219 Houses

What a month, eh? Last Friday, the older two kids hosted their own craft table at the elementary school spaghetti dinner/Santa shop/silent auction/craft fair. When I learned that they would allow kids to have their own tables for free (and one silent auction item), I knew my little budding entrepreneurs would love it. So, for the last 6 weeks, Ben and Reagan have been going mad with Perler beads! They made 43 ornaments and/or magnets and 12 craft kits to make a Pokeball magnet. They did remarkably well... sold all by 12 magnets and 5 kits. Each came home with over $10 (which for 50 cent magnets, isn't too bad!) Well, they insisted on getting a handmade crayon truck for Tommy (from the vendor next to us), so they did spend a little of that.

After we packed up our stuff and left, I took them through our neighborhood and the adjoining neighborhood to look at Christmas lights. I'm guessing there are approximately 300 homes total combined. We counted the number of lighted/decorated homes. 219! Now if that isn't a perfect example of Suburbia... competing for the best holiday-decorated home, I don't know what is. Of course, there is always that one that makes an impression on you, too. This home just glows! You can see it from several blocks away. To say the least, we HAVE to get Daddy and Tommy to see it soon!

The next day, five of us chaperones 8 brownies (and 2 brothers) to a theatrical performance. It was great! The girls made us proud, and we even got to tour the stage to see the fly system, girls' accessories, and scenery. Can't wait to see the pictures.

Then came Sunday... our home group's Progressive Dinner. After such a great weekend thus far, I knew something had to go wrong. At the end of appetizers, boom... electricity went out. After a half an hour of panic over what to do with our kids and ourselves (since pizza shops for the kids were all closed and we had NO food for the kids), we all finally ended up in the home of one couple for dinner AND dessert. (We were supposed to host dessert, but with all the complications involved in no electricity in 30 degree weather, we just stayed at the one home.) It was fantastic. A little congested with 20+ kids and 18 adults... but with the candlelit dinner and fireplace-lit dessert and game, we had a great time! After our Chinese exchange/white elephant/whatever-you-want-to-call-it game, Mike and I came home with a mini chopper and a "wonderfully cute" (ahem) football snack dish that plays the Fox NFL song when you push the little button. Somehow no one wanted to steal it away from Mike. Bummer. Well, at least Tommy is having a ball with it... though I now hum the Fox NFL song in my sleep. We finally succeeded in bringing a fun, well-stolen, gift (took us a few years, but we finally figured out what interests our group the most... toys!) Our marshmallow shooter was stolen 5 times till it was "locked". :) The second gift we brought was a big box of marshmallows... but that never ended up with the shooter owner's spouse. Oh well.

Monday night was the neighborhood mom's Secret Santa reveal. I am the new one of the bunch this year. It was great! We shared some stories of being seen during drop-offs or almost-being-caught. Somehow no one found out. :-) Anyway, it was great fun meeting so many new people (all who live in my neighborhood!)

Now off to a new week full of 3 school Christmas parties (okay... two are called holiday parties), a neighborhood kids' Secret Santa exchange at a pizza place, an ESOL Christmas buffet (Mike teaches ESOL), a Brownie Christmas party, and many gifts to hand out (9 teachers!!, Brownies, Brownie co-leaders, and the list goes on).

Only a week till Christmas. Whew! Hope everyone has a great Christmas and remembers what the season is all about. (...and no... not diamonds and new Wii systems.)

God Bless!