Coming up for air....

Where to begin?  This has been a busy few weeks.  The pictures pile up but I don't take the time to post.  We've had so many late nights doing other things!

This is a fabulous photo of Grand #2 at a Christmas party.  His brother had the same face paint but would not let his picture be taken.

And look at Grand #3.  Such joy at receiving a Wiggles book for Christmas!  I wish I'd been there.  :-)
 

Christmas decorating was pretty low-key here.  I did score a whole bunch of snowperson salt shakers and votive holders at the thrift shop last week.  They look great on the table runner Mom made for me  few years ago.   I've had the Avon candle sleigh for about 30 years.  It isn't Christmas without it!

The HOA buys luminaries every year from the boy scouts.  A bunch of us got together to put them out in the afternoon.  Actually the kids did most of the work, we just cheered them on.  After dark The Tramp and I walked around the pond taking photos.  It's one of those times you wish you had a wide angle lens.  Our house is the second from the end.  Cars drove around the pond all evening to see the lights and luminaries.  The Tramp likes to think most of them slowed down to look at our house!  LOL  I doubt it.

I went outside around midnight, after most of the house lights were out and it was pure Christmas magic.

I have managed to fit in a bit of Christmas sewing.  I made this "Merry Christmouse" ornament for my bee's holiday swap and Mom got it.  Good thing for me, as I had forgotten to take a picture of it.

Chocolate was necessary.

The weather up to Christmas was so mild I had another day of sewing with all the windows open and fresh air blowing through.  Good thing too.  It helped keep me awake.  :-)

Actually, the real reason I was creeping around outside with a flashlight after midnight on Christmas Eve was to find arms for Mr. Snowman.  The bottom box held a new desk chair for The Tramp.  The smaller box, a shop vac.  The head box had t-shirts.  I managed to get it put together, decorated, hatted and scarved without The Tramp seeing.  I taped an envelope to one "hand" and a small gift to the other.....which managed not to fall off until we we were just sitting down to open our presents!  I think the dogs were a bit peeved they couldn't get to the front window.  :-)

The luminaries in the morning.  Only a few bags had gone up in flames.

Our old black microwave finally annoyed us so much we treated ourselves to a new white one and spent Christmas Eve afternoon installing it (after we went back to Sears to replace the wrong parts it came with...sheesh).  You wouldn't think so but it makes the whole kitchen so much brighter!  And it doesn't beep!  Yay.  Everything else in the house beeps, this goes "bing, bing, bling!"  LOL  I love it!

Once a year, on Christmas morning, The Tramp insists on having bacon and eggs for breakfast and I, as dutiful wife, prepare it.  I don't mind.  The rest of the time he isn't the least bit demanding.

While I waited for The Tramp to appear I also made (gluten-free) Clementine-Cranberry Scones.  A success!

I glanced out the front window and spotted three crows squabbling over one of the luminaries.

I'm not sure what the attraction was, but they dragged the bag back and forth until the sand and candle dumped out.  They managed to get the leftover wax out of the little cup, discovered it wasn't food and abandoned it in the road.  Too funny.

My "loot."  Kaffe Fassett, Peanuts, James Taylor, chocolate, and a fancy new cordless iron.  I am happiness filled.  :-)

The Tramp was also pleased and put his chair together right away.  Actually there are new sewing chairs coming for me too, but they haven't arrived yet.

I used my new baking book from New Zealand to make a dessert for Christmas dinner at Mom and Dad's house.  When I first glanced through the book I realized I would need some Golden Syrup.  Our other Christmas Eve project was cleaning out the pantry.....and look what I found!  I already had two jars!  Guess the pantry really needed sorting.

I made Mom a set of spiderweb placemats to match her dishes.  (Yes, The Tramp is wearing one of his Grinch shirts.)

I made Grands #1&2 four-sided placemats with four superhero fabrics.  Of course this is the only picture I have.

We unearthed a box of Christmas crackers out of the garage that we've been meaning to use for about five years!

I also made Pavlova.  Yum!  The Ginger Crumbles from the new cookbook are on the right.

The Grands had new write-and-erase boards which the Sailor Son said kept them very busy on the long ride in the car.  They were very serious about their drawing.  Note the new cars they each have by their sides.  Noisy!  OMG!  This was an enforced "quiet time".

The Sailor Son was able to stay over night so on Boxing Day the boys and I made a house out of the chair box.  We "builded it" and taped on a roof and a door.

How 6'2" Sailor Son fit in there with them I'll never know!

Even though it was getting chilly we promised them time at the park on the "fwings" before they had to leave.

Oh to be young!  Especially at Christmastime.  :-)