Holidays

 Christmas is my absolute favorite holiday!!  I love everything about it!  In addition to the 'reason for the season', the colors, the smells, the fellowship with a little extra thoughtfulness and general good cheer.  Finding the perfect gift for all my children, grandchildren and now great grandchildren, watching the joy shine in their faces Christmas morning--wonderful.  My son-in-law cooks Christmas dinner so I am completely free to enjoy!!

Thanksgiving is a close runner-up.  After the cleaning, cooking, eating and shopping, comes the first of the Christmas specials.  The family sitting around together, the little ones oohing and ahing, with an occasional "I want that"!  Friday we were watching a holiday show with Andrea Bocelli (wonderful) and the Muppets, I remembered the first time I heard of the Muppets.  My granddaughter, living in Oregon, would tell me over the phone about "Bertnernie".  For the longest time, I didn't know it was not one word!!

Adrian

Aren't kids wonderful?  And amazing?  We, as a family, have paid SO much attention the the 5 year old and what she is learning and doing, maybe we have neglected to take proper note of what the 2 year old is up to.  For instance, the very same day Gramma scolded Daddy about a slip of the tongue in the children's presence, Adrian demonstrated his keen sense of mimicry.  He had broken a part off of a small truck Daddy had given him the night before.  Not a very expensive or sturdy toy.  When Adrian tried to put the part back on and couldn't, Gramma heard very clearly "Oh Sh--"!!

Mean and Ugly

I greeted a young man recently with "Hi, Mean and Ugly!"  His response, needless to say, was not nice!!  I had been saying this to people I love for so long that I had forgotten that not everyone understood.  I though "Oh My Gosh!  I need to explain where this came from!!"  So I sat down, thought and thought and guess what!! I don't remember the very first time I heard this phrase!!   I remember a time when Donna brought "Oregon" down for a visit and they came to the school where I was working.  They found me in the faculty room, having lunch.  I turned to introduce them to my friends and to let my friends know just how proud I was of my beautiful granddaughters, and hopefully not embarras them toooo much, introduced them as "my granddaughters, Mean and Ugly!  This one's mean and that one's ugly!!"  Brought the house down and broke the ice for everyone to enjoy being together.  For many years when we had been apart for some time, when we could be together, I called them Mean and Ugly--never the same one each time.  If you want to see just how Ugly these young women are, go back about to April posting, you'll see!!  Love you Girls!!  Love you Don!!

Candy Fairy

A vetran kindergarten teacher told me of a wonderful custom that allows children to have the fun of candy but not the cavities!  Kids go trick or treating (prefer to attend a harvest party at a local church) mom allows them a piece or two of their loot, but then--while they are sleeping the Candy Fairy comes and takes most of the candy and leaves a small gift instead!! What a great idea!!  Only I think she should be called the Sugar Fairy and come on the day after Easter, too!!