Hide and Seek

Or as George calls it, “Hide and Eeks.”

The Elf is hiding in my favorite place this morning.  Can you see him?

Now?

This elf is one clever little guy.  It’s so nice of him to fit right in with the rest of our Christmas décor.

Some of his other popular hiding places have included…

The poinsettia:

The nativity scene:

The china cabinet:

And then there was his “E.T.” moment:

This might be my new favorite hiding place.  I laughed every time I walked past him that day.

Happy Saturday everyone!  My mother is in town this weekend and Will has just taken both children for the morning, so I am hoping for some serious window shopping.  I must admit that mindless browsing in a store knowing full well I will never buy anything is one of the things I miss the most shopping with my two Santa’s helpers.



I know, I know - this picture doesn't really fit in with the theme of my post. 
But I can't resist a diapered bottom in elf pajamas.



 

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

That was one of my favorite Christmas books growing up and I had to figure out a way to use the title for one of my posts.  This is as close as I could get.

Last night Frances had her Christmas concert for school.  It was her first one and the school’s first time having one – and for a night of “firsts” the show went fairly smoothly for all involved.

Each class sang one song a cappella starting with the 2 ½-year-olds singing “Santa Claus, Santa Claus”

The 3-year-olds singing “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”

The 3 ½ year olds singing “Jingle Bells”

And finally the 4-year-olds singing “Frosty the Snowman”

We were in the very back because George hadn’t been in the best of moods all day and I thought we would very likely need a quick escape route, so my pictures are fuzzy at best; but I was able to get some “behind the scenes” moments:



The first thing they all wanted to do was to take OFF the costumes.





Frances and Carissa



And speaking of George, he was a perfect angel the entire show (believe me, this was unexpected), clapping at all the right moments and enjoying a prime viewing spot during Frances’s big performance:

The only time he fussed was when it ended.

And for the record, I put this sweater on George thinking it was Christmas-themed. 
At the concert he kindly (and loudly) pointed out to me that he had "COWS!" on his sweater. 
But now I am wondering if they are Christmas cows?

A big "thank you!" to Will's parents for coming.  I'm sure they thought this duty had ended thirty years ago.

The entire concert lasted 30 minutes (bless them!) and the kids got to keep their costumes.  I can only imagine the various manifestations of Frosties I will be seeing throughout the day today; if Daddy is willing to share the costume that is:

Happy Thursday, everyone!

Getting there

I almost (sort of, kinda) feel ready for Christmas this year.  I’m not done with decorating, cooking, shopping, wrapping and let’s not forget general merriment; but I feel like I might get done by Christmas day and not kill myself getting there.

My latest project to help me feel on top of things?  My very first wrapping paper station.  These are all over the place in blogland (and if you want to see an incredible one, visit Erin at Sunny Side Up) and mine is ridiculously low scale and simple.  I am almost embarrassed to show it to you except that it is where I will be spending the majority of my time these next few days so I thought it was only fair that you have a visual:

Yes, that is our garage.  Will has kindly relocated his tiny Honda to our driveway in the spirit of the season and because he is thrilled that I am doing all of the wrapping this year.

And because I know you are all dying to see what is on the table...

Gift bags and boxes:

I am a big believer in reusing bags and boxes as long as they don’t look overly-worn.  If you have received a gift from me in the last 10 years, chances are it was lovingly placed in a recycled gift bag.

Gift tags, pens, tape, scissors, and premade ribbons:

I must caption this picture with a theory.  I have found there are two kinds of people in this world—1) those that use the premade sticky ribbons; and, 2) my mother, who insists on making her own incredible ribbons and then tying them as tight as any human can to your package (in fact, it’s an annual rite of passage in my family to break the skin somewhere on your hand trying to open one of my mother’s presents).  I would love to wrap each gift with a homemade bow and maybe one day I’ll get there; but this year I am a premade bow girl.

Tissue paper and accessories (again, much of it is recycled - I can’t help myself.):

Wrapping paper and trashcan (hopefully I won't mistake one for the other):

And most importantly M&Ms – necessary sustainable energy for any wrapper:

I put these on the opposite side of the garage in hopes that would keep me from eating too much.  Nope.  Maybe I at least will get a little exercise walking back and forth between handfuls.  And as if it needs saying, I am going to need a major sugar detox after this holiday season.  During an average (non-holiday) week I consume a  fair amount of sweets—but couple Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas with my new stay-at-home status and you have a recipe for disaster.

As silly as it sounds, I really love my little wrapping station.  In the world of chaos that is Christmas, it feels great to have something functional, quiet and ready-to-go whenever I am.  These past years we have always wrapped presents in our dining room – a less than ideal place.  I never wanted to get out too many things at once because I still wanted it to ‘look’ like a dining room (as uncluttered as possible), but that meant I could never find anything when I needed it (and what is more annoying at that moment than losing the Scotch tape right when you've stretched the wrapping paper as tight as you can over your gift?)  But the real catalyst for the change is that our dining room has been turned into Frances and George’s playroom; definitely not the place to be wielding the scissors.  Necessity (and other clever bloggers) is the mother of all invention.

The only flaw in my plan is that the table is located in the garage, which is about 5 degrees warmer than the outside temperature – or 39 degrees.  I’ve convinced myself this is just extra motivation to wrap faster.  Or to take more M&M breaks.

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

Expectations

This is my holiday activity check list.  It’s not very pretty or festive (although I did manage to put it on some red paper) but it’s been my way of keeping track of the things that I want to do with Frances and George before Christmas sneaks up on us.  The Richmond area has an endless supply of holiday outings for kids of all ages and I wanted to make sure we hit the big ones with Daddy, but not on the weekends if possible (to avoid the crowds), and not run ourselves ragged trying to fit in all of that “fun.”  Plus with only three weekends in December, I realized all of this would take some serious planning.  I know; my life is so stressful isn’t it?

Number 2 on the checklist has been one of my favorites since moving to the Richmond area seven years ago – the Tacky Light tour.  This may be a staple in every city in America, but we Richmonders take our tacky lights very seriously.  And while they are certainly tacky by any standards, there is also nothing more beautiful than a house decked out with hundreds of thousands of lights, figurines, carolers and Santa handing out candy canes to officially ring in the holiday season (unless I suppose the owner of such house lives in your neighborhood; lucky for us, they are all at least 20 minutes from our side of town).

We started the evening downtown (technically not part of the true tacky light tour) where the Richmond skyline is lined with lights and the heart of the city is completely bathed in white and red – an incredible sight.

The kids loved it:

This is the "Where's Waldo" of a Frances and George picture.

Inside one of the main buildings are more decorations:

I loved the lights from the trees reflecting in the floor. 

And where I managed to get a shot of all four of us:

About as good we're going to get these days

We were on a roll.  Frances and George were happily running around; Will and I were strolling through a winter wonderland of lights; and it really felt like Christmas for the first time this season.

We found Rudolph!

And then we blew it by shoving the kids back in the car and driving around to look at the actual tacky lights.  All they wanted to do was burn some more energy, but instead we convinced them that there were more lights to see at other houses and it was well worth the 15 minute car ride with nothing to look at but the black sky.  Of course, once we arrived at the first house, George was convinced he could get out and run around again, which of course he could not.  As you might imagine, he took this news very well.

What I had forgotten about the tacky light tour was the actual lights viewing to waiting ratio – very little tacky lights; very long waits in the traffic to see such lights; and once you make it to the lights, the drive-by is nearly instantaneous.  And then it’s on to the next house…

And the next…

And the next…

Needless to say, the tour was a disaster.  By the third house we had called it quits and I was in the front seat stewing in my own frustration and thinking to myself, “Geez!  I wish the kids would learn to curb their expectations on things.  They can’t get everything they want all of the time.” 

Cue the epiphany music.

I’m learning to control my own expectations for a ‘perfect’ holiday season with the kids; but sometimes (and sometimes in the same night) all three of us slip up.  I hope Santa Clause is forgiving:

Happy Sunday, everyone!

A little bit of nothing

An (almost) full moon last night:

I love a winter evening sky – icy blue, thin white clouds, the black silhouettes of leafless trees.  This picture captures very little of what it actually looked like, which reminds me that one of my 2012 New Year’s resolutions is to take a photography course.

George pointing out his all-time favorite Christmas character – Frosty the Snowman.  According to George all snowmen are named “Frosty the Snowman” and you must say the entire name each and every time you refer to them.

I have never heard an exercise in patience as I did the other day listening to Frances play hide-and-seek with George upstairs while I was downstairs attempting to clean.  The game went something like this:

F:        “Okay, George.  I’ll hide and you find me.  I’ll tell you when I’m ready … okay, I’m ready!

G:        “OH!  One, two, three, four”

F:        “George!  You don’t have to count; I’m ready now!

G:        “Oh!  One, two, three, four”

F:        “No, George!  Come find me now; I’m hiding in Nana's room”

G:        “Oh!  Okay!”  [George finds Frances]

F:        “Okay George, now YOU hide and I’ll find you.”

G:        “Okay!  One, two, three, four … ready!”

F:        “No George, I count and YOU hide.  Are you ready?”

G:        “Oh!  Ready!  One, two, three, four …”

I’m sure you get the picture.  This went on for a good 20 minutes or more, which is plenty of time for me to have gotten something productive done around the house.  Except that instead I stood at the bottom of the stairs listening and giggling.  I kept reminding myself that moments likes these were what I missed when I worked—and the dirty dishes can wait.

I recently wrote about a book I had just finished (that I loved) and one I was currently reading called “The School of Essential Ingredients.”  Sadly, I didn’t love that book so I can’t recommend it (unrealistic plot, flowery writing).  I have since started “The Marriage Plot,” Jeffrey Eugenides’ latest novel.  He also wrote “The Virgin Suicides” (which I have not read) and “Middlesex” (a great book and one that Will loves to make fun of because it is indeed about a hermaphrodite).  I am hesitant to comment on “The Marriage Plot” when I am only half-way through it (I hate to give it the same jinx I bestowed upon “The School of Essential Ingredients” after all), so I’ll reserve opinion for later. 

Our elf made his way to the mistletoe today

He wisened up after yesterday’s near-death experience when the back door closed on one of his feet as he sat peacefully on the top ledge of the door.  Needless to say, his injury created quite a stir among the youngest in the household who were convinced that his magic was lost because I had to touch him in order to remove the appendage from the door jam and readjust his position.  For those of you who aren’t versed in “Elf on the Shelf” rules, touching the little guy is a Cardinal sin and is intended to result in immediate naughty-list status.  Both kiddos were quite relieved to see him hanging from the hallway chandelier this morning, evidence that “Elfy” (as Frances calls him) or “SHELF!” (as George yells every time he sees him) was still on the up and up with Santa.

We’ve been playing dress-up nearly every afternoon, particularly with the sun setting at 4:30pm - over two hours before Daddy gets home if he comes home at all.  Will’s been working a lot recently, which is great for the economy but hard on us and hardest on Will who hasn’t seen his princess in this get-up in a long time.  I think this weekend calls for another father/daughter dance party.

Have a great Friday, everyone!