a peek inside the fishbowl

11:27 p.m. – the girls are FINALLY asleep. Mark and I are getting the last few things ready before we go to bed. Tomorrow is Christmas day. I can’t wait!

10:22 p.m. – i’m falling asleep watching A Christmas Carol. Emma and Sarah are WIIIIDE AWAKE upstairs.  

7:16 p.m. – dinner and dessert are done. Mark was elected to do the annual reading of The Grinch. Love that book.

6:38 p.m. – dinner a success, tho’ the salmon was close to being underdone. But it worked out fine after an extra minute of nuking. Phew. And can I say i love christmas crackers?

5:22 p.m. Wine + me cooking dinner = danger WILL ROBINSON

3:40 p.m. – Bacon-wrapped water chestnuts are in the oven, and they smell delish. Mark’s parents are here and the wine is open. Wee!

3:01 p.m. – Have I mentioned Mark’s parents are coming over for dinner? I’m finally ready. Even dressed! With make-up! I’m walking around with my eyes half closed. Otherwise the mascara imprints on my upper eyelids before it dries. And heaven forbid I sneeze right now.

2:20 p.m. – Cardinal rule: After Thou Hast Dutifully Vaccumm’d the Kitchen Floor Thou Wilst Spill Flour Upon Its Shiny Clean Surface.

2:15 p.m. – I accidently bought RAW shrimp instead of cooked shrimp for the shrimp ring. Ack!

2:01p.m. – Dessert is done. Yay! Maybe I can start to relax now.

1:30 p.m. – First, make salad. Then, vaccumm living room.

1:13 p.m. – I am short one 9 x 13 baking dish. 

12: 50 p.m. – I just spilled half a can of maple syrup in my fridge and onto the floor. Gah!

12:39 p.m. – Forgot to feed the girls, but the table is set!

11:58 a.m. – It just occurred to me that two of my Christmas Eve dishes involve wrapping something in bacon.

11:49 a.m. – Porter/Tori Spelling’s grean beans are being made right now. Let’s give a cheer for advance meal prep!

11:29 a.m. – Freezing rain this aft? How is Santa going to make it through??

11:00 a.m. – tackling the kitchen.

10:30 a.m. – Setting the table for tonight’s dinner. I discover that the condition of our ironing board is worse than critical. It won’t stand up anymore and our only nice tablecloth is in desperate need of ironing. I have no choice but to iron it on the floor. One load of laundry is in the wash.

10:00 a.m. – I set a pot of orange peels and cinammon to simmer on the stove.

9:30 a.m. – Both children are clean, dressed, and tangle-free. How long will they stay that way?

I’ve lost track of what we’ve been doing. It’s all a blur at this point. :)

Despite recent events there has been a lot of yuletide cheer: gifting, cooking, nibbling, playing of Christmas records, watching of Christmas movies, and visiting with friends and family. What there hasn’t been a lot of is outdoor play. It’s been too cold. And there has been a winter storm watch issued today.

The day before yesterday the girls made a list of things they are thankful for. (I really should scan them. They’re so great.) And last night’s advent was “fancy dress for dinner.”

We did this last year and they loved it. So simple and fun.

The girls chose to interpret the idea slightly differently than I had intended. They raided the dressup box. They asked Mark to put on a suit and I changed into a slinky black dress, which was all very ironic considering that hot dogs were on the menu. :)

We lit some candles and poured bubbly drinks into our special wine-glasses. Afterwards we played Uno by the tree.

Two things are prompting this post.

A friend of mine just lost her husband. The four of us went to the visitation last night. He was only 41, and died of a sudden heart attack. They have two young children together. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about her, about the children, and what it’s going to be like for them from now on. 

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