About the Elf

 

Clarence and Candy Elf
Smugly taking all the Christmas credit - again.

     I had planned to chronicle our elf story in greater detail than what is written here but sometimes it's best to get to the point. Also, it's the holidays and I'm sure that you, like me, have a lot of Christmas stuff to do (like caroling, and cookie baking, and cocktail making). So, here goes - these elves are the bane of my December existance. The bane. Why oh why did I ever begin this tradition? They set me up for failure every single year. This year for instance, Clarence and Candy blew right through their expected Thanksgiving weekend arrival date and didn't show up until December 11th which means that they had to bring a BIG gift - you know, because of the guilt. And moving them around the house every night? I need an app for that. Here's my advice about this whole holiday elf tradition . . . if you want to make the magic of the holidays go on and on, get yourself an elf or two. Trust me, the Christmas season will seem neverending.

Keeping it Real - The Christmas Lists

 

TOMS

   This year my children spent Thanksgiving weekend working on their lists for Santa. We (Joel and I) laid the ground work early by telling them to write down a few things they really want but stressed keeping their lists on the shorter side.  The reason behind this suggestion is rooted in the fact that they already have so much and Santa Claus may need to focus his gift-giving efforts on the less fortunate this year.  In all honesty, that talk wasn't really aimed at the kids - it was aimed at their mother.  I am the guilty party in the overindulgences of Christmases past.  Me.  All me.  It's one of the areas where my only-childness really shines through. As for their lists, they both did a great job of keeping them short.  They were even open to editing and reducing their requests when we went over them.  For example,  Sarah asked for a pair of sparkly TOMS this year.  I am not a big fan of TOMS because I think the resemble schlumpy house shoes. When I realized that TOMS cost $42 (plus tax and shipping) I couldn't justify paying that much money for these shoes, even if they do promise to give a like pair of shoes to someone in need with my purchase (give me two pairs for $42 dollars and then I'll buy your shoes).  Fortunately for me,  the thing that my daughter liked most about the TOMS was their silver sparkliness so she was more than happy to substitute the (very cheap) sparkly silver shoes we found at Target and take the TOMS off her list.  She's calling her new shoes BOBS.



BOBS
They're nothing like TOMS 
at a fraction of the price.

 

The Christmas Card Edition

Earlier today I asked the children to

put on something match-y and Christmas-y 

so that I could take a photograph 

for the Team Vallejo Christmas card.

They were thrilled to help me out.

Doesn't she look excited?

And this is the child who loves to have

her picture taken.

I really don't want to speculate

what he's thinking, but it probably begins

"My mother is so . . ."

Nothing says "Merry Christmas"

like two disgruntled children

glaring at a Christmas tree.

Ho Ho Hum.

They pulled themselves together and

smiled appropriately for this photo 

(which isn't terrible) but there's

no joy in their faces - not really.

I look at their faces and see

"will you please hurry up because we

have important television to watch downstairs."

After dinner, we gave it one more shot.

They were in a ridiculously silly mood - 

mainly because they were excited about

decorating the Christmas tree.

We had a great time and I finally

got a few shots for this year's

Christmas Card which means that now I can

cross "order Christmas cards" 

off my list of things to do this month.

"joy, merriment, and mirth"

coming soon to a mailbox near you