Christmas Appreciation 101

with Professor Erin K.



Christmas, like all good things, is best enjoyed in moderation. By following a few simple rules you can ensure that your anticipation and appreciation of the Christmas Season is maximized. Please do not think that I am a Scrooge. Far from it. I am a true lover of all things Christmas. I just happen to see the folly of our society's tendency towards earlier and earlier Christmas-y-ness.

Let's begin.

Christmas Music
Recorded Christmas music may be listened to as of the 1st of December. For the days preceding Dec. 1 but following the beginning of Advent there is an opportunity to listen to music that is less Christmasy. (example: Loreena McKennit "To Drive the Cold Winter Away")

There are a few exceptions to this rule. If you are doing Christmas baking or working on homemade Christmas gifts prior to this you may listen to Christmas music, if it helps you get in the right mood.

If you are feeling desperate for Christmas music and Advent is still days or weeks away, try Christmas Music Substitution. For example, if you traditionally listen to Canadian Brass Christmas, try listening to another Canadian Brass album. Or if you prefer A Charlie Brown Christmas, try a Vince Guaraldi album. This really does work. Also, an album of madrigals stands in nicely for an album of carols.

Exterior Decoration
Set up exterior decorations as late as your autumn weather will permit, but you should not light exterior decorations until the first day of Advent.

Interior Decoration
Decorating for Christmas inside your house may begin as you see fit beginning on the first day of Advent. The Christmas tree should be erected later in the month, but not so late that you do not have time to enjoy it prior to Christmas Eve. Under NO CIRCUMSTANCES should the tree decorating happen in between answering the door for Trick-or-Treaters on Halloween. (yes, the music man knows someone who does this)

Well, class, I think we have made a good beginning. I hope that you are able to fully Anticipate and Appreciate Christmas by following these rules. Class dismissed.

He's his Father's Son

A conversation from earlier today...

Me: Should we put on some music?

Monkey: How 'bout Bob Dylan?



right then.

Halloween-y

Music Man the Jester and Monkey the Knight.

Erin K the Witch Pumpkin. (What? It's a thing. Right?)

Warning: These photos will self-destruct.

Pregnant, much?

There is very little doubt that I am pregnant. You know, besides the 30-week belly and the fact that I can't sleep.

I have, in the last month, made a dough recipe in which I forgot the salt, not once, but TWICE. The first incident was pizza dough (on a day we had supper guests, no less). The second was bread. Not just one loaf, but a batch of three beautiful, salt-free loaves. Luckily for me, the Music Man insists that it's really not that bad, and it just makes him think of his Aunt who, apparently, always baked without salt.

Further evidence of pregnancy - Today I cried while reading "The Lorax" to Monkey. I cried. At a Dr. Seuss book. (a sad Dr. Seuss book, I will admit.)

Things have been chugging along around here. Nothing too exciting is happening, but we're keeping busy. Monkey turned three last Tuesday, and now has a plethora of fun and amazing toys. He also had his first dentist appointment this week (they call it a "Happy Visit". Like the rest won't be quite so happy). The hygienist was really great and showed him all the cool tools and he let her look in his mouth and count his teeth, so I'll call it a success. He is enjoying a "Dance Exploration" class at the local dance studio, in which his is, not surprisingly, the only boy. Oh, and he is excited for Halloween, now that I have finished sewing his Knight costume.

That's it for now. I may get around to posting a prego pic one of these days, but then again, maybe not. Have a good weekend, everyone.

Putting Up

We're finally having summer weather here, now that it's actually autumn. But I have been busy doing autumnal things, like canning. Here is a list of foods I've been preserving so far this season (going back into Spring. Why don't we call Spring "Vern"?)

*Frozen strawberries
*Strawberry jam
*Strawberry-rhubarb jam
*Frozen spinach
*Frozen chard
*Frozen basil
*Pesto
*Frozen zucchini (shredded)
*Spaghetti sauce
*Salsa
*Apple sauce
*Apple juice (well, okay, beverage)
*Pear juice/sauce

I have a number of things left on my list, like
*more frozen chard
*maybe another batch of spaghetti sauce
*beet pickles
*apple pies (I like to make a bunch and freeze them)
*frozen apple slices (for future apple crisps, etc.)
*possibly apple jelly, or apple-basil jelly

It all makes me feel very domestic. And it is mostly very fun, but I am usually very tired by evening. Speaking of which - - we have our ultrasound appointment tomorrow. It's pretty late, I'll be 26 weeks tomorrow. Okay, that's it for now.

Happy Autumn.

sing it!

We sing a lot at our house (which is no surprise, since we are both musicians). Sometimes actual songs, sometimes actual songs with new words, sometimes totally improvised things. So it is also no surprise that Monkey has picked up on this habit. It is, of course, exceeding cute to hear what he sings about. Sometimes he sings nonsense words until he finds some syllables that strike his fancy and then he repeats them over and over. Sometimes he sings about what he is doing or thinking about.

Yesterday in the car he started singing in the back seat. This is what I heard...

"Jesus is in Heaven. Jesus is in Heaven" (repeat)
"Jesus had to carry the cross
it was very heavy
and he fell three times
on his way to the gallery."

Be still. my. heart.

and Amen.

camp sad

I'm feeling camp sad. You know - the feeling when you come home from summer camp and regular life just doesn't cut it, and you only want to hang out with your camp friends and no one at home seems to "get it". That's how I'm feeling today about Fiddler being done. Just like that - a few days ago it was opening night and now it is all over. So I was a bit mopey yesterday, and will probably be today too, but then things will get back to normal and I can look forward to the rest of summer.

We had a really great show though. Well, aside from the fact that on opening night a really heavy pine table landed on my foot in the last scene of act 1 (In the wedding scene when the Russians come in and cause a ruckus. They knocked the table over and my foot was in the wrong place at the wrong time. No broken bones though, I went for an x-ray Friday morning.) Now I have a really spectacular, perfectly rectangular bruise on the middle of my right foot. We had to delay curtain on Friday and Saturday nights to make sure everyone got in. The show went great. Of course, Sat (closing) night was the best and if we had had more shows it would have gotten even better.

So today I'm doing laundry and being a bit mopey. But how can you help being mopey when the forecast calls for 18 degrees on the August long weekend...