THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM

I do believe the tree is now decorated as much as its going to be.  A lot of stuff didn't get onto it.  I bought about a dozen little stuffed dressed up animals to hang down low for the kids (and Molly) to pick off and have fun with.  But the giant box of balls that DO NOT have hangers on them (shovel list) and I do not have the patience to hook each and every one of them can just stay in the garage.

I got up early the other morning and made a giant pot of dahl..mmmmm.  When I was in North Van I picked up my favourite byriani sauce in a jar, and with a few additional spice touches here at home, it makes the dahl so delicious.  Then I baked at least five thousand butter tarts.  (well actually only 80) and I got them into the freezer pronto!!  Today on my todo list is to squeeze a bowl of deteriorating lemons and make lemon squares.  And get them into the freezer too!

Now its time to bite the bullet and go back out to the garage, which is not so slowly moving up my shovel list, and move crap around AGAIN, and make room to set up the two tables I need for the wrapping station.  I have learned from Christmases past that there is always last minute wrapping needing doing.  This way too I can get my presents wrapped and into individual piles so I can see what may be missing.

  The only one that I am not getting presents for is Spod.  He does NOT like getting presents and he almost never gets me one.  He says he gets me stuff all year long but he doesn't.  And the couple times he DID get me an awesome present, he would tell me what it was before Christmas eve so there would be no surprise.  Whats bad about this is that over the years the surrounding family would feel bad for me and feel obliged to make it up, and they don't have the time or money for that.  For Spod to do for me (or anyone) what I do for all the family would be way too much work, expense and Christmassy (and not necessarily in that order).

One year, many many years ago when Ape and Monte were babies, a big parcel arrived for me in the mail.  Huge!!!   I opened the box and looked, and there, filling up this huge box, was a beautifully decorated stocking plumb full to the overflowing top of wrapped presents…all for me!!!  That amazing stocking was made up for me by our neighbour in Monte Creek!!  She knew that I made sure everyone had a full stocking on Christmas morning and she decided that this particular christmas I was going to have one too.  Can you imagine???  I couldn't believe it!

And I also remember another christmas, not long after that or even maybe before, I got up Xmas morning and there was a surprise stocking under the tree for me….thanx to Kevin and Tandy!!!  I was so excited and amazed!  And it was so much fun to unwrap!

And then there was last year….those kids of mine filled that really giant stocking with wrapped gifts.  And they were awesome gifts too.  It is just so exciting to open present after present.  And its a lot of work…I know this and unfortunately I have had to tell my chillins that there will be no stockings this year.  Mostly because no one has room for all the crap that goes into them.  So instead I made sure that they would each get a lovely gift christmas eve and a couple of meaningful ones christmas morning.  Nothing bulky or hard to put away.  I just didn't have the time this year and I was way too disorganized.

So now if I keep writing here its going to become even more mundane and I will have no choice but to face the fact that I am procrastinating.  I MUST go out to that garage….and I think I will ask Spod to ream the lemons.  TTYL

HOCKEY AND TREE DECORATING…CAN'T BEAT THAT!

AND THAT WASN'T ENOUGH…SPOD AND I HAD TO GO BUY MORE

THATS THE BOX OF LOSER BALLS..NOW IN THE GARAGE

A FIRE IN OUR STOVE…OLD SCHOOL

OUR NATIVE SUN MASK

IT COULD DEFINITELY USE A FEW MORE BALLS….BUT I AINT DOIN' IT

MOLLY KEEPS GOING OVER TO THAT LITTLE WHITE BEAR HANGING DOWN LOW AND SNIFFING IT THEN SHE PUTS HER MOUTH ON IT AND THEN SHE STOPS AND LOOKS AT US THEN WALKS AWAY…ONLY TO GO BACK AGAIN A FEW MINUTES LATER TO START ALL OVER.