Why do we grown ups crowd out the playgrounds so there is no room for our children to move, let alone play? Really, if mom and dad and grandma and grandpa and nanny must accompany Jr. to the park then they should chat amiably with their friends off to the side and not block my view of a thrilling game of super spy fighters or glare at my children if they get too close to baby Jr. who has absolutely no use for park equipment but must sit in the middle of it.
In an perfect world I would end an extremely productive and harmonious day with The Beatles Hour (or any loud peppy music I can thrash around wildly too) at 4pm. During that hour I would tidy up the place while I sang and danced and chugged an ice cold beverage. Something always goes wrong. I almost never have any Dr. Pepper... and I live in a time warp. It is never 4pm in my household, but it is often: "Holy Cow! 6pm! Hurry up kids! Put everything in the closet! We'll skip bath time and have Kraft for dinner! Get a move on. Dad's coming home!"
Except this one perfect day. The kids were playing quietly. The house was clean. Dinner smelled good. Willy was about to walk in the door. Only I can't remember if there was an icy drink or loud music. Still I took a picture as proof: The Beatles Hour is possible.
We're getting much much better at this. Two years ago Isabella and I tried our hand at graham cracker houses. Last year Mama Snow sent a kit. And this year I made my own. Ah, the cement is a little messy.... but there's always next year.
We invited our neighbours over for dinner and then we decorated the house together. Buck, the father, said with a wry smile, "You know in Ethiopia we don't play with our food." Well, I'll take Gingerbread House making very seriously from now on.
We went looking at Christmas Lights. Another waste of resources (the electricity to light up the night AND the gas to drive around looking at the lights). Still it's lots and lots of fun. We dedicate this activity to Mama Snow, the most enthusiastic Christmas Lighter I know. Here's the fire truck, it comes to us. One night we did drive behind it, for half a block or 10 minutes.
Christmas time is wonderful. And Christmas trees are wonderful too.
I mean they have their uses.
But what I really love is putting the tree up with my family. Don't blush or roll your eyes or feel uncomfortable or anything. If it's cheesy, at least it's honest.
sorry no pictures. It was so demoralizing that I couldn't even think of posting. However my eyebrows are back and Jon has called twice to assure me I have a very nice blog. It's Willy's blog, really. Anyhow the silence is over. Enjoy.
