Housing Dilemma

With a singular focus, Su helped me with the tedious job of gingerbread men decorating.

I love her.

They're homely, but DONE!

Then we led the first man to his home. He was ecstatic.

He became slightly less so as we led his siblings to the same home, and you should have heard his shrieks when we layered on the remaining 6 dozen!

Christmas Afternoon

After worship (I forgot to take a picture of the girls all dolled up), we came home and got ready for the big gathering at my sister-in-law's house. They have a gorgeous "Great Room" they've been building onto their addition for the last several years, and it's the perfect space for us all. My brother is a talented carpenter (and schoolteacher), and he's taught his whole family the ropes over the years.

My parents, my siblings, our spouses*, and our immediate offspring total 40-odd bodies, so this roomy space is perfect! Plus, the rest of the house is open for little people to make messes in...

Thank you, Wendy, for your graciousness!

*I hate both the words "siblings" and "spouses," and I just boarded them next to each other in the same sentence. Blech.

Oh, and that amazing tree cost ten dollars. Every year, they go to our local tree farm and strap a ten-buck monster onto their vehicle. I don't know how they all get home in one piece, but they do!

For McGamma: that banana costume (of Alex's?) that you sent up has found a new home! Simeon the Brave wanted to be a banana-- among other things, like a boot-- for Halloween, so Wendy asked my mom to alter the costume to fit a 3-year old. He was delighted!

We pooled some money this year to buy my mom a necklace with all of our birthstones on it.

Isn't she pretty? This is the epitome of Mopsy. She laughs a lot.

She's a great mother. We probably should have bought her seven necklaces, one for each of us, but one seemed to be enough.

The Leftovers

A literally lost tooth, for which a used spark plug served as substitute under the pillow.

Sleeping baby wrapped up in robes.

Together enjoying a book.

The yearly trip to the mall, whose smooth, shiny floor just begs for little girls to slide around on it.

Victorian St. Nicholas! (He tied for first place in our affections, along with the woodsy Russian St. Nicholas.)

An stupid inspired decision to strip wallpaper and paint the dining room three days before Christmas.

I finished early Christmas Eve, and it looks lovely. I'll take pictures sometime.

Girls who want to help.

Wild elderberry liqueur, finally ready.

And pretty.

And this picture, which I find funny for the fact that every time I scribble out a border for our weekly school verse, Millie feels compelled to add my "artist's mark" to it. AJO made these scribbles, and don't you fergit it!

Blurry Stocking-stretching

John helped.




And the doorknob helped.

The Goods

As I mentioned in the comments, Pip was royally feted at the hospital. Doctor's visits have been rare for my girls so far, so she loves any appointment, and her day at the hospital was the cream of the crop.

We arrived before the sun came up, and she watched hours of cartoons.

Afterward, still dopey while coming out from under the anesthetic, she sported the tell-tale blue of a popsicle eater while watching more television. I also want to draw your attention to Mousey, the chosen companion. (Stinker was MIA; he probably hid as soon as he heard her plans to bring him along.) Millie made Mousey's anesthesia mask and embroidered "FAMILY" from edge to edge. Quite a dashing ensemble, I thought.

Today we confirmed that the biopsy was clear, Piper's stitches were removed, and she gave more blood (eight vials at once!) for a few additional tests. One wince and nothing more. I'm so thankful that stoic Pip is the protagonist of this tale. She shed not one tear during the whole business and only gave lots of looks like the one below.

And I'll gladly take dozens more just like it, Little Pip.

Saint Nicholas is Thrifty, Too!

Who knew?

On the eve of St. Nicholas Day, the girls and I lit lights in every window,

they lined their shoes in a row,

and, in the dead of night, St. Nicholas-- the real saint, mind you, not the slick modern incarnation-- filled their shoes with all manner of things he bought 90% off on Christmas clearance last year. (Yeah, he's so thrifty he even buys candy with a long shelf life a year ahead of time. Go, Saint Nick!)

I can't wait until he fills their shoes with bags of gold for their dowries!
(I'm waiting on the bags of gold, smarties, not for my little girls rushing off to get married.)

Millie Learns Her Letters

The Moment You've All Been Waiting For

....with bated breath, no less.


Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce

THE PIGGIES.

It was nearly impossible to top the mullet's appeal, but I think we did it!

Aren't You Glad Norman Rockwell's Dead?

The day before Thanksgiving was brimful of good cheer, peace, harmony, and hard-working girls. Early on, that is...

Annika scooped pumpkin seeds while Luci brushed her hair.

Susannah showed off her slicing skills.

Piper broke bread.

Everyone laughed as they made a quadruple batch of stuffing for the turkey. (Don't judge me. I'm a stuffing-lover.)

Even Lucinda helped.

She even joined me in eye-burning misery

as I chopped onions.

Normon Rockwell would have rushed to find his brushes if he'd looked in the windows. By that afternoon, though, I was tired, overwhelmed, and grouchy, and right before bed, the girls looked like this.


Bring it, Rockwell.

Thank Full

I only took two pictures on Thanksgiving Day because when everyone arrived, I couldn't locate my Fancy Camera. Turns out I'd put it in the side drawer of the buffet table. See, that's what I get for cleaning the house. Industriousness never pays.


So instead of pictures of our lovely guests gathered around the lovely harvest table and the lovely feast that could have fed fifty, here are the pies I made bathed in the morning's first sunbeams,

as well as a picture I took while swinging from the chandelier.

My mom also brought four pies, which meant that there were almost 7 pies leftover at the end of the day. Oy. I guess we forgot that this year there were only 12 mouths to feed instead of 40. (Don't fret; I won't let pie go to waste!)

And just for you, Joel, here's a picture of the garland of thanksgiving, which, by the way, requires that I cut out a billion leafs each year, in requested shapes (e.g. "Mama, can you please make me some more beech leaves?).

And the promised close-up of the Leaf of Accusation. A.A.O. is thankful for you, no doubt, but couldn't help shedding some of her bewilderment.

Wy, Joel, WY???? Wy, indeed?

p.s. Joel, I think most of the girls dedicated one leaf of Thanksgiving to you, but you can bet I exposed your two-timing reason for not driving home. Just wait until Christmas, buddy...

Piles of Raw Meat for Vegetarians and Animal-lovers

My brother Andy and my niece Aponi have both shot deer this year, and since Andy is generous, he gave us some.

The arrival of the first deer caused more glee than I think is probably healthy. (Side note: if you're sharp-eyed enough to notice the overflowing garbage can, then please also note the overflowing rack of clean dishes in the sink. Those two piles balance each other out, or so I've heard.)

They inspected the windpipe and the leg movement and the sinews and fat, which you can bet I counted as a science lesson.

At the start, though, our sweet Susie just stood back and softly murmered, "Poah deeah. Poah deah." All she needed was a harmonica.

This is the first year that Millie has expressed an interest in the butchering process. She was fascinated by the whole thing, so I finally let her join in. I'm glad I did, because Andy's giving us a second deer tomorrow morning, and I'll gladly take any help I can get. And, hey, you know, if you're in the area...