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Archive for the 'Christmas' Category
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Well, there’s no better day to post what I found in my box of treasures!
You can click on the images to make them larger. Clicking on them a second time will show even more detail.
If you look closely, you will see that the inscription on the inside of the book was written in 1976. I was two years old that year, the same age as Claire. Granted, I was nearing my third birthday, but a two-yr old is a two-yr old. 
This book has been safely stored in my box of treasures, and this is the first year I’ve gotten it out for the holidays. This isn’t technically a “Book Bag Favorite” because Momma guards it with her life, but it is a favorite nonetheless. Claire loves the story, and she loves Santa (at least in the book…not necessarily in real life.)
Every time she sees a Santa Hat on someone or something she tells us whether she thinks it’s Santa or not. One of the Christmas Cards she got this year had little creatures drawn on a globe for the “Joy to the World” theme, and a lot of them are wearing Santa Hats. She went through each one saying, “That kitty’s prolly not Santa…That cow’s prolly not Santa…That pola’bear’s prolly not Santa…” Boy, nothing gets by Claire! 
This year, we’re hosting the Holiday Festivities at our house…a first! I’m really excited to start these traditions, and selfishly, it’s really nice to not have to worry about packing the sleigh and traveling with a toddler across the frozen tundra. I’ll miss seeing my parents, siblings and nephews on the big day, but it feels good to stay home for Christmas. I can’t wait for Claire to experience the hanging of the stockings tonight and see what Santa brings for her tomorrow.
Because we opted to stay home for the holidays, my hubby’s family has joined us. His parents arrived on Wednesday, and his brother got into town Saturday. Luckily, the storms spared their paths, and it was smooth sailing for the arrival of our guests.
And, for the first time in the history of the company, the office where I’m based as an independent contractor is closed on Christmas Eve, so I’m actually able to take a break from my job! Wow! Not traveling AND having time off from work!? I’m not sure what I’ll do with myself.
With all these extra hands and free time, I’m able to focus on some very important things: being able to relax and have fun! Granny brought some of our favorite recipes, so there has been a lot of cooking and baking, and we’ll finally be able to use the delicate Danish dishes (passed down from Great-Grandma) we’ve had on display in our china cabinet.
Needless to say, Claire loves all the company and excitement, and it’s going to be a sad state of affairs around here when everyone leaves. Thankfully, Daddy has two weeks off from work, so hopefully the blow will be lessened a tiny bit. January 7th is when things will get really interesting when Claire is forced to spend the whole day with boring ol’ Momma. Maybe whatever is currently wrapped in a billion packages under the tree will help ease the transition.
But, there’s no need to worry about that now; we’ll cross that snow-and-ice-covered bridge when we get to it. In the meantime, Santa will be on his way soon, and I can’t wait!
Last Tuesday, Claire and I met one of my friends for breakfast. As we’re sitting there enjoying the food and company, my friend asked me what Claire thinks of Santa.
“Oh, she loves him!” I said. “She recognizes him everywhere, and she gets really concerned when our neighbors’ plastic replica of him tips over in the snow. She got really upset one day when she saw he’d done a face-plant in the yard. Luckily, they picked him up, so all is right with the world now,” I said, laughing, remembering how Claire kept saying she wanted to give Santa a big hug because he’d fallen over.
Then, my friend asked me if I’ve taken Claire to see Santa in person yet.
“Well,” I said. “I didn’t take her the year she was born, because I refused to take a brand new baby to the mall. And, last year, by the time I got myself organized, one of the blizzards hit, so we didn’t really have time to go before we left on our trip.”
She nodded in remembrance of the uncharacteristic blizzards that had book-ended the holiday. We’d been slammed with back-to-back blizzards, barely a week apart.
“And, this year…well…I’m just not sure how it would go,” I said. “I mean, Claire is scared to death of most men…especially large men. She doesn’t trust people with facial hair, and she’s really hesitant around men who wear hats.”
“What about the color red?” my friend asked, laughing. “How does she feel about the color red?”
“Unfortunately, that’s all the big guy has going for him. Claire loves red, but I just don’t think it’s enough to make it worth anyone’s while.”
“Hey! Guess what Claire got in one of her Christmas Cards!?”
“What?” Daddy asked.
So, I showed him this:
This is the gift card that was in a special card addressed to Claire from one of my friends and her family.
“Right. So, where’s it to?”
“What do you mean? It’s to Claire’s…” I said.
“Right, I understand that. But, which store is it for?” He asked again.
“It’s a Claire’s Gift Card,” I repeated.
“TO WHAT STORE?”
“Um, it’s for the store called Claire’s? You know, the little store at the mall where they sell accessories and girly stuff?”
“Ohhhhhhhhhh! Well, why didn’t you just say that!”
Granted, if our daughter had a different name, Daddy wouldn’t have been so confused…maybe.
When my hubby and I were dating and before we were married, my Christmas gift from him would always be a surprise. After we moved away, the holidays always involved a long and complicated trip to see relatives, dividing our time equally between his and mine, so our Christmas gifts for each other were awesome, but not surprising. They were exchanged before we left for our trip, without much fanfare. It’s hard to keep secrets from the person who reconciles the receipts. And, I really don’t mind knowing. I truly believe it’s the thought that counts, and he’s so thoughtful with his gifts.
I mean, I’m not complaining. It was just different, and it was the way it was.
This year, we decided to stay home for the holidays and start our own traditions with Claire. What people say is true: seeing the holiday through the eyes of a child really is a great thing. Since she’s just two years old, she can recognize Santa, but she’s not old enough to really be excited about the holiday.
Staying home for the holidays and not having to travel has also paved the way for an exciting turn of events: Super-secret surprise presents.
A couple weeks ago, my hubby got a glint in his eye and told me not to peek at any of the statements online. He said he, Claire and Santa were in cahoots, and they’d found some things to get me. He timed things so that the receipts were already reconciled for the month when he made his purchases, so I had no excuses to be poking around. He told me that packages were going to be delivered to the house, and I had strict orders to behave.
Secret packages. A surprise.
This was so exciting! I could get used to this!
Yesterday, a small mountain of packages arrived at our door. I was a good little girl and didn’t even look at the labels on any of the boxes. They sat on the landing all day, and my hubby ushered them off to the basement when he got home from work, a tube of wrapping paper in one hand and a pair of scissors and a roll of tape in another.
“He’s wrapping something downstairs! Right now! For me! And I don’t know what it is!” I thought, as I tried to busy myself with other things. It was incredibly difficult to contain my excitement.
When he came upstairs with his arms full, it was all I could do to not grab packages and start shaking them. I maintained my composure. I haven’t shaken a single one…yet.
He handed me some smaller wrapped ones and told me to hide them in my office closet with the rest of the contents of Santa’s bag.
Ooooooooooooooh, I can’t wait for Christmas!
I already know I’m going to love whatever it is. He doesn’t realize this, but he’s already given me an awesome Christmas present: He’s rekindled the excitement I felt when I was a kid, and I can’t wait for Santa to get here.
Four more days of being good, and I’m home-free.
Well, it wouldn’t be the holidays without our annual holiday photo shoot and letter! I love writing our holiday letter every year, and I always try to do a different theme for the letter. (You can see the one I chose this year below. It was inspired by the photo we chose.) I met my goal and got them mailed out right after Thanksgiving. (My goal every year is as close to December 1st as possible…)
By now, anyone who was going to receive one via snail mail has received it, so I’m going to post it online.
The holiday photo we used captured all three of us mid-laugh. I love it. All of the photos we took were hilarious. We had some friends over for Thanksgiving, so we set up our camera on a tripod in our kitchen and had them push the button. Needless to say, they clicked candid shots the whole time, and the progression is pretty funny, as you can see below. We took a TON of photos, but here are some of my favorite outtakes:
Um, there’s something on her face.
You don’t want to hold her? Fine, I’ll hold her.
Momma, I need’ta fix your hair. Oooooh, I need’ta zip your zipper.
Are we done yet?
Ready or not, I’m suckin’ my thumb.
And, here’s the one we used!
Obviously, I’ve cropped the pictures to highlight the most important subject. Oh, and you can click on each picture to make it bigger. Clicking the photo a second time will give you even more detail…
So, without further ado, here is an altered-for-my-blog version of our holiday letter!
Happy Holidays
2007We hope this Holiday Letter finds you and yours to be healthy and happy this Holiday Season!
As you can see by our holiday photo this year, we love to laugh! Laughter has been a constant theme at our house, especially with a toddler! Yes, Claire’s official two-year birthday is November 30th. Where does the time go?
In looking back over the year, we’re thankful for many things, especially the laughter:
L – Limited Visits to the ER. Fortunately, the three of us have been very healthy. But, on her 19-month birthday (June 30th), Claire had a little altercation with a chair in our living room, requiring our very first trip to the ER and four stitches on her forehead (one inside, and three outside). In true Claire-style, she handled the entire incident with ease! She has since been trying really hard to ‘walk’ and not ‘run’ in the living room, which is hard, because her version of a walk is a run…
A – Animals. Merlin and Jasper turned six years old this year! They both loved the Baby Claire, and neither of them seems to mind the Toddler Claire. She’s really gentle with them, but she loves to give a good chase. When they’ve had enough, they go to where she can’t reach them. But, it never fails that they come back for more. Those two always have been a little crazy.
U – Under Construction. The remodeling projects never cease at the Hotel [OurLastName]! This year, we not only finished remodeling the main bathroom, we completely remodeled the master bathroom, as well! We’ve successfully added wall-tiling and heated flooring to our repertoire.
G – Gainful Employment. [Daddy] is still at [his company], and he really enjoys it! [Momma] has continued her role as [an independent contractor] for [her company] (working from home), in addition to being a toddler wrangler. Both positions keep her pretty busy, but she loves the challenge!
H – Hotel [OurLastName] Guests. Well, this wouldn’t be the Hotel [OurLastName] without all the guests! We love the constant stream of visitors, and we’ll have plenty of space in 2008, so be sure to make your reservations early!
T – Traveling. This year, we traveled to [the Midwest]. We were able to meet a brand new little nephew and see lots of family and friends! If we didn’t get a chance to see you this year, we hope to in the next!
E – Entertainment. Who knew life with a toddler could be so much fun!? Claire is very active and is also very verbal for her age. She says and does the funniest things, and every day we’re amazed at what she comes up with. It’s amazing to see her sense of humor, and the conversations we have keep us on our toes! We keep up-to-date photos on our family website, so be sure to check it out! (The web address is listed below.)
R – Relaxation. This summer, we traveled to Santa Fe for a much-needed family vacation. On this trip, we traveled with another family, and we had a great time! The three kids had a blast playing with each other, and the four adults had a wonderful break from their daily routines.
We wish you all the best in the New Year!
With Love & Laughter,
[The Three of Us]
[And, our contact info]
“Who Will Guide My Sleigh Tonight?” by Jerry Pallotta & David Biedrzycki
(Click photo to enlarge. If you click on the photo a second time, you’ll see even more detail.)
Here is another one of our favorite books. (You can read all about our “A Book Bag Favorite” series, here.) Claire got this book for her birthday from one of her Great-Aunts and Great-Uncles. It’s a fun book to read, especially this time of year!
Claire loves the entire book, but she really likes the roaring tigers, the mischievous monkeys, and the part about the turtles and the cheetahs.
“The turtles…were…too…slow.”
“Thecheetahsweretoofast.”
Of course the presenter’s enthusiastic delivery of the material may have something to do with that.
Needless to say, this book is entertaining for adults and little kids. It’s short, sweet, and keeps her attention long enough that we get to read it over and over and over. We’ve read it so much that she has it memorized. I love the fact that when I turn to the monkeys page, Claire automatically screams, “Don’t look at my underwear!”
And, in case you’re wondering, Santa appears to be a boxers kind of guy.
I’m in love with a new store.
I’ve wanted to write about this place for a while, but a certain someone reads this site, and I know she’d be wondering why I was talking about such a place, and then she’d figure out what she and Dad were getting for their 35th Wedding Anniversary today.
Yes, I’m talking about my mom…and Harry and David. Have you heard of this place? You have? Where have I been?
A while ago, my siblings and I were discussing what to do for Mom and Dad’s 35th wedding anniversary. We were bouncing ideas off one another, and in one of the many emails going back and forth, one of my sisters said that she’d always had good luck with Harry and David in situations like this in the past.
Who?
I didn’t want to admit that I had no idea who she was talking about, so I nonchalantly typed the name into Google and immediately fell in love with this store! Where has it been all my life! Surely this is a regional thing and that’s why I’ve been left in the cold dark world without Harry and David. Then, I realized that one of the malls in our area has a store! How could I have missed this!?
No, I’ve not gotten the courage to actually walk into a Harry and David store, because I’m not sure if I’m strong enough to walk out. Just looking at the site online makes me want to lick my monitor, so I’m afraid of what the clerks would do to me if I was left alone in the room with all of the actual gift baskets. Those places have video cameras. Youtube is an icon. Claire wouldn’t want to go anywhere in public with me again.
Anyway, we sorted through the bazillion options and settled on what we thought would be the perfect gift for Mom and Dad. Hopefully the real-life basket was just as exciting as the online version. It actually arrived earlier than we anticipated, but with the crazy weather the Midwest is having, I suppose ‘early’ is better than ‘dumped in the ditch somewhere on its side in the middle of an ice storm.’
I just peeked at the site…dangerous, I know…and it says that today is the LAST DAY to order something for Christmas and have it arrive via standard delivery! Here’s the link! So, if you’re at a loss as to what to get a certain someone for the holidays, or a birthday, or an anniversary, check out Harry and David. I really don’t think there’s a poor choice.
No, this little product review is not a paid endorsement, and like I’ve said before, if something appears on the sidebar, it’s purely coincidental. (Awesome, but purely coincidental.)
Of course, now that I know how wonderful Harry and David is (are?), I see them everywhere. Go figure.
Oh, and Happy 35th Anniversary, Mom and Dad! Here’s to many more!
The day after Thanksgiving, we put up our tree, and that Saturday was devoted to decorating! Like I’ve mentioned before, we’ve never had a tree, but we decided to get one this year.
Claire had so much fun!
Here are some fun pictures of Claire decorating the tree. (You can click on each image a couple of times to see it in more detail):
And, the final product:
So, you wanna know a little secret? All those pictures of “Claire decorating the tree” are really “Claire UN-decorating the tree.” Ha!
From this end, the pictures look like she knows how to put the decorations on, when in reality, putting them on wasn’t nearly as much fun as taking them off, and the pictures turned out much better.
Go figure.
NaBloPoMo – Day Twenty-five
MY ELVIS STAMP by me (11:26pm 01-10-94 Mon.)
Look! I have an Elvis Stamp! Mom would say, “Wow. Big deal…” Dad would say, “Gee, I wish he would come out with a new album.” As you can see they are polarized. I’m kinda in the middle – I like lots of his songs, but I do think he is dead and I don’t go overboard. I’m glad they voted for this “young Elvis” stamp over the “old Elvis” stamp. Anyway, here it is:[see photo below]
Mom put this on one of her letters to me with some comment about the wonderful “Christmas stamps” Dad got for her. Hmm…thems be fighten’ words!
Click to enlarge…
The above entry is from page 249 of my old journal. It’s ironic that it’s the next one in line on my “NaBloPoMo schedule” because I spent a good portion of the day, yesterday, doing holiday related things: We went on a shopping spree and completed our “gifts to be purchased and mailed” list! We got the Christmas Tree partially decorated (and I have a feeling with two kitties and toddler in the house it will always be partially decorated.) And, then I spent a while addressing 100 envelopes, printing our Holiday Letter, and stuffing the envelopes with our Holiday Photo Card! My goal is to get them done and out the door by Monday! Of course, I was sure to not neglect my band-duties as lead singer…it’s been a busy weekend!
As I mentioned before, some people on our Holiday Card List will get a “holiday” stamp (Sadly, these stamps are not as cool as the Elvis one, above.), and some will get a silver holiday bell that looks oddly like the Liberty Bell.
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