before I sleep …..

The count down to Christmas always comes as a shocking surprise.

And the minutes and the weeks fly by and I fall into bed most nights wondering what on earth happened to my day.

Magic tricks and snapping fingers and these days are evaporating.

I don’t have the mental capacity to string together a tidy post but I do feel the urge to ramble on a bit.

We spent a lovely morning enjoying the company of Oma and Papa Dale. We used our gnome idea but instead of a gnome we placed a little red cardinal in a tree. (Virginia’s state bird.) We named ours Virginia and the matching red bird for their neck of the woods is Carolina. (I’m sure you catch the theme here.)

At the dinner table tonight we were having an enthusiastic family discussion. To facilitate equal opportunity in these occasional family chats we long ago established The Rolling Pin Rule. (Whoever holds the rolling pin gets to speak. Whoever does not hold the rolling pin does not.)

These conversations are generally animated and always amusing. Tonight we worked through plans for Mosely’s upcoming birthday. Piper Finn tried to make her turn as Rolling Pin Holder last as long as possible by adding in sighs and deep breaths and the frequent use of the word “like”. I pitched the idea of taking a night hike on this weekend’s winter solstice. I was met with apprehension and almost mutiny. London proposed the same idea she’s been bringing to these gatherings for months now. She firmly believes she should be granted permission to stay up later than her siblings. Kevin and I keep tabling the request to buy more time. After Bergen took the rolling pin to ask seriously if he could be excused it was Wilde Otto’s turn. He held the rolling pin in his tight fist and declared, “Every person likes shows” and then passed the rolling pin to his father.

Digory is making himself more and more at home with us. I’m finding myself ridiculously attached to this wily puppy. I let him sleep on the sofa. I bought him a toy. Maybe his cuteness is contagious. Even Oma bought him a Christmas present.

I would not describe this Christmas season as stressful. I think the lack of stress is directly related to the lack of Christmas shopping for presents that we do.

Piper is really enjoying her trundle bed.

Otto is beginning to copy Bergen in so many ways. These boys are playing together more and more as Otto is more and more able to hold his own in sword fights and nerf gun battles and matchbox car races.

It’s tender to watch.

Riley’s been feeling a tad homesick during this season and daily the kids and I remark about how odd it is to have Christmas for seven instead of eight.  We miss our Riley.  As Bergen states frequently, “It just doesn’t feel right without all eight of us.”

If I stop moving for more than a few minutes I discover that I’ve fallen asleep.  A hazard of the job I suppose.

I’m editing another book for a friend and I’ve decided that editing is a job I love.  Reading.  Correcting grammar.  Circling punctuation and striking through phrases.  Jolly good fun.

There’s this new insurance requirement law about to take place.  Maybe you’ve heard about it.  (I’m assuming you can detect my sass here.).  We’ve forced to make some decision nearly immediately as we currently have no insurance.

I’d love to find out if anyone I know has actually signed up for the government healthcare. I’ve met no one so far who has.

I saw these metal chairs at Target today. I heart them. I love them in yellow. I’d love them in red too. Maybe, if my old iPhone ever sells, I’ll buy these chairs.

We watched White Christmas for the first time tonight.

London said, “This isn’t really a Christmas movie, it’s a romance movie.” I agree.  She also said, “I tell you something – if those were my parents I’d be really embarrassed about all their singing all the time.”

I think I’m rambled out.

Happy Middle of the Week That Is Before Christmas and My Daughter’s Tenth Birthday.