Getting in the Spirit

Well, we've been getting into the Christmas spirit Arizona-style, including wrapping our 7-ft. tall saguaro (you know those big Southwestern cacti with arms, pronounced: sah-wah-roh) with about 1,000 lights and sticking a Santa hat on top. The house is decorated in homey reds and golds and decades of family ornaments. The office is decorated in silvers and blues. We've broken out the sweaters and boots, and the radio dial is perpetually tuned to the station playing Christmas music from Thanksgiving to Christmas. Every night we place a piece of straw in Jesus' manger and open another door in the advent book. Every morning we search for "Jimmy" the Christmas elf who keeps in constant contact with Santa by flying to the North Pole every night to report and returning before we get up to sit in a new place all day, listening and watching.

We have a tradition every year now of taking the girls to Riverside, California one Wednesday night in December to stay at an old renovated hotel called the Mission Inn. http://www.missioninn.com/ It is beautifully decorated for Christmas and located downtown next to a pedestrian only road with Christmas shops and temporarily erected ice skating rink, gingerbread shop, Santa booth, etc. Franz will hit up the local auction that Thursday morning while the girls and I relax or explore, and we'll all drive back that night. So, last week, we took the girls over there and had a wonderful time. Maddie, Katie, and I enjoyed the hot tub and some surprisingly warm temperatures while Franz searched for the perfect cars to take back. Here are some pictures from our trip.

I know I look like I'm either trying to get out of the picture or trying to rush in before a timer takes it, but actually there were some wrapped gifts on the ground under the tree that I was trying not to step on.

Maddie has started figuring out how to work my camera after I cinch the strap to her wrist, so Franz and I are beginning to show up in some of the same pictures again, finally!

Last Friday we went to a friend's house in Scottsdale for a gingerbread house party. The houses had already been assembled with graham crackers and frosting which had been allowed to "set" before we arrived, so it was very fun for the girls to work on. They spread frosting on the plate ("snow") to hold up the house, which was delivered much like a pre-fab house from the factory.

Then, they got to work adding frosting to the walls and roof, and decorating with different kinds of candy.

Thanks to the hot cocoa brought to the tables, and the many pieces of candy that strangly went missing (and straight from the sticky fingers into the happy mouths), Madeline and Katie were on a sugar high when we left.

Franz and I like attending the shows at a small local dinner theatre, and in September we purchased 4 tickets for "A Christmas Carol" performed as a musical. Last night we took the girls to the show (their only theatre experience besides seeing "Winnie-the-Pooh Christmas Tale" with a children's theatre company last Christmas). They were very well behaved and enjoyed ordering off the limited menu - a salad and salmon for Madeline, and clam chowder and turkey for Katie. At intermission, the waiter brought them each a humongous bowl of vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, candy canes, lollipops, and I don't know what all else. It looked like the grand prize straight off the game Candyland. I have NEVER seen eyes light up like theirs did when the saw it! Hilarious! At one point I looked over at Katie to see her with two lollipops in her mouth at once. They both really enjoyed the show. Madeline was very inquisitive about plot line and character motivations. Katie even sat completely still and was fascinated by the whole event.

Dressing up was half the fun, as was carrying a purse containing chapstick, a bracelet, and some gum. Katie's black velvet headband lasted about 10 minutes, though.

I knew it must have been a success when Katie declared that she wanted to go every night (despite how torterous it is for her to be still - that kid can't stand still for a second.) She walked around the theatre holding her little overskirt up in one hand "like a princess does" during intermission. Madeline didn't want to change into her pjs last night.

Madeline has a Christmas program tomorrow night, and both girls have school parties coming up. And, pretty soon, it's off to Indiana and Illinois for the big time celebrations!