The Weekend That Almost Didn't Happen

I have been patiently waiting for this weekend it seems like for years.  If you know we very well at all, you know that I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE The Best Christmas Pageant Ever!  It is an Ellis Family tradition to take one night before Christmas and gather in our bed and read the entire book.  We laugh.  We cry.  We hoot and holler. Cassie found out months ago that The Children's Threatre of Lexington was going to present the play.  Tickets were purchased and bags were packed.  One problem...the weather wasn't cooperating.  A combination of ice and snow fell the day we were to leave.  Emmy couldn't get home from work.  We just had to wait it out until it was safe enough to go.  Good choice, but a hard one.  We made it down to Lexington a few hours before the play...just enough time to eat at Local Taco (see blog on Eating Our Way Through OHIO)

 

Sorry this is so blurry.  I took it with my phone while I was crossing the street trying not to get hit.  Usually the productions are held at the Children's Theatre but since this one was going to be a bigger production it was moved to the Opera House.

It was great!  I was worried that I had built it up so much in my own little head that I might be let down.  Nothing could be as good as the book.  I love the book and I loved the production. 

My favorite character has always been Gladys.  She is a spunky, boss,y little firecracker.  In my mind this is exactly what she should look like!  

S-H-A-Z-A-M!!!

 

If you have never read the book, please go get yourself a copy.  You'll really be glad you did!

It is a tradition in Cassie's house, that on Cassie and Trevor's anniversary (10th this year) they go get their Christmas tree.  So while we were on the road, they ran to Lowe's to get one.  We got to help put it up after we got back from the play.

Mamaw and Papaw, I am posting lots of pictures of Ellis and Alaire on here just for you1

Ellis loves helping with every part of putting up the tree,

She's just a nut!

Whose star goes on top this year?  Ellis this time.

We found out that Maddie likes to eat the ornaments, especially the cinnamon applesauce one that she can reach that are on the lower half of the tree.  And it is not pretty.

Ellis likes to hang them on each finger and then on the tree.

Tree complete!

 

Cassie and Trevor go out for a nice anniversary dinner while Emmy and I hold down the fort. We stop at the RedBox for a movie (EPIC). Then off to dinner.  A stop at the Dollar Store for movie snacks is last on our list of to-do's.

 

We get home and jump into our jammies.  We are about 3/4 of the way through the movie and in walk Cassie and Trevor.  Cassie is sick.  In just a little bit we find out just how sick she is.  Not long after that Ellis gets sick, this is gross...but all over Emmys' feet.  Michael and I are rushed into the guest room and told to stay there.  Fine by me, I don't do that stuff very well.  Many hours later I sneak out of the bedroom to find Emmy on the couch with a trash can beside her and her quilt pulled up over her head..  I slowly back myself back to the bedroom.  Poor Trevor...he's on his own!

By morning things have slowed down a bit.  The Oakes are all tired, except for Alaire, the one who started this whole mess a few days ago.  I'm stripping beds and doing dishes.  Emmy is doing laundry.  Michael is staying in the guest room.  Trevor is over at the church shoveling inches of ice off the sidewalks.  Cassie and Ellis are under quilts on the couch.  Alaire is bored and wanting to do a craft.  All good Wammy's have a craft or two up their sleeves for occasions just like this.  We make a hand and foot print angel on burlap.

 

It was a fun weekend.  Now I am just crossing my fingers that we didn't bring the germs home with us!

Birdman Is Back At It

Knowing that White Death was fast approaching, Mark went out and bought birdseeds for our little feathered friends.  Everyone has to stock up when big things are predicted.

There are those snowflakes again.  Maybe it is the mention of White Death that brings them out.  I seriously have no idea where they come from!

He no more that gets the feeders filled and the birds are fighting each other off to get to the seeds first.

 

A few days ago while cleaning up the leaves before the storm of the century, Mark spotted two bluebirds sitting on the nesting boxes.  We are thrilled.  But we have been waiting for them all summer long...and they decided to show up now!   So along with all the seed...meal worms were purchased.  Live ones that you need to feed carrots to...to fatten them up before you serve them on a silver platter.

 

I go to the kitchen for something and find a container of real live mealworms on the kitchen counter!  YUCK!!!!!  I immediately move them to the top of the fridge.  Emmy sees them and says they must be moved to the garage.  Nope, they will freeze.  So they are on the pie safe, chomping on their carrots and getting juicier by the minute.  GROSS!!!

Getting Ready For White Death

This is the first and only time you won't see me doing the Snow Dance.  Yes we got a Snow Day today because they are forecasting a huge storm will hit us today and tonight around rush hour..  Some places will be getting 6-8 inches of snow. We woke up to ice and rain. I MUST be able to make it to Lexington by 2PM tomorrow.  I have a hot date with the grands...The Greatest Christmas Padgent Ever at the Opera House.  The Herdman's need me.  Gladys will be calling my name. 

Emmy loves it when they call for snow.  People go crazy...like all that bread that flies off the shelves to going to help.  You should hear her.  It is rather entertaining.  She checked her tire pressure to make sure her tires were okay to go in the snow.  Hmmm...a little low. (I have no idea how those snowflakes got in that pic...but they are cool)

Michael was out bringing in the firewood.

(we don't even have a working fireplace)

So proud of his first log chopping.

Looks like a little beaver chunked it in half.

Mark getting the beast ready for a work out tonight.

Oh and the boys have decided that it was high time for Michael to learn how to run the snow blower.  So Luke, guess you can use it at your house if it is okay with your parents.  I hope that doesn't come back to haunt me!  I was hoping to hold them off a few more years.

I Hope Not To See Stitches In My Future

Oh Lord, please let him keep all his finger, toes and shins!

 

Emmy you have to be out of your mind.  Happy 12th birthday!\

(Notice the Boy Scout Emblem...pretty darn cool)

Santa, We Have A Little Problem!

Life was all goo Monday morning.  Boomerang was hanging out with the kitchen crow...

making shadows on the wall...

 

 

When all of a sudden someone, that didn't know the no touching of the Boom rule, touched Boom.  I thought Doodles was going to lose it.  This certain someone, who shall remain nameless, had a time out and wrote a note to Santa apologizing and promised that it would never, ever, ever happen again.

The next morning we found Boom recuperation in his bed with a note from Santa.  The note said that he understood what had happened and he felt pretty certain that it would never, ever happen again.  He also said that the doctor and nurse checked Boomerang over and thought that he only need a little shot of magic to be back in good elf magical shape (notice the band-aid).  The kids check on him several times throughout the day and everyone, including Boom were wearing smiles at the end of the day.  We're all good!.

When I got up this morning I found a little love fest going on high upon the corner cupboard.