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#Post#: 16010--------------------------------------------------
Re: 6 November 2019 - It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christma
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By: Jack Date: November 19, 2019, 4:26 pm
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I had posted Sunday, asking for advice on decorating the
Christmas tree - really for advice on how to handle changing
things and okaying it with the kids.
After reading some answers, yesterday morning, I sent out
e-mails to most of the adult kids. For everyone who doesn't
live here, I basically told them what I planned on doing. I did
ask the college kids for feedback. Then, last night, I talked
about things with the kids who live here full time.
No one really cared too much. Most of the questions had to do
with things beyond what I was actually discussing.
With that in mind, I went to Home Depot and picked up two six
foot, LED pre-lit trees - one to go in the play room and one to
go in the teens living room. The boys who live downstairs
include Van, so he and I are going to sit down with the other
kids and work out some rules for decorating, but I'll let them
do most of it themselves. I'm not worried about the upstairs
boys - they can deal with it however they want.
While I was picking up those trees, I also picked up the basic
balls in a mix like I described on that other thread - mostly
red and green, with a mix of blue, silver, and gold, then I
ordered a couple of others beyond the basic bulb - some red,
green, and silver that are more than just round balls, and some
clear snowflakes.
I looked at some other stuff, but decided to keep it pretty
simple. We have some good tinsel I bought fairly recently (as
Christmas decorations go), but I'm not sure if we should even
use it. We will still have the train and Christmas village
around the base of the tree, which is what most of the questions
last night were actually worried about.
#Post#: 16013--------------------------------------------------
Re: 6 November 2019 - It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christma
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By: kalico Date: November 19, 2019, 5:19 pm
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Great choice and I bet they will have fun and enjoy decorating
the trees 🌲
Hugs kal
#Post#: 16084--------------------------------------------------
Re: 6 November 2019 - It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christma
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By: Jack Date: November 25, 2019, 8:42 am
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A word about this week:
I should start by pointing out that this year has the shortest
possible period between Thanksgiving and Christmas. In the US,
Thanksgiving falls on the fourth (not the last) Thursday of the
month, meaning it has to be between the 22nd and 28th, so the
period between then and Christmas (which is a fixed, not
variable, date) can be anything from 27 to 35 days. This year,
Thanksgiving is on the 28th, so it's less than four weeks
between them.
Because school is continuing all the way until 20 Dec, and
because they now end the semester before Christmas break -
meaning the older boys have finals (and everyone will have
tests) between the 17th and the 20th - it puts some limits on
what we're able to do on the Christmas build up.
Which brings us back to this week.
Holiday in the Park opens at Six Flags today. It only runs from
2pm to 10pm, but it's supposed to be 70F by the time they open.
While it's not especially Christmas weather (or what you think
of, at least), it will allow the boys to enjoy everything, and
I'm sure they'll still be able to enjoy the lights, along with
holiday treats like hot cocoa and funnel cakes.
This is a change that the other dads and I decided upon at
almost the last minute, because of the reasons I mentioned
above. Weekends in December already have things like Van's
Christmas Charity Concert and the Boy Scout's Christmas Party,
so the things we do have to be done around those (and we only
have two weekends in December before the Tribal Party weekend).
We had already been planning to go into Dallas today, but we're
going to Ice at the Gaylord, Texas (Google it - it's pretty
interesting). Check-in time isn't until 4pm (and check out is
at 11am), which has put certain limits on what we'll be doing.
We'll be taking the bus, the passenger van, and a couple of
personal vehicles into town. That way, I can leave Six Flags
and handle all the check in. 10pm isn't too late, but the
younger boys are used to going to bed before 9pm, so I'm going
to try to keep their bags segregated, so I can get their stuff
into the rooms where they'll be staying, so we can get them
straight into bed (I'll bet it'll be after 11pm before we can
get out of the park, out of the parking lot, to the hotel, then
inside).
At this point, I have all the local grands, and Griff and Gwen
will be joining us, as will Billy Kadlec, and Bobby is visiting
for the week, but none of the college kids start their vacation
until Wednesday, so that's going to be it. It shouldn't be too
bad, though - Marcus, Chris, and Terry, are all able to come,
and Van and Liam are a big help with the younger boys (so is
Leif, for that matter). Of course, most of the boys are old
enough to look after themselves and have learned to be on time,
so I'm really only worried about herding the younger grands.
I'm editing this in at the last minute, because I forgot to
mention it, but Aidan Cavanaugh will be joining us. Aidan is
16, but he's been pretty miserable since Cole left for college.
After Blake left for college a few years back (Blake is about
the same grade as the twins), Aidan wasn't spending as much time
over here, but since Cole left, he's been over here a lot.
Since his brothers won't be back until Wednesday evening, I
invited him to join us.
#Post#: 16086--------------------------------------------------
Re: 6 November 2019 - It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christma
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By: kalico Date: November 25, 2019, 11:31 am
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Very nice place to stay....
Have fun and enjoy the little break with the kiddos and grands
Sounds like fun for all....
Hugs kal
#Post#: 16102--------------------------------------------------
Re: 6 November 2019 - It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christma
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By: Jack Date: November 26, 2019, 7:24 am
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Had a good time yesterday. The weather was too warm to really
feel like Christmas, but it cooled off some after dark, and the
lights were beautiful.
I timed a trip to the hotel to check in and unload some baggage,
so I could stay for a while and chat. We brought the SUV and a
car, so Liam and Leif could head back to the park as soon as we
were unloaded. I knew what I intended, so I drove through
Whataburger on my way back. Once I arrived, I had Hot Cocoa and
funnel cake and s'mores and an orange glazed cinnamon roll, and
ended up stopping to get a bread bowl with chicken noodle soup
to cut through all the sugar.
I was right about the timing, and it was passed 11pm by the time
we got here. The youngest ones were collapsing into bed by the
time everyone got to their rooms, but we had a good time.
My biggest problem is that they don't have a great breakfast
restaurant here. There is, however, an excellent old cafe about
two miles from here. The Christmas Village doesn't open until
10am, so we're going to take off and enjoy a big hearty
breakfast before spending the day playing. Which means I need
to go make sure everyone is getting up and ready to go, so....
#Post#: 16115--------------------------------------------------
Re: 6 November 2019 - It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christma
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By: Jack Date: November 27, 2019, 7:17 am
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Had a full and very busy day yesterday. Great fun.
While the college boys who have further to travel (Mickey, John,
and Parker) won't be home until this evening, pretty much
everyone else will be here before 3pm. I talked to Ryan last
night, and he and Thomas are going to sleep in and get breakfast
at their favorite place, then head out, so they should be here
earlier than that.
While they don't have a great breakfast restaurant here, they do
have a coffee shop, and we're going to make do with that this
morning. I'm pretty sure we've done everything we want to do,
so we're probably just going to pack up and head home. It's
been a great time, but I think everyone is ready to settle down
for a bit. Plus, I'm expecting a bunch of packages today.
#Post#: 16116--------------------------------------------------
Re: 6 November 2019 - It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christma
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By: kalico Date: November 27, 2019, 8:21 am
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Enjoy the coffee shop
Safe travels......
Hugs kal
#Post#: 16147--------------------------------------------------
Re: 6 November 2019 - It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christma
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By: Jack Date: November 29, 2019, 6:19 pm
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Today has been a really good, but really busy day.
Our tree arrived at 9am. We were hoping to get one from our own
farm this year, but an incredibly hot, dry summer kept us from
having any as big as I was hoping, so we're holding off one more
year. Plus, I've been buying from these same people, and having
the same two guys deliver, for over 15 years now, so I did want
to let them know.
I always tip the driver well, including a gift certificate so
they can stop and eat when they get through here. They're
really nice guys, and they always help us get the tree unloaded,
unnetted, brought in, set up, and the lights put on before they
leave (which is why I give VERY big tips).
By the time we had all that done, it was nearly 11 o'clock, so
we left things where they were, and everyone ran to start
getting cleaned up and dressed.
I took all the kids except the youngest ones (C&C and most of
the grands stayed home, along with a couple of the slightly
older boys, like Kline). The rest of us went to a matinee of
Dear Evan Hansen. I can't say too much about this show, but I
also can't say enough. It's an incredible show, though I might
be biased, since it deals with issues of depression and anxiety.
it has spots where it is funny, but it leaves me an emotional
wreck. That's why I didn't take the youngest kids, but the
older kids (most of whom are fosters or come from some type of
unusual family background) loved it.
While we were gone, Chris and Terry came over and spent the day
with the grands. Before we left for the theater, we all had
leftovers for lunch. The younger kids stayed here, watched Lion
King, then got snacks at intermission and watched Hercules.
Afterwards, they decorated the tree in the play room, using a
lot of the novelty decorations that I banished from the big
tree. Terry has a great sense of decor, and the tree is just
like the kids want it, and still looks great.
So, we're back home now, and the big tree is still awaiting
decoration. Everyone has been getting out of their nice
clothes, and some of them are in the kitchen getting dinner
ready. We're having tomato soup and grilled sandwiches tonight,
with french fries. I guess we don't have to eat veggies at
every meal. After everyone is fed, we'll light a fire, put on
some Christmas music, and decorate the tree. After that, I
think it's games until bedtime.
#Post#: 16152--------------------------------------------------
Re: 6 November 2019 - It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christma
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By: Jack Date: November 30, 2019, 8:59 am
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Had all the decorating done by 9pm last night, so we all had
some of that leftover dessert, then we played games for a couple
of hours (or as long as eyes could be held open for some of the
younger ones).
I think the tree looks great.* I will probably (at least offer)
to go back to the way we've always done it next year, but I'm
glad I did it this way at least once while I still had a lot of
family around. Anyway, we got all the interior stuff done -
mantle and tables decorated, garland hung around big doorways
and up the railing. We did have a fire going and carols playing
(and fir incense and candles scattered strategically).
What we didn't get done, but will do next week, is to take down
my comic and book display (currently displaying the Shadow) and
put up Christmas related comics and comic related decorations.
It's really weird weather - I think the high yesterday afternoon
was in the 50s, but it got up into the 70s last night. I had
trouble sleeping and was stopped up most of the night. We had a
bit of rain this morning, but it's supposed to pass, and it
should be a good afternoon for doing the outside decorations.
I have the 'guest gifts' ready, and we're going to have a pretty
big crowd, so I'm sure we'll end up doing other houses like we
usually do when the weather cooperates. Then we'll meet back
here for Thanksgiving leftovers and games this evening.
* - I think I realized why I wanted to do the tree like this.
I've always had rather simple, if not quite sparse, ideas in
decorating. I got to looking around my mom's house Wednesday,
when I took her some groceries, and she's heavy into kitsch.
It's almost like she doesn't have to worry about painting the
walls, because so much of them are covered by knick knacks and
decorations. My grandma was actually kind of the same way.
#Post#: 16153--------------------------------------------------
Re: 6 November 2019 - It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christma
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By: Zyngaru Date: November 30, 2019, 3:27 pm
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Sounds like you are on top of it. Way further along than me.
I haven't started decorating yet. I just finished my kitchen
remodel and got the appliances out of my dining room, which is
where I put up the Christmas Tree, lights in the windows and set
out the Christmas village and train. So now, I need to strip
the dining room down to the bare necessities so I can take it
over with Christmas. I have been putting it off though.
Outside decorations need to wait for a nice day though. I just
got over a head cold that had me stuffed up for a week. Today
is a very cold rain. I think in the next day or two it is
supposed to warm up to at least 50 degrees so I can get outside
to do the outdoor decorations.
I want to get it done though so I am going to have to start
cleaning soon, so I can get on it.
You are so much more organized than me. I am more spontaneous.
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