What Holiday is this, again?

So tonight I finished the family Christmas photos- they'll go out tomorrow, mostly sans cards.  Sorry!  The entire season got away for me.  Maybe I'll start planning for Valentine's Day on Monday :)  I did spend a lot of time creating (on Picasa) a little DVD of our Christmas photos, but can't figure out how to burn it to a DVD.  So today, I officially give up.  We do enjoy and appreciate all your thoughts and cards... hope you'll forgive our extreme tardiness!

Today I finally cut up Kaden's fingerpaintings into the Christmas Thank You cards... and we finished his "hand turkey shirt" by painting his hand outline on it.  So we've one shirt with 3 years of handprints, but it won't fit him next year.  Unless I sew it onto a NEW t-shirt.  Which, given my track record for completing projects, I should start in about 3.5 hours.

I keep forgetting we have Monday off for MLK day.  I like the idea of doing a service project... and then again I like the idea of hanging on in PJs in the backyard.  Hey, does completing your own unfinished house/kid projects count as service?  Just kidding.  (Mostly.)

Anyway, we also packed up the tree and Christmas stuff earlier in the week, but left the boxes on the porch because there's always random ornaments or PJs that show up a few days later.  But tomorrow they go into the attic!   Well, after we get the wreath off the door (I got used to seeing it there).  

Speaking of getting used to things... we have 3 pumpkins still in the front door area.  Not carved, but glitter painted.  I ignored my neighbor's suggestion to paint them red, but maybe now we will.  For Valentine's Day, of course!  I was officially tired of them at New Year's, but now it's kinda like Kramer test-driving that car with the fuel gauge on E:  how long will they make it?

(almost) DISNEY (almost) FREE

Jim had a conference at a Downtown Disney hotel last week, so Kaden and I tagged along for the adventure. Due to Kade's age and affinity for FLIPPING OUT with excitement, Jim and I decided not to do an actual park, but just to soak up the atmosphere.  Which was suprisingly easy and fun to do!





First, there's Downtown Disney itself, with a variety of character statues, interesting/interactive shops, and free random entertainment.  Disclaimer: though a Florida native, I'm not a Disney geek and might not be using the real, actual names of places.  Because I don't really know them!

We stopped by Goofy's candy shop where Kade custom designed a cookie and then watched them make his order (gingerbread mickey dipped in chocolate, covered in mini MMs and then drizzled with more chocolate). We each had about 2 bites and then saved the rest of it for later... too sweet!

Then there was the LEGO shop.  We spent about 2 hours in there, making mini-figures (2 police guys and a crimnihmal) and looking at all the lego statues and just playing.

At the free play station, there were a lot of different ages there.  Kaden saw a table of teen boys, walked right up and said, "Can I play with you guys?"  They were *great* with him- turned out the group (3 guys and 2 gals by the end) was from a NY college, in town on a band trip!  It was really nice of them to include Kaden and play along.  Actually, it was the perfect fit- Kaden kept coming up with the ideas (what about a police helicopter?) and the guys would make it.   Talking all the while, about school and cousins and what Disney characters they liked best.

We also used the free "Disney Transportation" - buses, boats and the monorail of course.  When Kaden recognized 'Mickey's castle', I thought to myself 'gee, maybe we *should* take him inside the park.'  And then we got on a BUS and he sat under the CARS ad and bounced up and down in the seat, before turning to me and whispering "This is so exciting!!!"  Yeah, we'll skip the park for now.

We did explore a few resorts, like the Campground.  Kaden screwed up his courage and rode a Shetland pony, that I got to lead, around the "trail".  As you can see, he was much less impressed with the massive breeds we saw in the main barn, preferring to climb fences and play in the dirt while I goggled my eyes at their beautiful muscles and intelligent eyes :)

We also visited the Animal Kingdom Lodge, and got to see quite a few animals on the savannah.  In this photo, if you enlarge it, you can see a giraffe and zebra, maybe the ostrich or antelope.  Despite what Kaden says, we did not see a rhino- it was a very entertaining warthog.

Somewhere along the line, we also visited the Fort Wilderness Lodge- also great scenery inside and out.  They have a neat geyser that goes off every hour.  We stumbled across a campfire on the beach and were offered marshmallows.  Kaden asked for two, then scarfed them down without roasting them!

There's a 100 other stories of course... mostly Jim and I got a kick out of seeing how excited Kaden got over all the "little extras"- like the Disney Channel in the hotel room.  Or when we rode the monorail (he insisted on calling it a train) to the Magic Kingdom gates: he heard the welcome announcement and jumped up and down- I'm in the Kingdom! I'm in the Kingdom!  

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Overall, I really liked this Disney on the cheap trip.  Not spending ticket money made it feel like we weren't going overboard with a cookie treat here or lego set there.  Plus, I didn't feel the need to "pack it all in", which made for some pretty relaxing explorations most of the time.  The best part, though, was not being separated from Jim while he was on a conference- meeting up for lunch or at night was pretty cool.  I realize it won't work for a lot of families, nor for us in another year or two, but for right now this was a great family adventure. 

O Christmas Tree

Aha!  It's done!  The tree is up and the glow of lights is sooooo nice.

We let a mini-Santa help decorate.  Actually, he stopped hugging the tree and helped us hang ornaments.  You know that means most of them are within the bottom 2 feet of the tree.  Somehow, it still looks "beautiful".

Our little guy was so happy the tree was being put up that he literally danced for joy.  All over the house.  Repeating "see?  the tree is up!  see?  I love our tree."   He is truly amazed.   Last week, we had a playdate at church- 4 boys between 2 and 3 years old.  It was a lot of fun- with the most popular toy being... a palm frond.  Yes indeed.  Anyway, we tried to wrangle the boys into a tree photo.

What were we thinking?  It was like trying to herd kittens to sit together.  There are 4 boys in the photo above.  Kaden is all the way to the left.  One boy laid on his stomach and the others started to follow.  Then they realized they could swing their legs up and kick the tree ornaments.  Seriously- herding kittens.

Tomorrow begins the -so-many-holiday-party-days.  I think the schedule goes:  morning party and night party, night party, day off, work (giving gifts to volunteers), work, work with kids party, afternoon party.  One of those parties I don't have to prepare, and all are related to church or work in some way.  I'd like to do our cookie party again this year (we make the dough and ppl just come over and roll, bake, decorate whilst we chat and drink cocoa).   We'll see.    If nothing else, I'll have some fun photos for everyone :)   How's your Christmas season going?

Christmas Fret (and maybe poop)

Despite the title, I'm actually in a good mood- or maybe a mellow good mood.  It's probably because I found a LOT of Christmas music on my computer, which I can get to and play.  As opposed to the nice Christmas CD collection, packed away with all the other holiday stuff in the attic, which only my husband can get to.

Which means we haven't drug out the tree OR the lights OR the nativity sets OR any other holiday decoration.  And I was all fine with that, and then suddenly I wasn't.  Where was the window of time that had both "I'd like to get the decorations out and up" AND "we have time to do this."  GONE, I tell you- I went from fine to annoyed in .6 seconds, and it's no one's fault but my own.

Still, I'm laughing at myself- after just one or two nights of cranky annoyedness, now I'm more like "heh, I'm annoyed without giving a reason".  SO I highly recommed stashing Christmas music in an easily retrievable and rememborable spot.  Also, having a kind husband who listens to your rant and is STILL kind afterward helps very much.  Also, having plans to decorate jsut before the crazy holiday party circuit (and we're not even going to them ALL) helps.  Oh, and don't forget having a toddler who likes to sing along with the Christmas carols even if he doesn't know the words.  Hmm, well that's helpful for about 5 minutes, and then only as a memory to smile at.  Otherwise, the FIVE GOLDEN RINGS  starts to clash with the nice Christmas music feelings.

Well, believe it or not, I'm knee deep in wrapping presents and making all SORTS of compromises to my "original, best plan" that involved everything being equal and fair and recycled wrapping that Kaden colored or painted on.  Which is odd, since I had finished shopping about 2 weeks ago.  Well, except for the alternative gifts and one online special that I missed the deadline on and was waiting for another deal to come up.  And now it IS up, but there's no way for me to tell if i can GIFT it to another address before I click the 'pay now' button, which makes me a bit nervous.

And then, with the alternative gifts, there's a spousal debate raging about whether we include them in the Box-o-Gifts or mail the acknowledgements out separately with the Christmas cards.  Actually, I'd like to include the Christmas cards too, but I haven't taken the "Florida Christmas" photo, even though I've had the idea since halloween. 

I think the shipping deadline is today, for regular dont-sell-us-your-arm shipping prices.  But in addition to all the above, I need two large boxes and instead have one XXL huge bog and one medium large-ish box. I THINK I can use the medium big box for one family but then the other family's box will have lots of air packs, which makes it look way less exciting. Especially because we really don't go overboard AND it's got recycled wrapping paper, which looks less exciting.  I like to think our Christmas gift boxes say:   "we love you, and we carefully picked out these few presents, AND we also love the earth so we've recycled paper AND we also want to share our creativity so we've painted the paper to make it look festive"   I don't know, though, maybe it says something else entirely. 

Anyway, I have two hours before going into work, and should have all the gift-y stuff off the table before kaden comes home too.  Plenty of time if i'm just wrapping and sealing boxes, but not so much if I have to go print and pick up things.  So I'll get off the blog now.

BUT I really have to share my most favorite alternative gift:   Manure.   Really, with the tagline that says something like "show your family you give a sh*t this Christmas".  Oxfam makes me laugh so hard!!  And I could think of a few people to send it to, but I think maybe they'd take it the wrong way.  Would you?