Christmas this year for that one!

December started off with a mini celebration. I had my annual cancer check up with Dr. O.

He said I was perfect. That there was no cancer detectable.

So once again I celebrated with my donuts!

You have to die of something, right?

So the weekend rolled around and with it the start of December, which my kids know all too well as the day that Lana, our Elf On The Shelf arrives!

They were excited about it too!

The enjoyed some of the shenanigans ol’ Lana got into last Christmas.

Well Saturday, they eventually did find her as we were unpacking some Christmas decorations, laying face down in a box, with other Christmas decorations.

So Dylan (the kid with Santa’s email apparently) left her a note to pick out her stocking.

The next Day Lana did not disappoint!

She hung the stocking she wanted up with the rest of our family’s Christmas stockings, where we hang Grandma’s stocking actually, she threw Grandma’s stocking on the floor and then tried to blend in with our family other ways…

I should not complain too much. I hear some of these Elves On Shelves are quite mischievous!

Trying to steal the Star off the tree…

So I feel a bit relaxed for the Elf that Santa sent to our home.

(Hmmm…I wonder of Lana can get a hold of Dylan’s Christmas list this year?)

Later this weekend we went hunting for our annual Christmas tree to decorate.

I hear this year’s supply of tree’s was down. And I did have a hard time finding one the size that we usually get.

But I did find this big, thick one…

This may be our biggest one to date!

So I got a new tree stand to hold a bigger tree and another string of lights to let the girls have at it!

And midway through the first Sunday of Advent the chore was done!

Tree up..Check

Lights and ornaments up..Check

Needles swept up … Check

Train set up…Check

Christmas Village, Dickens’s people and forest trees set up…Check

Old brick border taped, stapled and thumb-tacked up…Check

Sweep for more needles…check

Griswold Tree Lighting snafu…. ahh..well that happened Thanksgiving…..when me Smoker caught fire..

Voilà!

And so endth the first Sunday of Advent!

It was busy and tiring but rewarding!

Christmas is coming… are you ready, as we celebrate the birth of baby Jesus?

We are getting there. But right now I am ready to call it a night.

Thanks for dropping by everyone! Let the Season begin!

I will try to do a better job next time knuckleheads cause it is late.

“Lana, can you get me another egg nog? And where’s Dylan’s list?”

Posted in Archives and tagged advent, advent sunday, birthday Jesus, let's celebrate, out smarted by a 10 year old again

15 Nov 2018

13 Comments

Halloween 2018

I know, I know… Halloween was so last month.

I am sorry.

I was either out of town mentally or physically these last few weeks but I did want to try to squeeze in a Halloween post for friends and family before I get a holiday behind…ahhh….

I mean, get behind one holiday post when another holiday comes.

I am such a procrastinator.

Anyway, here are fun, happy, sweet pictures of my two little delicate flowers…

Ahhh…

How embarrassing.

They seem to be beating up my Halloween decorations.

At first they were both going to be Greek Goddesses. You know how I like a Greek Goddess. But after wearing her’s for 3 days in a row, Dylan decided to make her own outfit by combining a Super Girl top with a Wonder Woman bottom.

Skye, and her goddess self (she is Greek after all), stayed home this year to hand out candy with mom while lil D and I hit the pavements in search of some treats.

Again the neighborhood did not disappoint as far as the decorations.

These people really go all out!

When I was little all we put out was a jack-o-lantern with a candle inside…that never seemed to make it through the night

This house, D and I both thought the Lord of the Rings looking guy was part of the decorations. But the stolic relic moved!
And handed out some candy..

Creepy!

And as the sun began to set, the neighborhood began to come alive with lights and tricks and treats…

Spooky!

One of my fav houses actually had a sign out front “Trick Or Drinks” in which they had a picnic table set up with cold local microbrews..

It was a popular house with the adults!

So since it was at the end of our walk,

…and we were headed home soon I thought I might try a Lowcountry Lager,

prostate be damned! (cool Halloween pun)

I did not go all out decorating at our house this year.

Why?

Come on!?

Its football season! My weekends are tied up!

But I did get lots of rav-reviews for one decoration, my fountain of blood.

mawah ha-ha-ha-ha (scary laugh)

So you wanted to know what I was dressed up as?

I know what you are thinking….

This year I dressed up as a parent

…and a 3-headed monster…

mawah ha-ha-ha-ha

No really cool videos this year, but I did reminisce about one from years gone by as our little D went door to door. And then at the end of the video the little 3 year old divides up her candy booty and organizes it.

She separates it for a special surprise celebration….her marriage.

If you can stomach family videos the end is too cute! But I have to say that.

The video actually starts out at a Halloween 5K I was in, then moves over to our local Texas Roadhouse where the manager had a fondness for our girls ( I do not mean that in a creepy way)