What to do with all the photo cards?

I've decided someone crafty needs to come up with a way to display all the Christmas photo cards that people send these days, since they don't stand up on their own.  Until then, here's my makeshift answer.  Problem is, we get so many photo cards now that it's hard to find room on this thing.  So here's what I think it should look like:  it should be Christmas tree shaped, with lots of those roach clip things to hold the photos, and should be either for hanging on the wall or should come with a stand for a table or mantel.

Or how about everyone starts sending their photo cards digitally, and then they can be downloaded and displayed on a digital photo frame.  You watch, someone will create it and it'll be all the rage next Christmas season. ;-)

Update:  So Addison and I go to Pier One today and what would you guess was on display?  A metal Christmas tree-shaped photo card holder. 

"Rerry Rismas!"

Alan and I found the Christmas wish lists written by the four-legged family members.

Duke's
More playtime with skinny guy.
More playtime with Junior.
More playtime with Betsey.
New can of tennis balls.
The squirrel to GET IN MAH BELLY!
Bacon.  Not fake bacon.
Anything Betsey has.

Betsey's
Anything Duke has.

Junior's
Death to the red dog.
Less playtime with Betsey.
Humans to check food bowl every hour on the hour.
Front claws.

Ready or not

Signs of the holidays are starting to creep in around here.  Pies for tomorrow, done.

Turkey fryer, assembled.

Mantel, done.

And last but not least:  dysfunctional family, you betcha.  Yes, it's definitely the holiday season!

A Christmas Memory

I'm stealing this idea from Elizabeth, because her latest post reminded me of one of my favorite childhood memories of Christmas. When we were little enough to still believe in Santa Claus, our parents had a tradition that I've never heard anyone else mention.

On Christmas Eve, after it got dark, one of my parents would take me and DeeBee for a ride around town to look for Rudolph's red nose in the sky. No matter how cold it was, we'd roll the car windows down to listen for the sleigh bells and peer into the sky to find that glowing nose. No telling how many times we'd see a tower with a red twinkling light at the top and mistake it for Rudolph. But we weren't fooled by that - we were out to find the real thing. The adventure was always fun of course, but usually unsuccessful. Except for that one year.

I must have been about 5 or 6 years old, making DeeBee around 7 or 8. I remember that we weren't too far from the house when I looked up and saw a red light descending towards our house! I recall yelling, "Daddy, there it is! It's going to our house! Hurry and get back home!" I also remember Daddy smiling and chuckling and doing whatever he could to delay getting back to the house. (While one parent was driving the kids around, the other was home putting out the Christmas gifts that Santa "dropped off.") I didn't understand this until years later, so I was pretty frustrated that he didn't rush back to the house. When we finally returned home, my mother was there saying "Oh, you just missed Santa!" It was so real and pretty darn magical!

I was so certain of what I saw, that when I tell kids about it today, I don't feel I'm lying. My six-year old eyes saw what they saw. What an awesome memory and creative tradition my parents gave us!

Playing with my toys

This was the year of technology-related gifts, thanks to my mother who is probably on a first name basis with many QVC employees. We now have a digital photo frame, digital photo key chain, digital photo and video album (wallet size), an HP Photosmart printer (fun!), a power stick, a power inverter...I'm sure I'm forgetting something. I really have no more excuses to not carry pictures of my family with me. Oh, and thanks to DeeBee I can now listen to my iPod in the car!

And then on the culinary side, Alan and I bought each other new cookware and knives, but I also got two new cookbooks and some stoneware. I'm going to use the stoneware today when I make my first cauliflower gratin (thanks, Barefoot Contessa!).

Mostly it's been fun to spend the short but sweet time with all of us together. With Addison living on her own now, it's rare we have those "family" moments. Hope you all have had a happy time with your families as well!

Christmas 2008

Finally got the four of us together for our "annual" family portrait.

Then we had to include Junior in one:

And then for any of you who remember when I shared the "Chandler" pictures of Alan, this is for you. Be sure to click on it for the full effect:

No eggnog, please

This came from DeeBee's page, and it seems fun to play along for Christmas. Plus, I can pretend I have something to blog about when I really don't.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? I like to wrap, and I always choose a theme/color, but that in no way means I go to a lot of trouble to gift wrap. Wrapping paper and name tags are about all I do!

2. Real tree or Artificial? One year Alan and I had a real tree, and we won't do that again any time soon. Some day I should tell the story of how Alan disposed of that tree.

3. When do you put up the tree? After Thanksgiving when I have time.

4. When do you take the tree down? I leave it up until right before New Year's.

5. Do you like eggnog? Hate it.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? I got this lime green bean bag one year, and I might have cried.

7. Hardest person to buy for? Father-in-law

8. Easiest person to buy for? Addison and Bailey

9. Do you have a nativity scene? No, but I think they're sweet.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail, but I didn't get around to it this year.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? In 6th grade we had a gift exchange, and I drew the biggest box as my gift. All the kids had been dying to see what was in that BIG box. It was a plastic red piggy bank, and everybody laughed! I felt kind of sorry for the girl who brought it, but come on...it was ugly.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? "Rudolph" because I know every line, and it brings back a lot of memories with the girls.

13. When do you start shopping? November, early December.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? I think I've regifted a gift card.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Mashed potatoes, corn, green beans, rolls

16. Color lights on tree? White

17. Favorite Christmas song? O Holy Night

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? I'm with DeeBee. I don't believe in packing up the kids and taking them away from home for Christmas.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixin, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, and of course Rudolph.

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? I don't do a tree topper. Just makes the tree seem off-balance.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? We work it around the girls, their dad, whomever.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? The long-ass lines at Kohls!

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? I've done a mixture of bronze, cream, gold and glass the last couple of years, but I'm really liking the jewel tones that are out there!

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? I just answered this on #15.

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? I want one of those things to convert VHS tapes (like my home movies) to DVD, but it's too expensive.

Countdown

I've been looking forward to tomorrow (today actually) all week, and not just because there are moments I want to dropkick those kids out the door for the Christmas break. I really do look forward to those days where I get to relax and enjoy the time with the kiddos, and not worry about test scores and silly mandates from the district. We get to have FUN tomorrow and have a Christmas-packed half-day of school!

Now if I could just get some sleep and be AWAKE for tomorrow.

Whoopsie!

Here's how the lights looked...

...before I ran over one of the strands. Guess Alan will be replacing a string on his day off tomorrow.