Dear Santa... Let me sleep

In the still dark hours, a half dozen feet pitter-pattered up the stairs, while giddy laughter intermittedly echoed in the hall. It wasn't hard to hear their excited chatter about Santa eating their gingerbread cookie creations and leaving gifts behind. They'd already visited our tree and inventoried the meager assortment of gifts left for them in an assortment of packages. And though their collective packages looked nothing like the piles and piles of presents in the movies, each was genuinely thankful to have been thought about. Slowly, grudgingly, we forced ourselves out of the warmth and softness of the sheets and comforters layered on our bed. The kids could not wait and their anticipation was like a caffeine boost to our tired spirits. We shuffled down the stairs to join our quartet of happy children. It was mere minutes before each of the gifts was separated to its recipient and the wrapping paper was scattered around the floor in anxious unwrapping. The fervour of activity followed by the pleased smiles of children who'd found something special just for them was priceless. Sketchbook and cartoon how to books for Rico, Jammit keyboard for Ya, a much-requested gift card for Chi, and a guitar for JD seemed to be just enough to satisfy. Only Chi had really made her wish list known... and when the kids met with Santa, Ya confided that what he really wanted was a duck. Santa was certain he meant "truck," but that is not a speech mistake I've ever heard him make. So, Santa did pretty well with no suggestions. The kids sprinkled reindeer dust to coax the travelers and the loaded sleigh to stop at our house. They forgot to leave Santa's snack in an obvious spot, so I took the specially decorated cookie Chi made and put it on a plate near some tea to wash it down. This year he finished all of the goodies on his plate. Rob later confided that next year we should consider making homemade shortbread or sugar cookies instead of relying on gingerbread house disasters as a treat. Surely, he said, Santa will be sending out a dental bill for the tooth breaking hard and sickeningly sweet enticement we'd left near the tree.
It was a small Christmas - - our first together as a family of six. And it was one that will be etched in our history.

Sometimes he shocks me

My dad said he was in the Christmas play.
He's left the house on several occassions for practice.
But the specifics of his role were not provided.
Not even a hint was made.

I'd noticed he was no longer hovering near our table.
He'd disappeared shortly after breakfast was served.
And when the play began, I figured he'd be there soon enough.
A Joseph, perhaps? A shepard? A messenger angel?

Those seemed to be missing in this little play.
But secular characters of the holiday season were plentiful.
Imagine my surprise when Rob leaned over to whisper, "That's your dad."
And sure enough, those were his eyes.
That was his nose (with the freckle right in the middle).
His lopsided head?
Obviously a result of the family's trait of head-shoulder sans neck formation.
Yes...

The gingerbread man was my dad.

Painting up some decor

I feel like I have little excuse for the neglect I've served this page. But honestly, merging two households into one is a lot of work and we've yet to find a delicate balance that suits us well. The weekends have seen our children enjoying their perfect pairings - the littles with their train conducting and the biggers with their artistry seems to be the blend of choice right now.

Would you believe that when the kids put up our Christmas tree and decorated it (beautifully, while sharing a chair for reaching up high), I took not one photo? Not a single capture on Cam or Droid! Failure.

We've gotten a gingerbread village for the kids to put together and Ya has been wanting to do his "buhninja house" for some time. It's penciled into next week's calendar, for sure.

This week, though, I had this ridiculous desire to create our annual ornaments. I buy the kits on clearance at the end of season sales - perfect for non perishables, which paint, apparently, is not. Despite a minor setback of dried out color, Chi located her acrylics and the kids set to task.

The concentration on painting these wooden ornaments was intense. I suspect it had something to do with the terribly wide plastic brushes not giving flex the way natural bristles of artists' brushes do. Chi has, it seems, misplaced her brushes in the hidden corners of the netherworld otherwise known as her bedroom. She did, however, manage to find one so that she could paint her ornaments. I wonder sometimes about her true motives. Each kid whipped through their painting projects completing three apiece before Chi completed her first. These were, I think, an opportunity to showcase her artist's skills (and she knows quite well that every year they'll be displayed on our tree).
She's never had another artist in the house before, and Rico's presence has gotten her back into her passion with renewed fervor. Santa, if you're listening, both of my little creatives really want new supplies this year. They've been commissioned to create several pieces of wall art for our home.
As for my littles? No competition threatened just yet, but they did color some pretty impressive trains that are just calling for their photos to be placed inside as the conductors.


*Shared with Sweet Shot Tuesday, though next week's project is far sweeter.

Why I Love Autumn #3: Festival time!

Fresh!

Fresh air. Fresh fun. Fresh color.

I can't think of anything better than getting my kids outside where they can have organized-chaotic fun. Fairs and festivals seem to sprout up in October and November in abundance. Oktoberfest, pumpkin parties, fall festivals, harvest festivals, pow-wows - regardless of the name, these are the kinds of events we thoroughly enjoy.

Free cider? Check.
Free face painting?
Oh yeah.

Free apples?
Uh huh.
You won't yell at my kid for running around like a chicken-sans-head?
Bonus.
No weird looks at me when my kids scream and laugh thus creating an ear-shattering cacophony of splediferous proportions?
Totally awesome. (And I know you love how I snuck in those BIG words...)

Most recently, we ventured to the Fairfax Fall Festival - a glorified street fair with vendors selling their food, crafts, and talents. Old Town shuts down several streets for the event. Crisp white tents line up along the asphault clearing with little space between them. Each houses a treasure trove of creativity. Weaving in and out of these instant store fronts is a feast for the senses. Sweet and sensuous lotions and soaps. Vibrant scarves, purses, clothing. Decorative statues, wreathes, and ornaments for every season. Street performers, balloon artists, entertainers-all.

The Fire Department uses the day as an opportunity for outreach - offering demonstrations, safety brochures, and an opportunity to explore the Fire House and its vehicles.

We loved playing fire fighter - - shooting at a target with the ferocious stream of water from the fire hose.

And the power of that hose was incredible. I'd never want to accidently cross through that flow of H2O.

Ok... I confess that I didn't actually try the hose out... but I did try on the hat, was goosed, and got caught in this scrunched nose shot that I'm still debating about hiding forever because I don't like the way I look. I suppose that since I'm posting the photo, it'll serve as a record that
#1. Someone cared enough to shoot me at an event (and I didn't have to cajole him to)
#2. I do on rare occassion find myself completely and totally overcome with laughter.
#3. My friend is a sneaky, sneaky woman to pinch me and run off like a silly school girl. And I love that about her because it keeps us young.

Why I love autumn #2: hay there

Hay is for horses...
Except in the Fall, when great bales are stacked up high. Then, the hay becomes a maze that's perfect to run through or hide in.Add it to a flatbed or wagon, and you've got an instant ride just perfect for exploring haunted forests, harvest-ready fields, and scenic Autumn spaces.

And how about as a bed for those festive fall photos? Oh yeah. I'm picturing bright oranges, deep cranberries, and many hues of brown. Black accents? Maybe. Oh, I'm feeling ready to stage a photo shoot.

Hay there? Yep. And hay here, too.

Why I love Autumn #4: weathered wardrobes

Gone are the scantly clad daredevils showing a wee bit too much everywhere (except at the beach).

Why I love autumn #1 : a corny situation

The temperatures are quickly dropping. Crisp, cool breezes take over as we rush to find jackets just in case there's more chill than we can handle. Replaced are the warm and humid days of summer.
And just as quickly, the stores changed from beach and vacation themed displays to Halloween and harvest. Some are even showing off Christmas trees!

But I love the months of Autumn. I love that there are celebrations paying homage to Native cultures and to the importance of maize. I love that my kids can enjoy hours of fun outside together relishing in the harvest splendor.

And really, whoever invented the corn kernel "sand" box is one of my new favorite inventors. I so despise sand and how it remains long after the play is over. And while we did carry home enough kernels for a nice bowl of popcorn, it was pretty easy to find and eliminate.