Gingerbread Fiasco...

Gingerbread night has traditionally been the kids FAVORITE activity, so this year to step it up, I ordered a HUGE foam gingerbread house from Oriental Trading Company. So, no real gingerbread, no real candy. DUH, mama. That didn't go over well. Anyway, the pieces from my foam-from-China-kit did not STICK. Mama didn't anticipate that. The kids really enjoyed THE BOX the thing came in. Hahahaha. Kids. So, back to lots of candy, royal icing, and real gingerbread next year. What was I *thinking*??

They also decorated my tree. OH MY GOODNESS. John says to take deep breaths and remember I can decorate a gorgeous tree when my children are grown. ACK. It took serious will power to not remove all that the kids had put up and start again. I am going to buy another tree---hopefully I can find one on sale after Christmas. I really, really want a shiny tin-foil looking tree---one to put pink and aqua lights on and decorate with all the cute home-made ornaments from my kids and with my pink flamingo ornaments. It will be a tree to remind me to not take it too SERIOUSLY. I have been planning for these activities for MONTHS, and then when they actually happen... it's a bit anticlimactic, and definitely NOT the fun I expected. The kids are having fun, and that's what I need to remember.

How can it be FUN to fight that much? No, I ask you seriously.

Thankful

I bought the new Josh Groban CD, entitled Noel, and it has the lovely song "Thankful" on it. It encapsulates how I feel this Thanksgiving:
Somedays, we forget to look around us,
Somedays, we can't see the joy that surrounds us,
So caught up inside ourselves,
We take when we should give.
So for tonight we pray for
What we know can be.
And on this day we hope for
What we still can't see.
It's up to us to be the change.
And even though we all can still do more,
There's so much to be thankful for.

What a wonderful time of the year! I'll post more as we get our house decorated. Tonight's Gingerbread House night! "Deck the Halls" and fa-la-la-la-lah....