2008: The Year of the Boogie

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Happy New Year, everyone!

God's Perfect Provision

Because of my serious lack of blogging over the past two weeks, I may have to do some backtracking. Then again, I may share this and forget about everything else!

For Christmas I got a bonus from my boss. I didn't tell DH about it, thinking instead that I would use it for a surprise super-fun gift for him. Last Monday the plan was that after DH got home from work I would go out and finish the Christmas shopping all by myself (yay for Boogie-less shopping trips!) I secretly intended to cash that check and go on a Super-Fun-Gift-For-DH hunt. But what actually happened was that when DH came home his right eye was red and irritated. He said that it had been bothering him all day, and that it felt like there was something in his contact, even after he took it out and cleaned it thoroughly. He took out his contacts and I took a look at his eye -- people, it looked like a divot had been taken out, right across the pupil. It still gives me the shivers to think about it (I cannot bear eye injuries. I can give birth without an epidural. I can watch open-heart surgery on the Discovery channel. I can listen to your story about a post going through someone's leg. But please, please don't tell me about a detached cornea or show me your bloodshot eye or anything like that. It makes me quavery inside.) We called an opthamologist and they got him right in. The doctor gave him a prescription for antibiotic drops and an ointment as well. When DH called from the pharmacy to tell me he was super-bummed about the cost of the meds. Wouldn't you know that the copay to the doctor plus the cost of meds was exactly, to the dollar, what I had left of my bonus after tithing? TO THE DOLLAR, y'all. So there was no Super Fun Gift but DH has a healthy eye, and that is all that matters.

You can't tell me that was a mere coincidence. God always provides exactly what we need, exactly when we need it.

Holi-Daze

What a busy time we've had over the past two weeks! We had some friends over for dinner; hosted the monthly ladies' meeting at our apartment; went to several rehearsals for the Christmas play and then had the performance. I sang in the choir and DH played the role of Grandpa -- doesn't he age well?
SIL2 pulled this play together and did an amazing job. BIL2 built the set. Many folks from church assisted with acting and singing and everyone did great!

One afternoon we had a party with MIL's family from Delaware (these pics are curtesy of SIL1 as I had forgotten to bring a camera): We got to spend more time over the weekend with one cousin who stayed at 52 for a couple of days:


In between all of these events I shopped for gifts and spent hours making beaded ornaments. I only got one good picture of the ones I made but most of them turned out pretty well. I could only work on them at naptime and after the Boogie went to bed because the combination of her with my beads was a potential disaster that I did not care to risk, so there were many late nights. Next year I think I'll try to get a head start of a month or two.

DH had Christmas Eve and Christmas day off which was wonderful. On Christmas Eve we wrapped gifts and cooked a turkey (my first one ever!), attended the Christmas Eve service at church, and headed to 52 afterwards to eat and exchange gifts.

All the LCs:

Pop Pop reads the Christmas story ... or rather, attempts to:
The Boogie is very excited to open presents!
Tearing into the gifts:
Christmas morning we slept in which was wonderful. We have to take advantage of that while the Boogie is still young enough not to wake early. :) It was so sweet to see her reaction to her new table and chairs and new (to her) play kitchen. She sat across the table from Curious George and chatted with him for quite a while.



We got dressed and went out to breakfast, then came back home and opened the gifts from my family and each other.
Our afternoon was spent on the phone with Kentuckians and Warshingtonians, and around 4:00 MIL, FIL, and SIL3 showed up for dinner. We ate and afterwards watched The Shop Around The Corner. All in all it was a wonderful, relaxing day!


I hope all of you had a lovely Christmas, and that the rest of your holiday week is nice as well!

The Countdown ... Oh Wait, It's Here!

Merry Christmas to you all! I have been terribly remiss in posting, I know. I apologize. There will be a nice long catch-up after the holiday, with pictures and everything. Meanwhile it is 1:30 a.m. and I finally finished wrapping! Time for sleeeeeeep ...

Have a wonderful day, everyone!

The Countdown: 8 Days 'til Christmas

On Monday when we went tree-shopping the temperature was in the low sixties. It was an odd feeling, but nice not to have to get all bundled up! It reminded me of the Christmases my family spent in San Diego when we were stationed there. The first year we were married DH and I bought our tree at one of those farm-stands you see by the road and paid (if I remember right) about forty dollars for a five-foot tree. Last year we went to another stand and paid about twenty dollars for a little three-footer (the Boogie was just starting to crawl so we put it up on a table where she couldn't reach.)

By this year we had learned our lesson so we went to Lowe's where we paid $23 with tax for a nice 6-foot Balsam fir. The pickings were a little slim, but DH patiently held each one up and spun it for me until I found the least Charlie Brown-ish one. I think it has a very nice shape and it certainly smells lovely! The Boogie has had a difficult time resisting the charms of ornaments at her level but we hung the wood and felt ones and some plastic Ikea balls at the bottom of the tree, and anchored it to the wall with fishing wire just in case she tries to knock it over. Her favorite ornament is a tiny felt train engine. When we are there she touches it with one finger and says delightedly, "Choo-choo? Choo-choo!" When we are not there she pulls it off and brings it to us saying, "Choo-choo!" The "don't touch the tree" rule is a work in progress.

DH, bless his heart, went up to the third floor and searched around with a flashlight on his head until he found the other Christmas box which contained the square Christmas wreath (proving I am not delusional) and the tree stand. So I was wrong about having more snowmen to set out. Oh, well!

Yesterday I wrapped the gifts for my family and sent them off. I'm glad to have that task completed. I just have a couple more things to mail and I'll be finished for now. I'm not even going to try to get cards out before Christmas. I might manage to get a letter in the mail by the end of this month. Or next month. We shall see.

Through-out the day yesterday it rained and sleeted and snowed -- it was cold! Today I think it's only raining. It's a good day for me and the Boogie to stay home and get some cooking and cleaning done.

The Countdown: 10 Days 'til Christmas

Vee (my sister) texted me yesterday from Warshington that she was snowed in. Snowed in! I am not jealous. My favorite kind of snowfall is when it lightly dusts the ground but melts on the roadways, and is completely gone by the next morning. Hold all ice, please.

I am pleased to record that I accomplished several things last week: the living room was cleaned and rearranged and partially decorated; the Boogie's room was cleaned and rearranged, and her toys were sorted through and put neatly away; our room was cleaned and the pile of papers accumulating on my dresser since September were sorted and filed. I even dusted in our room! It has been, I am ashamed to say, months. Ack. To be totally honest, I didn't completely clean the living room. The computer desk definitely needs some work, but I'll tackle that later this week. The ladies' meeting will be here on Friday so that will be my motivation.

Saturday evening we went to dinner at Maggianos in Philly. The food was AMAZING. If there is one near you, I highly recommend it. We dined family style and I tried just about everything. I was stuffed! Afterwards DH and I walked down to City Hall to see the Christmas tree. It was so neat to see Philly all decorated and lit up. We had a lovely evening.

Christmas preparations are coming along. On our way to dinner on Saturday we stopped by Ikea to pick up the Boogie's gift from us, a small table and chairs. Today I'll head to the third floor at 52 and search for the missing decoration box. I know there's another one because our tree stand is in it! I'll do a little more shopping today and meet DH after work to go get our tree.

It is going to be a busy week. Here is the schedule so far:
*Today -- cleaning, shopping, decorating
*Tuesday -- laundry day at 52
*Wednesday -- dinner with the D family
*Thursday -- more shopping
*Friday -- Christmas lunch, ladies' meeting here
*Saturday -- play practice, MIL's family Christmas party
*Sunday -- church and Christmas play
Incorporated into most of those days will be more cleaning, gift-wrapping, package-mailing, cooking and baking, and more decorating.

I think it's time to turn off the computer and get busy!

Aargh

Why won't Blogger separate my paragraphs? This is so frustrating. I really do write in paragraphs. I promise. Please imagine paragraphs in my previous entry.

Smart Boogie

Yesterday I rearranged our living room as you can see by these pictures. Of course if you've never seen our living room in its original state these will mean nothing to you.

I think I like it. It sort of gives the illusion of a separate living room. Originally I did it so we would have somewhere to put our tree but there still isn't a place for one so when we get it we might have to shuffle some of the furniture back around.

Then I started putting out the Christmas decorations. I think I'm missing a box because I didn't end up with very many things. I'm sure I have more snowmen to set out. Also I distinctly remember a large square wreath-like thing with a snowman wearing skis sitting in it. However, just remembering it doesn't mean that it belongs to me. Maybe I saw it somewhere else and it embedded itself in my memory, tricking me into thinking that it's mine. In any case I will have to go looking for another box just to be sure.

I set up our nativity scene on the stand by the front door.

After a while I noticed the Boogie standing on a bag of unfolded laundry, gazing at the scene.

"What do you see?" I asked her.

"Baby," she said, pointing.

"That's right!" I told her, delighted that out of everything there, the tiniest figure was what caught her eye. "That's baby Jesus!"
"Jesus," she repeated. Then the little wheels started turning in her head and after another minute or two she began to hum "Jesus Loves Me"! What a smartie.

That's my girl. :)

Getting In The Yuletide Spirit

I love doing surveys about myself. I'm not sure why but it probably has something to do with vanity! Despite my "Nothing Christmasy before Thanksgiving" rule, I completed this one before Thanksgiving. I restrained myself from posting it here, though. You're welcome. Have fun reading and consider yourself tagged!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper. I've always loved wrapping gifts.
2. Real tree or Artificial? Real! Smells SO good ...
3. When do you put up the tree? A week or so before Christmas.
4. When do you take the tree down? Within a few days after the New Year.
5. Do you like eggnog? YUM.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? When I was about 8 (I think) my great-grandma made me a cloth doll. I named her Laura and slept with her and took her with me everywhere for YEARS. After a while my grandma had to put new arms and legs on her because the fabric had worn away. Eventually I had to put her away because her face started to get threadbare.
7. Hardest person to buy for? My mom. She has everything she needs and if she wants anything she gets it for herself.
8. Easiest person to buy for? Dena, of course. Kids are so easy to buy for.
9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? One year almost all I got was lotion. From everyone. No kidding. I must have looked chapped or something.
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? I can't pick just one, but I love love love classic movies, like the old black-and-white ones from the thirties and forties. There are lots of cheesy Christmas ones. For kids "The Snowman" is really cute.
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Usually after Thanksgiving.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? IDK. Probably!
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Cookies
16. Lights on the tree? Yep. And all over the room, over anything that I can drape them on.
17. Favorite Christmas song? "Santa Baby" by Eartha Kitt
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay at home.
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Yes
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? A penguin!
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas Eve at inlaws with all of DH's siblings and their families, then Christmas morning for just us.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Radio stations that start playing Christmas music right after Halloween.
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? I really love blue and silver. And snowmen.
24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Honeybaked ham
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? A house. With a yard and a porch swing and a dog.

Party Time

Last night was DH's work Christmas party. It was hosted at Merion Caterers which is a beautiful facility. We were actually in the Skylight Room which is what you see on the home page, with the big dome in the ceiling. At our table we sat with BIL/SIL2 and SIL3 as well as two other couples. The food was good and so was the company! We had a nice time and I got to wear my new dress from Ross (I *heart* Ross.) It was definitely an improvement over last year's party...

Last year we missed the cocktail hour and therefore the hors d'oeuvres (a fancy name for appetizers, but it's a fancy place, y'all.) The first course of dinner wasn't served until 8:00 so we were starving. Our table was right under a vent and the air conditioning kept coming on so we girls were freezing. Our table was also all the way across the room from the kitchen so we were among the last to be served. Our waiter was unable to carry enough at once for our entire table so had to make two trips. We politely waited at every course until everyone had their food -- combine that with the air conditioning and our food was cold by the time we ate it. DH's prime rib was mostly fat. GROSS.

The best part of the story, though, happened when we left. We had checked our coats when we arrived. As we were leaving we got in line to pick up our coats and waited ... and waited ... and waited. Soon the line was about twenty-five couples long. I am not even kidding. When we finally got up to the window and handed the coat-checker person our tags he said, "We don't have these." Don't have them? What do you mean, you don't have them? We left them here! Where did they go? Come to find out part of the rotating rack had broken and there were coats all over the floor. Since the tag matches the number on the hangar, if your coat falls off the hangar there is no way to match it with you. So. Coat-checker Person asked, "Can you describe your coats?" Um, yes, we said, they are black. Now readers, just think for a minute about how many people you know who have black coats. Take that ratio and apply it to coats in a coat-check room. It was a sea of black outerwear. Coat-checker Person didn't even try to look for ours. But we weren't leaving without our coats! DH's was leather! So we just walked right behind the counter and started searching. There were coats all over the floor. Some were beautiful fur coats that people were just stepping on (we weren't the only unauthorized coat-searchers in there.) As we looked we picked up what we could and slung them over the rack. After about fifteen or twenty minutes I finally found ours, praise the Lord. As soon as we left the manager closed the door so no one else could go in. It was an eventful evening.

But that was last year and in the past. This year's party was enjoyable and uneventful. We had a snack before we left home. We sat closer to the kitchen and had a capable server -- courses were served in a timely manner, the cold food was cold and the hot food was hot. And I learned my lesson last year. I am now the owner of a pink coat. I know the odds of a coat-check room disaster ever happening to me again are very slim, but I'm taking no chances.