Where are you Christmas?

I am in quite the quandary people. Or, as my Auntie would say (shout out Auntie Lucy!), "In a bit of a pickle."

*side note here: That little saying is part of an inside joke between us and never, ever fails to make me smile because the events that transpired in order for her to first utter those now infamous words were hilarious. Got you wondering now, don't I?*

But back to my elusive point.

I ALWAYS have my house decorated for Christmas by now. Not necessarily the outside lights because I hate doing those and therefore con the hubby into doing it on my birthday/day after our anniversary as part of my "present" because I am evil like that.

The girls and I, (well, okay, the girls because I have a bad back, remember?) get out the decs from the attic as I suggest give the orders as to the best places to put them.

And I have some really awesome Christmas decorations people.

Like my Christmas Village that lights up AND has a train. The Bean is usually in charge of putting that up. So what if it is really a cheap one that was bought on sale for half off at JCPenny and now sports a few nicks and some broken church steps? I LOVE it and that is what counts.

Then there is my snow globe collection. I only have maybe 5 or 6 of them but I consider it a collection.

My favorite one is of the manger scene with Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus and plays "Oh Holy Night" when you twist the little twisty-key thingy. It is probably my most favorite Christmas decoration because when Ellie was only 5 and I was about three months pregnant with The Toots, she gave the hubby very strict instructions on what she needed him to get for her to give me as a Christmas present.

It HAD to have the manger scene AND play Oh Holy Night! And after going to nearly every store at the Maine Mall, the hubby finally found it in Macys. And naturally paid and arm and a leg for it but it was EXACTLY what Ellie had requested. Then she gave it to me on December 23rd because I had been sick in bed with a migraine and she thought it would make me feel better. Love it, love it, love it.

Then there are my family Christmas stockings that Gram knit for everyone. They have our names and a Christmas scene knit into each one. They also hold an unbelievable amount of presents. Pure awesomeness.

There also are all the other little Gram-made decorations. Stuffed felted Santas, table runners, fir filled scented pillows, crocheted tree ornaments complete with photos of us and the girls, and one very small stuffed stocking that is supposed to read "ho ho ho" but, because she didn't notice when she made it that the material was upside down, reads "oh, oh, oh".

It is funny to us because she made it for me the year that I was diagnosed with cancer and we realized The Toots was not developing normally thus we deemed it fitting that it should read "oh oh oh" instead anyway (yes, we all can appreciate sick humor in my family). I still crack up over it when I hang it up on my door knob.

But why the quandary you might be wondering? Well folks, it seems as though we may actually be moving. Yup, our house on East Boston Road, the hubby's Magnum Opus if you will, will finally be ready for us to live in.

While it will not be completely finished off, it will be done enough to move in to. For Christmas. That is the plan as of right now anyway. The hubby is working like a mad man between his "real jobs" and the house so that we can be in it for the holidays.

Or to be more exact, our anniversary. December 5th. (I wonder if that means no outside Christmas light chores "presents" for me this year?

We are not sure yet if we will make it. But we are hopeful. Enough so that I do not want to put up my Christmas decorations here only to have to repack them and then put them back out there.

Which leaves me feeling at very loose ends Christmas-wise.

As of right now, there is one small pitiful little Charlie Brown-esque tree that is sitting on my wood stove and some white twinkle lights that I leave up all year long in my Kitchen and on a floor plant.

This just does not work for a girl who loves all things Christmas and has been listening to Christmas music since September.

I feel like my decorations are sitting up there in the attic talking amongst themselves and saying things like, "Why aren't we out on display yet? Doesn't she love us anymore? What have we done wrong?"

You know, sort of like Toy Story (where the toys all come alive when no one is looking) only with Christmas decorations.

Don't worry my little decorations. Your time IS coming...

Are you ready to RUUUMMMMBBBLLLEEE???...

Nana and Papa stopped by tonight for a little visit.

Now Tess hasn't had an arm-wrestling throw down with her Papa in quite a while. But the timing was right. She was in peak physical condition and mentally ready. When Papa's big paw grabbed her little hand she knew no fear. Only the thrill of his impending doom.

And she set out, once again, to prove that she is still the "arm-wrestling champion of the world!".

Enjoy. I know I did....

You're never too old to Trick or Treat...

Halloween is over! Yay! I am not a fan of Halloween in that I think it is a gigantic pain in the butt, the decorations aren't pretty and cheery (like say, Christmas ones) and the endless candy eating is no friend to my aforementioned butt.

The one saving grace about Halloween for me? My kids still get into it.

Blake went to school dressed as a Zebra. She looked cute but it wouldn't exactly have won costume of the year. Ellie dressed up as a Woodland Fairy Princess and looked cute as well, though again, not enough oomph in the costume for my liking.

So when Blake told me she was going trick or treating with a few of her friends, naturally I was suspicious. I mean, let's face it, four Seniors out trick or treating doesn't particularly sit well with me mainly because as any good parent, I didn't believe that was ALL they were really going to go do. Blake is a very good kid but that doesn't mean I don't question her every time she goes out.

Plus, come on, Seniors do not go trick or treating. They just don't. So what were they REALLY going out to do? I outright refused to let her out at first, then when I finally relented, gave her a curfew that a ten year old would have laughed at. So I relented I tiny bit on that as well because as Blake so astutely pointed out, she was a good kid, always obeyed my rules, got good grades and basically does what she is told to do.

Damn, I hate when her logic crushes my overly dramatic imagination. Okay, but I made her swear on my life they were really just going trick or treating. There would be no booze and no vandalism, aka egging or TP'ing others or other's property.

I SWEAR MOM! WOW!!!

I had her repeat who was going, again, and since those kids are all, well, basically awesome, I gave her the go ahead.

Then got a little too control-y with her choice of costume. I told her if she was going to embarrass me by trick or treating at 17 years old, then she at least needed to look badass. And yes, I actually used the word badass with her. I know, I know, bad mother, bad mother.

So I rounded up things to whip out a pirate costume for her and between that and her bestie, Izza, she looked awesome. I was quite proud.

Then it was time to get The Toots ready. And guess what? She was a pirate too because let's face it folks, you don't get much more badass than my Toodle Bug. Plus, she sometimes gets this certain little smile and it totally looks like a pirate saying, "ARRRGH!!" Love it.

And while Ellie did not actually participate in the trick or treating, she did something so scary I can barely speak of it.

She started Driver's Ed. *cue window shattering, bone chilling scream*

As in previous years, we loaded up the Dread Pirate Toodle Bug and took her to my dad and Ann's to help hand out candy to other trick or treaters. Four of whom turned out to be her sister and friends. Yup, they pulled up in a Suburban and came in for a photo op. Now is it just me or do you think that if you are capable of legally driving yourself around in a vehicle, perhaps you are just a tad too old for trick or treating?

But they are just such a good bunch of kids that I ended up being proud that they had the heart, and at their age, the cajones, to go do it. And not be embarrassed at all. Just having a blast all together getting to be little kids again. And you know what? There is a whole hell of a lot worse things they could have been out doing.

And the best part? Blake was home even before the first, ten year old curfew that I gave her. When she got home I noticed she had upgraded her choice of hat. When I asked her about it her response was, "I left a Captain and came home a Commodore!"

That's my girl...