MERRY, MERRY MEMORIES.

It seems that every year I only get around to writing about Christmas things....a month after Christmas. What can I say, I guess I just love to extend the celebration a bit further! So you can't really be mad at me for that, can you?

HAVE A HOLLY JOLLY JANUARY?

Something like that.

MY FAVORITE FORM OF EXERCISE...

I was in the bathroom trying to make sense of the 11 pairs of tights I had brought with me (grey, dark grey, heather, black or polka dot? Too many decisions.) when a lady came up and asked if we were part of a school or organization. I told her I had just invited some friends to come skating. 

"Wow. You have A LOT of friends." and then she slammed the door and left me and my tights to ourselves. 

She's right, I do! I'm very blessed through and through to have a group of kids and now, adults ;) to encourage me, annoy me, quiz me on the boy I was with and protect me from bugs, creeps and oncoming traffic. 

Ice Skating on an 80 degree day is magical on many levels. Everyone is in a particularly good mood because they're not dying of sweat on a December day and then there is christmas music which basically prohibits any leftover chance of sadness. Last year was a surprise party for me, but this year it was just for fun, for everyone.

And for the record, I decided on heather grey. I thought you'd like to know.

Ice Skating is actually a terrible way to catch up with people if you happen to be terrible at ice skating. But none of my friends happen to be terrible? How did all these florida people end up being so good at ice related activities?? I guess it comes with the territory of having to survive 80 degree winters (as I have already mentioned once, which proves how challenging they can be.)

My little @jenncmayes never ceases to bring so much sunshine into my life. She was my first passenger and was with me when I wrecked my car (long, stupid story. we were all safe!) and also there for my exciting rendition of the Sugar Plum Dance in the popcorn aisle after Ice Skating (which I'm sure the security guards will enjoy replaying over and over again.)

 You know, I'll be honest, life has been really weird lately. There's been a lot that I can't write about, talk about, or even really like to think about. But  December 15th (thanks to good friends and winter coats and christmas music) felt just right, like life was returning to the normalcy I've been desperately missing...even if just for 3 hours.

Moral of the story: ALL IS GOOD IN THE HOOD.
Especially because I didn't fall flat on my face.

Christmas, in NYC!

My biggest regret in life is not being signed up for dance lessons at 3 months old. I've ALWAYS wanted to be a dancer of some kind (jazz, ballet, hip hop! whatever!) but it never happened (no matter how much I tried!) I had, for the most part, laid my dance dreams to rest but OH MAN. As the Rockettes kicked and tapped and danced my only thoughts were along the lines of  "I should be on stage, not sitting in this seat! I can get my leg that high, right!? YEAH!" (ahem, I can't).

After the show was over, I googled the height limit and found out that I was 1/4 of an inch too short. Which was sad! But it was also kind of a relief because at least I felt like my entire childhood hadn't been wasted by not taking dance, I wouldn't have been a rockette anyhow. Darn you, genetics!

So since I can't be a Rockette, I'll just have to settle for being the Rockettes biggest fan!

(but I'm still working on my kicks....just in case they change the height requirement! I mean, it IS the 21st century after all!)

I can't even tell you how glorious it felt to witness something as wonderful as the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Besides having my room redone by Ty Pennington, seeing the Rockettes in person was one of my first childhood dreams. And I have now! With my own eyes! Blessed and blissful doesn't even begin to describe it.

You know those moments where you want to freeze time and just sit back for a bit and take in how wonderful life is?

Christmas in NYC was one of those times.

THE GREAT CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR!

Oh where to start? Emily and I have the funniest friendship. And ever since I moved back, singing has been our way of expressing our love for the world and carbohydrates (the ravioli song!) So naturally with Christmas and all, a round of caroling was in order, fondly dubbed the Christmas Spectacular because it really was just that!

Okay, so basically all we did was run around her neighborhood singing Christmas songs several octaves higher than what's socially acceptable. But it was grand and we ended the night with 15 waves from strangers, 2 honks, 2 people stopping to watch and a grand finale of Deck the Halls with the kids across the street.

There has never been a merrier day than the 23rd of December. Now, for awkward photos!

▲▲ As you might notice, the lantern is a KEY element to a wonderful Christmas spectacular! Also, this is just a small sampling of Emily's collection of interesting facial expressions.

 ▲▲ And also, sparklers! Provided by our local wanna be pyrotechnic , thank you Andy for such a sparkly contribution! (or contributation as I said earlier...)

▲▲ This photo is oozing with tradition! Emily's family (my family too! who am I kidding?!) has put up this nativity scene ever since I can remember. And when I was little I would always make everyone bow to Jesus. And now I'm not little and I still make everyone bow. It's just one of those things you can't ever not do? (like eating only one potato chip.)

Thanks Em, for caroling with me, and to Emily's parents for pretending we didn't sound as bad as we did. And remember, the best way to spread Christmas Cheer is to sing loud for all to hear! As of now, Emily's neighborhood is drowning in Christmas cheer....

That's how we do  it!

Festivus!

I have not posted about a celebration in a really long time....oops. Anyway, hope you were festive because today was Festivus day! I assume Festivus includes general festive things such as, drinking eggnog, listening to Christmas music, wrapping presents, and so on. I decided to look up Festivus in the dictionary, because I was somewhat confused about the meaning. Turns out, there is no meaning because Festivus is not a word! So we have creative liberty today!

Here are some festive things I did:

• I painted my nails red.
• Went Christmas shopping
• Tried on my Eve outfit.
• Watched a Video on the making of the Michael Buble Christmas Album.
• Wrapped presents

Here's my favorite. It does not exactly shout Festivus.

• Wrote a letter in a red pen.

The last one is sort of lame...but since I have some liberty today, the red pen is the most Festivus thing around!

Sincerely,
Red = Festivus.

Sad news

Here's the deal : we are still tree-less. I am Michael Buble-less.

Hopefully all that will change today.

And neither of those are really all that sad.


Have a wonderful Tuesday!

Silent (day)

This was a very interesting weekend for me. I was forced to be quiet. It was brutal.

I lost my voice. I could whisper, but not talk. Of course, the weekend when our friends come to town! Maybe I was the only person who didn't not hearing my endless chatter!
Jana and I used to be the same height....4 years ago.
Jana and Megan.
Punk was looking so cute!
Before I fell over.



I believe we are finally getting a Christmas Tree (Can I hear a woot from someone please?) Dad thought Christmas was 3 weeks away, not 2. I am going to buy Michael Buble's album today. That is good news.

XOXO,
Silent Person

Christmas Kick-off

Well folks, we've got one month to go until Christmas! I am so excited. Now, we can all officially listen to Christmas music and not overlook an important holiday.

And as you all know, its Black Friday. Probably the most awesomest shopping day of the year. If I do say so, I am quite good at Black Friday shopping because I am a bossy little cow. I weasel my way through the masses of people to find my prized item. And I scored a massage while we were waiting in line at Macy's. Seriously! Mother and I made about 14 dozen trips to the car and back. And all we got was pots and pans!

But shopping is so much fun. I just love it.

I am conducting a poll. Do you like eggnog? Please comment your answer. I think the results will be very interesting!

Happy little day

Today was just one of those days. You know, when life goes well and you are happy. I am generally a happy person, but sometimes I'm just about the crabbiest person ever.

However that was not the case today! And here is why:

• I made the cutest crafts. Crafts make me so happy. I am waiting until December to share them with you....uh which is only like 7 days away!
• I slept in until 10:00 (applause!)
• I killed a bug. I don't like death, but I am totally fine with sending bugs to their watery, bleach filled grave.
• I wrote a bunch of letters. I love writing letters. A whole, whole lot.
• I started listening to Christmas Music.
• I am planning my Christmas outfit. It is going to be so cute! It will stay 100% top secret until the big reveal!
• Daddy got back from his trip, and I am so thankful we in here in the warm weather this winter.
  

And tomorrow is Thanksgiving! Isn't that enough to make anyone pretty happy?? I think so. And the day after that comes the best shopping day of the year! And then my birthday is soon and the Christmas and then new years!

It just keeps getting better and better.

Yep, it was a good day.

61 to go

I am so ready for Christmas. I am ready for Sirius Holiday Music. I am ready for Paul McCartney and the Wings. I am ready for shopping and giving and eating cookies and wrapping gifts and opening gifts and all that wonderful, lovely, once a year jazz. There is just something fantastic about Christmas.

I got my Christmas piano music. I got silver bells!!! Silver Bells is possibly one of the greatest Christmas songs ever written. Why? I have no idea. I love to sing Silver Bells during the year. Dad and I always sing it on road trips. I distinctly remember driving through Nevada on our way to Vegas and singing Silver Bells. And that was in July. So basically we are strange. And I got Rudolph the red nose reindeer, which is immensely cool because I know it in French! I love Christmas. I love French. It doesn't get much better than that.