Christmas

Z in his new wagon, with the fun toy from Grandma.
When it was time for his nap, he kept shouting, "I pay! I pay!"
and cried himself to sleep.

Fun marker keeper, handmade by Aunt Em

How to make paper airplanes. We hoped to combat the lure of the Wii, but so far, that siren song has been awfully strong.

Stuff White People Like--a big hit

A big Christmas snowfall, plus mild temperatures, made it the perfect weather for the creation of snow creatures

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Christmas foods

Christmas Eve Glazed Chocolate Layer Cake

Christmas Morning Breakfast
Pecan Sticky Buns--A traditional favorite from AJ's family
Mushroom Quiche
Clementines
Plus, don't forget the Christmas crackers

Christmas Dinner
Green Beans with Pinenuts
Sliced Potatoes with Thyme and Scallops
Fresh Greens
Rolls
The ham, though good, wasn't quite as pretty as the rest of the food.

And because I thought it turned out pretty, a closeup of the potatoes

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A pretty much perfect day

As I see it, there are a lot of disadvantages to having a birthday during the winter solstice. It's just too close to Christmas and the celebration always has a red and green patina. For example, birthday present are sometimes wrapped up in Christmas paper. No one want to eat cake because they are sweeted out on homemade caramels and pistachio bark. And everyone is more excited about upcoming Christmas and the last few things that need to be done to properly celebrate a birthday.

Plus, there's so little light, and it's cold. You can't do much outside. I would much rather have a birthday during the summer solstice.

But, it is easy to find a babysitter on the 23rd. And for someone who prefers a quiet day alone to a big birthday lunch, it works out pretty well.

This was my day:

I get out of bed at 7:30, waking when the boys do, and then head to the gym without the kids since AJ didn't have to be to work until 9. After I get home, I shower and ready while MJ is still asleep--MJ+T seems to be trouble 75% of the time. At 10:30, I pick up the babysitter, a sweet girl from the ward who lives nearby. She is young enough that babysitting is fun for her and she still has a babysitting bag loaded with activities.

Then, I'm off. My first stop? I have to drop off AJ's laptop that he forgot, but it's pretty quiet at his office so he actually has some time to chat. Next, I head to my favorite part of the city where there are lots of interesting shops and restaurants. I find parking easily and go to browse around a great used indie bookstore. Because my to-be-read pile at home is huge, I mostly just look around, but end up leaving with a cookbook I've been wanting to try. We're going to have their green beans with pinenuts for Christmas dinner. I stop by the nice grocery store on the corner where I've parked to pick up some good bread. The baguettes in the market near our house are too fluffy and soft.
Then, to lunch at an amazing cafe and bakery where I relax and read while I eat my lunch of a chipotle goat cheese quesadilla and diet coke, with a ginger cookie for dessert. When you order, instead of getting the number on a stick that most places use to find you when your meal is ready, this place have made collages of interesting things. Last time I ate there, I got Satie, which is fine, but no personal favorite of mine, but yesterday, I am thrilled to get Ira Glass to wave down my food for me. I am reading an engrossing book, so I just linger over lunch for a while.

I stop by an interesting shop to browse around and walk out with two small globes that I will hang from the ceiling in my book corner. And then I stop by the cheese store to buy some goat cheese topped with dried fruit that we will bring to our Christmas Eve dinner, provided that the blizzard warnings don't spoil our plans.

Then, it was back to my town to stop by the grocery store for all the food we need for the rest of the week. It was crowded and I was grateful several times over to not have the kiddos with me. Before heading home, I picked up the latest Harry Potter movie from Redbox because we never saw it this summer.

The babysitter refuses payment, saying it is a birthday gift, and I suspect that it is her mother's idea, which she confirms, but still refuses to let me pay her.

AJ is soon home and we open presents, which include books! and my two favorite movies of the year.

And then, we all go to dinner at Punch, serving wood fired Italian style pizza. Yum! My favorite resturant in our town. An added bonus is that an 800 degree oven cooks pizza very quickly, before the kids get restless.

We drive home in the snow, looking at all the lights. Counting the houses with lights keeps the kids happy, so there is no squabbling from the back seat.

After AJ gets the kids into bed and we pick up around the house, we pull out the sofa bed and settle down to watch Harry battle against the evil powers of the universe and try to deal with teenage angst.

A very lovely day indeed.

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This is what won't be in your mailbox

For some reason, AJ said no to this version of our annual Christmas letter.

Humdrum.

Normal.

Commonplace.

Mundane.

Run-of-the-Mill.

Settled.

Typical.

Unexceptional.

That's our year. No one is doing much of anything new.

MJ--still in Spanish immersion school, now in 3rd grade. The only family event of note--her baptism in November.

T--still in preschool. Curses to September birthdays.

Z--coming up on 2 and is starting to talk.

AJ and Belle--approaching middle age with trepidation and some resentment.

Just more of the same.

Laughing, quarrelling. Working, playing.

Reading, and always more messes.

Eating, sleeping and praying.

Please, just don't call us

Conventional.

So, he got to be in charge of the letter this year.

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Best news

I arrived to church a little off. After AJ had to leave earlier than expected, and baby Z was inconsolably cranky because daddy left, and then when T and baby Z were taking their bath (didn't have time last night because of the ward Christmas party), Z dumped bucket after bucket of water on the floor and I couldn't find his shirt, I fell apart. Not entirely, but enough to come to church frazzled.

But, right before I started playing prelude music, a dear friend gave me the wonderful news that after going through years of infertility and trying to adopt, they had a baby. At first I misunderstood. "When are you going to be able to get him?" No, they already had a baby. They had been laying low in case the birth mother were to change her mind. Then I sat down and tried to blink away the tears so I could play Away in a Manger. Finding out totally changed my mood and really made my day.

What a beautiful Christmas blessing. I am so happy for them and can't wait to meet him.
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Here it comes, ready or not

Oh the butterflies. The nervous butterflies!
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I bought a suit yesterday.

It's my first ever pant suit. When I tried it on at home with the blouse that my wardrobe consultant picked out, MJ said I looked different and T said I looked like a man. Today T and baby Z helped me pick some comfortable black heels.

Now if I can just wow and charm my way through a job interview tomorrow.

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