Fourteen and More Sewing

 Bag 14 contained "just a note."  Daphne is always disappointed when there is just a note.  And I was a little worried too, because the just a note said to bundle up and walk down to the pub to see Big Al and the Acadians play some Dixieland Jazz.  It was about 19 degrees with a wind chill near 0.  So, we drove.  I had to let go of my original idea of a delightful winter stroll.  But that's OK.  As it turns out, I think this was my favorite activity so far. 

We got to the King's Court Tavern just in time for the first set.  We ordered delicious fish and chips (voted Best in Virginia!) and settled into our booth.  The band (above - I got this picture somewhere on the internet) played, and we ate, and it was like we were in New Orleans and London at the same time.  Daphne tapped her hands to the beat and made quite an impression on the old guys, because they all came over to talk to her after the first set.  The drummer even took her back to see his drums because she told him she had drums at home.

The best part was when Big Al himself came by and told Daphne he was really glad she came to see them, to which Daphne replied, "Well, I'm really glad the bag told us to come to see you, you see we have these bags at home and they tell us what to do and..."  And I could see a giant question mark forming over the head of Big Al, so I chimed in with some sort of small talk and we all moved on.  It was a good night out.

This morning, after dropping Daphne at school, I worked on the requested red robe with a white collar.  It is now finished:

If you do not look closely, it's a pretty OK-looking robe.  I was baffled by the instructions for the collar, so I just winged it (wung it?).  It isn't going to win any sewing awards, but Daphne will think it's just fine.  And that's what counts.

All the sewing has caused me to neglect some things in the kitchen, like the breakfast dishes, so I am off to TCB.  Coming soon:  Bag 15.  You see, we have these bags that tell us what to do...

Thirteen and Some Sewing

Thirteen - Make Christmas cards for the neighborhood kids.  I got two DIY card kits in the Target $1.00 section.  Daphne made a list of the kids in the neighborhood and needed to make seven cards.  We got four of them done.  We can finish today.  I am not leaving the house.  It is 19 degrees.

Yesterday, while Daphne was at school, I made her these Christmas pajamas below.  She also wants a robe, so I got all the pieces cut for that and I'll start working on it tomorrow.  I'll probably give them to her on Christmas Eve, so she can wear them Christmas morning.  I am worried about the construction of the robe.  It looks kinda hard.  But in the words of the great Tim Gunn, I'll make it work.

Actually, now that I think about it, tonight's bag involves leaving the house.  Hmmm...may have to do a swap...

Half-Way There

Day Twelve, and the paperwhites have started to bloom.

We opened Bag 12 before dinner so Daphne would have something to look forward to. The note in the bag said "Family Movie Night" and there was a special package containing:

After we ate (Guinness stew!), Daphne waited on the couch for me to clean the dishes and Kev to finish something upstairs. He came down and started to make popcorn, and I went into the TV room and this is what I saw:

Poor kid. Sound asleep at 6:30 (she didn't take a nap), with a hat and a backpack on. We thought about taking her on up to bed, but we woke her up and watched the movie. Tomorrow when it's time to get up for school, we will find out if that was a bad decision. I love "Elf." Now, it REALLY feels like Christmas.

Eleven and a Parade

 Saturday morning, the Christmas Parade came past the house.  There was no camel, but there WAS a reindeer: 

In the evening, we opened Bag Number 11.

There was no camel, but there WAS a reindeer:

Specifically, it was a "Grow-a-Reindeer."  When I bought it, I didn't read the instructions.  I assumed it grew quickly.  You know what they say about assuming.  Apparently, it takes this thing up to TEN DAYS to reach its full size.

After visiting a certain stable, Rudolf was placed into a large container of water so he could do his thing.

He is ever-so-slightly bigger today.  Should be fully grown by Christmas, I guess.

Ten - Family Band Night

 Daphne got a pink tambourine and Kev got some Christmas song books.

 And Daphne played drums with her mittens on.

Eight and Nine

Bag Number 8 - We were instructed to read "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," which I got at Kohl's for 5 bucks.

Daphne let Kev open the bag this time.

We enjoyed the story, but there was some controversy because the characters in the book look different than the ones on TV.  The Grinch TV special is pure genius.  Chuck Jones is pure genius.  I hope we didn't miss it this year.  We never know when things are on TV.

Bag Number Nine contained a very homemade Christmas Charades game.  I was worried it would be kind of a lame night, but it was really fun.  Playing charades with Daphne is hilarious.

 Below, she is acting out a popular Christmas character.  We thought for sure it was Rudolf, but we were wrong.

Because Rudolf, which she acted out later, actually looks like THIS:

Notice the difference?  We didn't get the first one until she started doing this dance:

Aaaah...now it all makes sense!

Today it snowed for a few minutes and then it stopped.  I was glad.  Visions of last year have been dancing in my head, and I don't think I want to go through all that again.  Snow loses its magical quality when it is taller than you and is frozen into a giant iceberg at the end of your driveway.

Daphne was VERY excited about the snow, and tried to play in it.  She had a blast.  Being four and a half is where it's at.

Coming Soon...

Paperwhites!

I am not going to complain about the recent cold because it is way better than the Texas hot, but it is COLD! DANG!

Seven

 Day Seven was a good day.  Daphne got new PJs, and got to have a pajama party with Grandma.  They had spaghetti and watched A Charlie Brown Christmas.

 Meanwhile, Kev and I headed to Towson, MD to the Recher Theater to see the Old 97s.  We met up with Ken and some other friends and had Japanese food for dinner.  In the spirit of Day Seven, I tried some new things:  Saki, which I didn't like.  Miso soup, which I DID like.  And, since sushi (or any raw food) FREAKS ME OUT, I had chicken and vegetable tempura, which was very good.

We had a little time to hang out before the show, and it was SO good to see faces from home.  The show was great, and even if they weren't my friends, I would say that Old 97s put on some of the best live shows I've ever seen.  Really high energy.  It was a great night out, and I was sad to say goodbye.  The good news is, they'll be back in April, this time at the 9:30 club, which is much closer than Towson.

Ken got all the guys to sign this shirt for Daphne, which she loves.  She'll be able to wear it, maybe when she's seven or eight.  Old 97s will be "classic rock" by then, but that's OK.

The countdown continues...Bring on Day 8. 

Daphne's Letter to Santa

Here is a copy of Daphne's letter to Santa.  We took turns doing the writing, but the words are all hers.  (At first, she wanted to write "I accept my apology."  So, we had to do a little explaining.)  The third page is the back of Page 2...she wanted to add a sticky note and draw Santa some pictures.  Now, can anyone tell me Santa's home address?  We usually just email him...

Six

Bag Six: Write a letter to Santa. Included was a Grinch pencil and some Christmas-y paper.

This one was fun. Daphne spent a lot of time and effort on it.

This is the Nativity I got at the craft fair over the weekend. I like it because Daphne can play with it and it won't break. And because it is handmade and local. We had a long conversation about the names of the three kings while we were setting it up. Kev said Steve, Bob and Fred. I thought maybe it was Shadrach, Meshak, and Abednego, but it turns out those were the guys from Daniel and the fiery furnace (and later from the Beastie Boys song). According to Wikipedia, the wise men were Melchior, Caspar, and Balthasar. I could find no mention of this in the Bible, however.

Today is Day Seven, and Daphne will be getting some new Christmas pajamas for a sleepover with Grandma, who is coming to stay tonight because Kev and I are going to Maryland to see the Old 97's. Yay! Time for a little Texas!

Waiting

We usually open our Advent bags after dinner. Sometimes (aka ALWAYS) it takes Daphne a long time to finish eating, so we have to wait. And wait. Last night, here is how my talented husband passed the time...

If you can't tell, that is a rubber band (from the saltine crackers) wrapped around a prep bowl (which previously held Daphne's side dish of grapes).

You may have to turn up your volume a little.

Day Five

Day Five was Decorate the Tree, and with it came the new Pink Martini Christmas CD to make it more festive. It is a REALLY good CD, and I recommend it if you are sick of the usual Christmas music in the mall and the grocery store.

Before the decorating, Daphne got her surprise four-and-a-half cupcake. She was pretty happy about that.

She did her important job - putting the angel on the tree - and this year, she didn't have to sit on Kev's head. I was pretty happy about that.

And by the end of the night, we had a tree. It is so pretty. This morning, I got to sit by it and drink my coffee in total silence for about ten minutes. No better way to start the day.

If I Could Sing Like These People, I Would Wear the Silly Clothes, Too.

First Friday carollers at the bank. So great.

Three and Four

Day Three, and as I said, the bag contained a note telling us to go downtown for the tree-lighting. Daphne was CLEARLY disappointed that there was nothing but a note in the bag. However, after receiving a free cookie from Lola (above) and free hot chocolate with marshmallows (below), she changed her tune.

We strolled around town, enjoyed our free treats, and finally, after someone from the town council led the crowd in an unfortunate rendition of Jingle Bells that was in a key way too high for the masses, the tree was lit!

Ta-da!!!!

Then we made our way back home via the bank, which always hosts good music on First Fridays. This time, it was a singing group that was carolling fabulously. I will post a short video so you can hear them. I could have listened to them all night.

Before the unveiling of Bag #4 tonight, there was shrimp bisque:

Kev and I, who are showing greatly improved kitchen teamwork skills, collaborated on this recipe from my Williams Sonoma "Soup" cookbook. Williams Sonoma cookbooks never let me down. It was delicious. Daphne even liked it. We let her put in the shrimps and whip the cream, and that did the trick. IF THEY COOK IT, THEY WILL EAT IT. Works every time.

In tonight's bag, there were ornaments to color. It was a hit. Tomorrow, they will go on the tree, because Day Five is Decorate the Tree Day. Looking forward to that. The Christmas tree brings the living room to life.

Tomorrow is also Daphne's "half-birthday." She doesn't know it yet, but she is getting a cupcake. And we get to go to the diner for breakfast. I like Day Five.

Day Two

So far, the countdown is going pretty well. Daphne enjoyed the hot chocolate last night.

Especially the marshmallow.

And Kev and I enjoyed the Vince Guaraldi.

And tonight after dinner, she opened Bag #2.

It contained a little Christmas game from the Dollar Tree, and it was worth every penny. Well, maybe not EVERY penny. It was a pretty cheesy little game. But the Peanut enjoyed it, and there was family time, so mission accomplished.

She looks forward to opening the bag all day, and tries to guess what's inside. How long until the novelty wears off, I wonder? Will this get old, or continue to be fun for 22 more days? Time will tell.

Tomorrow's bag contains a note which tells us to bundle up and go downtown for the Ceremonial Lighting of the Leesburg Town Christmas Tree and Menorah. It is going to be cold. But there will be singing and hot chocolate, and I am looking forward to it. Bring on Day Three!

Christmas Countdown

December is here, and it means business. The day started out rainy and windy and cold. Now it's just windy and cold. It's the windy that gets me. Makes me want to stay inside with a warm beverage and knit.

This year, our family is trying a new Christmas tradition...the Advent calendar Christmas countdown. Each day, we'll unveil a little treat or activity as we get ready for the Big Day. The goal of this is to make sure we stop down and spend at least a little family time each day not being frantic. Daphne is excited about it, and can't wait for Kev to get home from work so she can open the first bag. Day 1's bag contains some Snoopy Hot Chocolate Mixes, and a note that instructs us to listen to Charlie Brown Christmas music while we drink it. It's a perfect day for it.

A bonus December 1st treat is one I wasn't expecting. My friend Tracy travelled to NY for Thanksgiving and brought me back a bottle of the best egg nog on the planet from the Ronnybrook Dairy Farm. I highly recommend trying to find some of this stuff if you are anywhere in New York. The Ronnybrook website has a list of places that sell their products, one of which is a coffee shop down the street from Kev's parents' house called Cranberry's. You can bet I'll be stopping in there next time we're in Hyde Park. This stuff is like a milk shake. So thick and creamy. Yum. Plus, it comes in a really cool glass bottle, which will be holding some peonies in the Spring. So, thanks to Tracy for the Happy December gift.

I hope your month is off to a good start. Stay tuned as we continue the experimental countdown tomorrow...

Ringing in December

December is here. Yay!!! Please press "PLAY" and let the countdown begin...