I don’t know, maybe it’s just me. Maybe it is just a mommy thing. But Clara picked up this red suitcase and carried it around with her after dinner.
And I tell you what, she got me!
(Those “bear”-bum PJ’s aren’t hurting the cause either!)
For some reason Clara carrying this around this sent me to that “cute-ness overload” place.
And quite honestly as a mom, you NEED your kids to send you there every once and a while. It is a good motivator to keep doing your job and not just drop kick them to some distant galaxy.
Yes, my sweet baby – you can carry on belonging to me. I will love you, feed you, change you, bathe you, pick you up when you are hanging on me, wipe your nose a million times a day, make sure you get good naps, play with you, keep your sister from totally man-handling you – and keep on giving to you even when I feel like giving up.
How do you feel about your Christmas decorations? We never invested in decorations that we really loved so we felt rather ambivalent towards ours. Every year I planned to buy Christmas decorations AFTER Christmas, during the sales, but every year without fail, I would be so tired that I never did. Hence, my efforts to beat the system and get a screaming deal never came to fruition.
Well this year I made a decision – I was going to make an investment while I still had energy and desire. I was going to get a few beautiful things and start building towards having a collection of decorations that are really beautiful and that make us excited to get them out. Part of the problem with our old ragamuffin decorations is that there is no rhyme or reason to them – they don’t work together. So I decided I needed a plan because there was no way I could afford to buy everything this year. I decided to go with silver as a theme. I know, I know – original, very original!
Enter Alice Lane! I love this store, with true devotion. When I went out to UT in November Alice Lane was selling their Christmas decorations and they were PERFECT! Just what I was looking for and though not on sale, much less than I would have paid for them had I bought them in NJ. My mom and dad helped me pick a few things and have been asking for a virtual tour, to see how all of our efforts have come together.
So Parentdukes,
Here is what you’ve been waiting for – a brief tour of our efforts to decorate the house for Christmas – as revealed by the lovely Millie Dawson — who started to “channel” me part-way through the tour. A little odd, a little wonderful and A LOT MILLIE. There is a part where she mentions that the doll house in her room she gave to her daughter for “giving up her binkis” and that pillows on her bed have been purchased at J. Crew!! (They weren’t, but just ask Tess, my daughters are trained shoppers – they know how to take over a small dressing room and OWN IT!) I find it so hilarious that she knows the names of the stores that I like to shop at.
Anyway, enjoy! Jan helped me to edit it together so you can thank him for it – he is the real reason that it is coming to you LIVE & IN COLOR…and even in HD, suckaz!
oxox,
Lize
PS Mom and Dad aka the”Mr. & Mrs. Claus” of my life. This blog has given me an opportunity to consider why Christmas is such a happy time for me. As I have done so it has struck me how you have always worked so hard to make it a special time for our family. I feel like my efforts to carry the happy feelings of my youth forward for my little family are because of you two.
This picture says it all! Here you both are knocked out after making dinner, wrapping presents, and making the season wonderful for a bazillion of your offspring.
And here is Dad, “Mr. Figgy Pudding” – the KING of Christmas fun and frolics! This is so dad I just couldn’t help but feature it here.
Because this is “my kind of math” there are no numbers so I’ll just tell you the answer:
the birth of a Christmas tradition!
Last year the girls and I watched “It’s a wonderful life” (best movie ever made) had cookies & milk and fell asleep under the glow of the Christmas tree’s twinkling lights. When I was little I always wanted to sleep by our tree. So last year, when Jan had to be away one night I blew up the air mattress and decided to follow my heart’s desire.
I feel like my childhood Christmases were simply magical! Our traditions were a part of the very fiber of our family’s collective identity. There is something almost sacred about them.
And yet…
I still remember bringing out my Mannheim Steamroller Xmas albums to play in the apartment I shared with my BYU chums. I LOVE those albums. In the 80’s when I was a medium sized lass – they were the cutting edge of coolness and my sibs and I spent HOURS listening to them and dancing around the house. When I played them at the Y, as a college age lass, my chums laughed me to scorn. (I won’t lie, it hurt a little)
Jan doesn’t like those albums either, but friends, corny as they are, they fill me right up with remembrances of my Christmas past. And so, I adore them.
Openly.
Here on my blog I pledge my little girl heart to YOU Mannheim Steamroller Christmas albums. SYNTHESIZER AND ALL!
Along with the MS albums are many other odd and wonderful traditions that I hold dear. One of the most cherished traditions is “the elves”. Every year a set of Santa’s little helpers were assigned to take care of us during the month of December. They would watch to see if we were being good – brushing teeth, listening to parents, RESISTING giving younger brothers “swirlies” etc. And if we were good they would leave us little presents all around the house. On the doorstep or under our pillows. They could zip all around the house and you’d NEVER see them (but every now and again you could hear them giggle)…they were magic so you know, the normal laws of physics did not apply to them.
When my parents moved to fabulous Provo UT it turned out that the Elves had a established a post – under one of their pine trees.
This very pine tree, in fact!
It is called,
ELFINDEN
It is a place where they go to chill out in between gigs. They sip hot cocoa and rest their weary bones etc. Because Grandpa is on good terms with the elves, he must know their secret handshake er something, they let his grand-kids in on their hideaway, and maybe they feel a little guilty because they don’t pay property tax. Whatever the reason, we know about it and we hang out there too.
It’s kind of awesome, if you ask me.
Last Christmas, when we were staying with Grandma and Grandpa the elves hooked us UP!
It began, as it often does, with the discovery of a note. This note instructed us to go to Elfinden (aka their hideaway).
(The adventure begins!)
We all bundled up and made our way out to Elfinden.
(Grown up mommy – but still as excited as the little kids)
In we all went – under the pine boughs to discover…
…that the elves had decorated Elfinden for Christmas. (Please note that Brynn, also grown-up lady, was just as excited as the kids)
They left us yet another note that would lead us to a special Christmas surprise!
Out we came and off we went!
Following the clues,
which lead us to this ark (just part of the surprise,and just a beginning of what was to come!)
We kept following the trail of animals until,
We discovered that the elves had taken a little storage space under the stairway and turned it into what we now refer to as, “The Ark Room”.
BEHOLD!
As little peeps they found a way to cram a WHOLE bunch of fun into a tiny space. They are so good when it comes to decorating small spaces – I wonder if they ever considered decorating Manhattan apartments during their “off” months.
Oh, Elves – I love you! How I love you!
Because this tradition means so much to me, it goes without saying that the dear little guys come and visit Millie and Clara too.
We have this here mailbox.
It is where the elves leave us the good stuff.
They have been kind to us this year.
On Friday they left us…
I am here to report that it was well received,
“On Dasher! On Dancer! On Prancer! Right into my mouth!!”
Our fridge sums it up nicely (this photo was taken 10 minutes ago)…
DECEMBER WHAT?! Can you believe it is the first of December? I just threw Millie’s left over Halloween candy away, so amidst the boxes of Christmas ornaments yet to be placed on the tree is Millie’s trick or treat bag.
Where did November go…
WHO WANTS TO HEAR ME BLATHER ON ABOUT THE SWIFT PASSAGE OF TIME? I am guessing nobody. Instead I will tell you the story of our…
Thanksgiving!
It was nuts and it was wonderful (that is how most things are around here, have you noticed that trend?)
But I get ahead of myself! So much of what makes Thanksgiving rock is what happens before the actual feast, true?
For us there was much shopping, hauling, stirring, baking, basting, fretting, setting, humming, skipping and so forth…
Millie provided most of the skipping (but I joined in because, WHAT’S A HEART FOR?!)
On a scale of 1 to 10 how cute is this little pilgrim, asks the doting mother?!
Millie’s Pre-school has a little feast every year. Check it out!
After the feast (and whilst the skipping ensued) I brought in the groceries and this very cute baby that I found who took a real shine to me… for some unknown reason! (hardy har, har!)
Then, the cooking began!
The following day,
we enjoyed a leisurely Thanksgiving morning – mostly spent loafing and simply being together. It was, really heavenly!
We hung out with the girls then went on a walk through our little town center. We watched people coming off the train with their luggage in tow. We saw them embrace their families and trot off to their cars. It was just tender. And made us very excited for our family to arrive.
They did come – despite moving, shooting a film, and having to work they all made it! And seriously, could they be any more darling?!
It was just right. Ask our very own Goldie-locks. My favorite things on the table were the rolls and apple pie ala Nikki. Good action, Nikks! You knocked it out of the park with that pie, I tell ya!
The following morning Alli had to head back to work and Cam & Nikki had to jet off to get their apartment packed up for their move. With much prodding, they left their little man John-o behind and we had a swell time chillaxing with our favorite Manhattan-ite.
Good times were had by all. And may I say that I think my nephew is a rock star relative. The kid was charming. He ate, and slept (which is more than I can say for certain parties who live under this roof) and was a sheer delight to have around. We love you, little John!!
Later that evening we walked into town for the Madison Christmas parade. It was a little rinky-dink, in a charming, small town kind of way. It was also very, very cold. I wasn’t quite sure how I felt about it. But as soon as Allison turned up everything got better. She stood behind me and oohed and awed over every last detail, including appreciating the Mickey Mouse inflatable Santa strapped to the back of a truck. She is such a wonderful appreciator. You are the best, Ali!
(A random lady stopped me to tell me she liked my hat, which was nice of her because it took a fair amount of courage to wear it – thank you, dear random stranger lady for making your opinion known to me!)
We came home and warmed ourselves by the fire and played with Millie’s princess face cards.
I walked into the living room to find Allison and Millie warming their feet by the fire’s glow (everyone should have an aunt who would do this with them!)
Once we were adequately toasty, we had some dinner.
The salad had pomegranates in honor of Millie’s new favorite reading material, Persephone!
On Saturday, as per tradition, we cut down our tree. And I tell you what, she is a BEAUTY!
Every year Ian and Allison have a friendly little race up the hill. We went to a different Xmas tree farm this year, but that didn’t stop I & A. They found themselves hill and they went for it! When the race ended Millie ran up after them to announce that they had BOTH won, “It was a tie! It was a tie!” she shouted. They rushed back to meet her.
Just look at all the energy in this photo. I love that Ian and Allison both have their arms wide open to receive Millie.
And that my friends is what it is ALL about.
So, happy Halloween, happy Thanksgiving, and may your Christmas be merry, bright, and full of all that is good and true.
This time of year is so wonderfully out of control in so many ways – but oh, I am so grateful despite this crazy world we live in there is still a little bit of magic in the air. The world may try to squeeze the Savior out of Christmas but He shows up every year. He is in the very air we breath. So I guess as long as there is air he will still be with us. (Thank Heavens!!)
Even the grumpy New Jersey-ites are a little less grumpy, and that is something worth celebrating!
My Christmas wish for you and me is that we embrace each other and this joyous season with open hearts and W I D E open arms.
just when everyone is getting sick of it and giving up their blogs, guess who is getting on the blogging bandwagon...me! That is about the time I catch on to whatever is trendy and cool, long after it is trendy and cool. At the very least I hope to amuse my sisters and my mom. I know how to pick an audience, don't I? I am not entirely sure if there will even be a theme but if you stay tuned perhaps we'll figure it out together. oxox Lize
