Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve was a whirlwind of work and last minute preparations for Christmas.  I don't think I sat down once all day until 9pm.  Eddy growing up always had tamales at Christmas time.  Eddy and I have talked about making tamales ourselves for fifteen years. This year Eddy decided he was bound and determined to make them this year.  He bought all his ingredients and made both green chile cheese and red meat tamales.  Eddy made them on Christmas Eve and Quinton helped him make ties to tie the tamales.  Eddy's mom always puts a green olive in her meat tamale and I really like it so I asked Eddy to do the same.  The tamales turned out really well. I think we have established a new Christmas tradition of tamale making but maybe not on Christmas Eve that day is too busy.

Quinton prepping the ties and Eddy making tamales

Nice little bundle

I am a bit conflicted on Christmas Eve because I want it to be a nice meal but I don't want to be in the kitchen cooking and cleaning all night.  This year I realized I should cut out some dish doing by eating on paper products which seemed so wrong to me.  I would prefer to eat on nice china but since I don't have any maidservants to wash all the dishes I decided to compromise and use nice paper christmas plates but still have goblets.  We always have a Mexican Feast on Christmas Eve with Green Chicken Enchiladas, Red Cheese Enchildas, Tamales Red & Green, Red Rice, Refried Beans, Taquitos, Chips, Guacamole, Salsa and Salad. 

Pre-feast of Mexican food

After dinner, the kids all open a Christmas present of pajamas then immediately go put them on.  Once everyone is wearing new pajamas we gather for a reading by Eddy of the classic poem "T'was the Night Before Christmas" and Pa reads the story of the first Nativity out of Luke 2 in the bible.  Then we all enjoyed eggnog and cookies, of course, leaving a plate for Santa Claus.  

Archy (in winged Spiderman sleeper) and Zany in Christmas Pajamas

Before we knew it, it was time to tuck all the kids into to bed to await arrival of Santa and Christmas  morning.

Merry Christmas to You!

Zany in front of our Christmas Tree 

in the dress Grandma Parke made for her

We will be taking a brief week long hiatus from blogging and then we will return to our regular blogging schedule.  We give you our warmest Christmas wishes!  

May your Christmas be both merry and bright!

Ashlee and Rhiannon

What They Wore-Reds and Greens

I find bribery works the best to get this crew to cooperate and take photos.  If I was a bit more focused on early to church, I would take these Sunday photos when everyone was completely ready and just killing time for a half hour until it is time to depart for church. We are pretty crazy around here running around looking for church socks or ties right up until the time to depart.  So we take them after church usually which makes some of them groan. Today, I bribed them with root beer to take these photos.  

In celebration of Christmas, we all wore Christmas things.  We had a lovely program at church and the choir even sang one of my favorite Christmas songs, O Holy Night.  My latest obsession had been family history. I have cycled in and out of family history over the last twenty years or so.  I spent three hours looking for one individual's birth record and just as I was about to give up I found it!  Family history is so much easier now, than when I first started.  There is so much available online now you don't have to mess with ordering films.  I have spent years doing research on Eddy's line in Mexico, a small town in Sonora called Banamichi.  Currently, I am doing work on my maternal- paternal line in Norway which is the first time I have worked in Norway.  I have found that my efforts in working in Spanish (I don't speak it) has oddly enough help train me for records in Norwegian (I don't speak it either).  I find it so addictive doing family history that it is hard to stop.  Unfortunately, laundry and house cleaning still have to occur otherwise I would be doing it non-stop.

Figuring out our grouping

Quinton, McCoy, Zaynzley

Archer thinks he has had enough photo time

Wishing you Merry Christmas in Norwegian,

"God Jul"

Very Vintage Christmas

 It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around the Carlton house.  I thought I would show what our Christmas decorations look like this year.  I have loved and collected vintage christmas decorations for years. They are getting harder and harder to find.  I love the shiny brite glass ornaments from the 1950's, the funny plastic ornaments of the 1960's, and even the funky 70's ornaments find a place on my tree.  Of course, I have to make room for my childhood era, 1980's, ornaments too.  I like to gather all kinds of cast off Christmas decorations from yard sales and thrift stores.  I clear off the top of my bookshelves to put up my Christmas decorations and I place them here and there on the shelves as well. 

Living room tree

My favorite kind of Nativities are the kind where Mary can hold baby Jesus. I know that when I have a new baby I can hardly put my sweet baby down and I think Mary would have been the same.

My wee collection of angels

Forest snow scene, I still need to paint a backdrop for it

More angels

One of my favorites is collecting various Santas

Family Room Tree in traditional colors with a tartan flair

The kids get to decorate this tree to their hearts content.

When Eddy and I were first married, we went into a store that sold Department 56 Christmas villages. One of my favorite Christmas tales is A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens so I picked the Dickens Village Collection. We decided that we would get one village piece a year for our anniversary (which is in December) to gradually grow our Christmas village.  Well, then I quite working to be a stay at home mom and with kids and one income we couldn't afford to add to our collection.  Ashlee stepped in and decided to give us a village piece for Christmas every year.  Sadly, one year a unscrupulous ebay seller conned her out of her money and never sent the village. 

Stockings hung by the fire with care

Dickens village

More Dickens village

 Another village I collect is a toy village by Fisher Price.   I put it on the piano so the kids can stand on the piano bench and play with it.  I also have the Nativity they can play with too.  Unfortunately, Fisher Price redesigned the people and made them skinny which I don't like.  If I mix in the skinny style people it might may the chubby ones feel bad and weight watchers may become popular amongst the chubbier Fisher Price toys.  

Fisher Price Christmas toys

This year I decided to decorate the bathroom just a bit

Now that we are all decorated we just need to tidy up a bit and we will be ready for a visit from old St. Nick!

Christmas Concerts Galore!

It's that Christmas school concert season around here.  Archer, a kindergartener, had his concert at the local community college fine arts auditorium.  The kindergarteners are so cute and they did Silent Night with sign language.  If that doesn't make a momma tear up I don't know what would.  They were just supposed to wear Christmas colors and Archer wore a Santa hat that swallowed his head but he looked so cute.  This concert was so sweet I just love watching kindergarteners perform.

Kindergartener concert

Archer front row far left

Performing sign language to Silent Night

 McCoy is in second grade and his grade performed songs from the Polar Express.  He was very excited to get to wear pajamas to school since the movie Polar Express has the kids wearing pajamas in it.  McCoy sang all the words and seemed to enjoy it.  He is not as an expressive performer as Declan but he did a great job.

McCoy third row up, on the end

Sing it McCoy

Declan being in fifth grade had the opportunity to join the elementary band.  He had one choice for instrument: alto saxophone.  My sister, Ashlee, played the sax in high school and so we had a instrument we could use.  Declan did a great job and his band sounded really good surprisingly, I have been to other concerts at that age that didn't sound near as good.  Declan just seems like a sax man.

Declan and Archer

Sax Man

We are almost at the end of the whirlwind concert season and the last day of school is December 19th.  I can't wait to sleep in as this last week of school it has been so hard to get up early.  I want to let the kids stay up late and watch Christmas movies.  I still have my most favorite Christmas movie, A Child's Christmas in Wales, yet to watch.

Hope you get to enjoy some Christmas music and if you are really lucky sleep in past seven!

Christmas Movie Challenge Update

8.  I have roped my PA into watching quite of few of these with me  luckily enough. This wasn't the best but was alright. I must say, I think Steve Guttenberg's Ho Ho Ho laugh was one of the best I have ever heard. The title tell the plot, just add deadline and a disapproving elf and there you go.

9. After hearing the song "Hot Chocolate" at countless children's Christmas programs I watched the movie for the first time. I should have listened to Rhi, I hated it. I found the animation super creepy especially the wierd hobo guy who lived on the top of the train. If you don't believe in the spirit of Christmas while on a magical train to the north pole, I say you don't  get to have  the First Christmas gift. This is a one and done for me.

10. This was a nice change of pace as it wasn't a Romance, but a sweet tale of bonding with others. while Conveniently snowed in.

11. A classic, I didn't watch it in spanish, just now realizing what poster I picked.

 

 

12.  It took me awhile to not think of her as the evil girl from Arrow but Summer Glau was a pretty good elf, sent to pose as a nany for a family who lacked Christmas spirit.

13. The Santa Clause, which I have been informed is Eddy's favorite Christmas movie. It has held up well I think.  I am a bit behind my schedule, but hopefully will be able to catch up over the weekend.  

 

 

 

 

 

Gingerbread Babies at Last

Everyday at nap-time, Zaynzley and I read "Gingerbread Baby" by Jan Brett.  I like it because it has snow, cabins, and Norwegian inspired illustrations (my Grandpa Agle was 1/2 Norwegian so it's in our blood) and Zany likes it because it has lots of farm animals.  I really wanted to make gingerbread men this year and decorate them with the kids.  I have meant to make gingerbread men the last several years but we actually did it this year!  The dough was really easy to make and roll out (recipe).  I liked the thicker cookies we made; they were soft and chewy and just the right amount of spice.  I just threw things on the table out of the cupboard and the kids happily decorated with them.  Nothing pinterest worthy here but they had fun.  I think it will be added to our Christmas time traditions.

My favorite kids book right now

Zany goes with pink sprinkles

Archy wanted his gingerbread guy to have lots of swords. 

Guess how many he drew on?

Four, all those lines on the arms and legs are swords.  

You never know when you will run into a hungry fox and need to defend yourself.

Quinton's masterpiece

McCoy really enjoyed decorating them 

but he was the only one who didn't like to eat them

McCoy faux bite

Zany decorating after everyone else left,

 dumped the entire jar of chocolate sprinkles and pink sugar on the cookie

 well, at least it was on the plate.

Quinton played us a Christmas song and we called it Family Home Evening

The recipe made quite a few Gingerbread men so if you want to catch one, 

I know where you can go to get one! 

What They Wore-Reds

               

As you can see from the picture Quinton didn't go to church being sick and I stayed home with him.  I think mainly he was tired from the endless math homework and lots of wrestling. He did manifest a cough though which got him the stay home card.  Archer divested himself of his suit coat and tie. Archy is always extremely grouchy after church can you tell by his photo. This picture was taken in our Sunday domain--the Nursery, for kids age 18 months to three years (someone just donated the box of books).

We finally had a bit of cold weather (it only got up to 58* degrees  mostly it is in the mid-seventies) so we were able to have a fire (hurray) in our wood stove albeit we had to open a window to keep it cool enough for a fire.  It is just so cozy to all sit around a fire reading books or other activities.  We call it "fire time" no devices allowed. If devices can be used then it is called "kindle fire time."  

I can get a bit cooped up on Sunday and so I like to make everyone take a walk. (Can you hear the groans?)  I love all the Christmas lights on the houses.  So we went for a walk at dusk looking at all the lovely lights.  It is one of my favorite things at Christmas Time! 

 Glorious light!

A Chat with Santa

Our ward (church group) had it's Christmas party which includes dinner and a visit from that most special visitor, Santa Claus.  Anytime a hot dinner is provided and I don't have to cook or clean it that is indeed special night.  After eating dinner while enjoying some college musicians play Christmas songs,  the primary children gathered on stage to sing a few numbers.  Zany, who is not in primary yet as she is to young and will be in nursery for another year, snuck on stage and sort of joined in with the singing.  I think she knew she wasn't really supposed to be up there as she didn't quite join the group but stood a little apart.  I figured it would make more of a scene trying to get her off the stage and as she was behaving so well she got to stay.  

Primary kids with names near my boys

Zany, the nursery kid stowaway, far left

Soon we heard the jingle bells of Santa's sleigh and in whisked Santa to hear all the children's hopes and wishes.

Declan: Santa are you coming to my house first?

Santa: Yes.

Declan: What time?

Santa: I don't know. Have you been good?

Declan:  No

Santa: Laughs.  What do you want for Christmas?

Declan: Lego Batman 3 video game, ninja and spy gear.

Santa: Why are you wearing my hat?

McCoy:  I don't know.

Santa: What do you want for Christmas?

McCoy:  Football cards.

Santa:  Who is the player that would be the best to get?

McCoy:  Peyton Manning.

Santa: What do you want for Christmas?

Archer: Bow and Arrow, Mask, & Airplane

Zany didn't want to get to close to Santa and she wouldn't sit on Santa's lap but I am sure he knows what she wants.  The excitement is mounting around here as the time for Santa's visit draws close.  Soon we will all know who was naughty or nice!

Thrifting:Crazy Christmas edition

Today us Duncanites went to Rhi's house to see Archer, Mccoy and Declan in their Christmas programs. What to do in between? Why visit the thrift store! They have  so much christmas, they just plonk down boxes and tubs on the floor and you must paw thru them to see what treasures you can find. Of course we both found quite a bit. I found some stuff I needed to craft for decorations I am planning on making and of course various other knick knacks that needed a good home. It was super hectic as there were others in town fighting us for all the goods. I was super hyped as Rhi could tell you, from drinking to much coffee, and all the excitement.

Meet Krampus! He was "specially fashioned by Imagene" as says the vintage tag on his tush. I don't know why but since he was so funny and someone tied a wee festive bow around his neck., I decided he needed to be part of my decor. Thanks to the TV show Grimm for teaching me about that fable.

Here we are awaiting the Real Father Christmas! Very tired after a 2 hour search thru others castoff Christmas.

I also got this cake plate and server. I am in charge of Christmas tea and plan on using this for an almond cake!

Rhiannon's note:  It was pure crazytown at the thrift store.  Imagine if you will, about forty large size totes (each tote is about two feet by three feet) clustered together not unpacked at all.  The thrift store stores all the Christmas in the basement and then disgorges it all at once.  Ashlee was hilarious she was hopped up on caffeine and the frenzy that ensued as everyone dug through piles of old lights and tole painted stockings to find those best treasures. Ashlee kept saying to me, "I am jealous of what you got."  She didn't even know what I had gotten funny girl.  Here are my treasures:

Lovely large platter

Plastic canvas church 

(I collect these and have a wee village of them)

Such a fun frolic at the thrift store and they are supposed to bring even more out tomorrow!  I don't know if I can face it without my dear sister.  Well maybe I can, isn't it fun to make a sister just a little bit jealous?