Another year over, and a new one just begun

So, how was your 2010? Good stuff here. Here's hoping the next is lovely for you and yours. From one of my very favorite authors, Neil Gaiman: I hope you will have a wonderful year, that you'll dream dangerously and outrageously, that you'll make something that didn't exist before you made it, that you will be loved and that you will be liked, and that you will have people to love and to like in return. And, most importantly (because I think there should be more kindness and more wisdom in the world right now), that you will, when you need to be, be wise, and that you will always be kind.

I’m sure people who don’t have kids will disagree with me, but ding dong Christmas is totally a kids' holiday! As a mom I enjoy it more watching it all through the Trueb’s eyes. This year was no different.

I came home from the last day of school brimming with the holiday spirit. We’d spent the whole day doing projects, watching Elf, drinking hot cocoa. It was aces. Which is lucky, because Gordon and Emma decided sugar cookies were the plan for baking this year. The last time I made sugar cookies, I swore I would never do it again! Seriously, they’re fantastic for the first three, then it’s just an eternal slog through never-ending blank, androgynous, buttery canvases mocking you with their infinite number of not doneness. They take forever! So I told them it sounded like a great daddy/daughter project. Of course, three cookies in, they’re whining about how they’ll never get done and they need help…. Argh! Look how pretty they came out though! And perfect for Head and Rosie’s 10^th Annual neighborhood party. Trueby brought a buddy this year and they had a blast. Even with a very strictly imposed cookie limit. How can you go wrong with a carousel of cookie plate filling?

In other surprising news ~ I like caroling! Never would have thought it. The Fawcetts were brilliant enough to organize a party this year with caroling around to the neighbors. It was great! We had kids, dogs, candles, the works. People would stand on porches to listen and cheer. Loved loved it.

We went to the lights of Christmas in Stanwood for the fist time. No idea why we didn’t hit this before. Yeah, I do. It’s in Stanwood! But totally worth it. Santa train blew a tire right before our turn, True didn’t even care. There was so much going on she didn’t even miss it. The highpoint for her was talking to Bruce the Spruce, a fake tree with stuck on eyes and lips who makes shmucky jokes and entrances the kids. The high point for me was when Lauren asked if the girls thought he was interactive. Em said he was and I laughed at her, “You don’t even know what interactive means!” She says, “It means like you ask him a question and he answers you.” What the what!? Where did she learn freakin interactive? My kid is brilliant. Top that off with the fact that they had pretty good vegetarian chili and you’re sitting on a winner my friend.

This was the first year in a while we’ve been over to Wenatchee for the holiday. I forget how gorgeous Leavenworth is when they do it all up in lights. We stopped to gape and to sled a little. Christmas Eve at grandma’s was shortish but nice. Emma got to open one present and was a little disappointed in her inability to master the BopIt I think. I also think it’s worth mentioning that I currently hold the high score on said present.

We went back to the hotel which had a pool that only started to try to counterbalance the weird smell in the room. In the morning, she was flabbergasted to find Santa had come by in the night and left exactly the present she’d asked for! What are the chances? We got to grandma’s for breakfast and a little tussle over the time for dinner, but everyone made it out alive. Uncle Jamal and Jessica arrived with baby Leila and I’m afraid all the pictures from there on out involve the baby. Sweetie! Emma would not put her down. Which was lucky, because she hates to be put down. No shortage of people willing to hold the baby though.

Christmas day was lovely of course. Everyone got something nice they really liked. Emma scored huge. Uncle Craig and Karen came by for dinner and my “herbivore” daughter decided she likes roast beast after all. Shocker! And apparently, there’s a Lego game that brings out the cutthroat in your closest relatives. Good times.

The drive was a drag, obviously, but we had a good visit. Emma was disappointed we had to leave so soon. Next time, we’ll get more than 2 of the 4 together, that will be real party! Merry Christmas!

It's in the air!

If you heard about a cool light display place, with a Santa Train, tons of decorations, lots to do and see, but it was in Stanwood…you’d totally blow it off, right? Me too. But I was wrong! It was such a good time. Not only were there decorations and lights everywhere, but they had made whole scenes out of the lights. Landscapes, backgrounds, arches…it was gorgeous. There wasn’t a single tree that wasn’t done up to the nines. Loved it. There were more photo ops for two super cute girlies than you can imagine.

Emma was crazily excited to talk to Bruce the Spruce. She used his parting line, “Have a tree-mendous Christmas” for a good three days after. He was a hammy Ozarks comedian, but check out the pictures. Devil eyebrows, anyone?

Em says one of her favorite shots was this adorable little cottage. Check it out, they made hyacinths out of lights! I was digging on this little town. Dude! It’s in a mailbox!

So pretty, loved it! You know me, there were way more pictures :) You can see the rest here if you like.