DaintyDeity’s Neighborhood

Happy Holidays!

Team Vox
2 days ago
7 comments

Happy Holidays to you, your family, friends and neighbors from all of us at Vox.
See you in 2010!

baking :: more painting :: bowling (I won! Okay, one game) :: board games ("Chrononauts" is more complicated than I remembered) :: simple and delicious steak dinner :: Nigella's baby cakes :: Christmas Eve present and pyjama opening :: one too many episodes of The Simpsons :: one too many glasses of wine :: cinnamon rolls for Santa, sleeping pills for the kids.

Happy holidays, one and all!

just in

bowled away

christmas eve tradition

It's officially Christmas Eve...

...as Libby pointed out when it turned midnight and we had just finished dinner. Let me tell you, our sleep patterns are shot.

Somebody (mentioning no names, you understand) had the bright idea that a few days before Christmas would be the perfect time to take care of some overdue jobs around house. We've been madly painting, painting, painting (Jesse's bedroom, the dining room and living room skirting boards and trim, the basement stairs...), Todd has replaced (and then painted) three full door frames and a window sill in the kitchen*....a big wooden blanket chest downstairs is now sporting a new colour and a coat of varnish, the list goes on. Although I do somewhat begrudge giving up my precious free time to these tasks, I am really pleased with what we've accomplished.

*Which, to me, is very impressive indeed.

Speaking of somebody, I found some shoes online that I knew were Todd's idea of perfect shoes. It's as if a designer at The North Face has been reading Todd's thoughts. If Todd was going to create a pair of shoes, these would be the shoes he would design. (And 50% off at REI too!) I ordered them for Christmas but made the mistake of giving them to him early. He has hardly worn another pair of shoes since but the mistake I made is that I haven't really bought him much of anything else. His presents under the tree are few and far between. Fortunately I married someone who couldn't care less about such things... but still.

Speaking of presents, I just finished wrapping the last half dozen*. If I had my way, not a single gift under the tree would match. I am all about as many different kinds of paper as possible. No coordination here, no sir.

mismatched

.

*I also, following Todd's lead, filled the stockings to make sure everything would fit. We've had some years where we were cramming and stuffing, breaking the seams practically. Come to think of it, those were always years when Esther was visiting. Is there a connection here? I think so,

And speaking of chicken and dumplings, which...we weren't. I came across this recipe the other week and seriously? SERIOUSLY it really is the best comfort food ever. I cannot stop thinking about making this dish again. I think I could eat it every day and still not get sick of it. This is a theory I am willing to put to the test.

do something for somebody

My in-laws gave each of their grandchildren a ten dollar bill and asked them to perform an act of service with the money.

super chocolatey cookies

Even though Jesse thought it was kind of a dorky thing to do, with a little encouragement from me he decided to make cookies for his friends.

cookie delivery

(His initial idea was to make cookies for our own family, but I convinced him that that didn't really constitute service.)

wave

I am sooo proud of what a super boy he is.

What nobody knows is that I am the one who really benefited from all this -- I was able to kick everyone out of the kitchen, and spend one-on-one time with Jesse, helping him make the cookies.

And we only ruined one lot of ingredients :)

creating

12.21.09

"Look, I made homemade marshmallows."

"Where?"

"Right there."

plain

"Those aren't Mars bars."

"I know, I said I made marshmallows."

"Oh. Call me when you've made Mars bars. Then I'll be impressed."

chocolate dipped

Just one of the many things I love about you

Hannahbanana
6 days ago
1 comment

I say, "Bundle up, we're going for a walk in the cold,"

And without missing a single beat you say, "BUNDLING!"

And of course -- of course! -- you have to check the temperature of the water.

Because that's the kind of girl you've always been.

"You can see how excited he is!" you said, without a trace of sarcasm.

Jacques had other ideas however...

12.19.09... aka Best Saturday in a Long Time

Hannahbanana
7 days ago
1 comment

Is this what it feels like to have nothing to do and nowhere to be?

Yes, and I love it. I did not even stir until 10 am, and didn't do anything remotely resembling productive for a good hour beyond that.

Todd and Jesse went to see Avatar. I took Libby to a kids' yoga class. I also consumed approximately two pounds of sugar by the early evening. Oh, I went running for the first time since October. It snowed.

A perfectly satisfactory day.