Wednesday, December 10, 2008

All in a days play

Todays excuse for not blogging lately:  I can't type very well while wearing knit gloves on my frozen mitts.  
 Ok, no, that's not really it, though my mitts are definitely frozen.  I guess I'd just rather not be the prime talker, as my self edit button is usually on the fritz, and I say far too much without it. Boring boring snoozerville of a girl you don't have to write EVERY single thought! (oops)

Soooo....today to break the ice a bit both here and between my fingers.  I think I'll show you a couple of things from last Saturday.  Saturday was a wonderfully Christmassy day indeed.  Let me set the stage a little bit for you.  

I awoke after having slept in just long enough that the piercing morning light coming through my East facing window didn't get the chance to actually burn a laser sized hole right into my brain via one of two vulnerable eye sockets.  So far, so so good.  

Then we chatted a bit over coffee (and breakfast by hubby--always nice) with our in house guest, Travis, who will soon be mentioned at length in a whole 'notha entry. 

The morning flew by both peacefully and in an instant as Saturday mornings, heck most mornings, tend to do.  The boys played video games while I tidied up a bit and listened to this on my headphones.  Not the most interesting book I've ever "read", but the author was really able to describe life as a stay-at-home mom to a tee from several different perspectives.  So much so in fact, that I found myself agreeing audibly with some of the lines in the book like they were coming right from my own bank of thoughts.  But anyway....

Next, the kids and I made our second annual gingerbread house together. And here she is in all her candeliciousness.  

I probably should have made more of an effort to cover the plastic base now that I'm looking at it with fresh eyes with you.  But, oh well, it's still quite cheerful.

Then, with fire in fireplace and The Santa Clause II cued up (it chokes me up EVERYTIME- Darn you Tim Allen!), we began putting up the synthetic tree together.  Sigh.

I realize I might need to improve on my 'Jesus is the reason for the season' pre-Christmas teachable moments.  But I figure we can make time for plastic Santa movies and trees this early in December without much harm done. 

My afternoon soon migrated back to the kitchen where I had shortbread and sausage balls to prepare for our traditional post-parade party at Casa de Beck Bleu.

Oh but the parade!!!!  I mustn't pass by it so quickly.  My hair was not quite as ready as I needed it to be (read: soaking wet fresh from the shower) so I sent the boys down the street ahead of me so that they wouldn't miss anything.  Our house is two blocks up the hill from downtown so we are just naturally included in any event that clogs up our main street and we never need to hunt for parking.  We just step out and enjoy!  

As I knew from past experience that finding my three guys in a mass of people wouldn't be easy, I decided just to take in the small town crowd as a whole experience and walk the downtown area as if I were in a movie.  Here's what it was like only much less dizzying in person:
   

I love this town!!  We may leave it someday, so I try to find these drinkable moments and just hang on to them the way I do with my kids sweetness at every age. Delicious! 

This was a perfect day in almost every way!  Family fun, festivities, fires, fattening foods, farades (ahem). What more could one ask for on a Saturday in early December? I can't think of a thing. Thanks for reliving it with me.  



15 comments:

dive said...

Yay, Shan! What a totally excellent gingerbread house! It looks fabulous.
Never mind the plastic base; it just makes the rest look yummier.

And wow! You have Christmas parades over there? That looks too much fun! What a brilliant day. Thank you for sharing.

Jamey Clayberg said...

yup, great day, I concur. I also love any event where you have an earnest singer saying "rump" over and over and a huge batch of horses relieving themselves! And the shortbread was delish

Scout said...

Aw, I missed our Christmas parade this past Saturday—I didn't have anybody to go with. At least I got to see a bit of yours. I love my town, too.

Shan said...

Thanks Dive! I can't believe I suggested we make gingerbread houses at our family fun night event this week. I'm going to have to make enough royal icing to assemble about 12 more houses tomorrow night. The fun is truly resting on my shoulders as the self designated candy house maven. :}

J-bahaha. You know you love anything that allows for a good rump joke! :D It sure smelled like horse rump down there that night though didn't it?

Hi Scout! Aren't our towns so similar in those special ways? Those types of events always make me feel like I live in Whoville. :)

Wendy said...

WOW--that house turned out SO much better than ours!! How did you get the icing to stay so nicely?? Some of ours slid right off. And the kids (and my husband) ate some of the candies. Looks like a snowstorm hit it.

So glad you had a fab day!!

Shan said...

That icing was NOT easy to put on Wendy I agree. I cut the slit too big to pipe anything smallish. I am real scared about the quality of my homemade icing tomorrow. Oh the yuletide pressure!

Tally said...

Ok, how you can ever mock MY homemade videos is beyond me! Or Dean's for that matter! Waaaaaaahhahaha! You might tell your readers there were floats in the parade too! Well, you know my attempt would have included a lot of my own heavy breathing and only lasted about 19 seconds. I love how in yours the music was so clear!

Anyway, glad you had so much fun on Sat. I was kind of glad it was colder than last year. I really hate sweating, especially during Christmas parades.

That Overdrive float made me want to check out their church. Wadyathink?

Shan said...

Trisha! I was totally thinking of you when I posted that video! HA HA. I know that it was not about the floats at all for Moi but the crowd all gathered together combined with the music. That's why I posted it because I was going for the feeling JUST like you and your Blair Witch video. Ha ha. You are right. I'll not mock you anymore.

Adelia said...

Oh, Shan, I love this post. It makes me feel all good inside. I have to admit I haven't braved the gingerbread house world. We're making fake gingerbread land by covering things with felt and sparklies. Felt--not breakable or messy. One day I'll brave the real thing. And thank you for posting your little walk through town!! I love this town too!

Cheltenhamdailyphoto said...

Pa-ra-pa-pum-pum! Great. Looked a really fun evening, Shan. The music was surprisingly good quality. Usually it blares out en masse at those things as if broadcasting through cotton wool. We had a Christmas festival which was quite fun, not exactly a parade but Father Christmas was there. Boy how he gets around.
I adore your gingerbread house. What a nice idea for the family to make it each year. I fancy a piece right now.
Is there some link to a gingerbread house and Christmas which you've been keeping quiet from the English? Spill the beans.

AfricaBleu said...

Whew, so much info--where to begin with the commenting?

First, the gingerbread house. I love that you make these things, and that they are always so awesome. I am still really, really sad the mice in the attic ate the one you gave me all those years ago--stupid rodents. And big ol' frikkin kudos on hosting the "Family" (ahem) "Fun Night" gingerbread decorating. You are incredible.

Next, I agree with Jamey--that shortbread of yours is to. die. for. Really. Slap a piece in my mouth and then shoot me; it can't get any better than that.

I liked the parade, and it was a nice length this year--sometimes it is waaaay too long (usually the years when it is also too cold).

And I'm soso glad you and yours are such constant fixtures in my annual post-parade party--it wouldn't be the same without you. I've sort of made a game player out of you, haven't I?

Katie said...

Wow I'm all hyped up on sugar from that FAB gingerbread house, and I'm chilled from standing outside in the cold watching the parade. But I'm TOTALLY in the Christmas spirit now Shan! This will surely wipe the Christmas scowl off my face. I don't think I've actually ever been to a Christmas parade - what a concept! Sounds like you had a delightful Saturday. Hope there are many more like that in 2009! (Well, maybe not the gingerbread house or parade.) Hey, a good use for extra frosting is to make graham cracker sandwiches with frosting filling. Mmmm.

Maria said...

Did you finish The Ten Year Nap? Because I thought it was pretty good, but I like all the Wolitzer authors..

MmeBenaut said...

I loved your video of the town and the music - I think that is my favourite Christmas carol.
The Gingerbread House is fantastic! I just love this American tradition. We don't do it here although sometimes we make gingerbread men. Shortbread and sausage rolls! Yummy. I could handle some of those too.
What a wonderful Saturday Shan. I do so wish I could spend one Christmas in the snow, even though I might end up with frozen fingers. :))

savannah said...

delicious, sugar! the gingerbread house, your video, and your spirit! xoxox