We had a great time spending time with my dad and step-mom, and older sister and her boyfriend. We ate too much food and drank too much wine and it was a grand time.
But I'm glad it's over.
Because I'm not a "Thanksgiving" person. Like, I enjoy the whole family aspect of it, but the whole, "let's celebrate the Native American Holocaust" not so much. And I know most factual history, not mythological history, which is what is taught in schools. So trust me, that whole sweet and charming Pilgrims and Indians First Thanksgiving thing is pretty much a rouse. I mean, it technically happened. But not at all in the fictitious way we preach.
Anyway. I digress.
Yesterday we had a ton of fun picking out a Christmas tree. Since I donated ours to Goodwill last year after discovering they're full of lead and pretty toxic if you touch them, the artificial tree had to go. H wanted a tree her size. So she picked one right out after touching every tree and smelling them and counting them and contemplating them. Mostly, it was quite the process.
Then we put it on top of one of their kiddie tables and decorated it sans lights (unless Christmas lights are RoHS compliant, they're extremely toxic with lead, cadmium, and other hazardous chemicals. So toxic, in fact, that they actually suggest that all individuals wear gloves not only while handling the lights while putting them up on the tree, but even if you're just touching them for a second to change a dead light or something. It's the string, not the actual light bulb, that is so toxic. Eek!). Hopefully sometime between now and next year I will get around to ordering some safe lights.
Anyway, the kids hung up a ton of Styrofoam ornaments full of glitter, some dye-free candy canes, and homemade ornaments and ribbons. We still intend to make some more ornaments, but we've got time. We have to pace ourselves.
We hung up our little advent calendar (and I'm not fun because it doesn't even have candy!). Stockings are hung by the chimney with care. And we made a banner from our Christmas cards from last year and hung it up on our bare wall. I managed to pull off a chunk of paint while doing it, too. Go me! Ha.
The kids painted with "snowman paint" (glue and shaving cream and a ton of glitter) while I wrapped up presents.
I said I wasn't buying any presents this year, but that didn't quite work out, ha. It never does. I got enough to fill the babes stockings, as well a drum and banjo for the kids, and two Shel Siverstein books of poems. And I bought all the kiddos in our lives gifts, as well. But otherwise, it's Christmas cards for people. But I'm pretty impressed, because I hand wrote each address (and am still working on that!) and there's over like 100. So that's impressive, in my book anyway.
The kids each got to go shopping for one another today. I took H into the store first. Last year it took her about an hour to choose a toy for B. (We go to a local "green" toy store) But this year she was Speedy Gonzales. J hadn't even made it to the end of the block with B by the time we were done. She chose a set of Plan Toys blocks for him.
Then J and I switched kids and B and I went shopping for H. It took him a few minutes to understand that we were getting something for H, not him, but once he caught on, he was totally on board. Though he carried around the banjo the whole time, hence the kids now have a banjo under the Christmas tree.
Funnily, B picked out the exact same set of blocks for H that she'd picked out for him. Fortunately, they had five different sets, and when I asked him if he'd like to choose a different one, he eagerly did so.
I have so much more to say, but even more to do right now and sweet babies to cuddle and watch "Yes, Virginia" with.
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