Another item for my Christmas checklist

Rosie had a cold last week and missed a day of preschool. The next day she came home sad because all of the other kids had made a pinecone ornament to take home and she didn't have one. No problem, I said. In the Land of Loblolly Pines where we live, there is no shortage of pinecones. We could make pinecone ornaments every day for a year and still have plenty.

We got out the glue and glitter and paint and crafty supplies and we each made a pinecone ornament. Our craftacularness is not the point of this post, however.

This is what I find so amazing. Here is my creation, the pinecone oeuvre of a 33-year-old practical woman:

And here is the ornament of an almost-4-year-old under the influence of the book Fancy Nancy, which I simply cannot recommend enough to parents of girlie girls:


She used up every speck of green and red glitter glue, all the silver glitter, much of the blue glitter, all of the feathers, all the jingle bells I didn't snag for myself, and at least two dozen fuzzy sparkle pom-poms. I love this child.

Although Ian did not wish to participate in the glitter fiesta, in the interest of equal time here is the sandpaper gingerbread man (rubbed with a cinnamon stick for a delicious smell) we made together last year. Love this child too!!

Also Rosie's:



And Eric's, which is a self-portrait. Love this guy!!

(I cannot find my own sandpaper gingerbread girl at the moment--I saw it briefly on Saturday when we were decorating, but I think the tree ate it since then.)

I don't consider myself one of those crafty moms, but we do try to make at least one thing together every year. Forget those department store theme trees, they suck compared to a tree covered with tacky homemade ornaments.

I made this one in the fourth grade. It scared my little sister but I have always loved it:

So there you have it. Whenever the Demented Elf ornament surfaces, my Christmas spirit usually starts to stir.

Two weeks and counting down...

Christmas checklist

One batch of cookies, peanut butter with Hershey's kisses stuck in them (my klassy husband calls them butthole cookies), check.

Went to church on the first Sunday of Advent, check.

One lovely fresh Christmas wreath on mantel, check.

Christmas music on iPOD: Jackson 5, check.

Irritating insane children, check.

Messy house and two beds covered with laundry, one for dirty and one for clean. Check and check.

Christmas shopping done, tree up, decorations outside, any semblance of Christmas spirit growing and spreading cheer to the whole planet, um...yeah, call me next week.

Instant gratification

Today at my friend's house she was showing me her knitting projects, all in woeful states of unfinishedness. Though a half-hearted knitter, she sews like a genius and also chases two kids 3 and under, so we'll give her a pass.

Anyway, she pulled out this hat, which she started knitting a year ago while doing her 3-hour glucose fasting test. It was a case of nesting syndrome coupled with sitting-in-the-hospital boredom. The reason for the nesting is now 6 months old and she has lost interest in finishing the hat.

It was just about ready to go on the DPNs for the decrease rows, so I snatched it up. Stole all her needles and the cone of yarn and brought it home where I finished it in an hour or so.

Ah, so satisfying. For once I finished something I didn't start instead of starting something I'd never finish.

The hat, meant to be an 18-month size, is going to fit her son in about 3 or 4 years. Cotton, ack.

I only get partial credit for this one, but my blog is completist...

From photosforposting