Christmas Performance Time

Everyone remembers a performance at school at some point in their childhood. Actually now that I think of it, I don't remember a performance at school. I remember voluntary performances like dancing in a holiday talent show or performing on drill team in middle school. Anyway, enough about me.

Josh and his 3rd grade classmates sang five songs for a Christmas performance.


Can you see him? It's like finding Waldo. He's the one in the back (privelage of being tall) with the black hat on. The picture quality isn't the best. Lighting was bad and I had to boost to ISO 800.

I know many of you are probably tormented that you missed such a great show and to put your minds at ease I figured I could post one of the many songs here. Holiday Ho Down.





They even sang O, Hanukkah. This shows the front and back rows lit with Hanukkah candles.


Here's Josh and his friend, Tanner, posing for after-show shot.


And that's my kid for you. Fake stabbing his friend with a Hanukkah candle. Fantastic.


Okay, much better.

O Christmas Tree

Long, long ago....

When Walt and I had our first Christmas together, we bought a salt dough ornament while visiting Apple Hill and so started our yearly tradition of purchasing a new "us" ornament for our Christmas tree. Once Josh and Carley joined us, we not only bought a family ornament but also one for each of them. I'd like to share some of my favorites with you.

***** Quick note. Walt has corrected me and seems to remember purchasing our first ornament in Monterey on our first and only trip there. I'm not entirely sure he's correct but it was worth mentioning. Don't believe anything you read here. *****


This is the one that started the whole tradition. Yep. 1996. Feels like a lifetime ago, doesn't it?


Can you guess? Right! The year we got married. We almost didn't get this one because it was the last one available. In fact, it was the display ornament. After a knock-down, drag-out, cat-fight at the mall kiosk with another couple it was our new prized possession. Not really but close.


This was for Josh before he was Josh. When I was pregnant but before knowing that we were having a boy (so it must've been early Fall) we bought this in a cute, little shop in Carpinteria (Honey? Is that right?) because we couldn't resist. Good thing we picked blue.


This was Carley's first ornament. It's a heavy, silver rattle marked "2003" that I bought at Pottery Barn. Aaah, I love that store but ornaments are practically the only thing I can afford to buy there. When we pulled this rattle out this year it was pretty tarnished. I polished it up and as Carley said, "turned it from gold to silver".


This is the family ornament from Carley's first Christmas as well. Our first Christmas as a four-person family is represented by moose. Mooses? Mise? You get the point. Don't mind the tangled red ribbon.


This ornament is another purchased at Apple Hill, a great place to find many kinds of homemade ornaments, besides the apples, apple cider, apple pie, apple turnovers, etc. I love this ornament because it's obviously the year that Walt had a beard. I wasn't a fan of the beard but I love remembering it. Carley saw this while decorating the tree and quickly pointed out that both her and I had "big boobs". Isn't is cute what she aspires too? Ha!


Seeing this ornament makes me cringe. Literally. My shoulders tighten, my stomach begins to ache. This ornament is a circular saw (Honey? Is that right?) that represents our kitchen remodel. The one that we started in 2006. The one that isn't completely complete. The one that almost makes me physically ill when I think about working on again. Although I hate the thought of what we went through as a family that year, a tool was the proper ornament to remind us of what we'd accomplished. I really am happy with the kitchen and that we did it ourselves. I'll be even more happy when it's finished. (Honey?)

So there you have it. Some of my favorite ornaments and the memories they bring me. There are many more (It's been a lot of years!) but this would be an awfully long post.