Friday, December 4, 2009

Christmas decorating

I put up the Christmas decorations today and, OMG, guess what I found:

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's Kira's nutcracker that she made in second grade.

I HATE IT.

It scares me. I accidentally ripped out the big pink boa feather that was stuck in its hat when I found it today. I think it's the menacing smile/grimace that really creeps me out. Or maybe it's the dirty cotton ball it has for hair. How long do I have to keep it? I put it on the window sill behind the tree so hopefully it won't startle me too many times over the next month.

That's my least favorite decoration, which brings me now to my favorite:

This is a rock that my MIL painted for me several years ago. The Johnson's all love rocks and I make fun of them for it so Julie thought it would be funny to paint a rock for me. I make fun of them because they are all crazy for rocks. Whenever I do laundry I find pockets full of rocks from both the kids AND from Mitch. When Julie and Rich moved here I think they actually moved about 200 pounds of cool rocks they've found over the years that they couldn't bear to part with. When we first moved here Mitch told me that this area was geologically rich with agates, which is a precious and rare stone. That's what he told me. Agates aren't all that rare. Kira finds about 50 every day. I had to convert my cookie jar to an agate jar just to accommodate the rocks that Kira and Mitch find.

So anyway, Julie made me that rock and I love it. I usually take it out a little early so I can look at it. It's very detailed.

I had a good idea about 6 or 7 years ago and I'm still really pleased with myself about it. I usually send out Christmas cards with a picture of my kids on it and I also make myself an ornament with that year's picture. I make one for my parents and in-laws too. I think that was pretty clever of me.

Now that I look at this picture I wonder who the hell put that stupid stuffed bear on the tree. That's a back-of-the-tree filler. I'll have to move it.

Kira is happy because I took out the Playmobil Santa and sleigh and reindeer. I usually also put out a Playmobil hazmat scene with it because it inspires more imaginative play, I think.

We also have a Playmobil advent calendar but I looked at it today and last year I meticulously packed all the little pieces back in their boxes perfectly, and it would really be a shame to ruin that good work, so unless Kira asks, I'm not taking it out. Is that Scroogy?

3 comments:

  1. I LOVE Julie's rocks...she gave one to M&D when they moved into their house and it is so cute and creative. I like the hazmat team...the Nutcracker...not so much. I have back of the tree fillers too..one is a long white piece of styrofoam with a santa hat and black felt eyes that Nicole made it covers a good chunk of back tree so I'm happy with it.

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  2. Keep the nutcracker forever, then give it back to Kira when she moves out.

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  3. I took out the advent calendar and remember when I said that I did a good job of putting it away last year? I actually did an incredibly SHITTY job of putting it away so I just took it all out so Kira can play with it.

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