Movie Madness

Christmas vacation was very uneventful at the Haines household this holiday season. We didn't go anywhere — and I mean anywhere. We didn't entertain, except for a small afternoon get-together with our close friends from church on the 16th, and Chris's sisters and their families on the 30th. I didn't do any Boxing Week shopping, although Chris did on Boxing Day, but that is a story for a whole other blog. We did, however, enjoy time together in our own home, among our own things, especially in our newly finished basement.

For two years we had been promising our kids (and ourselves) a cool basement, with an awesome TV with surround sound, and an Xbox 360 with Kinect. This was in great measure a reward for Chris finishing the work mostly on his own. His framing and my painting, along with hiring a very reasonable worker to fill in our gaps, basically paid for the extra large TV, furniture and accessories that adorn our cozy family room.

So the past two weeks we have enjoyed them together. And although Chris and I do enjoy watching the kids exploring their new Xbox games (and joining in now and then), this has primarily meant family movie nights. And as a family we have watched a bunch, together and separately. I'll give a short list, although at this late hour, as I'm watching the end of The Amazing Spider Man with my boys, I won't promise it is exhaustive.

1. The Avengers — Chris and Connor and I had already seen it in the theatre, and we had to twist Janelle's arm to join us. But she LOVED it! She giggled and cheered and remained wide awake until the movie ended at midnight. We got to experience the 3D feature of our TV, which we had previously only tried with Hugo. We hadn't set out to buy a 3D TV, but were seduced by a deal when we bought it, and I have to say, the 3D is excellent, far better than any we've seen in a theatre. So the kids each got a few 3D movies for Christmas, and it has been fun to check them out. The Avengers was a great way to start. We all loved it, and I know it is one that will remain in our movie library to be enjoyed many times and for many years to come.
2. Madagascar 3 — Janelle got this one for Christmas, and it was also in 3D. She loves all the Madagascar movies. I remember her as a tiny little girl dancing around in front of the TV in our basement on Crocket Street singing "I like to move it, move it!" We don't all get the same pleasure from the movie that she does, but her enthusiasm for it is contagious, and that makes it a family favourite.
3. Brave — The kids and I saw this one in the theatre this summer, and I picked it up for Janelle on Black Friday for next to nothing. Connor was at his buddy's house for a post-Christmas sleepover, so Chris and Janelle and I settled in to watch her movie. Janelle and I enjoyed it as much as the first time. I love that it is a love story between a princess and her mom. Chris wasn't overly impressed with the movie, but he did love that Janelle held his hand all through it. She is Daddy's girl.
4. Whales and Dolphins 3D — We all watched this one the afternoon of New Year's Eve. This was the only disappointment we've had with the 3D on our TV. The movie is really interesting, but the transitions were very disorienting. I kept wanting to take off the glasses. Like all of our 3D movies, it comes with both a 3D disk and a 2D disk. I look forward to viewing it again in 2D.
5. The Lorax — Janelle had been dying to see this one. Connor saw it on a rainy day at camp in August, but she had only seen it in French at school. I missed this one, which the rest watched while I cleaned the house for our Haines family party. I can only share the kids' reviews: "So cute!" (Janelle) and "Sooooooo boring!" (Connor). Shocking.
6. Moneyball — I brought this one home from my Black Friday shopping spree in Indiana and put it Chris's stocking. He picked it one night last week. We both enjoyed it. Really interesting subject matter, and Brad Pitt not looking like a homeless man. Highly recommended.
7. Secret of the Wings — Janelle's movie. She watched it and loved it. Connor endured it while putting together some of Janelle's Lego. I skipped it.
8. Raiders of the Lost Ark — Chris, Connor and I watched this perennial favourite on New Year's Day. I can't say a bad thing about that movie. We all love it. Doesn't everyone?
9. Say Anything — There is a second hand CD/DVD/Video game store nearby where we often trade in our movies and video games. They have a 2 for $6 rack, and we've picked up quite a few previously missed movies there. We figure $3 is cheaper than renting or OnDemand, and we can watch it on our own timeline. A few months ago Chris came home with this throwback to the eighties that neither of us had seen, and we pulled it out two nights ago. It wasn't bad. It was fun to check out the clothes and hairstyles that we can hardly believe we had any part of, and John Cusack gave a really good performance. The lead actress was terrible though. I can understand why I've never seen her in anything else. Glad I saw it, but I'll be happy to trade it back in at the video store.
10. Tin-Tin — Connor found Tin-Tin on Netflix one day last week. I only saw a few minutes of it, but Connor was very impressed. He said the graphics were "Crazy", and insists we need to make it our next family movie night. Today he even spent a Christmas gift card on the Tin-Tin Xbox game.
11. Prometheus — Before we went to Indiana for Thanksgiving in November, Chris had been complaining that he missed this movie and that he was sure I'd never watch it with him. I found it in one of the super-cheap bins at Walmart in the middle of the night on Black Friday, so I knew I had to bring it back to him. I kept it for Christmas and he pulled it out on New Years Day morning. I stayed in bed and watched a couple of episodes of  The Gilmore Girls (my latest obsession). As he had predicted, there was no way I was going near that movie. I asked later if there was anything about it I would have liked. Chris very honestly said no.
12. Crazy Stupid Love — This is another one I picked up in a cheap bin on Black Friday. Last night was my turn to pick, so I pulled it out. We both thought it was a very cute movie. Definitely worth the $3 I paid for it.
13. The Amazing Spider Man — Tonight's pick. This time we could not persuade Janelle to join us, and I skipped the sad parts while I talked to my parents on the phone and put my girl to bed. The boys seemed to enjoy it, and I know this one won't be making a trip to the second hand store. However, Chris said after it was over "It has good bones, but I still think I prefer the first Spider Man series".
14. Star Trek the Motion Picture — In the time it took for me to write this blog post, the Spider Man movie ended and Chris pulled out his well-used copy of the first Star Trek movie, just to see how it looks on his new big screen. He fast forwarded through and saw his favourite parts, and then moved on. I only included it because it provided the soundtrack to the writing of this post.
15. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade — Connor has finally found his way to bed and Chris has popped in this last (and my favourite) movie in the Indiana Jones trilogy (I know there is a fourth, but does it really count?) We won't watch the whole thing, only the first few minutes, but it is fun to see old favourites, as well as new favourites, in our cozy new family room.

As you can see, there has been movie madness at the Haines household this Christmas break. In part it is because we all enjoy watching movies together, but in part it has been making this new part of our house feel like home. We're making memories together here, not just in watching movies. We opened Christmas stockings here. We played a rousing game of Charades the other day (Connor and I won!) It has become a favourite room of our house. And it has made all the sweat and tears over this project worthwhile.

We still have a cabinet full of unwatched movies that we've picked up either at the second hand store or Black Friday sales. Lawrence of Arabia, Crash, Avatar, The Ides of March, Funny Girl, Mean Streets, an entire boxed set of Clint Eastwood movies, plus many more, all waiting to be watched at our house. And those are only the DVDs! The choices on Netflix are practically endless. We plan to scale it back to one movie a week, though. Anyone care to join us?

I'm Still Here!

Time flies by to quickly. How many times have I said it? It doesn't feel like three months since I've written a blog post, but it has been more than that. Today life looks very different than it did three months ago. There is snow on the ground, for one thing. I am sitting at my kitchen table, looking out the window at three children happily building a snow fort in the back yard, while light snowflakes softly falls around them. Our basement is finished, finally, and we have been thoroughly enjoying the extra space it has provided. Connor has somewhat recovered from the disappointment of not playing basketball this year. He still hopes to be part of a school team sometime in the next couple of years, but meanwhile he is enjoying more free time. He loves being part of the church youth group, and is going to his first winter retreat in Muskoka next month. Janelle still loves taking piano and dance. Last weekend she was part of a huge group of dancers from her studio who performed the half time show at a London Lightning basketball game. My kids have big smiles on their faces today. And that's what makes me smile.

I am sitting at my kitchen table because I got a laptop for Christmas! Now I can blog anywhere! And I will — I promise! But today the blog post is short because tomorrow it's Christmas again. Tomorrow we host the Haines family Christmas, so I have some work to do. Cleaning, groceries, putting all the gifts away. Life is busy as always, but I didn't want 2012 to end without one more blog post, just to remind everyone that I'm still here. Happy New Year!!

Happy New Year!

As I begin this New Year's Eve day, listening to the happy sounds drifting up the staircase, recalling the bounty that has characterized the past week, only one word fills my mind: BLESSED! Gratitude has been my personal theme for the past couple of months, and as 2011 draws to a close I find myself especially grateful for this new perspective I've adopted. Our Christmas was far too decadent, and I think we were in part trying to compensate for what was missing this year in not having our usual visits with family. It wasn't necessary. This has been a truly joyful Christmas holiday. In fact, as I attempt to put away all the gifts under the tree, I realize that these are not at all what I think of when I consider what a wonderful Christmas we've had. It was our first one that did not involve any travel. In fact, aside from one trip to town, a Dad/son date and Mommy/daughter date, and Connor's playdate yesterday, our week consisted of the four of us cozy together within the four walls of our home. We played games. We watched movies. We ate lots of turkey. We played with our new toys. We were content. We are content. I am loving this vacation and I don't want it to end!

My Christmas Eve blessings!

But today is December 31, and I cannot stop the New Year from coming! With it comes all sorts of challenges. Chris heads back to work on Tuesday, although thankfully not to the brutal pace that he has endured the past two months. I have a number of resolutions that I am determined to keep this year: more to come about those! Connor and Janelle have one more week off before their busy schedule resumes. Life rolls on and we try to roll along with it. If I allow myself to really consider what lies before us in these coming months and years I know I would find it daunting. But I remain content in knowing that my biggest responsibility is to look to the Lord and His Will and His Ways, and to try to align my own to the center of His. He is the Rock that I want to build 2012 upon.

This afternoon we drive to Oakville to spend the evening with family. I am so thankful we have this opportunity to nurture relationships with Chris's sisters and their families. We'll celebrate the coming of 2012 at Lori and Ben's New Year's Eve party, then bring all the kiddies back to Kate and Pierre's to spend the night and enjoy a lazy New Year's Day. I'll be thinking of my family and friends in NB, and I'll look forward to seeing them again in 2012. But I'll be happy to be spending the holiday exactly where I am.

Happy New Year to all!

Thankful for Old Friends (and New Ones!)

Way too busy to post today! I've been planning a shopping day with two sweet friends for weeks now. They are both took a vacation day, picked me up at 9:30 a.m. and we were off. Jocelyn and I have been friends for 28 years, but I'm so glad she was here in London to smooth my transition. She introduced me to her good friend, Tina, who is now my good friend, Tina! We had a lovely day, got quite a bit of Christmas shopping accomplished, and got home just in time to start my Thursday whirlwind. I met the kids at home, picked up the car from the mechanic (both vehicles now have snow tires — bring it on!), put a pizza in the oven for the kids, took Janelle to dance, took Connor to basketball, stopped at Tag and Chapters for a few gifts I didn't have time to pick up today, folded four loads of laundry, put Janelle to bed, answered the phone when Chris called from the gym and said yes when he asked if I wanted him to bring home Chinese food.

Now there is still laundry to do, and the spare bedroom and kids' bathroom to clean before tomorrow. One of my oldest friends and most faithful blog readers is coming for a weekend visit. I can't imagine doing anything more tonight, but tomorrow I have to be up early to tackle the rest of my mountain of preparation. See you tomorrow, Jules!

Wordless Wednesday: Welcome!

Got the exterior lights up before the first snow, which was falling in big graceful
flakes this morning when we woke up. It's gone now, but we've had a taste.
Thankful!

My Christmas Book Addiction



They fill a whole bookcase!

Signs that Christmas is coming to our house:

1. Decorations adorning every available surface.
2. Christmas music heard from stereo speakers, piano keys, and children's mouths (and mom's!)
3. Christmas movies whenever we want to watch them.
4. Festive lights twinking outside our windows.
5. And my favourite of all: hundreds of Christmas books brought out of boxes, ready to be read in a cozy chair after school, snuggled into bed at bedtime, or any time we feel like it!

A few of my favourites.

Yes, here is where I make my confession to the world (although all of my closest friends already know), I suffer from a serious Christmas book addiction. It started as a collection, but it got a bit out of hand. We have so many Christmas books that we cannot possibly read them all every holiday season. But I love them! I love to look at them. I love to hold them. I love to read them. And most of all, I love to share them with my kids. And now that I'm not teaching (and therefore not running a Scholastic Book Club — yeah, that was my downfall, all those reward coupons!) I have decreased my influx of Christmas books to only one or two a year. And this year I haven't even bought one yet! Isn't that a sign that I'm breaking free of the addiction? (Unless you count that Barbie's Perfect Christmas book that Janelle bought at the book fair, which you really can't count because #1 Janelle bought it, and #2 it does not meet the standard of my Christmas book collection.) There literally are hundreds. I haven't even gotten them all out this year. I'm sure there is a box missing, but I'm not putting much energy into finding it because I think we can live without those books until next year. I think we have enough to keep us reading until 2012. We have our favourites, old classics and new stories that must be read every year. The kids are happy. I'm happy. The Christmas season has begun.

I'm thankful for Christmas books.

Favourite Christmas Movies

There's nothing like family movie night, and there's nothing like a good Christmas movie to bring on the Christmas spirit! Last night after we got home from the basketball game, the kids decided they wanted to watch Elf, so I dug into the back of the entertainment cabinet and brought out all of our Christmas movies. We all love Elf. We watched it with the kids last year for the first time, and just like then, this time we were all rolling on the floor laughing. It is hilarious! So many one-liners that are just perfect, that we all repeat over and over again. When I came downstairs this morning the kids were watching it again, and this afternoon when Connor and I came home from church, Chris and Janelle were enjoying it again. I'm sure it isn't the last time we'll see it this holiday season. We love it.

After lunch Chris settled into the Lazyboy for a nap, and the kids were starting to act a little stir crazy. It was pouring rain outside, and I wanted to get most of the Christmas decorations up, so I decided to put on another movie for the three of us to watch while I worked away at decorating. This time I chose The Polar Express, another of my favourites. I loved it originally as the beautiful picture book by Chris Van Allsburg, and was thrilled when Tom Hanks and Robert Zumekis made it into such a great movie. Connor shared memories of his Polar Express day in Grade Three, when his class wore their pajamas to school, made train tickets, drank hot chocolate, read the story and watched the movie. There is one part of the movie that frightened Janelle a couple of years ago and she wouldn't watch it last year, but I thought this year she might be ready to try it again. She flinched at that part, but otherwise, she loved it. And I did get some decorating done, but not as much as I had hoped. I spent too much time watching the movie!

There are many other Christmas movies I love: Miracle on Thirty-Fourth Street (the original), It's a Wonderful Life, How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the cartoon), to name only a few. Christmas isn't Christmas without a viewing of each of these at least once a season. Today I'm thankful for great Christmas movies. What are your favourites?

Not Ready for Snow!!!

Today I am thankful I live in London! Here is why:

This is what is happening in New Brunswick today! And I am sooooo not ready for snow! For a number reasons, but I'll list just a few.

1. We have cleared the front of the garage of summer paraphenalia enough to park both cars, but the back is jammed full of bikes and other seasonal items waiting to be stowed in the shed. I've been putting it off until a sunny day when I don't have a miserable cold. I think that day is today. I don't want to have to push bicycles through snowdrifts to get them packed away in the shed!
2. Neither of our cars have appropriate tires yet. Last year we never did put the winter tires on the Neon, but I don't think the all-seasons will cut it for another winter. The van does have winter tires on, but we left them on through the summer because we knew we'd have to buy new ones in the fall. It is usually Chris's "job" to arrange these things, but with his workload these days I'm afraid I may have to suck it up and do it myself. I don't want us to get caught in a snowstorm with two unsafe vehicles.
3. I haven't decorated the exterior of the house for Christmas yet. Also on my "to-do" list today, because I'll be out all day tomorrow, and I hate to get beyond American Thanksgiving with no evidence of festive spirit on my house. Plus, it's going to get way too cold for that kind of work. Must get it done before the snow falls!

Usually I welcome the first snow of the season. It was nearly a year ago that "Snowmaggedon" descended upon London, initiating us brutally to our first winter weather here. I was thrilled! I would have been happy for it to go on all week, all four of us tucked up cozily in our home, with Christmas carols drifting through the house while I decorated and baked cookies. But this week I am just not ready yet. Once I get these three items checked off my list, bring it on! Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! Until then....

I am so thankful I live in London!

Operation Christmas Child

The Operation Christmas Child boxes are due this week, and just like every year, we are filling them up at the last minute. I was feeling miserable this afternoon with this cold I can't seem to shake, but this is a yearly tradition that I refuse to skip. I love it. I love everything about it.

I am so thankful for this organization that brings a little bit of the joy of Christmas to hundreds of thousands of well-deserved children every year. I am thankful that everyone has an opportunity to be a part of it in small or large ways, whether they are part of a church or a business group, whether they want to fill one box or ten, whether they want to contribute to a box that someone else will fill, or whether they want to volunteer to load a truck with boxes. And as a mother, more than anything else, I am thankful for the chance it gives me to help my children focus on making Christmas special for another child, one they haven't met, but a very real child who will get nothing else for Christmas this year.

Every year we pack two boxes, one for a boy Connor's age and one for a girl Janelle's age. They choose the gifts, and they give part of their allowance toward the gifts they choose. Today, when we went to the store together, I told them that they would not be allowed to talk about things they want for themselves. This trip was going to be only about the child they were buying for. I even threatened to fine them every time they said "I want this". When we brought our bags home they enthusiastically joined me in filling the boxes, excitedly talking about how their friends across the world will react when they find each item. I know it isn't a mission trip or working in a soup kitchen, and it isn't really asking my kids to deny themselves much, but it is a small way of making real to them the difference that exists between them and most of the children in the world. They will think about these children, and we will pray for them as a family. And the eyes of two precious children will light up someday soon because my children chose gifts for them to make their Christmas special. And my children's eyes lit up thinking about that. And I am very thankful.

Things I Learned on my Christmas Trip to NB

Number One — It is possible to drive ALL the way to Fredericton from London in one day. We usually stop in Montreal at Kate and Pierre's house, but this time we knew they had Christmas company and we wanted to make it as far as we could so the second day's drive would be a shorter one. Our goal was Levis, PQ, just beyond Quebec City, but on Christmas night we found out there was a whopper of a storm heading up the east coast. We decided the best thing to do was to drive until we hit snow. This worked out great for the most of the day. Boxing Day = no traffic. Driving conditions were perfect. The kids were happy. We had a total of about 2.5 hours of stops for meals and bathroom breaks. So we soldiered on. We didn't encounter snow until Woodstock, NB (which, ironically, is about the same distance from Fredericton as Woodstock, ON is from London — we drove through Woodstock twice in one day!) We briefly flirted with the idea of stopping in Woodstock. It was 1:00 a.m. in NB, but only midnight according to our internal Eastern Time Zone clocks. The kids were both sleeping soundly behind us. We only had an hour to travel, and if we were to stop in Woodstock we would have that much further to go to Quispamsis the next day, and we may even be stuck in a hotel an extra night. We quickly cast aside the notion of stopping and headed down the Trans Canada Highway. It was awful. So many times we said to ourselves "We should have stopped in Woodstock". We could barely see the sides of the road, and I had visions of the travellers airlifted from Highway 402 just a few weeks before. But Chris is a wise and seasoned Maritime driver, and he knows how to drive in a snowstorm. He got us to our destination (Bliss and Doreen's house) safely at 2:30 a.m., a mere seventeen hours after setting out the previous morning.

Number Two — Christmas is not the best time for a quality visit to New Brunswick. Don't misunderstand me — I loved every minute of it, and I was so grateful for the opportunity to celebrate Christmas with my family and dear friends. But time is just too short. We only had a week to visit, and since my family and Chris's family live in different cities, that time had to be divided into two 3.5 day visits. It wasn't enough. When I see my family and my friends in New Brunswick I want to settle in and enjoy some quality time.

We did manage to fit some quality visiting into that short few days. Tracy had the Finlay clan over for a visit. Nurnie was staying with Mom and Dad, so I got to spend some time with her. The kids had plenty of play time and four sleepovers with their cousins, Jill and Charlie (their all-time favourite people on earth!) They went swimming at the Aquatic Centre and went sliding at the awesome Quispamsis Rec Centre hill. We had a late Christmas dinner at my Mom and Dad's, which I appreciated so much. No turkey dinner tastes like Mom's turkey dinner! I had lunch with Shari and Julie and got caught up with them. We got a babysitter for the four kids and went out to dinner with Tracy and Blair and Mom and Dad. We saw Brad and Jody's newly finished basement, and got reaquainted with Hailey, who hasn't forgotten us after all! We managed to crash two New Year's Eve parties in Fredericton, at the Hansons and the Inmans, and shared some laughter with old friends. We had New Year's Day dinner with Bliss, Doreen, Justin, Natalie and Mariana, and learned a new favourite game while we were together (Ticket to Ride — it's awesome!). We went to FWC on Sunday morning and saw many dear friends there. We shared another turkey dinner with Nana on Sunday afternoon, and Chris hooked up a webcam for her so we can easily visit often face to face (We did this for my Mom and Dad, too. It has been wonderful to be able to visit this way from London!) Mark and Krista invited a whole gang of our friends over for an evening visit, so we had the opportunity to spend some time with many dearly loved friends. Monday was a bonus day, when we had planned to be travelling home but had learned that the weather would be better the next two days. So, Janelle spent the day with her BFF, Taylor, and Connor had an afternoon on Crocket Street with Joshua, Jordan and Seldon. I went to Heidi's for coffee and a cozy visit in her new home. On the way home, we stayed overnight with Kate and Pierre and Maddie and Remi, which is always a treat in the middle of a long trip.

We did pack a LOT into a week. But it wasn't enough. And by the end of it, we were pretty exhausted. We've decided that next year we'll probably stay in London for the Christmas holidays. After that we'll know which is worse: the mad rush of travelling at the holidays, or the loneliness of not travelling.

Number Three — Living this far away does not seriously alter close friendships and relationships with family. When we moved, one of my biggest worries was that my niece Hailey, who is two years old now, wouldn't know who I was, or who my kids were. When I went home this summer, she didn't know who I was, but over the course of our month long visit, we got to know each other. This time, it didn't take more than an evening to get reaquainted, and she was calling Connor and Janelle by name when we arrived. She has stayed aware of us through pictures. She is the same age Connor was when we moved to Kingston, and he never forgot his grandparents or aunts and uncles. Now that we have a webcam, we can have regular visits with Hailey, so hopefully next visit she'll be as comfortable with us as any other members of her family.

The night of the party at Mark and Krista's, my friend Amanda was one of the first ones I hugged, since I hadn't seen her yet on this trip. After we pulled out of our hug she said "I feel like I just saw you the other day!" It's true! My friendships with all those friends to whom I was closest have not changed. We can't get together as often as we used to, but with our lives as busy as they were, that was always an issue. I know eventually my friends will come visit me in London, and I will always get down for a summer visit, and with Facebook and email and telephones and this blog, staying in touch is easier than it has ever been before. I have moved away, but my friends are still there, and they are still my friends. And that made coming back to London much easier this time than it was in August.

Which brings me to Number Four — I am richly blessed with wonderful friendships, in New Brunswick and in London. Seeing my friends in Fredericton was wonderful, but for the first time I came back to London excited to see my new friends here! We have found a wonderful church and have met some great people there, and Jocelyn (who has been bringing me out of my shell since I was 14) is here and has connected me with a wonderful new friend, Tina. The three of us spent the morning together today, and I always feel so blessed by my visits with them. They make me feel truly loved and appreciated, and they are happy to share their precious babies with me once or twice a week, so I get my "baby fix". No one will ever replace my friends "back home", but I wouldn't trade these new friendships for anything either. I'm a lucky girl.

Striving for January Clean

Back to reality. The kids have returned to school, Chris is back to work, and I find myself buried under a mountain of Christmas. The dry, nearly bare tree has been stripped and carried outside, but there is still so much more to do to reach that lofty goal of "January clean". That is a term that Chris and I coined early in our marriage, referring to the kind of clean and spare feeling a house has when all the the decorations and gifts have been safely stored away, and we are left with an uncluttered home. Chris loves January clean. Honestly, so do I. It seems that is practically the only time of year that we actually achieve that level of tidiness in our house, and in the years since we've had children it has been harder and harder to hit that goal. It feels like the 7th of January is a very late start, but that's what happens when you travel at Christmas. Today I'm trying.

I've been bringing gifts upstairs to be put away, and packing away tree decorations left on the table when I took the tree down yesterday. I still have to drag out the home decorations boxes and gather the remaining gifts that need to be returned this afternoon, along with their receipts. This is on top of unpacking that still hasn't happened, and much laundry to do!

All this to say I am checking in with my blog, but I can't stay. I have a number of blog posts already composed in my mind during the seemingly endless hours of driving home from New Brunswick, but I can't write them now. Not until I reach January clean. I'll let you know when I do.

Finished!

It's been a busy week, as the last half of December usually is. I honestly don't have time to write. But I do have time to post these pictures and declare "Hallelujah! Finished!"

On the weekend I posted our old entertainment unit on Kijiji "for free to anyone who can come and pick it up on Sunday". We also picked up Chris's grandmother's chair, refinished and reupholstered:

And we found the perfect end table to go between my favourite reading chairs in the living room. The great story about that is, once I had decided which table I wanted we took a quick look in the bargain room at the back. There is was, the exact table, with one small hardly noticable defect, for half the price! Are you proud of me, Mom?

One more picture, just because I haven't posted pictures of our family room coffee table and end tables, and Mom has been asking. Now I'm done, until the basement is finished.

Everything was lovely for the Haines family Christmas get-together here yesterday. Christmas has begun! Although I'm still not quite ready for it... Today I ran around doing various errands, so I don't think I need to go out again. But I do still have wrapping, cooking, laundry and packing for our trip to do. I think the packing may happen on Christmas day. I'll try to post again before then, but it may not fit into the hustle and bustle. In case it doesn't:

Merry Christmas to all,

from our home to yours!

The Best Kids

I know, I should not be letting a whole week go by without posting. My mother and certain others of you will be very unhappy with me. But come on, it's "busy December", and I already wrote last year about how crazy December is! This past weekend alone we had the Christmas office party, practice for the Christmas Sunday School concert, performance of the Sunday School concert, and our Home Group Christmas potluck. PLUS I got the FLU! I always seem to get sick in December. I hope it's not my Christmas tree that is making that happen, but I seriously doubt that an evergreen would cause body aches and chills. The doctor told me yesterday that it really is just a flu that I have to wait out. So I'm waiting. Today I was supposed to help supervise at the school Christmas concert practice at the high school, but the buses were taken off today because of another storm (yes, it is once again a winter wonderland in London - they finally plowed our street on Sunday night, so it had to start snowing again!), so there was no transportation to the high school, and therefore, no Christmas concert practice, so I'm free to stay home and wrap gifts in my jammies. Unfortunately, that probably means no Christmas concert tonight. My kids won't be pleased about that.

Speaking of my awesome kids, the one great thing that happened this weekend happened after Chris and I arrived home from his office party on Friday night. We had a new babysitter because the one we had previously used was unavailable. I was pretty impressed with her from the beginning. She was very friendly and talkative when I picked her up, and once we got to the house and I introduced her to the kids she really made an effort to engage them and make a connection. I had told her that most babysitters say my kids are pretty easy to keep, so I didn't expect she'd have any problems. By the time we got home I was feeling pretty miserable. We had a lovely dinner and casino night, and I had a chance to meet a lot of Chris's coworkers, but by 11:00 I knew that the flu was beginning to settle in and make itself at home. We walked in the door and said hello to the babysitter and she immediately said "Those are absolutely the best behaved kids I have ever babysat!" Wow! We both just swelled right up with pride, and for a couple of minutes I forgot to feel like death warmed over. I know this babysitter wants us to call her again, so she probably would give a positive report about the evening, but she really didn't have to gush quite so much. On the way home she talked about how much fun she had playing games with the kids, reading stories and singing with Janelle, and then watching TV with Connor. She sounded pretty sincere, so I choose to believe that she really meant what she said.

I have to agree with her. Although they are not always on their best behaviour with me, I do have a couple of amazing kids. I'm a pretty blessed mom!

Merry Christmas, Mom!

My mother doesn't get to see my house decorated for Christmas this year, so this post is especially for her. Wish you were here, Mama!



The Christmas tree came home on Saturday, after we went to the Springfield Christmas Parade with Jocelyn, Mark and Ellie, and before the HUGE dump of snow! We got it just in time!

The tree is in the front room, in the corner by the hallway.

The banister. I found a pre-lit garland with battery operated mini-LCD lights.

It's so nice to finally have a mantle to decorate!

 

The kids' tree, in the family room. The rule is they can decorate it however they want. I don't think they're finished yet!

 

Our front door. The wreath is a birthday gift from Brad, Jody and Hailey (I got it with my gift card), and I found the prelit trees at Kohls in Indianapolis at 3 a.m. on Black Friday.

There you go, Mom! You've seen it all! But the most Christmas-y part of all of it is the view outside my window today:

30 cm down, and it's not ending until tomorrow night!

Two happy kids with an unexpected day off school!

Let the Season Begin!

We usually begin our celebration of the Christmas season by attending the Santa Claus Parade in Fredericton. Needless to say, we'll be missing that this year, but we also missed the parade in London last weekend, and found out about St. Thomas's version too late yesterday evening. However, I had heard that Toronto's Santa Claus Parade was going to be broadcast this afternoon, and I thought it would be fun to make an event of it at our house.

I checked the listings and discovered that the coverage would begin at 4:30. I spent much of the afternoon working on that wretched cabinet (see yesterday's post), but at 4:00 I got ready and headed out to pick up a few things to make our "Welcome Christmas" celebration special. I got home just as the parade was starting and set to work making a batch of natchos to have for supper while we watched the largest Christmas parade in the world. The kids loved it, and so did the mom and dad, and even though we weren't freezing on a sidewalk, we were making a memory.

In three days we'll be off to Indiana to celebrate American Thanksgiving with the Moores, which I know is the official beginning of the Christmas season south of the border. But I've decided that at our house it has already started! Welcome Christmas! Come and stay for awhile!

Post by Janelle

Janelle has decided she is taking over my blog for today. She has told me to write exactly what she says. Here goes:

"Janelle and Connor cannot wait for Christmas. They can't wait to see all their toys and presents. Janelle thinks Christmas is a lucky day. Janelle really wants an EZ Bake Oven. Connor wants everything on his Christmas wish list. Today Connor said that Daddy was not going to a meeting, he was going to a fun hockey game. Connor and Janelle and Mommy are going to the new Toys R Us. After that we're going to look at a fabulous book about Santa and Christmas. It has Mrs. Claus in it, too."

Do you see a bit of a Christmas fixation emerging in our household? Perhaps tomorrow I should write a post discussing the evils of commercialism at Christmas. For now, the kids and I are off to the new Toys R Us that has opened about two minutes from our house, while Daddy enjoys an evening at the hockey game. I think I'll be stopping at Starbucks on the way! I do look forward to snuggling under the covers with my kiddies and some newly unearthed Christmas books, brought up from the basement today.

So it begins...

Christmas Time Has Come and Gone...

Christmas vacation seems to fly by more quickly every year! This year our vacation was WAY too busy. The first week that the kids were off school were spent finishing all the last minute preparations. I did enjoy the making cookies, the last minute trips to the store, and cooking my own turkey dinner on Christmas Eve. But once Christmas Eve arrives, I feel like I need to hang on for dear life for fear of falling off the runaway train that is our Christmas holiday.

Not that I don't want to spend Christmas with the ones I love. I do! I just wish they would all come to me! That will only be harder starting next year, when we live a good 17 hour drive from most of our family. This year we spent much of Christmas day at home, heading to Chris's Dad's around 3 p.m. Can't complain there! Yummy dinner, lots of laughter, more memories made. Then the next day we traveled to Rothesay where we shared Christmas dinner with my family at my mom's. I have to admit, no one's Christmas dinner tastes as much like "Christmas dinner" to me as my mom's does! The kids had a blast with cousins, we went to a great sliding hill, and ended the day with all the kids tucked in at my sister's, and a game of "Apples to Apples". Still no complaints -- just lots of fun!

But after Christmas, doesn't everyone just want to be home, surrounded by new toys, books, and the coziness of "my own home"? Not that visiting isn't wonderful, and I am so glad I got to see my cousin and her family, and my kids got to spend another day with their cousins. But it just doesn't feel like a relaxing vacation until we're snuggled up in our own home, enjoying each other. My friend Ellen came to New Brunswick from Indiana with her family, and she enjoyed her visit, but vowed at the end "We will NEVER travel at Christmas again!"

We did have a week at home to enjoy our vacation. The kids played with their toys, and I read almost a whole book. We spent New Year's Eve with many of our closest friends, and the kids stayed up to ring in the New Year (Janelle's first time -- she was so proud!) But this year Boxing Week was spent frantically cleaning for a house showing, then negotiating an offer, then accepting the offer, then settling into the realization that we actually finally sold our house. A bit of a shock to the system! So now life is all about getting Christmas "packed away" so we can go to London and find a new house. Chris went back to work today, but the kids don't go until Wednesday. I am in the midst of taking down the Christmas tree. Christmas has definitely come and gone.

So next year we will have to seriously consider whether or not we want to travel home for Christmas. It will be a much bigger commitment! And if we don't we will have lots of time at home, playing with our toys, reading our books, and enjoying our togetherness. But will I also be writing a blog about how much I miss my family at Christmas? Probably! It will definitely take some thought...

Busy December

As I've already written, I LOVE Christmas. I think I've made that abundantly clear. And I therefore love December. I do not love the stress of December. It seems as soon as December begins, the hectic pace begins. There was the piano recital, the office party, the 5 Christmas concerts we will have attended, getting the Christmas tree, decorating the Christmas tree, coordinating family gatherings for Christmas, all on top of our regular family schedule of work, school, volunteering, homework, piano lessons, basketball practice, and church commitments. This is not even taking into account Christmas SHOPPING and Christmas BAKING, and the other things that the children have decided that, since we've done them once, they are traditions. Like making a gingerbread house. That is on the to-do list for after school ends.

This year is different. This year I am a 100% stay-at-home Mom. It has made a world of difference. I don't have 15-20 other little ones for whom I feel bound to make Christmas special as well as my own two darlings. No Christmas concert to plan. No "last day Christmas pajama party" to prepare for. No Christmas crafts to research and get ready to guide little hands through. I have to admit that I do miss a lot of this, but it clearly did add to my "December stress". There are at least a hundred things that are usually on my December schedule that are not this year. And I have so much TIME to do all the million things that do need to be done!

So this year I am making a conscious effort to ENJOY this beautiful season, and all that goes with it. This afternoon is a perfect example: Sunday afternoon, and there are lots of gifts to be wrapped and plenty of baking to do. But I didn't. I decided that while my children were happy playing outside (and later watching the latest Christmas "Veggietale"), and my husband was busy working so he'll be able to take time off over Christmas, I would allow myself to sit by my Christmas tree and get lost in a book. It was heavenly! It didn't feel like "busy December". It felt like a peaceful Sunday afternoon! I don't think I can remember having one of those in December!

Tomorrow morning I'll wrap gifts, run out to a store or two, maybe even start some Christmas baking. And I'll enjoy it, because I won't be in a panic. And I'll appreciate it, because I understand the stress working moms are under. Who knows if I'll have a December like this again, so I'm going to love it while I can. And next Friday, when the kids come home from school excited and ready to celebrate the season, I'll be ready to celebrate it with them (I hope!) This will be our last Christmas in this house, and we're going to make it a Christmas to remember.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

I LOVE Christmas! I would start singing carols and trimming my house in early November if it were up to me. I love the warm feeling that the smell of evergreen, the glow of candlelight, the sound of "O Holy Night" and the taste of peppermint hot cocoa brings. I even like Christmas shopping! The bustle of like-minded people crowding holly-decked stores while the strains of Amy Grant's Christmas album (one of the four) beckon faintly through the hubbub — well, it energizes me! I LOVE CHRISTMAS!!!

Unfortunately, I live with Scrooge. He is a sweet and adorable Scrooge, but undeniably a Scrooge nonetheless. He doesn't like any hint of Christmas to enter his sphere of reference before December 1st. Christmas music in November? Humbug! Red and green decorating the house? Not yet! Dragging him to a shopping mall during the festive season is a painful experience for all involved — limited to once a year at most! And any mention of that most profane of all four-letter-words (SNOW) sends him spiraling into a depression.

So I have to be covert about it. I dig out the Christmas CDs about mid-November and listen to them through the day when he isn't home. The kids and I starting reading our millions of Christmas books around American Thanksgiving. And then the decorations start coming out. A few here and there, so he might not notice (I try to leave the snowmen for last).

But this year, I have to admit, my darling Ebenezer has been somewhat gracious about Yuletide preparations. We went Christmas shopping a couple of times in November, and he hardly complained, even admitting it might be a better time to do it, with smaller crowds and more selection (although he was drained of all energy afterward, as if I had forced him to endure some inhumane ritual!) He has been adament about "No Christmas Music when I'm around", but he made me some MP3 CDs of my favourite Christmas albums, so I can put one on the new Ipod/CD players and just let it play all day. He only made a passing mention of the first decorations I put out (one being a countdown to Christmas clock, which he didn't really appreciate). And when I suggested surprising the kids by putting up the downstairs "kids tree" on November 30, he was all for it! So I did, and subsequently decorated the whole house with my favourite Christmas trinkets. When he came home there was the comment that "it sure is Christmas-y in here", but no real complaints. He even agreed to go get the real tree next week before my parents arrive for a weekend visit. Maybe there is a small bit of Christmas spirit lurking somewhere inside that stony exterior.

My husband and I have had different experiences to shape our appreciation of the Christmas holidays. But he knows how very much I love this season, and as much as I feel the chasm of difference between us, I know he tries. And knowing this makes me love and appreciate him all the more! He knows that at this stage of our lives the most important part of Christmas is what we make it for our children: a celebration of the most important Birth our world has known, and an opportunity to worship joyfully while expressing love to those we hold dear. Yes, for them it is still about the presents and parades and decorations and Santa, despite how many times a day I remind them of WHY we are celebrating. I know that they understand that at our house Christmas isn't about Santa, it's about Jesus. And that isn't because I start playing carols in November. It's because they are lucky enough to have a Mom and Dad who agree about what celebrating Christmas means — even if our calendars are a little off!

I love you, Honey! Merry Christmas!