Project 365 - January 7th

Taking a picture of me taking a picture.

BONUS PICTURE!!

Christmas packed up and gone for another year.

Holiday Rundown

December was a wild ride with lots of events, guests, food, festivities and fun! If we play the numbers game, this is how the month would look:

• 11 human guests, the longest stay was 28 days and the shortest was 2 hours
  
• 6 furry guests, same visit lengths as their human counterparts
  
• A handful of "disagreements" between furry friends - only a couple resulted in flying fur
  
• 3 trips to the vet, one of which had us taking Ivy to a dignified and graceful exit from this world
  
• 2 days of heat pump installation by a really professional company - they were a pleasure to work with (Degree Technologies)
  
• 3 batches of shortbread
  
• 3 doctor appointments, all with SHINING reviews
  
• 2 performances by a little lady (dance class recital and preschool Christmas concert)
  
• 1 GoogleChat in which the soon-to-be new in laws were introduced
  
• 3 nights of Shadows Over Camelot (I was a successful traitor 2 of the 3 :D)
  
• SO MUCH good food, including a huge turkey dinner and a few nights of delectable cheese.....there was other finger food too, but mostly cheese ;)
  
• 3 delicious breakfasts
  
• 3 cans of Awesome
  
• Innumerable thoughtful gifts, including, but not limited to, my mother-in-law's helping with the housework in a huge way, my sister-in-law's leaving me her much-coveted circle scarf, my new MacBook Pro from my dear husband and my son's showing me just how healthy he is and convincing me he will be fine when I go back to work :)
  
• 7 inches of snow AFTER our green Christmas
  
• 1 3-year old who is absolutely smitten with her grandparents, aunts and uncle
  
• 3 indoor/outdoor cats who are likely just recovering from a serious bout of cabin fever
  
• 1 visit from Santa that injected a bit of magic into all of our lives
  
• Many nights of unbathed, over-tired children - all of which were worth it to be able to share the holiday with our families :)
  
• 3 sliding afternoons, followed closely by hot chocolate, of course
  
• 1 very handsome Christmas tree (good call, honey!)
  
• 1 batch of peanut butter balls
  
• 1 viewing of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (SO glad to have seen this - thanks mother-in-law!)
  
• Over 200 photographs of everything from Cricut crafts to cookies, from my first baby performing on a stage for the first time to my second baby standing on his own
  
• More than I can count craft projects from school, daycare and home
  
• 7 Christmas specials from my childhood that have now been introduced to my little girl
  
• 1 seriously fast bum scooter who kept us all on our toes (the boy can cover the length of the living room in about 10 seconds)
  
• 4 batches of chocolate chip cookies
  
• 38 Christmas cards sent to loved ones near and far
  
• 6 blog posts
  
• Dozens of repetitions of "the hippopotamus song".
  
• 1 tooth NEARLY cut through the gum (it has been bulging and causing symptoms for a few weeks now
  
• 7 people with sniffly noses or fevers thanks to some crappy little flu bugs and allergies
  
• 1 last minute road-trip to the US to pick up a few things
  
• Many hours spent alternating between a pink princess dress with high heels and nudity by our little furnace girl

That about covers it. If I think of anything else, I'll write an update :)

UPDATE (thanks to Dave)

• A tableful of candy
  
• An unknown number of illicitly acquired jellybeans
  
• Thousands of Santa sparkles in the house and yard
  
• 2 runs with the snowblower to clean out the driveway (and my friend still had to park practically on the road when she and her daughter came sliding)
  
• ~70lb of cat litter
  
• 11 silly hats, 6 racing penguins and, inevitably, a few missing cracker prizes

UPDATE (via Courtney in the comments)

• about 15 trips down the stairs to lug Lily the wanna be cat-ambassador out of the basement
  
• 25 Tassimo Coffee disks
  
• Lots. And lots. of Tea.

Santa Claus on the Brain

I'll be honest, I've been thinking a lot about a man other than my husband lately. A man who finds me funny (or at the very least, he belly laughs at nearly everything), has good taste in colours (red and green are my second favourite colours) and has a sweet tooth nearly as large as mine - as evidenced by all the cookies he eats over the course of Christmas Eve.
Yes, I am talking about Santa. Isabel is at the age where she is really starting to "get" Christmas and Santa and is developing that sense of wonder that encapsulates childhood as we all remember it. She is not keen to sit on the knee of a stranger - no matter how jovial or how many treats he is willing to hand over. But she understands that a magical man will be coming on Christmas Eve while she is sleeping and will be leaving us all gifts. She knows about Santa's reindeer and his elves. She knows that he likes cookies and that his deer like carrots. She's got the gist of it. As a result, we've decided to go whole hog with the Santa gig this year. We have seen Santa at the mall. We've written him and received a letter back. We've received a video email from him. We will be following him via NORAD on Christmas Eve and we will be leaving the requisite treats by the tree before going to bed.
After the children have gone to bed, the real magic will happen. Isabel has asked for such simple gifts - a pair of pyjama pants because the ones she loves are too small and an electric toothbrush (which she calls a "big toothbrush") because hers broke. She will be getting both of these items and I've put the bug in her ear that she might like a Jessie costume so that the chest of costumes will be absolutely amazing in her mind. We will be leaving a trail of sparkles throughout the house and yard where Santa will have walked. We are making sled tracks in the snow in the front yard and her stocking will be moved from the spot it is hanging on the bookshelf to her doorknob. I've no doubt that this will 100% solidify in her mind that Santa is indeed real and did, in fact, visit our home. My hope is that it will ignite a spark in her imagination so strong that it will take years of non-believers to squelch it.
Why, then, do I still have Santa on the brain, you ask? Because I have begun noticing that around every corner there are people either actively or inadvertently doing things to foil my plan. Why, in heavens name, do companies feel the need to allude or flat out state Santa's being a myth in their advertisements? Why do shows, aimed at children, talk about Santa in such a grown up way (the fact that he is the spirit of giving in all of us, for example)? And why do parents who choose not to practice "Santa" not also teach their children tact and respect for the beliefs of others, thus keeping them from unceremoniously taking away a beautiful part of childhood that other parents have created for their children?
This blog post actually angered me with its condescending tone and disrespect for the innocence and wonder of childhood. He makes a lot of assumptions too (like the emotions he attributes to every child who learns the truth about Santa - smugness and superiority) and sweeping generalizations never sit well with me. He lost me entirely though when he scoffed so entirely at "invocations of magic or mystery." Yet another conceited, middle-aged man who thinks that because he cannot sense it, it obviously isn't real and is therefore worthless. I think this, in a nutshell, is why I can never identify as an atheist. While I don't believe in anything in particular, I certainly can't say that I believe in nothingness either. I can't say that his theories are all bad because I do appreciate the value in teaching children problem solving skills and honing their questioning by turning their questions about Santa Claus back on them, but to say that belief in Santa is just evidence as to "how completely we all can snow ourselves if the enticements are attractive enough" suggests to me that he and I see Santa VERY differently. With that in mind, I am going to close the tab containing this man's blog and tell you about my Santa.
I was a full-on believer in Santa until the ripe old age of 8, if I had to estimate. It was around then that I either started to question myself or could no longer ignore the signs around me that suggested there may be more to the story.
For lack of a better description, I stored away Santa-related information until I was about 10, gradually realising that there may not have been a dude in a red suit sliding down my chimney, but still not willing to let go of the magic yet. Unfortunately, Santa as I knew him ceased to exist rather suddenly around this time and it was entirely of my own doing. (Mom: Turn away now if you don't want to learn that I was, in fact, not perfect ;) )
All of my peers snooped and bragged about their finds. They had for a couple of years at this point, but I had steadfastly refused, partially because I didn't want to get into trouble, partially because I didn't want to ruin surprises and partially because I was afraid of what I might discover. Well, in a moment of weakness, I rummaged lightly in my mother's closet, making a half-hearted attempt at snooping, sure she had hidden things well. With a light tossing of some clothes, I found a Wheel of Fortune board game. I was IMMEDIATELY remorseful and regretful and disappointed in myself. I covered it back up and bolted. For the weeks leading up to Christmas, I prayed to whatever deity would listen that the game not be from Santa, but it was not meant to be. On Christmas morning, the game was labeled from Santa and the whole thing was shattered. You may think that I would be angry at my parents or feel betrayed, but mostly I was just disappointed in myself. I had ruined Santa for myself.
The next Christmas, I held my breath for what was sure to be the worst Christmas possible - a Santa-less Christmas. To my surprise though, the disappearance of Santa didn't ruin Christmas at all. As a matter of fact, Santa was still there, in my heart. He was made up of all of the things I loved about Christmas - the tree, the music, the baking, the family - the magic. This new Santa warmed my heart just as much as the old Santa had, so it was easy to keep believing for the sake of my little sister and my family and even myself.
Since then, Santa has grown to include the joy of giving and the compassion and goodwill toward others that come with maturity. There is a little bit of Santa in all of us. I am hoping that we, as a society, don't forget, or heaven forbid, become scornful or dismissive of it.

A Childhood Memory - Shattered.

I've been on a kick over the last week. I've been downloading all of my favourite Christmas specials and movies. Izzy and I have been watching them together. Today's lineup - ALF Christmas special, The Peanuts and A Very Brady Christmas. I remembered that ALF had a penchant for cats as cuisine and the running "meat" jokes with regard to Alice on the Brady Bunch, but I figured both would go over Isabel's head.
With no obvious need to sensor, I plunked us both down after Orin went for his nap. The Brady Bunch was up first. In the first 5 minutes, Mrs. Brady's behaviour kind of made me a little embarrassed as she chased Mr. Brady around the house begging and sulking like a small child because he wouldn't tell her about his gift to her. After Alice arrived (having been dumped by her beau - the butcher), there was a conversation with regard to Mr. Brady's desired breakfast. Mrs. Brady chastized Alice for offering to make it because she didn't work for them anymore and bragged about how she'd taken over all of Alice's duties when she left. Then the Mrs proceeded to make an elaborate bacon and eggs breakfast, while Mr sat on his duff and then bustled out the door with no more than a glass of orange juice in her so she wasn't late for work. I knew that this was all stuff that Isabel was missing, but the red flags were up. And good thing they were. Fast forward a bit and we find Peter chatting with his boss about his holiday plans. We come to understand that they are dating and he is unhappy with the fact that she is higher up in the company than him. When asked "would you be happier if I had a desk out there and you had one in here?", Peter responded with an earnest "yes", not because he wanted to be the boss, but evidently because he was uncomfortable with his girlfriend having a higher up job than him. I started to outwardly scowl at this point, but actually shut off the TV when she seductively plunked herself on his lap and told him, "Nine to five, I'm the boss, but five to nine..." and he perked up, "I am." I nearly barfed. Now, I am just sad that something I remembered so fondly has been marred by the grossness my grown-up-self recognizes in it.

My Cricut is My Enabler

I am a creative person. I like to make things. I like to see pieces come together into a whole, especially when it can be enjoyed by others. I hesitate to say that I am crafty because that has a connotation that feels too kitschy for me. I am not keen on wreaths or swags of dead branches strapped together with an elaborate bow or smiling geese with large gingham bows tied around their necks, hanging out in my kitchen for no particular reason. So I say I am creative.
I have been eying the Cricut cutting machine for a few years now. I can't draw or write neatly enough to do my own lettering on my creations and stickers are horrendously expensive, so I've been limiting myself in the way of the types of projects I take on because they will inevitably disappoint due to my bunging them up or them costing more than I am willing to dish out. The Cricut would solve this problem. Admittedly, the cartridges are expensive, but I figured that if I limited myself to 2-3 fonts and bought them online, it shouldn't be too bad.
One day, I discovered software that would allow me to connect my Cricut to my computer and use whatever fonts my little heart desired. Brilliant! For the cost of one cartridge, I had just eliminated the primary drawback to the machine. And yet, I hemmed and hawed.
One day, I brought up how it would help me do a cool project that a friend had made and Dave sighed, "just buy it already!" That's all it took. I spied one on eBay for a fraction of the cost it would be to purchase locally or through many established retailers and I snapped it up.
Since then, I have been a veritable machine! I've made cards, dress-up dolls for Isabel and my two big projects:
A menu board


and an Advent calendar


When Dave came home to find me working on the menu board, he smiled, shook his head and said "it has become your enabler." I suppose he is right.

Martha Stewart, look out!