The Sound of Music

St. Louis here we come! We are on the road and headed to Grandma Jeanne and Grandpa Tom's house for a long overdue visit. Last night, we stopped at a Hampton Inn for a rest and stumbled upon Maria and the Von Trapps (on the tube of course). Lizzie and Nat were mesmerized (and Jeff and I couldn't stop grinning like fools over the fact that our children froze in their tracks when they heard this beautiful music).

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Odd Confession: Forty is Feeling Pretty Darn Good

Forty is feeling pretty darn good and how could it not?

I celebrated this milestone of a birthday with family and friends and capped it off with the kind of dinner that I dreamed about for my 40th: candlelight, fabulous friends, my loving husband, and wonderful food (I did have a nasty cold but, as Ruth would say, I "bucked up" for the big night). Life is good.

Zizzie's Tree

My husband has been generous in the tree department: he had terrible allergies as a child and grew up with the tradition of an artificial Christmas tree. Despite this, he has approved my annual pilgrimage for a real, formerly live, Christmas tree. In response, I have given up the notion that all four of us will set out together, merrily singing carols, to find the perfect tree. (I have yet to give up my romantic notions of a tree decorating party, but maybe next year.)

This year, Lizzie and I swung by a tree farm on the way home from our little friend Luke's birthday party. We didn't have a saw, a checkbook or cash, but that didn't stop us. After trekking to the back of the woods, identifying our tree and asking the kind gentleman to please cut our tree down, we proceeded to the farm's office. Uh oh. No credit cards. However, they had a W&L/UVA worthy honor system and we were able to take our tree home with us.

This year our Christmas tree is "the girls' tree". We may not be pioneers, but Lizzie and I still know how to get the job done. Wooohooo!

P.S. Although this is Zizzie's tree, I must admit that my smart and beautiful daughter has started to pronounce her name with the "L" sound. Darnit.

Deck the Hall with Advent Calendars

Like my friend Nora, I am of the belief that one cannot have too many Advent calendars. The Garnet Hill calendar that I have been coveting these past few years was marked down to a ridiculously low, "couldn't make it for less myself" price tag. So now we are enjoying both (a) placing a felt ornament on our Advent tree and (b) discovering a special note/activity of the day in our mini Advent buckets that line the balustrade (oooo, "balustrade", doesn't that sound grand? ;) )

Now, if I can just get Lizzie and Nat to stop trading stomach flus so we can enjoy Advent activities like hot cocoa, gingerbread and other baked goodies on a regular basis. Jeff, the laundry machine, the babysitters, and I are wiped out.

Shhhh....it's a secret until the 25th

I've been having a blast, staying up late and making little toys for Lizzie and Nat for Christmas. Yes, my muscles are atrophying, but hey, it's winter and those cozy sweaters, tights and long pants will cover for me until the New Year.

Away in a manger or a sleepover at Santa's house?

Today I noticed our new Nativity set and the fact that the whole manger crew - Mary, Joseph and all Three Wise Men - were staring down at an empty "no crib for a bed". Where was Baby Jesus?

I asked Lizzie about this and she told me that Baby Jesus was "in the house". Playmobil Santa's house that is.

Thankfully, I was able to talk Lizzielou into reuniting Baby Jesus with his crew. (I must admit that I am having an awful lot of fun watching my daughter play with the new Nativity set - call me irreverent, but it's a hoot!).