Mary's Birthday Dress

My niece Mary turns 6 today.  I made her a dress, because she's a fancy girl and would wear a dress every day of her life if her mommy let her!!

The halls are decked

Sophie's favorite ornament placement this year.  The kitty is sitting perfectly on the branch with the garland perfectly around her she said :)

Sophie made the paper-chain garland at the top 1/3 of the tree this week.

(Christian's not much for making decorations.)

The 2010 ornaments.  I bet you can guess who's is whose...

It's hard to tell, but Snoopy is doing an ice sculpture of Woodstock.

Sophie always decorates her bed too.

Holiday Survey

This is floating around blogland these days and my friend Kris thought it might be fun, so I copied it from her blog.
So, you if have a blog you should consider yourself tagged and post the list with your answers on your blog.
If you don't have a blog, maybe you can share it via email!
1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
Hot Chocolate!! 

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
The kids have always knows there is no Santa, but I write 'Santa' on the 'from' anyway.  They are wrapped.

3. What color Christmas lights?
Whatever Tom buys.
4. Do you hang mistletoe?
no

5. When do you put your decorations up?
Whenever we get around to it, this year that'll probably be the 2nd weekend in Dec.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish?
hhmm...  I don't have any one favorite but I do love my dad's ham (which is really saying something because usually I'm not a pork fan!)

7. Favorite Christmas memory as a child?
My brothers and me waiting at the top of the stairs until mom and dad said we could come down.
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
I don't remember an exact time.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
The kids open one gift Christmas Eve, which is always a jammy item of some sort.  This year, Sophie's getting a new robe and Christian some new jammies.  The, the rest Christmas morning.
10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?
Tom and I string the lights and the kids put up everything else. Until it's garland time, then it's me again.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it?
eh, as long as it's not soooo bad I can't drive I'm okay with it.

12. Can you ice skate?
I don't know if I've ever tried...

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
Mine is a rocking chair too Kris!! LOL  Tom got one from Cracker Barrel (you know, those rocking chairs they have out on their front porch) a couple years ago for me. LOVE!

14. What’s the most important thing about Christmas for you?
Family.

15. What is your favorite holiday Dessert?
No one favorite.

16. What is your favorite Christmas tradition?
Seeing the kids open stockings and presents Christmas morning.

17. What tops your tree?
I forget,  I think it's an angel...

18. Which do you prefer giving or Receiving?
Giving!!
19. What is your favorite Christmas Song?
Mary Did You Know? :)
20. Candy Canes: Yuck or Yum?
Yum :)

21 Favorite Christmas Show?
Peanuts Christmas.

22. Saddest Christmas Song?
There's a sad Christmas song??
23. What’s your Wish for Christmas?
A tea spoon.  It's a spoon that measures out one teaspoon, it's metal and I can leave it in with my teas instead of having to wash the real measuring set teaspoon every time I make looseleaf tea.

Update on the school room

Since I've not done a school room progress update in awhile I thought I'd do one.  The curtains are finally finished.  Ya wouldn't know to look at them, but the layers are: stripe shower curtain, insulation of old flannel sheets, and white shower curtains to show to the outside.  They're hung on a steel pipe with pipe fittings.  I just sewed them together at the top, and the white to the insulation, then lapped it overitself toward the back to form the rod pocket.  EASY!!  Well, would have been easy if either the shower curtains or the flannel sheets were SQUARE!  Which they were NOT! ggrr...

 The steps are finally replaced, but the rail still needs installed.  That will go to the outside of the steps. (to try to keep fingers off the paint! LOL)

 The view above is from the top of the stairs.

Isn't the advent calendar beautiful!!!!  My friend Kris made it for Sophie, and it's filled with toys for her.  She was sooooo excited when we opened it!!  I nearly had to pick her jaw up off the floor.  She can't wait till Sunday to start Advent readings :)

Grampa's Memorial was today

Saw some cousins I'd not seen in awhile.  Met some of mom's relatives I'd never met before.  I saw TONS of pictures of grampa I'd never seen before!  And, several had my mom as either a baby or a kid.  Grampa as a kid.  Wow, I wouldn't have picked him out, good thing my uncle was describing them all to me.  I totally see some of the family resemblence in younger years!  I only remember him as 'older' since he was already in his mid 50's when I was born.

His Obituary

He was happy in the end, he died in the same house he was literally born in, and I found out today also the minister traveled at the time and he was baptized at home as an infant.  Scripture was read that had been read at his confirmation ceremony, and also at his own parent's wedding.  Tho, at his parent's wedding it was recited in German.

Good-bye grampa.  We'll miss you, but we're so happy you're with Jesus now and out of physical pain finally.

Two yummy teas in one day

I bought another new tea from Celestial Seasonings called "Bengal Spice."  It's an herbal tea.

YUMMY!!!

I bought two new teas and I love them both.  That NEVER happens!  Usually when I try new teas I reject most of them.  I guess I'm a tea snob... LOL!

(I had 2 coupons btw, which is why I got 2)

Oh my goodness

I just tried a 'new to me' flavor of tea; Celestial Seasonings 'Candy Cane Lane.'

HEAVEN!!!

You wouldn't know it to taste it, but it's a green tea, and a decaf one at that!  So, I can drink it any time of the day :)