All Joy NOW Wants for Christmas!

I posted a picture of Joy after she lost her first front tooth towards the end of November. Well, she now fits the song to a "T!" Now this tooth came out under questionable circumstances...something about Esther putting a blanket over Joy's head and when Joy emerged...voila...one less tooth! For it to have been no more of a confrontation, the tooth must have been close to ready to come out!




Today the children and I had a "normal" day of school. Elijah worked on his sounds and his colors and then Esther came over for her school time. It is a very exciting time for Esther as she has started sounding out three letter phonetic words and is able to "hear" the word when she blends the sounds together. That means that she has moved from making words with the Movable Alphabet to reading three letter phonetic words and putting them with a picture of that word! A very big first step in reading.

Joy also came over and did her reading school work. She's doing great with her first-grade reading also. She read in her school reading book today and did a workbook page. Then it was time for Abigail's sewing lesson. She pieced strips together today for the top of Esther's placemat and also got the batting cut out so she can go on to the next step in tomorrow's sewing time. While I was doing school, Woody did some work in the yard. I came home and grabbed a quick bite to eat and then headed off to the church to work in the library. Once again we got quite a bit done in our very festively decorated library. Shortly after I left to work in the library, Woody headed off on his walk for the day. It has been a rather mild day today. It almost got to 70f today. There is supposed to be another cold front approaching which means rain and perhaps a storm or two at some point tomorrow.

Another First!

I had always wanted to make a gingerbread house and now I can at least say that I helped make three. We started out making four, but somehow we didn't make enough of the sidewalls. So Esther ended up decorating a couple of gingerbread men and also made a tree out of a sugar cone. The older three made houses. All the cans on the table were wall supports till the frosting glue dried. We were successful in getting three houses over to their house after each got them decorated with candy. You can say that this was the grand finale art class of this semester! Woody didn't think that they were going to need much assistance...it only took a moment or two for him to decide that we were both needed to get this art lesson done! After the last house was decorated, we started in a bit on the clean up and also on making a pot of soup. We were needed to go over to their house late afternoon to sit while Elijah finished out his nap as the parents both needed to be somewhere at the same time. Woody went over at the start and I continued to clean up the kitchen. My floor won't know what to think as it has gotten mopped twice in less than a week! I think all the mess was worth it as each was very pleased with what they made today. They enjoyed a few pieces of candy and also ended up providing their family with dessert for lunch (gingerbread men cookies decorated to the hilt! After I finished mopping the floor I went next door to stay with Elijah till Kathy and children got home from gymnastics. Woody left to walk to the prayer room. I am home now...ready to collapse! Fun day but exhausting!!!! But at least I can say that I have assisted in making a gingerbread house! The gingerbread houses that were featured for many years running in Good Housekeeping (very intricate!) were what got me intrigued with making one sometime. Ours were very simple...good thing!!!!

We Have a Visitor!

Flat Corbin arrived in the mail today from Arizona. You can see him sitting on the flag of our mailbox. Flat Corbin is to stay with us for a couple of weeks and have his picture taken doing things here in TN. I have had fun today superimposing him on some of my photos that I have taken at other times around the state. It is a project for my great-nephew Corbin's second grade class. It is a way for the class to learn about different places in the world. Flat Corbin is going to attempt to tell Corbin's class about TN. I will mail Flat Corbin back to Corbin in a couple of weeks and then Corbin will make a poster with the pictures, etc. that I send back with Flat Corbin. My next project for the evening is to get things ready for a surprise Christmas art class that Goosey (Woody) and I have planned for tomorrow. We may be up to our elbows in a mess tomorrow...that's the only hint that I will give. Perhaps if we survive there might be a picture or two on tomorrow night's blog. I tried to get back to a normal school schedule this morning. Elijah, Esther, and Joy had some school time and Graham had some sewing time. Graham finished his second pillowcase. This is their last week of school before their Christmas break.

Last night Woody and I finalized this year's Christmas letter and I printed them off. This morning Woody started addressing the envelopes...but ran out of envelopes. So he addressed as many as he could and then walked to the Post Office to mail those and also to buy stamps. Later in the afternoon he ran an errand and bought some more envelopes and also some supplies for that secret Christmas art project. He finished addressing the rest of the envelopes after he got home and mailed those on his way to church tonight for Monday Night Prayer Meeting.

What a Group!!!

Here we are (except for me). The staircase wall kept me from backing up enough to get all of everyone in...I tried hard...at least you can see parts of 19 of us and you can imagine me behind the camera (that makes a total of 20 in attendance). We really had a great group this morning...lots of yummy food (we are very good cooks!), lots of fellowship and lots of laughs all tied together with our Sunday School lesson. We once again had an ornament exchange and I read "The Right Family." Every time the word ""right" is said we pass the gifts to the right and every time I read the word "left" the gifts are passed to the left. You can imagine what happens when "right" and "left" are read very close together. I had to pause several times when reading so they could get the gifts straightened out...often someone ends up with two gifts and has to figure out who should have the second one! This brings lots of laughter no matter how many years we have read this same story. Today we had a birthday cake for Jesus...a first for our class gatherings. We all sang "Happy Birthday" to Jesus and then the cake was cut and enjoyed by all...that is after the candle was blown out...which of course ended up in laughter for us when it took several tries to get it blown out. I managed to get a video (blackmail for another time? who me?) of our silliness! Then we calmed down (we do have our serious sides too!) and had our Sunday School lesson. Then a good part of the group headed off and went to the 11am service at church.

As my first guest arrived this morning, Woody left for the first service at church. He then went to Sunday School and taught his sixth boys' class. After the party, I separated the dishes and put those in the dishwasher that could be washed there. When Woody got home, he washed and dried the rest. Even though this task looks rather daunting with 20 plates, 20 dessert plates, 20 cups and saucers, various glasses, and the forks, spoons and serving pieces all piled up around the kitchen, it really didn't take long at all to clean it up. By 1pm all dishes had been washed either by hand or machine. I took a break and went to lie down for a while and managed to take a little nap (adrenalin had quit flowing!). Woody went to church this evening. I have started putting the dishes away. I still have the Christmas dishes to put away and I have delayed that as I am trying to decide if I want to trade out of some of them with our everyday dishes so we will use them more over the next weeks. Also these have to be put away using a step ladder so another reason to postpone for a bit. I have been up and down that step ladder more times than can be counted over the last couple of weeks. Woody is now home from church and we have settled in for the evening.

Ready of Not...

Looks like Goosey and Elijah are ready whether Grammy is or not! Elijah had fun trying on Goosey's glasses, but when it came to looking at something he had to take them off to be able to see it! And, ready or not my friends will be here at 8am tomorrow! Woody walked to the library and stopped at the fruit market on his way home. He also went out visiting again...inviting folk to the Living Nativity. I have pretty much just been getting ready. And, still have more to do, though there is a definite light at the end of the tunnel. The wassil still has one more cooking time (10pm) and then it will be ready to just be warmed in the morning. I think as long as I have the wassil I will be forgiven for whatever I might not get done! I'm really doing more cleaning than I need to for the party. When I decorate at Christmas I do a very thorough cleaning. (Christmas cleaning vs. Fall cleaning!) What I get done now won't have to be done after the party and then I can perhaps put my feet up and relax a bit and enjoy watching the days prior to Christmas unveil! I imagine that I will be busy the next two weeks no matter how much I get done prior to the party! Well, back to moving chairs around and getting dishes out for us to eat on!

New Decoration??

I found this little fellow sitting very nicely in front of our TV the other day (in the jar)! Graham had brought him over to show us and forgot him. He has definitely not joined our decorations! Goosey (Woody) walked him over to Graham and I imagine that he has been released to find a place to burrow to keep warm.

The first job of the day was getting the boxes back into the closet and Woody did that task admirably. It's so good to see the hallway once again! He even vacuumed the hall for me. I have put the last touches on our decorations and have cleaned today. It seems that my life has been run by buzzers today...kitchen timers and the drier buzzer. Woody had a meeting in town today so he walked and then on the way back he picked up a couple prescriptions for me at the pharmacy. He made vegetarian burritos for our lunch. We hadn't had those in a long time. They really are quite good...but I fudged and added a bit of shredded beef and some cheese. I think that I am well on the way to being ready for the party. Still several things left to do tomorrow...like getting out dishes, etc. My first task in the morning will be to make the Cottey Wassil.

Awash with Memories!

As of 6:20pm the tree had its last ornament hung on it. Hallelujah!!!!! Graham was over this afternoon and he said, "You have a lot of interesting ornaments." And, he spoke the truth...we have a lot of ornaments AND they are interesting and most have a story behind them. I told a few of them to Graham and Abigail this afternoon. As I hang the ornaments on the tree I have special thoughts about whoever gave them to me. So some of you have definitely been in my thoughts and prayers over the last several days. It has been a bit of an emotional time for me this year as Mother has given us so many ornaments over the years. Mother made quite a few that are on the tree. So, along with the joy of seeing each of the ornaments as I took them out of their boxes and hung them on the tree, there has also been a bit of sadness this time around. But definitely there is joy for me now that the tree is done. Now Woody can do one of his Christmas decorating jobs...putting the puzzle of boxes back in the Christmas closet. It will be good to be able to walk down our hall without obstructions once again!

Woody walked his four-mile route today. It was sunny, but brisk out today. His big job of the day was making two huge batches of Chex Mix. Yummmmmmmmmmm! It must be Christmas! It is rather adictive...once you take the first bite, it is hard to not go back for more bites! Late this afternoon he and Abigail made a few visits inviting some folk to the Night in Bethlehem/Living Nativity at First Baptist Church in Tullahoma on December 21, 22, 23. Abigail juggled scarves for them. The Dazzling Dorrell's will be performing all three nights once again. Must be Christmas, when I start talking about the Living Nativity!!! We ordered the last of our Christmas presents (I think/hope) today and another one came in the mail. That completed the "pickle present" for this year...must be Christmas when I start talking about the "pickle present!"

I will explain our pickle present tradition, though I am sure that I have done this in a blog in past Decembers (so, for those who remember, please forgive my repetition). I hide a pickle ornament on the tree. When we have our family Christmas celebration all the grandchildren try to find the pickle. The first one who finds it gets to open the "pickle present." The pickle present is for all the grandchildren and whatever happens to be in the box or bag that year stays at Grammy and Goosey's house for all of them to enjoy. They have great fun looking for the pickle. I'm sure that the little ones will start having "pickle practice." That is practice spotting the pickle prior to our Christma celebration! The pickle gets moved quite a few times prior to Christmas. Each year a different adult hides the pickle so it isn't always in the same spot. We adults always think that we have hidden it really well, but it doesn't usually take very long for one of the children to spot it. It is quite the coveted thing among the grands to be "the one" who finds it!