Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Sing it, Effie

As one of my stocking stuffers, I received both volumes of the Glee soundtrack. My husband received (from me) a pair of long-coveted speakers for the computer. So we have been listening to a lot of power ballads over the past few days, many of which continue to be sung or hummed long after the computer is silent. (Curses to you, Paul Anka and "You're Havin' My Baby!")

Earlier today, Will was putting together some puzzles at the living room table. She was singing to herself, one of her newest activities (and one that has led me to purchase the entire "Bread and Jam for Francis" series of picture books). I listened carefully, and realized she was singing "No way. I'm not living without you."

My husband and I listened, amused, for a few minutes before she got distracted and moved on to something else.

Then later tonight, she started shouting, in her loudest voice, right to me: "No! No! No! No! I'm not living without YOU! No! No! No! No! I'm not living without you!"

"Okay," I said. "I'm not living without you, either."

Good to know we feel the same way.

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Christmas Meme

In the spirit of posting more regularly again, here's a Christmas meme I'm borrowing from Swistle.

Eggnog or hot chocolate? Definitely hot chocolate. Egg nog = blech!

Does Santa wrap the presents or leave them open under the tree? When I was a kid, our Santa presents were never wrapped. Now I'm doing a bit of a hybrid: stocking stuffers and big things (like last year's doll-in-stroller) unwrapped. Other smaller gifts wrapped in Santa-only-uses-it paper.

Colored lights on a tree or white? White only, please!

Do you hang mistletoe? No.

When do you put your decorations up? I put up the wreath and the stars in the windows mid-November. All the other more festive decor sometime after December 1st.

What is your favourite holiday dish? Savoury: Hot hors d'oeuvres. Sweet: shortbread and magic cookie bars.

Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Usually my husband and I open something from our stocking exchange.

How do you decorate your Christmas tree? Ornaments from all over. When I go on a trip or somewhere interesting, I try to pick up an ornament to commemorate the occasion (which is surprisingly difficult sometimes). This year was the first time Will was interested in hearing some of the stories about the ornaments. The one we got our first year with Pasha. Her first Christmas ornament with the picture. The one we picked out together this year in NYC. I look forward to telling these stories every year.

Snow: love it or hate it? Hate the cold and the hassle, but am missing a real white Christmas this year. (I know. But in my part of Canada, we've got nothing.)

Can you ice skate? Does clutching the boards count?

What is your favourite holiday tradition? Probably telling the stories while trimming the tree. But I really like the freedom of making new traditions. This year we decided to go out for Christmas dinner. It seemed so wrong at first, and then so right. I love that.

Candy canes: yum or yuck? Take them or leave them.

Favourite Christmas show? Do movies count? Love, Actually and Meet Me in St. Louis (but I'm a sucker for the original Grinch).

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

The nightmare before Christmas

Will has taken to drawing faces recently. She started with eyes (well, eye sockets) and would ask me to fill in the rest. Then she added noses and mouths, asking me to do the hair and the body. Now she handles all of that, with the addition of teeth, eyebrows and sometimes ears and earrings.
Although I am impressed - very impressed, actually - I also feel like I may have given birth to the next Tim Burton:

Will calls these her "scarecrows" and names them after herself and the other people she knows. Then she asks if she can "shave it off" (I can hardly bring myself to correct her on that one) and draw another one.

It did freak me out a little when I left her alone for a few minutes after her nap, and the map puzzle in her room became the background for ten (!) new scarecrows (in marker):

Highlights of the exhibition included two boys (notable by their short hair).


The snowman, with buttons and a hat.


Happy girl, with long hair.


Finally, freaky girl with a baby.

Clearly, our house is decorated for the holidays!