Christmas Bells
Longfellow

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And thought how,
as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along
The unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Till, ringing, singing on its way
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime,
A chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound
The Carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And in despair I bowed my head;
‘There is no peace on earth,’ I said;
‘For hate is strong,And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!’

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
‘God is not dead; nor doth he sleep!
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men!’

"There's no Christmas in the Army"

my dear sweet husband has braved the stores to purchase White Christmas for me, since we don't have a tv. he even promises to sip cider and watch it with me, and pretend that he likes it. isn't he the sweetest? he's currently on the prowl for It's a Wonderful Life. if he comes up with that before Christmas Eve, he might get something good for Christmas.

"When what's left of you gets around to what's left to be gotten, what's left to be gotten won't be worth getting, whatever it is you've got left. "

brief sentimentality

Christmas Meme


Hot Chocolate or apple cider?

Oh cider I suppose. Although the beauty of cider was mauled by the horrid steam wand screeching I can still hear in my head

Turkey or Ham?

Conor requested ham. But I don't want my baby eating all those nitrates and junk. So we're going with a prime rib or something of the sort. And for those of you who think I'm still a vegetarian, perhaps I'll blog about that journey soon

Do you get a Fake or Real you cut it yourself Christmas tree?

I've never had the real, and I want it. This year it's a free faker.

Decorations on the outside of your house?

If perhaps I lived in a nice brick colonial, I would put up Burgundy velvet bows, candles in the window, and boughs of evergreen. As it is, I live in military housing, and I'm less than inspired.

Snowball fights or sledding?

Sledding. Only down though. No hill climbing.

Do you enjoy going downtown shopping?

If I have a pocket full of cash and a warm coat.

Favorite Christmas song?

This year? Totally the chipmunk song.

How do you feel about Christmas movies?

I'm a complete sucker for It's a Wonderful Life. (der...See my blog title) I ADORE the old claymation Rudolph. With burl ives as the narrator/snowman. I've really missed them this year, sans TV.

When is it too early to start listening to Christmas music?

Too early?

Stockings before or after presents?

Before. When I was growing up, we had these knit stockings with snoopy on them. It was such a mess of yarn inside, you had to coax every item out gingerly. uravelling it as you went. It was part of the charm.

Carolers, do you or do you not watch and listen to them?

I think its sweet. I haven't had carolers in years. Do people still do that? I want the full dicken's era costumed troupe.

Go to someone else's house or they come to you?

I'm to the point that I want Christmas in my own home now.

Do you read the Christmas Story? If so when?

Its been awhile. Perhaps we'll make that part of the tradition as well. Violet would rather pull pages from the bible and eat them right now. She says Leviticus taste the best.

What do you do after presents and dinner?

Play board games, so the happiness and goodwill can degrade into cut-throat competition.

What is your favorite holiday smell?

Mulling spices

Ice skating or walking around the mall?

Yhe mall? Who equates ice skating with mall walking?

Do you open a present or presents on Christmas Eve, or wait until Christmas day?

Our little family has decided to open our ornaments on Christmas eve (we give each other an ornament every year) and presents on Christmas morning.

Favorite Christmas memory?

Being in cahoots with my brother to wake up at dawn. And leaving cookies and milk for mom and dad, since we never did the whole Santa thing.

Favorite Part about winter?

Pink cheeks and stocking caps. Kissing in the snow.

Ever been kissed under mistletoe?

Not so far as I can recall.

tagging....Everyone. Seriously. Do this. I'll track you down and make you wish you had. Merry Christmas!

postage?

i'm gonna wrap myself in paper
i'm gonna dot myself with glue
stick some stamps on the top of my head
i'm gonna mail myself to you

R.I.P. Rangie

the scene looked very like this....

DO NOT FORGET...

that i was here FIRST.

my amazing babe

we are all continually amazed by our beautiful children. i am no different. violet amazes me daily. especially when she sucks down cod liver oil like it's liquid gold. everyday. like a champ.

christmas party

conor and i attended his work christmas party on friday evening. it was semi-formal. i had to buy an outfit, but felt vindicated by the fact that i wore pants. the mere fact that i had to spend money to attend put me off a bit, and it was maybe the second time we left violet in the care of someone else. but when conor won a $50 gift certificate to The Melting Pot by singing The Chipmunk Song (click link "The Chipmunk Song") i was jumping up and down like a soccer mom. especially when he hit the "huuuuuuula hoooooop" perfectly on pitch (the chipmunk's pitch). it was a good thing i castrated him before we left.















conor receives his award

violet's lesson in relaxation

just lay down, let your belly hang out, and gaze at the tree.

tandem's not just for bikes

my original plan was to nurse violet for at least 2 years. it's the MINIMUM recommendation by UNICEF and the WHO. so i suppose its the least i can do, right? i don't want to wean violet, although she's such a fan of food it probably wouldn't be that difficult. i'm assuming that baby II won't be a constant nurser like v was, but that's probably a dangerous assumption. so that's what i'm pondering these days.

2 cans and string

i'll give you one guess...

seven things MEME

thank you eric for tagging me.

7 things I plan to do before I die:
1. work with the missionaries of charity in calcutta
2. adopt a child
3. enable conor to complete something on his "death wish" list
4. be able to make something from raw materials (besides a cake)
5. let my babies live the lives they've chosen
6. make these boobs shrink...one way or another...
7. have a flat tummy, forever beautifully decorated with silvery peaks and valleys, reminding me what my tummy can do.

7 things I can do:
1. make a good meal out of diddley squat
2. stick to my principles
3. properly use cloth diapers
4. drive an otherwise sane man to suicide (no comments oh peanuts gallery)
5. be the bigger person....(if i just keep muttering that under my breath)
6. be fiercely loyal to the end
7. breed like a bunny, apparently

7 things I cannot do:
1. hold my tongue. (hence the "bigger person" chant)
2. tolerate those who just don't care
3. properly use birth control
4. try new things without much arm twisting
5. listen to people talk down to their children
6. enjoy the ocean
7. deny my inner hippie any longer

7 things that attract me to another person:
1. sheer brilliance
2. the tiniest bit of arrogance
3. little blonde ringlets
4. chatterboxieness
5. an abhorance for all things footwear
6. brute strength
7. a willingness to put up with me

7 things I say most often:
1. what's she eating?
2. daaaaddyyyyy, i have a present for yooooouuuu.
3. violet. lay down.
4. BITCHNUT!
5. you smell of cheese.
6. i'm so tired
7. there's a baby in my belly, his name is kubla khan. he is there because we could not help but get it on.

7 people I want to do this:
did everyone do this? i think everyone did this. wait. sarah, did you do this? how's about you do it, huh? unless you're on a blogging break. then just tell me to stick it in my ear. oooohhh...conor. you do it. please? with gravy on top?

pregnant?

i had to go to the doctor to get a blood test before i can make an obstetrics appointment. you'd think if i could just show them what i ate for dinner tonight, they'd believe me.

sprout II

my dear sweet husband made an announcement on his blog, unbeknownst to me. so for those of you i have not yet told personally (i just barely told my mother) i apologize that you are finding out via blog. but here it is. there's a baby in my belly. (baby in picture is not actual belly baby)

unreasonable?

as i explained previously, violet is scared of tape. and i don't mean scared as in....oooohhh it's tape. i mean abject terror. i have decided not to force this tape thing. i doubt it will snowball into a life long phobia, and she'll be fine with tape when she's fine with it.

enter the mother-in-law. the ENTIRE 2 days they've been here i have consistently requested that boxes be taped while violet is sleeping, or outside. there is NO reason to subject her to something she's scared of. everyone complied. until tonight. while carrying boxes into the living room, i could tell that my mother-in-law was planning on taping those puppies up. so i once again stated, "we can tape those when violet goes to bed." she quite deliberately gave her husband the tape and told him (i assume. i didn't hear her...i just saw the exchange) to tape the boxes. he began to comply. i scooped up violet immediately and took her to the bedroom and shut the door.

what do i know? she MUST know better than i do what i should do with MY baby. violet must be taught RIGHT NOW, in the last night she's here, that we're not pussy-footing around her little tape phobia.

of coursed i FLIPPED. at the wrong person. conor is a peacemaker. i marched out into the living room when the taping was done. said "ARE WE DONE WITH THE TAPE?" gathered every roll, and hid it. mature, right? i don't care.

OHOHOHOHOHOHOH. and the missionaries just happened to show up at our door just hours after they had gone to church. what an amazing fucking coincidence. nathan and i thought that would be the perfect time for a beer run. these people are like vultures. they smell a rotting lost soul, and they descend on it. over and over and over and over. making us wish we WERE dead.

violet helps pack. ok. she'll be much more helpful on the other end.

unexplained phobia

violet has never had an over active startle reflex. she was never one of those babies who cried if you dropped a pot. packing, however, is proving to be slow going. violet is TERRIFIED of tape. we've tried to introduce it a few times. happy, smiling... showing her how to pull the tape off the roll. she'll have none of it. it induces immediate shrieking. we've even tried to go in another room and shut the door to tape a box. nope. the minute she hears that sound, she has a breakdown. we've been reduced to taping while she sleeps. which leaves boxes open for her to remove their contents. two steps forward...one step back.

base housing

UPDATE: We are moving into base housing on Nov 25th. We were given a 2 story 3 bedroom, and we're only approved for a 2 bedroom. So we snapped it up. We have decided to go this route because of our gas guzzling POS, and the hippos in love upstairs. Its pretty bad when you're willing to trade the larger than life couple upstairs for F16s flying over your house and sonic booms.

crafty

my finished project. chromium- i replaced the needles i broke. yes needles. plural. learn to sew was one of my 101 in 1001. this project has proven to me that i cannot mark it off the list yet.

From feral to domesticated

I used to think I wanted an exciting life. Which is strange, because I've never really liked leaving the house. But the other day I found myself completing the following activities:

1. baking bread
2. general baby care
3. making granola
4. doing laundry
5. cleaning the bathroom
6. sewing a new diaper bag
7. vacuuming (aaaahhh...)

by the end of the day as I curled up with an episode of six feet under, I felt as if I had accomplished something very important. I suppose the day would have been complete if I'd had socks to mend. I often think that I shouldn't have more babies anytime soon so I can "accomplish something." I'm not sure what that is. I'd like to go back to school, but its not feasible for conor and I both to go at the same time. The truth is, I'm doing what I like to do. I'd like to have a bigger house to do it in. but that would just be gravy. gravy? I DID make biscuits this morning...

talent

This is the super cool quilt that chromium made for the flower child.

isn't it neato burrito?

happy halloween

boo

it's a party!

in true form

the houses

3012 Prentice Avenue in the lead so far...

but HUNTING IS WRONG!

House Hunting: We begin the search tomorrow. I have digital camera, pad and pen, and ulcer all ready to go. My realtor's name is CANDY LIMEHOUSE, and she came recommended by chromium, and an enormous billboard down the road from our apartment. She most certainly does, by chromium's description, look like an overgrown barbie doll. With such a name, I keep imagining touring a gingerbread house, a green house, and a Malibu Dream House.

a week on the farm

critters

birthday

farmin'

a look back at my babe

homeward bound

i'm preparing to leave for the land of lincoln tonight. we'll be celebrating the anniversary of the flowerchild's blooming. the amount of baby crap you have to take for a week away from home is unreal. and i'm pretty minimalist when it comes to that stuff. most of it revolves around her dietary needs. gone are the days when all i needed was a boob. i get to see my momma. aaahhh..momma. i bought violet a drum and had it mailed to my sister's house. its a remo floor tom. it's loud, and now my sister hates me. viva la bebe.

Secret shopper

I'm doing 3 shops today. 2 of them are for $15 a piece, to take pictures of bathrooms. Should I post those as well? I can make a urinal look artistic, I swear.

my first starbucks

rabbit

since everyone enjoyed the last rabbit...

violet with yak

yeehaw, it's state fair time! i want a chicken, a goat, a sheep, a horse, and a yak. i've got conor so hooked, he's scrambling for paper to write down a crazy looking rabbit breed he wants. (pictured below) yes, virginia. there's a rabbit in there.



with all the critters i want, i have found one that i do not:

now, especially for fat little pug i have included a llama photo.

my first vegemite

what is it they say about the apple and the tree?

my kid's cooler than your kid

sheesh! ok. a smattering of designs (there are many more). I do not by any means have all of these. (i'm not allowed to order more until i sell what i have) . they are available on a vast array of shirt options. ($ 19 - $22 depending on the shirt).

Dresses: (2T- 6T) ($32)