Month: December 2007

Yes, we’ve watched Mary Poppins a few times in the last few days, thus the reference. What a great Christmas day and week. Santa did find his way to our house, somehow. The girls were excited (including Julie).

We stayed home most of the day this year. Julie did the turkey dinner and I did the fluffy mashed potatoes. My employer sent down a 20 pound turkey for dinner, so we cooked that up right good. We found out that those birds take some time to defrost. Mental note for the next time, I guess. We had worried that it wouldn’t be ready in time, but everything turned out great.

Wii got a we for Christmas this year. I am anticipating it taking the place of regular workouts for us.

We spent Christmas night over at the Mullins’ house, playing more Wii, Mad Gab, spoons, and various unsundry card games. They have taken pity on us since we’ve been back. Hopefully the charity continues.

Since Christmas we’ve been to: a movie (The Water Horse), Michael and Alison’s house, Castles and Coasters (I think that the employer sanctions law is having an effect on the demographics there), and Aaron and Krisanne’s house. A fun week. I think a new rivalry has been born with the pounding defeats that Ali and I inflicted on Julie and Michael. Though I guess that means it’s not much of a rivalry since we continually crushed them.

Ali and Michael have been watching Ali’s sister’s dog, Bella. Gwenyth and the girls had a great time giving her fits (both the dog and Ali, actually). We’ll get a puppy one of these days.

By the way, the television just said: “Metal detecting is fast-becoming one of America’s favorite activities. There’s never been a better time to start detecting.” That’s sign #74 that the apocalypse is upon us.

More pictures at Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/midder/

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas world!

It’s been a fun week for us. Since I haven’t really started working yet (a definite new year’s resolution — for Julie, not me), it’s just been rather jolly for a while now. We’ll sort it out sooner or later. Probably sooner, since things are really going to start picking up for me.

Last week was Lucy’s Christmas program for her little preschool. She wasn’t feeling the best that day, but she did great and had a wonderful time. The blustery weather surprised us and had us all on the edge, but we seemed to beat it out just in time for Christmas.

We got really tired of Gwenyth (see: Devil, The, in prior post) ripping her room apart after learning how to scale the wall in her crib. We thought we’d be smart about it and just put her in a big girl bed last night. It worked wonderfully. Though I’m thinking now that she was just so tired that she probably would have slept out in the cold on the rocks. Here it is now 10:45 PM on Christmas Eve, and she is making all sorts of racket down the hall. Poor Lucy is sleeping away in the next bed. Beelzebub, indeed.

We spent some time today doing the gingerbread house and playing Yahtzee. This is my typical work-day look, in case you’re wondering.

Today, of course, is Christmas Eve. We made the annual pilgrimage to Fajitas with the rest of the Elcock (sans Mikey and Ali). Every year we get there a few hours before closing time. And every year some sap looks at us with that look of “You’re kidding me, right?” as we all pile in and Charlene figures out which table should be “heavy shrimp, heavy cadillac” or “heavy chicken, light shrimp.” She always seems to get it spot on. Either that or we’re just typical Americans who just eat whatever is placed in front of us.

We took over the lawn outside Fajitas and did the cousin gift exchange.

Sean was explaining some pirate story to me and Aaron as Mason tore into his pirate set.

After the food, we headed over to Grandma and Grandpa Elcock’s house for some more food and some fun. Jana had a puppet nativity activity, which the girls absolutely loved.

There was reading, singing, dancing, and all kinds of fun.

After all of the festivities, Christmas began in earnest for the girls as Grandma and Grandpa stacked the gifts high and deep. My girls were thrilled. Christmas could be complete with all the loot!

I taught a Sunday School lesson yesterday and chose to focus on the wise men in the story of the birth of Jesus. The folks that were there were witness to my foot in mouth moment, and those that know me aren’t surprised in the least, I’m sure. But I came away from the lesson with a greater appreciation for the sacrifice that it must have been for them to do what they did. We don’t know for sure where they came from, but tradition tells us that it was from afar. And, in those days, pretty much anywhere outside of one’s village was afar. As we celebrate the birth of Christ, I am reminded of two things: 1. When the angel came to announce His birth, the first words were “fear not.” 2. Jesus beckons “come unto me” in many instances. I hope that I can find myself answering (as my girls often are as we are trying to get to church at 8 in the morning): “I’m coming.” Hopefully that’s what I’m doing. And hopefully I’m saying it with the proper attitude and spirit.

Merry Christmas.

More photos at flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/midder/

I am absolutely convinced of it. Not Prada or anything like that. But diapers. And, in our case, diapers that have been put on backwards with tape wrapped around them 3 times to prevent them from being ripped off. She finds a way. Always. I even put her pajamas on backwards to go for the double protection!

She learned how to climb out of her crib last week. She actually learned a while ago, but now she apparently figured out how to get out without killing herself, so she does it immediately. So naps are done, at least for the time being. I kid you not, these photos were taken 20 seconds apart. She’s a piece of work is all I can say.

We were able to have everyone over on Saturday. Originally it was to be out in north Tucson, but the venue was changed to east LA since Abigail and Grace also had a recital that night. Thanks to all the peeps who made the long trek. Julie made some good food, everyone brought some good stuff, and we had a good time. We had our annual family talent show. For those of us with young kids, that is just code-talk for “look at what my kid can do.” Luke read an awesome book to everyone. The. Whole. Thing. Abigail and Grace played on the piano. Lucy sang “her” Christmas song (it truly is her own). Izzy sang and clapped. Sean and his girls sang while Jana played the piano. Ali played the piano. It was great fun.

For those who were able to stay, there was the recital afterwards out at Willow Canyon High School. It was quite the spectacle. There was an intermission and everything. Abby and Grace are both in a dance group and a singing group. The dance group performed very first and very last. The singing group performed in the middle. It turned out to be a long program, but it was fun. We sat pretty far away. I got a few shots with my zoom lens, but they didn’t turn out the greatest.

I’m still chugging away at home. I think I am starting to feel a bit more part of a routine. Unfortunately Gwenyth thinks she’s a big part of that routine as well. And now with no naps, she’s even more involved. Fun stuff.

Did you hear the news? Catherine has a blog! We’ll teach her to rotate pictures one of these days. http://zaccatherinegriffithfam.blogspot.com/

As always, more (and bigger) pictures at Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/midder/

Well, it has been for a while, I guess, with Thanksgiving coming early and all. Plus we just had to get out the Christmas decorations since we were already going through everything. Plus Julie got a fancy tree up at Tai Pan in Utah before we came back down. So we had to try it out. My favorites are the head-sized bulbs we got to go on the tree.

Abigail and Grace didn’t really lose a step coming back. They ended up in dance and singing classes the week after we got here. They have some good friends in their classes and they know the teachers, so that really helped. We were so happy that they were able to do it and that they’re so enthusiastic about it. Grace even asks us when she’ll be able to sing a solo. Those of you that know her pretty well know that that statement is a big deal!

Saturday they had their first performances. First it was at Chick Fila, where they did their “So long, farewell” routine from the Sound of Music. I had a hard time getting over how grown-up they looked in their jazzy outfits. Eeesh. They both had parts during this performance that they normally don’t do, and they both did great. Grace did the end part where she sings by herself. I think she loved it, because she’s told me about 4 times since then that she wants to do a solo.

Later that night, their singing group sang a few songs at the Marley Park Holiday Festival. It was quite fancy, and they did a great job.

They had all kinds of fun stuff at the festival. Abigail and Grace both made quick work of the shrimp that they found. The manners are still coming. Lucy had quite a few cookies. They also had some fake snow machines that were kind of cool. The “snow” was some sort of foam or bubbles or something.

To top the night off, Santa himself was in town. Abigail made sure to tell him what everyone wanted.

This week should be pretty exciting as we gear up to have the family over next weekend. Hopefully the kitchen will be done and we’ll be able to get enough patched and painted to look decent. There’s another recital on Saturday (thus the reason they’re coming over here). Fun stuff.