Sunday, December 25, 2011

Shhhh...It's sleeping


The King is sleeping. We've winterized it, parked it in the side yard and given it a ratty blue tarp for a blanket. I kinda wanted to decorate it for Christmas, but there's no outlet on that side of the house. I'm betting after one good “lake effect event” we'll be fishing that tarp out of somebody else's satellite dish.



Speaking of lake effect...we've yet to have any measurable snow here this year. Very unusual for these parts. Also discouraging as the boys are signed up for 2 days of ski camp next week. The boards are ready and skis tuned up and sharpened. Really hoping for some white stuff by the new year.

December has flown by and I really can't believe that it is now nearly 11 o'clock on Christmas Eve. Where did this fall go?? Our days have been filled with school, activities, and concerts, shopping, baking and wrapping. It's been so hectic that I dropped our cards in the mailbox this afternoon on our way to church. We did have time to squeeze in a few fun activities to help us find our Christmas spirit. Several years ago the husband bought me a mold for making gingerbread houses. Even thought the boys are getting older they still wanted to make them this year. We spent a Sunday afternoon decorating them, and the teen did a really good job on his. He put a candy guitar on the roof and decorated a gingerbread person to look like he was playing a guitar. Pretty cool huh!











I also spent an afternoon with the middle child and the little dude at the Niagara Holiday Market. It was an outdoor market with little booths set up and filled with primarily local products, some tasty treats to eat and a skating rink at the far end. We were there the day they held the ice sculpture contest. The sculptures were really cool, but of course, as I went to snap their picture in front of one of the biggest sculptures, they couldn't help but show off for the camera. I don't think he really licked it...
Finally, we spent this afternoon and evening with Grandma and Grandpa, enjoying a lovely dinner and just spending time together. The little dude is, for some reason, obsessed with dreidels (we are Lutheran). He came home from school earlier this week and loudly announced that he was going to “ask Santa to bring him a dreidel for Christmas.” I didn't have the heart to crush his 7 year old exuberance and curiosity, so there will be a small, red plastic dreidel in his stocking tomorrow morning. In the meantime, the husband turned a rudimentary one on his lathe this afternoon and Grandpa was a really good sport and played him for a handful of m&m's.



We have also been busy researching many National Parks and choosing interesting places to stop and see on our trip next summer. A teacher friend of ours had an exchange student a few years ago whose family came here to visit, rented an RV and went across the country. They kept an extremely detailed itinerary of all the places they stayed and things they saw, and we will likely follow some of their travel tips. The itinerary is, however, written only partly in English. Much of it is written in German. Could make for some interesting day trips!

And finally, the King hasn't been sitting totally idle since we tucked it away for the winter. It has been an awesome place to hide all the boys Christmas gifts! We used to hide them in the canoe hanging from the garage ceiling, but they discovered that hiding place last year. No peeking for them this year! Really, because the locks are frozen and the husband just informed that he needs the hairdryer. I'm hoping to thaw the lock and free the presents for “Santa.” And on that note, I would like to wish all of our friends and family a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, Blessed Kwanza or Festive Festivus! Have a happy holiday and a Wiz Bang New Year!!