Ordinary Time

We're doing more relaxing here, and getting ready for our annual New Year's Eve party. If I ever doubted that my crystal ball is completely non-functional, all I would have to do is look at the stats page for this blog. Posts that I wondered whether I should even hit 'publish' on turn out to be super popular, while other posts, which I really like, linger in obscurity. Maybe it's word length. I know I can be a bit wordy. To end a trying year, instead of coming up with something to say, we'll just do a little retrospective of posts I thought would hit a chord more than they did. It could just be that no one liked them, in which case this will be a collection of completely loser posts. I'm hoping that they just got a bit lost in all of my wordiness. There is a lot to slog through on this blog, and it's easy to miss something. So here's a bit of reading to occupy your hours as you wait to drop kick 2016 into oblivion. January There's really n

What have we done this week? Nothing. Well, unless you count laying about, playing the occasional game, fixing the occasional meal, and muttering things such as, "I wonder what we should do," as something, then we've done a whole lot. I wonder what I can come up with to talk about. We celebrated Boxing Day again this year, but due to schedules, it was the 27th instead of the 26th. Our good friends the P. family came over and the adults talked, the children played, and we ate some food. We even got to Skype with our other good friends the H-S family. It just seemed right since we usually celebrated Boxing Day at their house. A child was sent to fetch a tissue only a couple of times. Talk around the meal table continues to debate what other animals should be acquired. There is still a strong lobby for a miniature goat to live in the house, though the miniature donkey contingent is fairly powerful. I question the motives of some of the lobbyists since I have discover

Our sole accomplishment for the day? Making gingerbread cookies and decorating them. Yep. That's it. Partly this is because J. and I have been staying up far too late reading, followed by sleeping late in the morning. The whole house is sleeping late. It's lovely, but kind of messes up one's productivity. Next week, when J. is back at work and we are back to school, is going to be a great shock. But back to the gingerbread.  While I finally had molasses, we had run out of brown sugar, so J. walked to the store for me to pick some up. He was just going to go by himself and this would have been quick and uneventful. Instead, he ended up taking G. and L. with him because that was quieter. At the checkout in the store, the clerk, in a very friendly manner tries to talk to the girls. The girls stare. This is what the girls do when they are out in public and strangers talk to them. The staring does not often dissuade people from talking to them, though. "Are you twi

there was this . I should be back tomorrow. We have Christmas cookies to bake and decorate.

We went to the pageant (TM did a great job as one of the kings... I was so proud of him), came home, and had dinner for 19. Here is our birthday cake for Jesus. After dinner we sang carols and tucked everyone into bed to be ready for the next morning. Would you believe our dear children allowed us to sleep until 8:40? I can hardly believe it myself, and I was the one sleeping. The table all ready for breakfast (cinnamon rolls, grapefruit, and fried rice). The stockings... and the tree all ready for the morning. The whole crew, in new pajamas, waiting to go downstairs. B. giving Kenzie one of his new toys. At the breakfast table, after lighting the Christ candle. L. - new cowboy boots Y. with her new doll G. with her new doll A. and L. P. and TM (those are not his pajamas, he does not care to lounge in pajamas) M. helping R. open... her new doll. R. named her Lily. R. L. in her new scientist togs.