Gingerbread Houses

We did gingerbread houses yesterday with HP and his sister, The Dancing Princess.
The girls decided that they wanted to do one together - so that left the boys on their own.

WAY too much candy was consumed in the making of these confectionery delights, but that's part of the fun.

Both houses are beautiful and we had to pick from a hat to decide which one went home with DP and HP.

The Boys' Gingerbread House


The Girls' Gingerbread House

It's Cooooold...

Yes, I know it is December.

On Friday, my car gave me a little grief when I started it in the garage. I took #1 to the bus stop and came home. I got in it to bring LLB to school and it moaned once before it turned over. I stopped to have coffee with R after dropping LLB. I parked it in the sun to keep it warm. After a lovely cup of cocoa, the car was dead. Not what I needed right then, but when I looked at the circumstances, it was the best place and time for it to die.

I called Grandpa for a jump. He brought his nifty charging thing. It didn't work. A nice guy in a big Toyota truck jumped me and sent me on my way. I went right to the dealer. It seems my battery was under warranty (since I had just replaced it in May of '07). Instead of $145, I paid $0. (It had a bad cell? whatever that means...) Yipppeeee!!! AND I still made it to my friend L's, for her brunch.

Friday night, LLB had a Casino Night birthday party at the Manassas Fairgrounds. Do you have any idea where that is? Nope... me neither. We found it and then Gram and I headed out for some shopping. We got some bargains, but the walk from the car to the stores was brutal. It was a bit frigid for my taste.

Parade day was COLD. As in really cold. As in the kids looked miserable in their many layers under their wool uniforms. It was that bitter cold that goes right through you.

I canceled my bells - I couldn't chance a crack. I'm sure the kids were disappointed, but I'm also sure that the parents were happy not to have to stand there waiting to see their kid walk by.

Gram and I braved the cold at 2 of the 3 parade venues. At the first venue, we left after the band went by on the premise that we had to get their lunch ready. Please note that we had their lunch ready in the fire house before we went to watch them. It was just too cold for us. At the last parade venue, we waited to see them go by and then we booked it back to the car. By then, it was beyond cold and into freezing.

On the way back to the car, Gram caught a root on her foot and fell down. I couldn't believe it!! Fortunately, she was bundled up like a kid in a snow suit with a bunch of layers and didn't get hurt - just a little muddy. As of 6pm last night - when we got home she was still fine.

Now, I'm sitting by my fire typing this. It is warm in here, but in a little while I'll have to go out in the cold to get to church. My church bells are playing this morning. I'd rather stay here curled up on my couch with my fire and a cup of tea -- and my TV.

This afternoon is gingerbread houses!! I'll post pictures, but it won't be today because this evening is the community band concert.

See - there is no rest for the wicked.

Excellent Advice

My friend, Chrissie, sent me this advice in an email. I thought it was too good not to share with all of you.

As the holidays begin, I wanted to pass these tips along to you.

1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving rum balls.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. It's rare.. You cannot find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnog-alcoholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It's later than you think. It's Christmas!

3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello?

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies or pralines in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again.

8. Same for pies. Apple, Pumpkin, Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.

10. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Re-read tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner. Remember this motto to live by:


"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!"

Trumpets and Tunes

Well, the concert was last night.
LLB and S survived the Star Spangled Banner - although LLB dropped it an octave because playing in front of 250 people is a little daunting and down right scary!

Her Grinch solo was so cool!! She had a two or three measure solo in the middle of the piece. She did great!

Today LLB and HP are going to join the high school pep band after school. The eighth graders have been invited to play with the pep band at the basketball games. The one only rehearsal is this afternoon. The two of them are psyched about playing some wicked cool music. LLB got a preview of the music from the band director when we were at the high school to fetch #1 the other day. I can tell you - it's awesome!

It's too bad the eighth graders can't join the high schoolers for the parades on Saturday. #1 is playing in 3 parades - they are playing one song. By the time they get to the end of the 3rd parade, they will be really sick of Rudolph!! The color guard kids are dressing up like reindeer - complete with antlers. They are sooo cute! #1 and the rest of the instrumental kids are wearing Santa hats.

My school handbell ringers will be marching in one Christmas Parade on Saturday. I need it to warm up a little bit - if it is below 35, I don't want the bells out there. I have a couple that have been dropped (these are school kids and they are careful, but klutzy) and the cold can make them crack. (I know this from personal experience.) I can't afford to lose a bell right before our concert.

My church handbell group is ringing on Sunday for two services.
See, it's all music all of the time. But it IS the season.

Earning my 10%

Gram and I went shopping on Black Friday. It's one of our favorite - albeit crazy - traditions.

We were in Kohls. The line was incredibly long, but it was moving.
One of the store employee's job was to entertain those of us waiting oh so patiently. He had a stack of coupons in his hand and he basically dared us to do a certain thing to get the 10% coupon.

Now this coupon was for the entire purchase.

The first challenge was to sing "The National Anthem". Now, I will do almost anything for a discount, but mutilate our national anthem isn't one of them. I have scruples.

Then he was looking for a member of the armed forces. I didn't qualify for that one.

Finally he needed someone to sing "I'm a little teapot" with hand motions.
I'm so all over THAT!!!

Gram nudged me. "You can do THAT!"
I called out, "I'll do it!"

Gram started to chuckle. She knew this would be good.
That was one of the first songs I ever learned. Besides, I taught pre-school... AND I watched many many many episodes of Barney. If there's anything I know, it's this song.

I put on a performance worthy of an Oscar and a Tony.
I smiled. I emoted. I tipped over... I'm SOOO good!!

I earned that 10%.

When I got back in line, the guy behind me said, "What grade do you teach?"
I laughed, "I teach middle school."
Someone behind him said, "Ahhh... I KNEW it!"

Yup, those of us who teach middle school will do almost anything for a discount...

Oh the Stress...

Last week we had drama because LLB and two friends tried out for a trio to be played at tomorrow evening's concert. LLB has always had some sort of a part in the concerts. Her friend, S, has not. S plays baritone - there isn't a whole lot that is usually done in the solo/duet world with a baritone - Not that it's not possible, it's just not a "hot" instrument. I'm just sayin'....

Anyway, LLB and and S and her friend B - who also plays baritone - were passed over for their trio. LLB was VERY upset because her friends don't normally get to play this sort of thing and she wanted them to have a shot.

When they were passed over, I told her, "Just do me a favor - Do NOT try out for the Star Spangled Banner. My system can't take it. It's too stressful for me."

She assured me that she would honor my request, be happy with her Grinch solo, and move on.

The phone rings. I can see from the caller ID it is the school.
"Hello?"
"Hi Mommy."
"Hi LLB. What's up?"
"Umm... well.. um... You know how you told me not to try out for the SSB solo?"
"Yes."
"Well, S REALLY wanted to play a duet and so we tried out."
"Yes."
"And.. umm... we got it. Are you mad?"
"No, LLB, I'm very proud of you."
"K, well, I gotta go."

And there it is... The stress in my life is back. I get to freak out until she and S are finished with that most difficult most recognizable song ever.

At least it's the first song of the evening.
And then I can sit back and relax and wait for my kid to play The Grinch.

'Tis The Season

The tree is up.
It is beautiful.

LLB and I spent a long time hanging ornaments yesterday. We got help from Mr. after dinner. LLB was humming along to the music while she was stretched out under the tree hanging ornaments on the back and lower branches. I had to pull her out by her feet... That, my friends, is the stuff of which memories are made. We had a lovely time remembering each and every ornament - especially the particularly elementary ones.

Our special silver tree is up and decorated. It has all of our favorite ornaments on it including the glass reindeer I've had since college, the Lladro balls from the children's birth years, and a giraffe ballerina complete with toe shoes and tutu.

The presents that were purchased on Friday and Saturday during my hunting session are wrapped and under the tree. Most of the rest of the presents have been ordered and are being sent somewhere. I sure hope I sent the heavy stuff here and the light stuff to Nicole's. At this point I have no idea what is going where.

The Advent calendars are ready to go. LLB helped me put our new Playmobil Advent calendar together yesterday. It's the forest friends one... the animals are sooo cute! Our other Advent calendar is wooden and was a gift from Gram and Grandpa.

Almost all of the candles are in the windows... I'm missing 2 and I need batteries for the 2 in the garage - Those would be c sized batteries for those of you who would like to take care of that for me.

The stockings have been hung. Zeb's is ready to go. (We are leaving Zeb with a dear friend while we are gone to Nicole's. He has to have his stocking to open on Christmas day!)

The house is still pretty upside down. The tree coffin is standing in the hallway. The ornament boxes are piled in the living room. There are a few tissue remnants on the living room floor from when Poppy decided it would be fun to leap into our pile of ornament wrapping and fling it everywhere.

Oh.. and the gutters are clean. You didn't know that gutter cleaning was part of Christmas decorating, did you? My butt and my legs are still screaming from all the up and down the ladder I did on Saturday afternoon.

So.. what's left? After a couple of ibuprofen and a cup of tea, I have one more order to place and then I'm done. I have some things to wrap when they arrive, a house to get together, a couple of gingerbread houses to build, and a party to plan. We have the typical running around to do: concerts to attend, district auditions to get to, and Nutcracker to get through.

That said, I think I can sit back and enjoy the season.