A Double Take

As CT and I were driving through the neighborhood this morning, we had to do a "double take" - and then just laughed at what we saw.  Thought I'd share the picture with you (please forgive the poor quality of the photo.)

Yes, a snow-woman complete with a wig, red lips and a bra.  Unfortunately, one of her eyes popped off, but still, it is just too funny.

Our laugh for the day, from me to you.

A Katie Tradition

The holidays are full of family traditions and Katie and I have our very own tradition.  Every year, we go Christmas shopping for presents for Mommy (aka, Leanne), Daddy (aka, Phil Guy) and Sissy (aka, Ella).  Here's how it works:  we go to our local Target or Walmart and Katie makes ALL shopping decisions (of course with some financial boundaries.)  Then, we come back to my house while Katie wraps her gifts before returning to Katie's home to carefully place the wrapped presents under the Christmas Tree.

Katie and I started this tradition when she was three years old.  That first year, we walked around Target for more than an hour before Katie selected the PERFECT white ornament with long white feathers for Daddy (because, according to Katie, "It is SOOOOOO pretty and Daddy will love it!!").  For Mommy that year, Katie selected a really, really, really long pair of earrings that hung down past Leanne's shoulders.  Again, Katie thought they were the most beautiful pair of earrings that would be absolutely perfect for Mommy.  No gift for Ella that year because Ella had not yet joined us in this world.

This year, we upgraded our store to Kohl's and headed out for three perfect gifts.  As Katie gets older, she is more confident in her decisions and, within an hour, we were out of the store with six gifts in hand (two gifts per person), and back at my house wrapping. 

 
I love this tradition with Katie and the time that just the two of us spend together.  And I hope that we keep this tradition for years and year to come - even when she is older, has money of her own, and is driving ME to the store instead!     

Flying Time & A Funny Story

Wait a minute.... is today really December 17th?  Has it really been 10 days since my last post?  Boy, time sure is flying by fast. 

So, what have I been doing over the last ten days?   Probably the same things that you've been doing.  Lots of hussle and bussle.  Last weekend we had back-to-back days of visiting/entertaining family and friends.  Then there was the finishing of Christmas shopping this week, followed by this:

Wrapping.  Still not finished wrapping the gifts, but heck, I still have a week to wrap.

And then there was CT, who gave me a two-day notice that he needed some homemade Christmas Cookies to bring in to work for the annual "Sweet Table" day.  This year I decided to put CT to work making cookies.

  

One of the funniest moments of the season (thus far) was at Ella's pre-school holiday program last Sunday.

After listening to the first group of three year old kids singing their cute little songs, followed by the next group of four year old kids SHOUTING out their songs, we were treated to a live action performance of the real Christmas Story, complete with full costume actors (aka, kindergarten kids.)  The teacher read the story and the actors came out on stage right on cue:  Joseph, Mary, the donkey, the Angel, Baby Jesus, etc.  Then there came the three Wise Men.  As they marched across the stage carrying their gifts and heading toward the manger, I noticed one particular interesting gift the second Wise Guy was holding.  It was... a.... MARTINI SHAKER!   So, I said to CT, "Is that a martini shaker?"  CT, looked and said, "Oh no, it is!"  Then I said to Leanne, "Do you see that martini shaker the Wise Guy is holding?"  Leanne looked and said, "ALLELUIA AND AMEN!"  And we just laughed and laughed.  Unfortunately, we could not see (from our seats) that the martini shaker was actually decorated with beautiful jewels, thereby making it a perfect Wise Men prop.  Still, we just loved the idea of the Wise Men carrying a Lemon Drop Martini on their way to the manger.

So, that's a quick (maybe not-so-quick) Christmas update of the last ten days.  Hope you're having some good Christmas Days too.  And if you have any funny Christmas stories, please feel free to share! 

A Shopping Challenge

As we are in the midst of the holiday shopping season, I find myself in good shape with all my Christmas shopping, with the exception of one person:  CT.

Each year I am challenged with what to buy CT for Christmas and his birthday (which is in February).  CT is a guy with pretty simple tastes, wants, and needs; he is definitely NOT a materialistic guy.  Every time I ask him for gift ideas, he very sincerely replies, "I really don't want or need anything, Hon."  Once in a while he throws in, "I got you and that's all that matters", after I frown at the first reply. 

The last big gift I bought CT was about four or five years ago.  Here is the gift:

Yes, a Leg Lamp (from the hilarious and classic movie "A Christmas Story", one of CT's favorite movies.)  If you have ever seen this movie, you understand how absolutely GREAT this lamp is, even though it is a bit "FRAGEELY"! 

So when CT received the Leg Lamp for his birthday one year, he was NOT happy that I spent the money and bought him such an extravagant gift.  (Personally, I did not think it was that extravagant.)  But he came to love the gift, and now each December the lamp is the first decoration CT unpacks.  And yes, it is displayed in the living room window instead of my beautiful Christmas Tree.  He waits to see if our holiday visitors notice the lamp as they drive up to the house, and he loves showing it to everyone.  (Side note:  When Ella saw the lamp for the first time this year, she said, "Auntie, where is the rest of the lady?")  And my beautiful Christmas Tree?  Well, it sits snuggly in the corner of the living room.  

Well, I've got 18 days to come up with a gift or two for CT.  Whatever it is, it will never be as "extravagant" or as funny as the Leg Lamp, and that's ok, because I know CT is truly happy with or without Christmas gifts.  For me, that's all that matters.    

December Daily

While I can't say that I am a artsy/craftsy type person, I do enjoy scrapbooking.  And thanks to the Cellar Chicks, I've been encouraged to work on a December Daily album this year.  What exactly is a December Daily album, you ask?

Starting today, and then every day until Christmas Day, I will take photos of something for that particular day.  The photos can of anything - Christmas-related or not, something unusual or something routine that I am doing that particular day.  It doesn't matter.  Ultimately the photos, along with my written notes/stories of that day, will be placed in the album.  In the end, I will have documented my day-to-day life during the month of December, in the year of 2010.   Here is the start of my album.

It is only December 1st, and I am already finding this project challenging.  Here are the empty pages for December 1st and December 25 (with lots of empty pages in between) that I will eventually fill. 

I've got a list of things to do today, and frankly, they are all too boring and mundane to photograph and write about.  I mean, do I really want to capture my on-going job search as I sit at the computer applying for what few jobs are out there this week?  Not really.  Or should I photograph the cleaning of my closet, which I've been putting off for months now?  Nope.  Oh, how about the cleaning of the bathrooms?  Oh yeah, that's fun, but years from now, I don't want to look back at a bucket full of cleaning supplies sitting next to a toilet.  No way.  But then again, this is my life and my life for today, and this what the project is all about. 

In email exchanges this morning, PK had a good suggestion to try to incorporate Christmas in the photos, even in to the most boring or routine things of the day.  Then Leanne suggested I use my favorite Christmas coffee mug as I sit at the computer working on my job search.  That might work.  Better yet, how 'bout if I wear my Santa's hat while I scrub the toilets?  Now that photo will definitely make me chuckle years from now when I look back at this album.

So, December Daily, here I come.

  

Rushing It

It's not even Thanksgiving yet, but just look around - it's beginning to look A LOT like Christmas everywhere.  Go into any store, and you'll find the reds, the greens, the golds in abundance.  You'll hear the Christmas tunes and smell the cinnamon scented pine cones in the air.  You see the sparkle of the Christmas lights and trees and decorations.  And one of the Chicago-area radio stations has already changed their format to all-Christmas.  Heck, my blog design was changed to a Christmas theme two weeks ago (compliments of Leanne - thanks, Sis!) and CT and I even started working on our outside house decorations, which we hope to finish those today.  (Side comment:  we do NOT turn on the outside Christmas lights until the day AFTER Thanksgiving.)

Anyway, while surfing the TV this morning, CT stumbled upon a commercial for one of our favorite Christmas movies.  The first airing of this movie is scheduled for TONIGHT on USA network, and the station is running the moving twice - back to back.

"Elf" is one of those movies that we will probably watch at least a half dozen times between now and Christmas.  When I can't find it on TV, I pop in the DVD.  It's one of those movies that I really don't have to WATCH - I can just LISTEN to the movie and do other things (like wrap presents, write out Christmas cards, bake Christmas cookies, etc.) and still really enjoy the movie.

There are a few other Christmas movies that I will probably watch/listen to as much as "Elf".  These classic movies are truly the best of the best of all Christmas movies.

Everyone knows "It's a Wonderful Life" and "White Christmas".  But the lesser known movie, "The Bishop's Wife", with Cary Grant (big sigh.....), Loretta Young, and David Niven, is also one of THE BEST Christmas movies of all time.  If you've never seen this movie before, I strongly encourage you to check it out, as I know it will become one of your favorites too.

Yes, it is not even Thanksgiving, yet the world is just rushing towards Christmas.  And while I can't help myself, I'm rushing it too - and I'm lovin' it!  So, if YOU are rushing it, just enjoy it!