Christmas Measured Very Well

(photo taken with old camera. Will be trying with new camera. These are OLD school colored lights).

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! Mine was everything that my heart desired. On Christmas Eve I had one more gift to buy and grocery shopped for Christmas Eve dinner and our Christmas Day spread. We made Christmas cookies with the cookie cutters and five colors of frosting in piping bags (I desperately need a timer as I forget about the oven and burned a bunch of them). I used Alton Brown’s cookie dough recipe and it was wonderful.

We enjoyed prime rib and mashed potatoes and Brussels sprouts I sautéed with bacon (the boys had canned green beans), and spinach salad. And brownie sundaes for dessert. On Christmas Day morning we have cinnamon rolls and then we have dinner/lunch buffet whenever I get around to it. I call it “party food”. I seriously heard one of my sons tell his Grandma on the phone that I made “party food” for Christmas dinner. I warm up a ham and rolls, microwave mac ‘n cheese, buy a shrimp cocktail ring, make broccoli casserole, crudities, dips, cheese cubes, guacamole and chips and deviled eggs…and we then eat in the family room and watch a new dvd (Night at the Museum 2).

(This is our tree two days before Christmas. It was bare under there since the Sunday after Thanksgiving when it went up. I start wrapping a few days before Christmas. We start with the gifts the brothers buy for each other. Wrap central is in our bedroom and after each gift is wrapped I put it in the hallway and slam the door back closed to do more. The boys carry them down to the tree. The excitement mounts.)

The boys don’t wake up super early anymore on Christmas and when they do they go to their stocking and keep themselves busy (those stockings were overflowing!—why do I always worry that there are not going to be enough stocking stuffers? I could do a post alone on what was in them). The two youngest boys share a room and they both got up at 8:30 a.m. Our second floor has a loft so it is easy to hear them so we got up too. We saw that the Oldest’s stocking was all over the couch so we accusingly asked the other two if they had gone through it but they had not. Surprise, surprise, Oldest had gotten up at 7:30, went through his stocking and then went back to bed. Santa always wraps his presents in red wrap, and he is so crazy busy that sometimes days later a gift is found outside in the bushes after falling out of his sack from the rooftop.

We are lucky that everyone received what they wanted, along with a few surprises.

And there was a surprise for me made on Christmas Eve by a busy elf (Hubs) in his workshop. Remember the boy’s measurements on the wall incident? A couple months ago I asked for a piece of wood – like a 4”x6” painted white so I can start charting the boys’ growth again. This is what he made:

I love the colors. I would never have the patience to paint the never end line of squiggles on each side. This is a piece of molding that has a curve—shaped just perfect for a head to line up and be measured! My new growth chart stick has now been hung in our laundry room, right above the base board (which is 3 inches so the markings are in accordance). He painted a line of every 6 inches, with 36”, 48”, 60”, 72” and 84” marked. The middle of the board has been left white and has no varnish so that I can mark a line with a fine pen with the boys’ initials and the date. I think he should sell these and ship them—don’t you think so? I saw one on the internet that looks like giant ruler and others that have “nursery room” themes, but this looks like his artwork. Oh yeah, he paints too. Here's a close up.

I told several people that on Christmas I like to stay in my pajamas until 3:00 p.m. Well, that didn’t happen. Because I stayed in them ALL day. Well, OK, I did take a walk so I changed out of them for that, but after a shower I was right back in them and my new robe.

Now it’s back to work for a few days and then another 4-day weekend. You are going to celebrate the Blue Moon on 12/31, right? It’s once every 19 years that it falls on New Year’s Eve.

It's Tradition

We started our day yesterday with our 14 year consecutive annual Christmas tradition. We took the boys to the mall to take a picture with Santa. Yes, we do indeed have two middle school sons. I know, we are crazy. But we do have a 3rd grader who still expects this.

Especially our 8th grade son has been asking us for weeks if he really has to go visit Santa, and for exactly how many more years? When they are 16? When they are a senior in high school? I have to say Hubs is pretty adamant that as long as they live with us it will be a tradition. I am on the side of the fence that believes as long as Youngest is in elementary school. This means a couple more years. Will we survive? But what would we have done this year--take only the Youngest son?? Noooo.

To top it off, the oldest son was seriously not happy about not being able to sleep in since we were leaving the house at 8:50. It is our tradition to go and get in line about 30 minutes before Santa arrives, which according to the website was to be 10:00 a.m. As it was I got up at the last possible minute, forgot my camera and saw I only managed to get one earring in.

So we get to the mall and we are one of the first waiting and fortunately there were many big chairs and love seats nearby and we sprawled with the Sunday paper. Then I found out that one son had not brushed his teeth in two days because he had strep throat earlier in the week and the nurse instructed him to get a new toothbrush but I had not yet bought him one. Could you have just not swallowed when you brushed, I asked him. Then I looked at his shoes and he was wearing old ones with a hole when he has new, nice skater shoes. And another was wearing some t-shirt--heck he gets more dressed up for school. And another had tufts of hair sticking up. So I was growling about how I suppose I still need to lay out their clothes for them still for events. Then everyone in line was grumbling because Santa was 30 minutes late. In fact, one little boy had a meltdown and the parents took him home a few minutes before he was to get in Santa's lap. We would have probably let Santa deal with him since Santa was late to arrive.

No one had kids as old as ours. I wonder if Santa was surprised at these big boys when we rounded the corner. But Santa did good and made them laugh right away. They may have been laughing at how Santa put our middle son on his knee. Even though the worker elf lady took about 3 more pictures I liked the real laughing one the best.

Our Santa Picture Day continued with us walking all over the mall looking for last minute gifts and then had lunch out. We went to a hibachi restaurant and had a good time. Later that afternoon, back at home we left the boys alone and went back out to browse around Barnes & Noble. I have been lamenting this year that buying gifts for the boys was much easier when they were younger. BUT I must say it is a huge benefit to be able to step out with Hubs and leave them home alone without paying for a babysitter. We even went out alone Friday night alone to shop at Sports Authority.

But then Sunday night the two older boys had a preteen and teen version of a long day/no nap/meltdown. And they were ugly to each other. They were in the next room from me. I was trying to read blogs and write a post of my own and I heard the two oldest going back and forth and it escalated. It made me really mad and I sent them to their rooms. And then Hubs heard about it and he got really mad and told them that they were grounded for the next few days and we'd have the cleanest house around because they'd be doing tons of chores including how to scrub the floors using a rag and a bucket on their hands and knees.

Later I think my Hubs knew I needed to hear about this as being normal because he told me that when he was their age and had three other brothers they fought a lot. It was what they did and it is what brothers do. Maybe if my Hubs weren't around I would get too involved with who said what to who. I am glad that he can relate to what it is like to have brothers and to remember being a kid with two oldest brothers who were competitive.

Today I went to work and they all stayed home and they did indeed clean the kitchen and dining room floors on their hands and knees, and their bathroom floor too. And maybe it was good timing that today was the day for another one of our traditions and that is to take out the boys individually so that they buy a gift (in the $15-$20 range) for each other. They usually do not spend their own money but today we did ask the older two to bring their wallets and spend their own money. O.K. we said they needed to pay for half of it, and they opened their wallets and did.

I am ready for our other family traditions this week and they include driving around various neighborhoods on the 23rd or 24th to check out outdoor lights and decorations and to make cookie cutter cookies for them to decorate. And our tradition on Christmas Day is for me to stay in my pajamas until 3:00 in the afternoon.

'Tis the Season for Hot Chocolate

I have mentioned here previously that the boys in my house ask about dessert every night. And this time of year they ask about hot chocolate. The temperature outside has gone up and down this past week and this morning it was down near the 30’s.

I called home as usual at 5:00 p.m. as I was getting ready to leave work and talked to Hubs:

Me: I am getting ready to come home.

Hubs: Were you going to stop by the grocery store?

Me: Yes.

Hubs: Can you get orange juice?

Me: Sure

Hubs: Oh, and the boys are asking for Nestle’s Quik to make hot chocolate.

Me: Oh yeah, definitely, they have asked all week for me to get some.

Then I drove to the store wondering why Hubs doesn’t go because he gets off of work earlier than I do. But it is OK because at the store I walked by the meat department and saw many items marked down big time so I stocked up and all the cleaning items we needed that I forgot at Target a few days ago were on sale so I got those too. I even happened to see packets of many-colored buttons for a winter craft for Youngest's winter school party. We're masters of multi-tasking aren't we......

Anyway, back in the car I called home to say I was almost there and to make a request:

Youngest: Hello?

Me: Hi Oldest!

Youngest: No, it’s me.

Me: No way--you sounded so old! Anyway, I am almost home so can you tell Dad to put the Tyson chicken fillets into the oven and start to boil water for the mac n’ cheese.

Youngest: OK. But wait—Mommy—did you get the ‘Quik?

Me: Yes I did.

Youngest: YESsssssssssss!!

I park in the garage and Youngest comes out to help with groceries from my trunk, wanting to carry in the bag that has the Nesquik. Middle was there too help with the groceries. Oldest then comes into the kitchen and asks if I bought the ‘Quik.

I think you get the picture. I’m just glad that it doesn’t take a lot to make these guys happy around here. Oh, and I made everyone leave the kitchen and digest for an hour before I make the hot chocolate. But now it’s time. Who likes marshmallows in theirs?

(How do you make your hot chocolate because I am totally open for any new recipes on this. I heat up milk in a saucepan and pour into mugs that have Quik in them and stir. Youngest puts marshmallows on top).

The Year We Got Away for Christmas

Sixteen years ago my husband and I had been married for several years, were dual-income with no kids, and awfully worn out from many Christmas breaks spent driving umpteen hours to visit both our parental families in separate states on our few days off. In fact Christmas of 1992 was so stressful in between driving through three states to visit one family the 23^rd to 26^th and the other the 27^th to 29^th of December and not spending any time at our first new house--that we vowed the following year to treat ourselves to a getaway. I’m leaving out half of the story but trust me when I say Christmas break was the pits, and back to work we went, you know with the one or two week’s of vacation days off per year.

True to our vow, the following year we made plans for a getaway Christmas alone and made memories we still share all these years later. One family member did not understand and gave us a hard time before Christmas saying it was not a good idea. Another family member thought it was a great plan—that Michele and her Hubs would always have this one year where we did our own thing for Christmas.

We drove to Charleston, SC on 12/20 and stayed three nights at a lodge that had been built in the 1700’s. We had long lunches, explored shops and old houses.

On 12/23 we drove up the coast of South Carolina and into North Carolina. I had found a bed and breakfast in Beaufort, NC (near Ocracoke Island and areas where Blackbeard would hang out). This was before the internet and corresponded with the Inn on the phone to make our arrangements. As we got closer we passed some dilapidated houses, not sure what our bed and breakfast would look like. Hubs was teasing, “OK, what have you signed us up for???” No worries—our B&B was charming with a two-room suite on the upper floor and a gourmet restaurant for dinner on the main level, and as you can imagine we had the whole place to ourselves except for dinnertime.

The family who ran the B&B was a couple in their late 40’s and they had two sons and two daughters between the ages 16 to 24 or so—some home from college. The wife was the gourmet cook and the kids helped out as the waiters and helpers. On Christmas Eve night we were in our room that looked like this:

And we heard this huge family fight downstairs late at night. One son said loudly, “Of course you take his side! I have ALWAYS been the black sheep in this family!” There was shouting and arguing and maybe a sob or two. We were under the covers listening to this and couldn’t help but laugh a little. On Christmas morning we found a bottle of wine from Santa outside our door.

At breakfast the mom apologized and hoped we hadn’t heard too much or that they hadn’t been too loud. Hubs said, “No need to apologize. It was just like being at home!”

In Beaufort we also had some wonderful lunches out, explored many houses and cemeteries from the 1700’s, and browsed in tiny seaside shops decorated for the holidays. We drove back home on 12/26.

A few years later we had our first baby and we stay at our home for Christmas ever since. And every year we reminisce about the time that we needed our special getaway Christmas.

Love Note from a Third Grader

I snapped this picture last night of a love note left for me on the refrigerator. I bought this little message board recently so the boys could jot down when they used up the last of something in the kitchen like ketchup. No notes like that have been written yet, but this reminder note is better than that:




Youngest still calls me "Mommy" (the other two call me Mom).

Don’t Be Blue If You Missed the Full Cold Moon

This month the full moon is on December 2^nd. December is usually considered the month that the winter cold begins to fasten its grip. Where I live in the South it was a nice 59 degrees on November 30^th. By dinnertime it had dropped to 48 degrees. As the calendar changed to December 1^st, it dropped to 33 degrees. Today it is back up in the 50’s. The midwinter full moon takes a high path across the sky because it is opposite to the low Sun. And technically as I write this the Full Cold Moon actually peaked at 2:30 a.m. today. It was cloudy and rainy last night so I missed it. If you did too, don’t be Blue.

Because every 2.8 years or so we get to have another full moon in the same month. I am beyond excited that on this New Year’s Eve we will get to enjoy a Blue Moon. The last Blue Moon was in June, 2007. The next Blue Moon will be in August, 2012. The next time it will happen on New Year’s Eve will be in 19 years. For that year I will be planning a Blue Moon New Year’s Eve Retirement Party for myself and Hubs.

I first gave thought to the Blue Moon in June, 1996. My first child decided it was time to join our world about 10 days earlier than expected, and he chose to arrive during the full moon on a Saturday night. I then learned it was a Blue Moon month (for this hemisphere only because east of Florida that full moon was on July 1^st—pretty wild!) I chose a Blue Moon on his baby announcements and celestial décor was popular then so I decorated with moon and star picture frames galore and wall hangings and stationery and sheets and I went crazy with delight when I found a celestial baby mobile.

And as if having a Blue Moon on this New Year’s Eve isn’t special enough, there will also be a partial lunar eclipse (not visible in the U.S., but still!).

Just thinking about it is putting a kick in my heels and this momentous occasion calls for a stellar celebration: a rockin’ party at the House of Must Be a Full Moon. I wish you all could join because you make me happy when you visit. Make your plans now to watch the full Blue Moon on New Year’s Eve so you don’t have to wait another 19 years! To see when there will be other Blue Moons or if someone you know was born on one click here.

And the Winner is............

I waited until Monday to write the names of those of you who entered my giveaway on pieces of paper, and asked my hard-working middle son to sit in front of the Christmas tree, feel around the bowl and select a winner:


I think it was meant to be! Here is my Hurley T-shirt wearing son who pulled the name of this blogger winner, Elucig, who lives in Colorado, is a teacher, and has twin boys who love the outdoors and have Irish names. Congrats! I will send you an email to find out if you'd like a necklace for you, or the twins!? Oh, and plus she is a coffee fanatic.

We brought my mother-in-law back with us from Florida on Saturday and she left today. I had not one moment's rest since the prior weekend but the good news is that Saturday night we took her with us on our family tradition of picking out the Fraser fir from The Home Depot....and my decorating is done prior to December for the first time in history. Sunday Hubs put up the outside lights and she helped me decorate the tree, the stairway, and the mantle. Plus she and my youngest son decorated the tree we put on the screened porch with its orange and blue ornaments (oh yeah) while I made two chicken pot pies. Then at 9:20 p.m. I was determined to spend two hours on the couch watching a dvd even if it meant going to bed at midnight. Crazy. But that's because a really, really super-special full moon is coming in a day or so. Stay tuned.

Thanks everyone for entering and hope you all enjoyed your holiday weekend.