Small Town Living

There are some advantages to living in a small town. I have come across a couple of them this past weekend.

First, on Friday, I took a program into a local printing shop to be printed for the dance recital. I gave them my phone number, and they were going to call when they were done. As it happened, I didn't hear the phone because I was vacuuming or doing laundry (or something else domestic), and I got the message after the shop was closed. The owner had left his cell phone number, so I called him back.

In trying to set up a time to get the programs, he told me that I might be able to come to his house and pick them up. Then he found out that one of the dancers was at a local pizza shop, and asked if it was alright if he stopped by the pizza shop and had her bring them to the show. I told him that would be great. I still have to run in and pay for them.

Benefits of a small town #2: We got some Christmas cards addressed like this. They had our old address crossed out, and we got them in our current residence. I guess when your name is not very common, they can find you.

Peter Pan

This year, instead of doing the Nutcracker, the children's dance company did Peter Pan. They had two shows. In the first show Caleb was Peter Pan, Eli was a lost boy and a pirate, Emily was a mermaid, and Claire was a faerie.

They all did an excellent job. In the scene in the bedroom, Caleb, as Peter Pan, almost made me cry because it was simple and beautiful. He did a great job connecting with his counterparts, Wendy and Tinkerbell. They nailed it. It was also the first time I had seen it.

During the second show Claire was a faerie again, Emily was the mermaid princess, Eli was Captain Hook and a lost boy, and Caleb was a Native.

Again, they all did fabulously. Emily was so regal in her dancing. She really took her role seriously. Claire was beautiful. She is a little leader when she is on the stage. Caleb had a ton of energy in his dance jumping around. Eli, well, he plays his part. He made a grand entrance by hobbling on the stage, and he made a grand exit by being killed by Peter Pan, dying, falling to the ground, losing his hook, quickly grabbing his hook, and dragging his dying self off the stage.

I love to watch these four perform. They do very well, and they seem to enjoy it.

BOO-HOO! BOO

Brett announced some of his travel plans, and our Boo was not very happy about it. She made sure to let him know how she felt about it.

Here she is holding her "love" note.

Brett was not very happy about it either.

Fortunately, Brett's plans were such that he made it home on her birthday and took her out for dinner. Hopefully he will make it to her concert, and he should be at her recital.

Not BAAAAAd

My grandpa sent this to me. I thought it was very fun.

Who Needs a Snowblower,

when I have a fleet of "snow throwers?"

These were taken the morning after the blizzard. Our driveway was clear, but the snowplow decided it needed to come by and fill the end of our driveway with thick, heavy snow. I sent the children out before the bus to clear it, and they did an excellent job.

Eli

Emily

Caleb - notice he has his back pack on

Out With the Old,

and in with the NEW!

Well, this has been a long time in coming. On Black Friday, I dragged Brett out of bed with me to be at Sears when it opened. We bought a new washer and dryer. It was Thursday, December 4th when they were delivered.

Brett disconnected the old ones before the got here.

When the new ones got here, the delivery people hooked up the washer, and I used it right away to wash the sheets, I was not able to use the dryer because it is gas, and I had to get someone else to do it.

The person came to hook up my dryer on Saturday morning. I had it all up and running on Saturday, December 6.

Eli mesmerized by the washer.

I have definitely used them a lot. I got them just in time, especially with all of the cold temperatures and the blizzard. I am glad that I don't have to schedule my laundry around nice weather, because I am thinking that there won't be a whole lot of it for the next little while.

Guess

Here is the title I was going to use.

L_ _ _ _ _ _, the L_ _ _ L _ _ _ of L_ _ _ _ _ _ on the L_ _ _!

On December 3rd we hosted some young men from the Czech Republic. They stayed down in Emily & Claire's room. I put on clean bedding for the boys, and when they left I had took off the bedding and had to put sheets back on the beds for the girls. This would not normally be a "task" that had to be planned. Since I only have two sets of sheets for each bed, and since I was without a dryer, it did take some planning.

On December 1st, I had some luck with a load of whites. I put them out on the line, and even though it was cold (in the 20's), it was windy enough that they dried.

Well, Friday morning the skies were clear, even though there was snow on the ground, so I thought, "I'll give it a try." So I hung out the load of sheets. There was a little breeze, so that helped. I substituted at the preschool and then went to Claire's school to help make gingerbread houses, and when I got home there were light flurries (very light). I went out and the flat sheets were dry so I brought them in. The fitted sheets were a little crunchy around the elastic edges, so I stretched them out a little more and left them out a little longer. When the flurries picked up, I brought them in and spread them out inside. They did get dry, and the girls had clean sheets.

My blog title would have been:

LUCKILY, the LAST LOAD of LAUNDRY on the LINE!

Traditions

Normally within a week after Thanksgiving we decorate our Christmas trees. It is quite a productions. First we straighten the living room, play Christmas music, and dig out the trees and decorations. Then we arrange the furniture and leave a place for our trees. I have the job of setting up the trees and putting the lights on (I still don't have enough lights, hopefully soon). Then we decorate the trees. After the decorating is done, we indulge ourselves in cookies and eggnog.

Here are some pictures of our traditions:

Our trees (we bought the one on the left about twelve Christmases ago, and just can't seem to give it up - the one on the right was given to us a couple of years ago, so we added it to our little tree). We love the beginning of our Christmas tree forest.

This year we put on the Christmas music before we started decorating and we danced.

Eli anticipating the decorating.

Brett digging out, sorting out, and handing out the ornaments to be put on the tree (we enjoy looking at all of the ornaments the children have made).

The children decorating the trees.

Our magical visitors (they helped decorate the tree as well).

Our after decorating treats (yes, we almost always have pre-made cookies - that way they can be warm, right out of the oven, and I don't have to think about it).

Overall, our tree decorating went well. I'll have to post a picture of the finished product later.

Outdoor Christmas Decorations

My children give me a hard time about not decorating outside for Christmas. This year I decided I would give in (just a little).

Here is what I came up with...

a little snow covered pumpkin

a Santa Ghoul

a large "frosted" pumpkin

our Santa Skeleton

and who could resist our decorated & frosted pumpkin

I probably won't win any prizes for the best decorations, but at least this year my children can't say I didn't put out any decorations.

Blizzard!

We had our first real snow storm yesterday. This is what greeted us in the morning.

Our best snow drift.

Brett went out and started shoveling. I decided that after I snapped a picture I would go out and join him. It took a little while, but we finally dug out. Brett said that he will be buying a snowblower this year. We will see, especially since the children are getting old enough to really help out.

We stayed up late on Tuesday night and watched a movie. We knew there would not be any school, so no one had to get up early to check. Everyone could sleep in.

After shoveling, Brett came in and had breakfast. He had cereal and hot chocolate.

Cheers!

I tried to snap a picture of each child within minutes of their appearance to the main part of the house.

Caleb was up first.

Eli was next, and the light was bothering his eyes. He kept sneezing.

Emily with her ever present smile!

Claire, my little cheerful bear.

After waking up early with Brett to make sure my preschool information was still on the news (no preschool) and helping to shovel the driveway, the call of my pillow was just too great.

Back in bed!

The children examining the effects.

This snow day brought several activities. Caleb started with a book, but soon abandoned it. Claire curled up in my bed and started drawing pictures. There was shoveling, cleaning, playing, etc.

Claire and her masterpiece.

Emily & Eli unburying the grill and then coving it.

Claire cleaning the mirror.

Eli showing his handiwork.

Emily burying Caleb in the window well.

Caleb peeking his head out.

Em shoveling.

Caleb shoveling.

I don't know if we will get a snowblower this year. The children are getting very helpful when it comes to snow removal. They did a great job shoveling out where the snow plow threw a mountain of snow in our driveway.