Happiness is ...

... A family tradition that will totally embarrass my kids some day.

... finally getting to eat the gingerbread house.

... a candlelight christmas breakfast.

It's for the birds

A long, long, time ago we started the tradition of doing a service project, as a family, at Christmas time. Back in the olden days they were big projects. By way of example, one year we framed 40 posters and prints and put together an "art cart" for our local children's hospital. And then there was last year in which we did zip, zero, nada, goose eggs. Which is the way things were heading this year. Until, at the last minute, I remembered that something is better than nothing. (duh! Why do I always forget that?) And so, despite the fact that there are several widows living in our ward and several more families that are out of work right now, we served the birds. Yes, you heard me correctly, we offered service to our fine feathered friends. Laugh, if you must, but believe me when I tell you that this is all we were capable of this year! There seem to be alot of birds around here even though it is very snowy and cold, so we strung together cranberries and hung them on a tree in our yard. Then we took pine cones and covered them in peanut butter and rolled them in bird seed and hung those on the tree too. The big projects are fun and helping someone truly in need is noble, but I wanted my kids to know that the point is to do something. So even though our sevice project was "for the birds", hopefully, hopefully my kids are learning to think of others outside of themselves and to know that they are able to help. And hopefully, hopefully, one day I will learn that better than doing nothing is doing what you can.

Decked it

Well, dear far away family and friends, I would very much like to have all of you over for hot chocolate and cookies. But alas, you are far away so instead here is a virtual hot chocolate and some pics of how we decked it at the Hosac house this year.

Any bets on when the wreath will actually be hanging above the fireplace?? January? Never?

The kids tree ... decorated by kids with kids ornaments and the temporary resting place of presents to and from kids.

The real tree ... as in large gaping holes and leaning 45 degrees to the right but smells UNBELIEVABLY GOOD!!

Are you bored with my Christmas decoration pics yet? Well, good news, I'm done!!
Happy December everybody!!
Have a good day and give yourself a hot chocolate cheers from me!
Heather

Little Miss Talkalot

One thing that I love about my Ava is that she is afraid of neither strangers nor engaging these total strangers in conversation. It is, for the most part, charming. But I am sensitive to the fact that most people have prior plans that do not include a long, deep, probing interview with a four year old - so when I need to I keep her socializing short and sweet. Such was the case this saturday at Joshi's Y-ball game. The lovely woman sitting next to us began chatting with Ava but then wanted to watch her son play the game. I oh-so-suavely handed Ava my camera to keep her busy and told her to take pictures of Josh. I didn't hear a peep out of her as I took care of Sophie. I have so many good mommy tricks - i thought to myself. Then I looked up into the horrified face of the woman sitting next to us. "I don't have any make-up on" she said. Ava had taken 29 pictures of the woman sitting next to her.

Pantry door

What my pantry door has been saying lately:

Song for a winter's night

Well, I don't have to tell you about the power that music has to bring back a memory. But I may have underestimated it's power before. No longer. When sophie was born it was in the middle of a snow storm. All the streets were white, the rooftops were white, the doctor was late because of the snow. While I waited I listened to this song over and over on the ipod. The slow beat of the song kept my breathing slow. In our house we are not allowed to listen to Christmas music until after Thanksgiving. So this year on the day after thanksgiving my husband played this song for me. I couldn't hold back the tears as I remembered that night with perfect clarity. For me and Sophie this will always be our song.

Hooray for December

Hooray for Christmas Children's books!! Here are some that we like at our house.

A creature was stirring by Carter Goodrich

I believe in Santa Claus by Diane Adamson and

Christmas day in the Morning by Pearl S. Buck

Also, I am reading this to the boys at night

But we need to hurry because this

comes to a theater near us on Dec. 19th.

Happy reading!!

beady little monster eyes

O.K. I need your help. The house we are in right now is a cute cape cod style. Not my forever house but charming nonetheless. The cape cod windows were crying out for christmas wreaths and, since I had some - patiently waiting in blue bins- I was happy to oblige. But here's the rub. The Christmas wreaths were crying out for little candles on either side of them. You know -so that they could pretend that they really are in cape cod - in the 1800's or something. But since this house is a rental [while we sell our North Salt Lake house (patience, patience)] it didn't make sense to invest in house-specific Christmas decorations. I compromised. I bought super cheap electric candles. I thought that this was such a good idea - until evening turned to night and revealed the true character of my cheap-o candles. They look nothing like candles in the dark - more like two beady little monster eyes peering out all of my cape cod windows. Please advise. The choices are: 1) Take them down! Monster eyes are for another holiday altogether. 2) Leave them up! They look good at dusk and dawn and they make the wreaths happy. 3) Go Shopping! Take the bolt out of your wallet and invest in some candles that look like candles.

I can't wait for the answer!