Holiday Hodgepodge

My new favorite --(I have got problems. First that was favirte, then favote. nice) website: whenparentstext.com.   I'm getting some good laughs out of it and you should too.

One of my favorites, but mostly because I thought it said children instead of chickens.

Mom: I just knit turtle necks for our chickens with bells. I don't want them to get lost in the snow!

This next one has had me laughing out loud while i eat crackers and cheese for the past full minute:

When Grandparents Text: Meth

Grandma:	Mb cu 2morrow. ru doing dometh w ur friends 2nite? Something )
Me:	lol do meth?
Grandma:	Have fun luv gma n gpa

ohhh goodness. 

Check it out today.

Now, if you're like me, you're getting approximately 1 trillion emails a day from businesses like Barnes & Noble, GAP, Williams-Sonoma, etc, telling us all about last-minute deals and sales, blah blah blah. Well, it's down to the wire now. Only 4 days left until Christmas, and sure, some of us are frantically trying to find some last-minute items or find ourselves in the Duane Reade (or pharmacy of your choice) thinking we just might find that perfect gift.  But I'm now thinking Williams-Sonoma is getting as desperate as we are, for I received an email with this subject in my inbox just now:

4 Hours Only: 25% Off Caramel Apples - In Time for Christmas!

 Wow, really W-S?  Caramel Apples? In a 4-hour time frame?  So pathetic.  *purchasing  caramel apples*

Every year I Ooo and Ahhh at our Christmas tree and make others do the same, and this year is no different. Except this year is a little different because this year I took individual pictures of ornaments. Not ALL the ornaments, unfortunately, but most.  You're welcome.

Sean and I love our ornaments. We all love our nostalgia ornaments, the ugly sled or weird homemade thing we remember since we were 3.   Or, the eskimo sisters, whom i'm realizing i have not yet properly blogged about-epic fail.   But I seriously love our ornaments. Most have been gathered here at the Holiday Market at Union Square.   I'm putting up the pictures now. Get super excited (as if you weren't already): (Oh, and also, the low light made for graininess, but I feel it adds to the whole ambiance, as a throwback to grainy Christmases of old)

First, the tree in whole: It's up on a table (reindeer pause), as usual, but is a bit fatter than usual.

Got the classic red beads and white lights.   here is a closer-up pic of ornaments. Are you getting antsy? You want me to zoom in even more, right?

 Here we are with Clove-Man, or just Mr. Cloveman. He is made of cloves and he smells delicious and I love him. He is paired with the pretty blue heart ornament with gold detail. Sean has a word for this fancy type of design, but i have forgotten it. It's so pretty. I feel like it belongs in an Indiana Jones movie or something.

 

Here is the iguana. Sean almost died when he saw this last year and I ran back and bought it and gave it to him Christmas morning like a lame-o.  (it's just a little bit lame to get ornaments as a gift on Christmas morn, isn't it?)   But he loooved it. How nice it is to be married to someone who truly loves an ornament (i am in serious need of a nap. First that was orment, then ormanet..  I am a slug) as a gift.  The best part was this year when we were busting them out and couldn't remember what these little packages could be. it was like Christmas all over again.  ... like it is every year.

It is pretty awesome.  Here is one of our fish ornaments we made out of a dangly fish used to make jewelry. It's pretty great.

 Here is his brother, along with Triangle Santa, whom I also love:

 

This next one is one of my new favorites.  Sean came home from work one day and said, "I made an ornament today!"  What? whatever. <-- makes me sound like a big jerk. But i was distracted. But also-- what? whatever.   Anyway, later on when things had calmed down he presented his craft and i was amazed! Look at this thing!

I know! He made this?? He said there was a broken broom handle, so he carved it down, painted the tip, found some gold and pink paint and did the gold band and eraser and then found a fixture for the hook.  What the hey? It's sooo so cute. I love the fat pencil.  

Here are a couple of our wooden ornaments. Zebra and Monkey (who also, interestingly, is featured in Indiana Jones) along with a new ornament--Felt Apple. 

 ...and Felt Lemon:

 

Here is Giraffe with Tin Angel. Ohhh i love you, Tin Angel. 

Lastly, but not least of all:  The Amish Star. I can't actually remember where we got this. Maybe upstate somewhere.  It's simple and plain and a star of wonder (along with Tiger of Wonder):

Aren't they glorious?? Which one is your favorite? Come on. I'm sure you have one. I think i missed some, but oh well. I love our ornaments. I love our tree.   Today I was holding Julian up to it so he could look at its splendor and i thought of the classic mom-phrase we hear growing up: "Look with your eyes, not with your hands."   And then i thought, what if i was a blind kid? What then, Mom?

Moving on, a couple of weekends ago we took Julian to see Santa. I was all geared up to terrify and scar him but no dice.  He loved Santa.  At first he just quietly looked up at him, in his Julian-cautious way.   

He then slowly reached up and very gingerly touched Santa's nose.  It was rather cherry-like.  So adorable. (no pic--bummer)

Still cautious:

Finally at the end, he realized it was the real Santa!  And gave us a grin:

 Aaaadorable.

These days when we go out, Julian gets the bear hat and feet. I'm not sure what i'll do when springtime comes for I love these items and make him wear them at all times. He also has bear paws but it would have just been too much.

Also a few weeks ago we visited the big tree at Rockefeller Center.  It's a Christmas favorite.  Here we are with friends. Sean must have been taking this one:

It was fuh-reezing that night but it didn't dampen Julian's mood at all. Here he is staying warm behind his blankets but you can totally tell he's smiling. You can see it in his eyes. He's "smizing."  (Tyra would be so proud... and I, I am so ashamed)

Here we 3 are:

 And thus concludes our holiday hodgepodge.