Twelve Days of Christmas Tag
from Shanana's blog

Here's another of those nerdy blog tags I love responding to. If you're just joining us - because you got our blog address on your Christmas card (you know, the one that's the official last milking of Mick's graduation photos?) - then you might want to scroll down to another entry.

This entry is just silly musings. Well, actually, most of my posts might be just that. So I guess you should just read whatever you want.

One amusing Christmas memory: 1975. I was five years old. My Aunt Arlene, a flight attendant, arrived at Sea-Tac on Christmas Eve and drove straight to the apartment where I lived with my mom in Tacoma. I had just gone to bed, barely able to contain my excitement about the next morning, when Aunt Arlene raced up the stairs and burst through my bedroom door, telling me I just had to run downstairs with her, right then and there in my nightie and bare feet, because Santa and his reindeer had just flown over my apartment! When we got out there, I’d apparently just missed him - and I have never, ever forgotten what it was like to be this close to seeing something so magical.

Two theories as to why Santa chooses a chimney as his best means of entry: 1) When he started his job he was thinner and it wasn’t such a tight squeeze, 2) he likes hot biscuits.

Three things you want for Christmas: 1) Heelys, baby! (those shoes that have a wheel under the heel that make it look like kids are hovercrafting around the grocery store - yeah, I want those) 2) a writing class (got it – thank you, Mick), 3) warmer clothes for this cold not-in-Sausalito-anymore climate.

Four of your favorite Christmas movies: I’m not big on holiday movies, but I suppose I’d list 1) Elf, 2) About A Boy (the ending has a Christmas scene, I think?), 3) Rudolph (see Rudolph and Hermey the dentist at right), and 4) A Christmas Story (duh – what can compare to the tongue stuck to the frozen pole, or the too-bundled up kid that can’t get up after he falls over?).

Five ways you’ve been naughty this year: puh-leaze. I know better than to answer this.

Six ways you’ve been nice: not really fair to plead the fifth on naughty and then answer for nice.

Seven people you suspect are elves: Elves as in look like them? That actress, Tilda Swinton; that politician, Bill Lieberman; that rocker, Elton John; that Olympic gymnast, MaryLou Retton; and that prince, Charles. Elf as in gift-giver? My sister-in-law Dana - she gives the most thoughtful gifts ever, like she can’t even keep herself from doing it, as if it’s part of her magical genetic makeup. Elf as in dress like them? Maybe Mick in any cross-dressing Halloween costume he dons.

Eight of Santa’s reindeer: According to Dane this morning: “Dasher and Dancer, Donald and Dixon. And Prancer… Is that eight yet?”

Nine uses for snow: Curmudgeon’s answer? 1) cause accidents, 2) make you way too cold, 3) freeze your pipes, 4) snowballs to the head that spray snow down your back, 5) cancel school. Kids’ answer? 6) cancel school, 7) play outside all day long, 8) soak through your sweats and mittens, which doesn’t matter in the least because you’ve found an awesome sledding hill, 9) that one snowball straight to your mom’s eye while she's chatting with the neighbor.

Ten least favorite things about Christmas: extra stuff, calories, fat, spending, errands x2

Eleven word associations to figgy pudding: 1) piggy, 2) fudding, 3) sticky, 4) gummy, 5) squishy, 6,7,8,9) Jhon Gilroy’s dog’s name, 10) mincemeat, 11) fruitbread

Twelve reasons you love Christmas: extra stuff, calories, fat, spending, carols, LOVE x2.

If you've read this far, maybe you need to do this Tag, too. Drop me a comment and then post your tag on your blog or send me the Word doc... if you're up for the challenge.

Ho HO ho.

St. Nicklaus filled our shoes on December 6.

The jammies have been nightly favorites since (which can be a stretch when laundry gets done just once a week!).

READY FOR SANTA 12/24/06

Hey, Everybody -- Time for a big EXHALE...

He took them!

Mick feels pretty miserable about the whole process but is glad they're done.

Now he's doing some retail therapy up north before he heads home, looking for gifts he and Santa are in cahoots on.

National Dental Boards I

Mick takes his first set of National Boards tomorrow at 9 a.m. He’ll drive about an hour north of here in the morning to set himself up for his day-long written test. He’s been studying like a mad dog – studying at all hours of the night, napping at all hours of the day (since he’s such a night owl) – and he’s still skeptical that he’s going to know enough.

In spite of his skepticism, I’m glad he’s taking it now, instead of putting it off. He’s at the point where (a) he just needs to know where he stands in his knowledge (he can re-take sections if need be – but let’s hope he won’t need to!), and (b) he needs to have a break from dentistry and studying.

At this point, he’ll get a full weekoff before school starts up again on the 2^nd.

While Mick Takes The Boards

Dane’s friend from school, Marcus, will spend the day with us. We’ll grab him at 9:30 tomorrow morning and head to the Lawrence Hall of Science where there’s a Grossology exhibit. (I’m sure there’ll be more to post after that exhibit!)

Dane & Aubrey Get Farmed Out For The Day

Marcus’s mom, Lu, took Dane and Marcus on the ferry to San Francisco. There, they went to the Hyatt to find a Christmas Wonderland. I guess the place was decked out and the kids had a blast.

Another mom, Amy, and her twins, Mia and Nick (also in Dane’s class), went on the adventure as well.

They played barefoot in Buena Vista Park (no, it wasn’t warm at all!), fed seagulls, and saw a seal. Needless to say, he had a great time. In fact, when he saw the pictures Amy emailed me, he said, “That’s what I’m talking about, Mom.”

Aubrey got to spend the afternoon with her friend Katie Javadi, playing moms and dress-up.

Mick studied; I worked on some writing.

The Kids Saw Santa On Saturday

At their turn, the kids gave Santa some gingerbread cookies they'd made. When Dane showed him that his g-bread guy's foot cracked off, Santa said it was okay since he knew how to repair cookies at the North Pole. After all, the reindeer step on and break a lot of Mrs. Clause's cookies.

When Aubrey asked for a dolly for Christmas, he looked at her and pointed to me: “I gave your mommy a dolly for Christmas one year, too.”

Her eyes lit up. “He did, Mommy?”

As I nodded my head, Santa asked me, “Do you still have it?”

Trying not to turn into a sappy ball of mush, I said, “Yes, I do…”

Aubrey asked, “You do? Which one is it?”

“Um, the little tiny one, from Mema’s, that we like to dress in its tiny baby clothes…”

She smiled at me with huge, excited eyes; Dane smiled up at Santa.

These are just my personal digital pics; we get to pick up the free professional ones this week.