stuff

Oh, yes. With all my silly stuff earlier I almost forgot the most important stuff of all.

The Story Of Stuff

Everyone and their Mom, and dog, should watch this.

In fact, my dogs are watching right now and taking notes.

Mom, get to it.

remember me?

I suppose I gave myself a nice, looong holiday break. I know you have all been impatiently waiting for my darling pictures of my kiddos unwrapping their gifts with glee, but quite frankly I'm a tad over it.

You see, all of my decorations, tree and all, where down at approximately 11:00 am on December 26th and not a speck of tinsel or wrapping could be found.
You know, like the Grinch.
I really love the holidays. The magic and excitement are, well, magical and exciting-but it can also be much too overwhelming for yours truly. So, I dare say I breathed a huge sigh of relief when the clock hit midnight on Christmas. Yippee! No more craft marathons till 2 in the morning!
Oh, but please take heart: I really, truly looove making crafts. I just won't be doing any for a month's time. To recuperate.

So what exactly have I been doing with these nice big chunks of craft-free time?

Well, glad you asked.

I have been laughing my behind off here: List of the Day. Seriously, I wet my unmentionables I was laughing so hard. (Let's keep that between us, shall we?) Don't blame me if you don't think it's funny. It just means you don't have my peculiar sense o' humor.

I have been literally sucked into this blog here. The Pioneer Woman just tickles my funny bone. She is highly amusing and her pictures are stunning. If you get 12.3 hours to read her story
Black Heels to Tractor Wheels, I highly recommend you do just that. Seriously it will take you 12.3 hours to read it in it's entirety, so just forget about the mounting dish pile and dirty laundry heap. That's what I did and I ain't sorry.

I also have been reading Wicked by Gregory Maguire. I was not so impressed the first 50 pages or so, but I am slowly starting to warm up to the story. Why don't you read it so we can chat about it later, huh?

Craigslist has also become a major part of my life at the moment as we are desperately seeking a new abode. Gee, you would think instead of busying myself up with goofy websites and sappy love stories I would, like, you know, pack some boxes.

Well, that's a good idea and all, but it's just not real,um, fun.

So, I'll just stay in my bubble of denial that we should be moving in a week and keep on laughing till I pee.

Happy Solstice!!

Here's a quickie post cause we are too busy celebrating the Sun King.

OK, I'll be honest, we are still hanging around in our pj's and birthday suits, dishes are dirty in the sink, and this momma is tired from a cranky girl hollering in my ear all night. I suppose it's our own brand of celebrating.
Anyway, in place of my usual insightful and heartfelt posts (as if!) I will leave you with a poem.

Have a wonderful Winter Solstice.

The Shortest Day

by Susan Cooper

So the shortest day came, and the year died,

And everywhere down the centuries of the snow-white world

Came people singing, dancing. To drive the dark away.

They lighted candles in the winter trees; They hung their homes with evergreen;

They burned beseeching fires all night long

To keep the year alive,

And when the new year's sunshine blazed awake

They shouted, reveling.

Through the frosty ages you can hear them

Echoing behind us- Listen!!

All the echoes sing the same delight,

This shortest day,

As promise wakens in the sleeping land:

They carol, feast, give thanks,

And dearly love their friends,

And hope for peace.

And so do we, here, now.

This year and every year.

Welcome Yule!!

she's two

Birthdays have always been a big deal to me. I remember when I was a child and the magic that surrounded my birthday was so vivid and alive I could see it hanging in the air as light, sparkly wisps around my room. My mom has always been big on traditions and holidays. Even to this day she still will remember my half-birthday, and even to this day her remembering feels so precious.

Recently there was discussion on a list I belong to and a friend was talking about traditions and how they eventually take on a life of their own, and it then feels imperative, primal even, to keep them alive year after year. I loved this as it rings so true for me. It just feels plain wrong to not keep special traditions alive. Not that I will drag everyone by their heels kicking and screaming just to check it off my list of yearly traditions, I can be flexible, but by taking an inventory of those traditions that are nearest and dearest and finding a way to fit them into our lives in a meaningful way.

I want my children to look back at holidays and birthdays fondly as a time of family, and love, and magic- so, Soleil's 2nd Birthday was something to celebrate! My little girl takes my breath away with every flash of her dangerously adorable dimples. It has been an honor to watch her grow this year into this happy, self-assured, cuddle-bug personality with spirit and soul coming out of her ears.

a painting I did for her birthday

The birthday altar. A very special tradition.

Since Soleil's birthday falls on Saint Lucia's Day , and her name means Sun, and she is such a light that brings joy and happiness wherever she goes, it seems inspired that we have a Saint Lucia celebration too. Above is Xavier in his star boy hat that he helped to make and that he was very specific about how he wanted it to look. Traditionally the eldest daughter brings in a tray of Lucia Buns, gingersnaps, and hot chocolate to her parents in the morning accompanied by an attendant and a star boy. We modified this a little after last year's hot chocolate spilled all over the bed and opted to just bring Soleil her presents and saved the food for the kitchen.

It was delicious by the way.
And so as her birthday came to a close Chris and I shared a sigh of contentment. Seeing our baby turn two is bittersweet for us, but we wanted the day to be pure sweet for her.

It felt full and comfortable.

Happy Birthday Soleil.

You are the Light of my Heart.

busy, busy merry making

Our tree of whimsy

I am feeling sleep deprived, like a lot. Time is zooming past at light speed and I am running behind, rubbing the sleep away from my eyes and hollering at it to just slow down already. Really, what's the rush? Can't we give ourselves another month?

Not that we haven't had fun. No, we are having quite the time with all the holiday preparations. There is plenty of joy to be had at this time of year.

Like, gingerbread house building,


And snowman constructing.


Let's not forget the holiday picture taking.

Or not.

And there is so much more merry making to be had, all squeezed into the next week!! Like, the shopping, and the Christmas Tea parties, and mama dinners, and Solstice celebrating, and let's not forget the crafting......

Golly, who needs sleep with all of this going on?

snow day

hooray for hanukkah

A lame picture of some of the food

Happy Hanukkah (I've seen it spelled a gazillion different ways so I'm just going with one and stickin' to it) everyone! This has been our first year celebrating Hanukkah and to help us we invited our friends Julie, Lee, Damek, and Kyan. It was finger lickin' good food! Beet latkas, roasted applesauce, dilled sourcream, a beautiful salad, and homemade focaccia bread. Yum, yum! I would like everyday to be Hanukkah. I would be a happy girl indeed.

cutie pie kiddos dining together