Life has been rolling along here. December settled heavily in our laps and let out an occasional smelly fart, like our camera died and we had to buy a new one, and our power went out when it was 12 degrees outside, stupid annoying stuff like that. In the grand scheme of things, these things don't even register on the big stress-o-meter and we are lucky. There's so much to be thankful for. I plan to spend the remaining days stroking December on the back and enjoying all the lucky.

In other news, Julia received an award at last week's school Town Hall "For loving reading and challenging herself with books she chooses." YOOO HOO JOOGE! She is also big into "Mexican Yarn art," (God's Eyes) which she learned how to do at her school during Art Day. They look like this and she has been cranking them out thanks to a surplus of dollar store popsicle sticks and varigated yarn balls. Her dad also taught her how to play chess today, which she seemed to learn really well. Smart girl, good teacher!

Avery went to a classmate's birthday party today in full ballet garb only to spend the whole time in my lap. We are definitely going to get her enrolled in some sort of dance class come January as she needs a nudge towards something that she will both love and find to be a confidence booster, as school has been. I did love the way different classmates were sweet about it. One friend asked why she didn't want to come out with everyone on the dance floor and then said, "I would have helped you." Ironically she has been doing, "the moves" all evening so watching the party clearly still made an impression. After the party moved to DQ and there was cupcakes, ice cream and a book exchange, she actually said, "This is a party I'll never forget."

Unlike last year at this time, we are in pretty good shape for the holidays. The tree is up and decorated. The gifts are bought and have arrived or been shipped. (Mostly shipped). The photo was taken and the cards are sent. The cookie exchange happened and we've eaten all the cookies. The advent calendar, though up a day late, is in full swing and providing us with some sort of new Playmobil woodland creature each and every day. (See above).

There is one more week of school for the girls and then we will all be off for the week of Christmas. We are starting the week with a trip to the cabin and ending the week with a trip to Bend on Christmas Day to visit my husband's sister. Then my husband will go back to work and the girls and I will spend the last week of December home before school is back in session. I'm curious to see what the weather's going to do this year as last year it snowed a TON. I do love snow, as long as I'm not required to drive in it.

I have not gotten super crafty and ambitious this year giftwise other than making PJ bottoms and embelishing t-shirts using freezer paper stencils. I kept wanting to try that and it was very fun. I am looking forward to picking up my knitting needles for the first time all season to make the girls each a new hat as well as enjoying my current book, The Help over the vacation. Also, I can't wait to watch a video we discovered last year that was just so great: More About the Children of Noisy Village. A video I would NOT recommend: Bruno. My husband rented it and I made it through 20 minutes, amazingly. It was bad, very bad.

Happy holidays to you all!