Photo 365 #138

Our Christmas celebrations began tonight with a visit to my aunt and uncle. They took us out for supper, and then we all went back to their house to open gifts. On our way there, we had to stop for some people who were crossing the street:

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A group of carolers was going from house to house on my aunt and uncle’s street. We told them what we’d seen, and my aunt said she wished she’d seen them. Thus began a conversation about caroling when we were younger, and as we each shared our memories, the group reached us, so we all headed to the door to listen.

Well, all of us except the boys. They were too busy playing with the toy nativity set on the coffee table.

It was a perfect night for caroling – it wasn’t too cold, a light snow was falling, and everyone’s spirits were high. I haven’t been caroling since I was a kid, and I remember it being much colder then (though that could have been because we didn’t walk – we did more of a singing hayride sort of thing). I haven’t even seen carolers in a very long time, so this really made my night.

Do you go caroling, or have you in the past?

(c) 2014. All rights reserved.

Photo 365 #137

It’s been gray and foggy and rainy here for a good week now, maybe even a little longer. I love the atmosphere fog brings with it – I find it very inspiring – but at this time of year, I also find it rather depressing. Winter is such a dreary time of year anyway, and the fog doesn’t help.

Hence today’s picture, a reminder of sunnier times:

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I miss the sun.

We had so much snow for Thanksgiving that it felt like Christmas had arrived a month ahead of schedule. But it’s been so warm (relatively speaking) lately that what snow we had has all melted, and now it feels more like November than November ever did.

All of this makes it hard for me to believe that in just three short days, it’ll be Christmas. And seriously, they’ll be short days – tonight we celebrated Miss Tadpole’s birthday, and my in-laws were able to make it for the first time in a very long time, which made the evening extra special. Tomorrow night we’re having Christmas with my family, and I still have gifts to wrap for them, so I’m really glad I’ll have a little time to do that in the morning.
We’re celebrating with our kids on Christmas Eve, then doing stockings on Christmas morning, then another family Christmas on Sunday…

It’s a good thing I’m not back to work yet, because just thinking about all of that is making me tired. Er, more tired. I love the holidays, but I’m feeling so run-down this year that it’s hard to feel my usual Christmas spirit. Hopefully I’ll be back to my usual carol-singing self this time next year.

How has this Christmas differed from prior years for you? Is the change for better or for worse?

(c) 2014. All rights reserved.

Photo 365 #136

Yep, it’s another Christmas tree picture:

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Seymour’s had Data for longer than I’ve known him, but the Enterprise is a recent acquisition.  I told Seymour and Bubbles they’d wear out the batteries on it the other night; as we were setting up the tree, they kept pushing the ornament’s play button so they could hear the intro from Star Trek: The Next Generation.  It was awfully funny, and reminded me of when I was a kid.  My grandma used to have these bird ornaments that would sing when you tapped their beaks.  Her cardinal ornament was my favorite; they have such a pretty song.  I’m pretty sure I wore out its batteries. 🙂

In the end, we decided that, so long as no one shows the boys how it works, our pretty ornament will live to speak another year.

What are some of your favorite ornaments?

(c) 2014.  All rights reserved.

Photo 365 #134

Back at the beginning of the month, the boys got some early Christmas gifts from Santa Claus when he stopped by the annual Kauffman Christmas. Among other things, each of their stockings contained a Li’l Swimmer, a motorized fish bath toy. Cricket’s was a great white shark, which he thought was the coolest thing ever. Thumper’s was a clown fish:

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That’s right, Thumper got Nemo.

Anyway, we finally pried the new toys free from their layers of packaging last night at bath time, and Cricket thought his shark was totally, completely, and in all other ways, awesome. Jaws zipped round the tub amid squeals of delight (and my off-key attempt at humming a few certain notes from a famous movie).

But there were also more than a few squeals of terror, especially after Nemo joined in the fun. Thumper was scared of his shiny new bath toy! I felt bad for him because he’d really looked forward to playing with it.

Tonight then, on our way home from a Christmas party, we missed our turn and ended up a few miles further east than we should have been. As we were discussing where and when to turn around, Thumper spoke up from the back of the car: “Just keep swimming, just keep swimming…”

So remember, when the sharks of life get you down, be they adorable battery-operated clown fish or missed turns on a darkened road, take a page from Thumper’s book and just keep swimming. Or driving. Or something.

(c) 2014. All rights reserved.

Photo 365 #128

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One of the good things about my return trip to Mayo Clinic was the opportunity to get a picture of this gorgeous poinsettia tree. I’d seen it last week when we were there for my initial consultation, but by the time I saw it, we were in a hurry to get to a couple of other places, it was late, and I just didn’t take the time to photograph it.

After trying to capture the brilliant crimson of the poinsettia near my desk at work, I wondered if I’d have to underexpose this image, but it came out perfectly on the first try. If I hadn’t been feeling so rotten (and if we hadn’t been in such a hurry to pick up the kids), I’d have played around a bit and taken a few more shots. But surgery sucks, and long post-surgery drives suck even more, so I only got one.

Still, it’s beautiful. Hope your weekend is just as rosy! 🙂

(c) 2014. All rights reserved.

Photo Friday: Cookie time, part two!

So, I’m sure you’re asking yourself how in the heck one manages to accidentally make somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 dozen cookies, right?  I know I would be if I were you.

Bubbles and Miss Tadpole have a cookie walk tomorrow, and they are each responsible for providing ten dozen cookies.  That’s 20 dozen cookies (aka a whole freakin’ lot).  Last year they both helped with the baking and whatnot, but this year we’ve been so busy that it got left to the last minute.  Bubbles is sick, so he wasn’t cooking anything for anybody, and Miss Tadpole was at school on Tuesday (aka, the only time I had to do any baking whatsoever before tomorrow), so it was on me…

Photo 365 #127

Time to visit Ye Olde Archives again, because I’m still a bit groggy:

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This is one of the first pictures of Seymour and me together with the kids.  We were out getting into the Christmas spirit at Miracle on Main, and we were just over a month away from being engaged when this picture was taken.  It was a magical time, and one I’ll always treasure.

And look how tiny the kids are!  It’s hard to believe that next year, Cricket will be the same age as Bubbles and Miss Tadpole are in this picture.  If anyone would like to donate some bricks to my “Keep the Kids Little Forever” campaign, please direct them to my email.

Cinder blocks are also welcome. 🙂

(c) 2014.  All rights reserved.

Photo 365 #125

Christmas means cookies.  Lots and lots of cookies.  At least, it has the last couple of years.

Now, I like Christmas cookies as much as the next person, and I can’t remember ever not having Christmas cookies.  But between my church’s cookie walk and the kids’ 4-H cookie walk, I’ve made more cookies the last two Decembers than I can ever remember baking.  Ever.

Cookies are serious business. :)

Cookies are serious business. 🙂

And baking cookies is pretty much how I spent my day yesterday.  It was the only day I had to get the cookies done for this weekend, so I took advantage of it – I found a recipe for some vanilla wafers that sounded promising, and I went to town.

Stop back on Friday and I’ll tell you all about how I accidentally made somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 dozen cookies.

Yes, you read that right.  See you Friday!

(c) 2014.  All rights reserved.

Photo 365 #123

Cricket loves the green monster hat that Santa brought him last year.  He loves it so much that he wore it out and Grandma had to fix it.  Now that he’s got it back, he refuses to take it off:

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He wants to eat with it on (but we have a no hats at the table rule), bathe with it on, and sleep with it on.  It reminds me of the year his godmother bought him a UNI Panthers hat for Christmas; he literally wore it to pieces.

Here’s hoping the monster hat fares better. 🙂

(c) 2014.  All rights reserved.