Christmas fun

Is it possible that just a few weeks ago I was sitting out here in one of these chairs getting some sun? With short sleeves....well, to be brutally honest, I did take off my shirt for a while...but I had a modest bra on....but the point is, it was sunny and warm! Sonja K.

Okay...it is no secret that I procrastinate about things. Every year, winter arrives, bringing cold and snow. And every year I get out the mittens and boots and winter coats.....yesterday, the rain turned to snow, the snow covered the ground, the cold wasn't just pretending. So, out came the mitten bin. And oh JOY! I had forgotten that I bought a bunch of nice gloves last year at the end of winter and stuck them in that bin! We do need a few things though...Sonja K. somehow found a size one boot and a size four boot...they match, but they are both right feet. How in the heck? Never mind, it is best not to wonder. Anyway, I need to get a few pair of boots. I stopped at the Salvation Army store the other day and got a few pair of nice snowpants, so we are pretty set with those. The kids got all dressed and played outside for about fifteen minutes. By the time the last few were dressed and out the door the first kids who went out were coming back in.

Once I decided we need to get our tree, the fun began....

We had to re-arrange the furniture. The older kids were all gone to cleaning, Aaron was at work, Paul is still in Boston, so it was the younger kids (seven of them) and me. Now, it sounds simple to just move two couches and some chairs and tables around in a room. But...add lots of toys, and the usual junk that collects under furniture like dollhouse stuff and hair things and little cars and sunflower seeds (I thought I was so smart buying all those 24 pack boxes for $1.99.....).....anyway, these things have to be picked up and the floor swept, and when the furniture is all in the middle of the room the kids think: obstacle course! There are a few of them who are very serious about getting this task accomplished, so they are trying to get the couch jumpers to get to work, and then there is the child who finds a good book under the couch and settles down on said couch to enjoy it. It didn't take very long, thankfully....but oooh, Mom got some salvation~

We also hauled out all the decorations....Suze set up a village of miniture houses on top of Rosie's cage, and it looks...well, it looks right at home here at our home. Evelyn was the most excited, she was just pulling things out and hanging them here and there and shouting with joy when she found something she really loved....the little girls were just hyper, Camille probably doesn't remember much from last year, so she is just overwhelmed.

I have some candy canes already, in my room. Camille knows where they are and she takes them out at least once a day and looks at them. I told her not to open them, and she hasn't.

We wrapped lots of presents yesterday, too. Charlotte Claire has some fine motor skills that surprised me, she can get the tape off the roll and put it where it goes, and fold and tuck that wrapping paper! Camille, on the other hand, puts the tape in the wrong place then pulls it off, leaving a very attractive white streak on the wrapping paper....we had to use one of my old tricks to prevent them from telling what people are getting....one of the things I wrapped I called a "Nagasaki", and said it over and over again, telling them not to tell about the Nagasaki. (Sam was here, and since he is obsessed about WWII, he had probably mentioned that island, so it came to my mind...) Now when they mention it, the older kids will have no idea what they are talking about.

Now they are playing Wii MarioCart. The little girls LOVE to play this, and of course Jon does...driving, steering, crashing.....perfect. But Camille likes to push buttons that push buttons....because it can't just be peaceful in here ALL the time....

Yesterday we had some fun. Mirielle has been looking online for a dress, cheap of course, for Ben's wedding. Yesterday she went on ebay, and found one she loved, which was ending in two minutes....I rushed over and told her my user name and password, and right when she got her bid in, the auction ended, and she won! I know, people do this all the time, but it was SO much fun. I told her that if we did this all the time it would cease to be so exciting, but I could tell she didn't believe me.

I am off to look up an Iroquois recipe for Suzanne's "Indian" project....due tomorrow...

Now the living room is all clean and cozy, with a big vacant spot in the corner, waiting for the tree. I let Mr. Jonathan stay home today to go with Joseph to cut the tree. He ALWAYS goes with Daddy, he says.

We are also doing some grocery shopping today because we are almost out of toilet paper, bread, milk, and fresh veggies. I can just imagine how it will go....we come in with groceries, Joe will be back with the tree.....but I won't be stressed. No matter how tempted I will surely be. I shall remain calm cool and collected.

Camille says I am the "nicest really nice Mommy." She is snuggling with me. And Charlotte Claire says she is going to be a really good girl today. How could I be anything other than happy?