December musings, part 1

It's the end of the holiday season...and I have started this blog about 50 times this month and still haven't finished and now it's almost the end of December and it's still not posted.  Oh, well.  I am now in the post-Christmas doldrums.   *sigh*  363 days until Christmas 2011.
Let's see, how did our month play out?  
*  We got a new kitten in WV over Thanksgiving (okay, technically that was still November, but it was close enough to December)  Initially her name was going to be Penelope, but then Julianna changed her mind and named her Holly. She's really cute. Tiny little thing, less than 2 lbs.  She is being tormented by Julianna (in love), tolerated by Emily, our other cat, and loved on by everyone else.  Perfect combination.

*  We went Christmas tree hunting.  Last year was the first year that we've ever had a live tree.  We went to a local tree farm, chose the one we wanted and cut it down (We won't go into how it was so cold and snowing and Julianna was woefully under dressed in her cute little leopard print ensemble and about froze to death and was not a happy camper by the end (okay, middle) of our little adventure while we had to hike up a large hill to get to the "good" trees.  In our minds it was a picture perfect, Hallmark type moment and we wanted to do it again this year (minus the frostbitten kid).  
We headed out (weather was cold, but not like last year) with Julianna all bundled up in her snowsuit on our quest for the right one.  We hiked back up the hill where we found last year's tree and the cupboard (or field) was bare -  stripped clean, except for some that would make Charlie Brown proud.  We wandered for a bit and found the one we wanted.  Julianna had a do a "test" on it.  It went like this, "Smells good, check. Not to prickly, check.  Big and round, check."  We all gave our thumbs up and Dad channeled his inner lumberjack and cut it down. 

Ain't she a beauty?  She is a big, for sure.  It's funny how they look smaller out in that wide open field amongst all their other evergreen friends.  (Sort of like when you go furniture shopping in those huge stores and pick out the perfect pieces and then are in a panic when they are delivered and you  actually have to fit them into your house.  We are talking hypothetically.  Not like that actually happened to anyone that might be writing this blog. As long as we are clear on the facts.)

We have a very traditional tree.  I love it. It is decorated with heirloom ornaments that commemorate special moments throughout our lives and handmade memories. My sister makes Julianna a new ornament every year and this year was her Rapunzel costume.  It's so cute.  My favorite ornament this year.

* We finished up the 2010 portion of our school year last week.  I need to sit down and go through the work we've done and see the progress that has been made.  I saw a writing sample of a friend's Kindergartner (who is in public school) and I realized that I need to get Julianna writing more.  Not that he was writing Shakespearean sonnets, but I'm not sure she could write much without me telling her how to spell it.  I've got to work most on instilling in her the confidence to at least try something without automatically fighting it.  Anyhoo, to end our school year we had a get together with our Youth Pastor's wife and their kids (She homeschools their oldest daughter, 1st grade.)  We were supposed to do it the last week we had school ( I was going to do some educational things - maybe a lapbook, writing activities, etc.), but they had a family medical emergency, so we postponed it a week.  We were out of the "school" mode by then, so we did crafty things (which involved copious amounts of sugar) and let the kids play.  Fun was had by all and it was great to fellowship with them.  We made sugar cone Christmas trees and Gingerbread houses from graham crackers...which meant lots of icing and candy both in the kids and all over my table and floor.  

*Last week we went to see a synchronized light display at a local family amusement park.  They were awesome.  They billed it as "the Bellagio display of lights" - for Maryland it probably was.  We really enjoyed them.  We also went to Boyds Bear Country in Gettysburg one Friday afternoon.  It was kind of sad (aside from the fact we had a run of joint) to see how much they have downgraded their displays and merchandise.  I know the company had financial issues, so I'm guessing that is why.  I used to collect the resin pieces and would have paid good money a few years ago to get a lot of the pieces they had there.  I guess the guy who started it all kept every first edition set numbered 1 - 10.  They are now selling his collection of first editions. I started to hyperventilate just a teeny bit when I walked into the room with all of them out.  Nirvana...if I was still collecting.  I was sorely tempted to start again, but I just don't display them and it makes no sense to keep them in a box. After I wrote the above, I received an email that Boyd's is closing their barn on January 4th.  I think we'll take a trip up tomorrow to say goodbye.  :*( 

 I better continue on another post.  My blog resolution for 2011 is to post more often with shorter entries.  I tend to get too wordy when I wait too long and then overload.  
Part 2 coming soon....