Wednesday, December 17, 2008

A Little Holiday Humor

This is Aidan singing in the bathroom:

Jingle elfs! Elfs smell! Elfs laid an egg!

(Yes, I know it's elves. But they haven't gotten to plurals yet in Kindergarten.) Aidan inspired me to write my own version of a popular holiday song.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!
Snow, and sleet, and rain.
It is 20 degrees today, but it was 60 just yesterday,
The kind of weather that is such a pain!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!
Toys up to my ears.
I am having to wrap them all, but I didn't go to the mall,
I happily shopped the internet this year.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!
Soon, our bags we'll fill.
California here we come, our bums no longer be numb,
Won't 10 days in the sun be such a thrill!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!
Merry days to you.
Keep the Spirit of it in your heart, we won't be long apart,
And have the Happiest of New Year's too!

Well, it's not the greatest, but you try finding a rhyme for "come".

It snowed last night, and that left us a lot of shoveling this morning. I started, Jed finished, and our wonderful Brazilian neighbor Evandro did the big part of our driveway with his plow-on-an-atv thing. I caught this fantastic picture of Jed:


Isn't he cute in his new beard! I love it! I'm trying to convince him to keep it but really, I think he thinks I'm just "trying" in the other sense of the word.

Ooh! I got a job. Well, actually, my best friend Julia landed me the job. She often does wedding cakes for people in our ward and stake, and she's doing one for a reception this coming weekend. Well, the MOB was freaking out about getting a photographer for the wedding, because the ones around here are very expensive (especially last minute). Julia suggested me! I'd done her family holiday photos, and I guess she liked them. The MOB (Sister Ross, she's a hilarious German lady in the ward) called me up and said "I hear you taking wedding photos". ROFL! I never have before, and I let her know that. I may have been snapping shots with my camera since I was 9, but I have no training. Luckily she was so desperate she didn't care. I negotiated a fee which is about 10% of the going rate around here, so I get a little Christmas cash and she gets a photographer! Whee! Lets hope the book I bought helps....I still don't know what I'm doing and it's on Saturday. *faint*

In other news, Aidan's doing basketball like his big brother Mike. He's on the Knights, and he made 3 baskets at his first practice! He doesn't like his mouthguard, and I don't blame him. In fact, it caused the funniest thing to happen at his second practice, and I just have to share it.

So it's Aidan's turn at shooting practice. He gently carries the ball to the line and shoots, forgetting to bounce it along the way. The assistant coach shouts encouragingly, "Dribble, Aidan!" Aidan turns to look at the assist. coach......and promptly drools a 2 or 3 foot long string of thick, ropy wet drool! "Dribble, Aidan!" ROFL! Right on cue! No one can say he's disobedient. It must have been collecting in his mouthguard the whole practice. Aidan was mortified! He ran and sat on the bench with a flaming face and wouldn't talk to or look at anyone until the game started. The whole set of parents did an involuntary "Ew!" when he did it, which didn't help. Luckily he's little and he's forgotten all about it. But mean mom that I am, I got such a kick out of it I had to share it with you all. Lol!

I have to say, thank goodness for Aidan. I think at this time of year, with the sun going down around 3:30pm and all the darkness of humanity, all the capitalism and greed and selfishness and just plain tiredness, it would be easy to give in to the darkness and just get depressed. Aidan somehow manages to be funny and endearing at some point every day. He gives me such faith that there is hope for our future. All our children and neices and nephews and friends kids give me this feeling in some measure, but there's something especially sunny and funny about my youngest that is just especially bright. I'll leave you with this image of him and his funny self and crooked eyes and sheer joy to brighten your holiday season just a little bit. (If you can read his shirt, that'll give you smile #2. It is unfortunately true!) Love you all!


Monday, December 15, 2008

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Le Sigh.

Jed is out of town for two weeks on business. Testing the little unmanned submarine robot things he's been working on. I hope things go well for him. I wouldn't know, because he can't call me from his cell-phone while on the island base at San Clemente. I honestly don't mind him being gone for a few days but two weeks is really really stretching it. Who will take out the trash and de-clog the toilet? And it might snow. It is December. Also, while I was dreading sleeping alone and being cold at night for two weeks, I didn't imagine a small person would take it upon himself to keep me warm company from 4am on. Too bad it's the small person who doesn't really like to bathe and who still wets the bed. I love Aidan and enjoy his company, but only from 7am to 8pm.

On the upside, when Jed is gone we can eat whatever we want without worrying about whether he likes it or not. Bring on the avocados and seafood and nuts! Bring on the cereal for three meals a day! Bring on the thin crust pizza with pineapple! Also, when he leaves, he leaves me his bank card. I was done Christmas shopping within two days of his absence. ;) So much fun! I done-did stim-you-late the econ-o-mee. He won't even have to shop for me now. I got my own Christmas presents.

Speaking of presents, if you're looking for something fun for someone hard to shop for, please check out my various art websites. DA has my calendars and mugs and Zazzle has shoes! SHOES, for heavens sake, that I designed. I know it's rude to solicit your own family and friends (and that those are the only people who read this blog or I wouldn't have said Jed was gone and I have all the money). I just don't know anyone else to solicit. ;)

www.nataliekelsey.com

www.zazzle.com/winter79/gifts