Wednesday, December 31, 2008 - New Year's Traditions
This family has more than our share of traditions. I worked for a man once who had a saying about doing things with his children that I found wise: "Once is a treat, twice is a mistake, three times is a habit."
Only with our crew and anything they like, it's, "Once is a tradition." And they believe the parents are legally bound to repeat it each year.
Well, when the kids were little, our New Year's tradition was to have a junk food fest, maybe get out the rhythm instruments, and listen to the BBC on the Shortwave radio so we could hear Big Ben chime the new year and the understated announcer announce the new year (no falling apple, no champagne, no streamers) at a reasonable hour and have the kids in bed, having rung in the New Year, at their regular time. Kid sleep is a good thing.
But now they are old enough to understand that 7 pm our time and midnight in London are not really the same celebration.
So, the tradition has evolved to keep the junk food fest (Miss Dance goes into raptures over the once a year can of spray cheese. Yuck.), view the 1996 version of Flipper (for no reason except that we did it in about '98 and it stuck as a NY tradition), and stay up till actually midnight, again, along with whatever noisemakers may be available (note: Miss Dog Lover was talking to me earlier today about could she make some poppers by putting confetti, vinegar, and baking soda in some sort of container? I nixed the idea. She said, "I guess you don't want a big mess, huh?" Good thinking, Miss Dog Lover.) Tonight we are also playing Killer Bunnies, which may create a new tradition.
And what is good about this version of Flipper? Some of the quotes. This is one of my favorites as the uncle deals with the troubled nephew: "You're going to have to use your brain, which is going to hurt because it's the weakest muscle in your body."
Now off to check on my junk food supplies. Happy New Year!
When my brother was here for Christmas, he lamented the fact that, at his church's white elephant exchange, he really did not have anything white elephanty enough to take.
Ha.
Today I found a wonderful one and got it for him as a birthday gift, so he'll be ready for next year's exchange.
Yep, a banana slicer. The little wires are tight enough to double as a lap harp, though it's badly out of tune. Miss Language points out being out of tune only contributes to its white elephantiness.
And, if you must know, yes, I got it at the same store I got the artificial wishbones a few months ago. Great store. Try not to be too jealous. We looked and looked but they only had one. I realize it would make a great prize in a blog contest, but, well, family comes first.
I was thinking about the busy-ness of Christmas and how I tend to think I get too busy to focus on the meaning of Christmas. And somewhere within I started to wonder, is that true? Or can the busy-ness be a way of seeking the meaning?
One thing that sticks out is that in our culture almost everyone always claims to be too busy (busy, busy, dreadfully busy...) and yet, come Christmas time, we somehow muster the time, energy, and resources for shopping, baking, singing, decorating, visiting, and special programs and activities ~ and that is, not only Christians put the effort into celebrating Christ's birth ~ but almost everyone does, whether they mean to honor Christ by it or not.
Every knee shall bow. I think many of them start bowing at Christmas, albeit in a crude, commercial way.
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.
And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008 - Intersection of Christmases
Last night we were at the grocery store getting our last minute milk, broccoli, and lettuce. On the way out, the wisemen from the local live nativity came in and greeted the store's Santa. Too bad we didn't have a camera to record the historic moment but we do have a previous photo of the wisemen. :)
At the end of the day, I am taking some quiet time to think about Christ's coming. Haiku seemed like a quiet way to think about things, so I searched for Christmas haiku. I found this one that I like: Tree's all taken down--
year's end--where is Christmas now? Deep within each pulse.
And here is my contribution for tonight: Amid craziness
Tuesday, December 23, 2008 - Apples to Apples Definitions
Yesterday the Bananalets were playing Apples to Apples. We have a tradition that the word cards you win define you... so, in the interest of full disclosure:
Miss Language is smelly, bright, loud, unreal, mischievous, shocking and awesome.
Miss Dance is philosophical, harmful, innocent, friendly, and dignified.
Miss Dog Lover is fake, exquisite (no idea how to mark this one), spunky, casual, complicated, and explosive.
and Mr Music is heartless, handsome, luscious, meek, influential, and pathetic.
Amazing how often these are spot on. But I have scratched the ones I do not agree with, bold-fonted the exact hits, and italicized the ones that are *sometimes* exact. The one that got the triple treatment is the one-word definition of Miss Dog Lover.
Monday, December 22, 2008 - Does This Sound Suspicious to Any Other Moms?
I just have to wonder if maybe Miss Dance is hoping for something special under the tree (that's an idiom. We are treeless this year.) Of course it is possible she is just giddy with the excitement of no algebra II or biology lessons till next year.
Everytime I walk by she says things like, "I spy something beautiful." It strikes me as highly suspicious.
and, while you're here, please vote in the gift blogpolls in the sidebar. Thanks!
Miss Language had posted from college that she was looking forward to break so she could "defrag her brain." Well, while I understood her interesting image, I did not understand the full extent of it.
I am beginning to get the idea.
We were at K-Mart and she helped me understand. She picked up one of these lovelies,
held it on her forehead, and flipped it on.
I watched as her eyes kind of rolled around in their sockets. Then she took it off and said, "Wow! the whole store vibrates when your eyes are jiggling."
Here's hoping she doesn't get one in her stocking.
