We interrupt your regularly scheduled program..

to let you know that you are NOT going anywhere for the next few days on account of the freezing rain and slick roads and winter storm warnings.

 

Good Grief.

Holiday Happenings II : Breakfast with Santa

Breakfast with Santa

I am trying to cram the rest of our Holiday Happenings in before it turns 2015!

A few weeks ago, we had breakfast with Santa at church.
Breakfast was pancakes, sausages and juice or milk.

I really missed Cindy because at these occasions, we would try to sit together to eat and talk.

This year, Santa was up front and center on the stage, when in previous years, he had always hidden behind a screen of some sort.  I couldn't figure it out.
 
ANYWAY, there was quite a crowd as usual, with almost everyone dressed up festively or in their PJs :)

The little boy and I made the craft rounds,
 
although he didn't seem quite as enthusiastic about them as last year.



But we still came away with souveniers to keep.

The little boy, for some reason, was reluctant to see Santa this year, when last year he was all smiles and glee.  He kind of froze up when it was his turn, not smiling and shy, and unsure of what to say  He had asked me earlier if it was okay if he didn't tell Santa what he wanted.

Once OFF of Santa's lap, though, he was happy again, playing around and posing in the fake snow. :)


After Santa left, presumably to bring happiness and cheer to other children elsewhere, the little boy wasted no time hamming it up on Santa's chair.

Brother. :)

I can't wait to see what kind of reaction the maturity of NEXT YEAR brings :)

Holiday Happenings I : HEB Feast of Sharing

This is the 10th year HEB is having a Feast of Sharing for the community in Abilene, and I can hardly believe that I have been here long enough to have been at the very first one.

We never used to go to the "back" where the activities were, but after the little boy was born, that seems to be the highlight of the night.

This year, for some reason, he is incredibly shy about meeting Santa or saying anything to Santa. I wonder why. I'll chalk it up to "a phase". :)

We had, however, looked at the old posts from my blog about the previous times we had been there, and he wanted to look out for all the familiar inflatables, and lo and behold, they were there!


We arrived pretty late, so many of the booths were winding down already by the time we got there. We still managed to get in a few crafts before it was time to go.

I guess we'll see you next year, Feast of Sharing! Keep up the Good Work!

Weather

The weather forecast says that we will be getting rain and possibly snow in the early morning hours.  That just reminded me of a week or so ago, when I woke up, went outside and it looked like I had been transported to Brigadoon.

Christmas Tree Oh Christmas Tree

We tried to get our Christmas Tree earlier this year, but we had to concentrate on several other things that had become major priorities in the mean time - like sorting out our Health Insurance and whatnot.

We still managed to get the tree about 2 weeks before Christmas, from Lowe's, where they were already on sale for 50% less.

 
We found a beautiful 7 foot Fraser Fir Tree to bring home, with a little help from the Lowe's associate.
 
We have ornaments from our very first Christmas Tree together,
 
along with ones we have accumulated along the way.
The little boy was quite excited to help, and he got to put HIS set of ornaments, and some shatter-proof ones up.
There were the Chinese Motif ornaments,
The various Annual Commemorative ornaments,

and the regular bauble-types.


The hubs was the only one who could reach the top of that thing without a step ladder,

and as per our tradition, he hoisted the little boy up for the final touch, the Star.


I love the old yellow-type lights, so that's what we strung up before we put up the ornaments, along with some that slowly changed colors.

I love our tree. :)

So far, Mr Fat Cat, being the young juvenile delinquent that he is, has been very interested and has swiped several times at the low hanging ornaments.

Each time he does that, he gets didgeridoo'd with a cardboard tube, and so far, has left the tree pretty much alone, i.e. not taken the whole thing down yet.

Let's hope it stays that way for a while :)

It's starting to get a little chilly

Earlier today, it was like a warm spring day, but then it started blowing in from the North, and now it's Brrrr City. ;)

Henry's enjoying the warm sunshiny day as well. :)

Sumptuous Dining

We will miss you, "The Bean At ACU", while you are closed for the Christmas holidays.  We have grown accustomed to our Sunday brunch there, and wait anxiously for when you reopen!

City Sidewalks 2014

Things that occur annually make me happy and sad and sometimes a little nervous.   That sounds of neither here not there, but man is a complex creature.  And maybe woman is even more complex. 😜
/end self reflection

 I knew that the downtown Christmas Parade was coming up and so the little boy and I looked up the previous years' parades on the blog to er, refresh "our" memories as to what to expect.  The little boy remembered bits and pieces of stuff, but then again, he is only 5.  He can already remember way more memories that I believe I might have been able to, at that age.

 

ANYWAYS, we had intended to be downtown for all the pre-parade activities, like the bell ringers and choirs and the whathaveyous.  However, at the last minute, we couldn't find the car keys because apparently, one of the cats had decided that they were cat toys and had absconded with them.

 

Long story short, we got there with just a little bit of time left, just enough to catch the community orchestra doing several renditions of Christmas carols and songs.

 

 We had arranged to meet Walter there, and it was great to have him with us.  The hubs and him have a similar appreciation of technology and movies and all the sausage-making that comes with making movies, so they are never at a loss for topics.

 

The little boy had a grand time, groovin' and movin' and shaking to "Feliz Navidad".  Who knew he had such breakdancey moves in him :)

We grabbed outselves some free popcorn from one of the downtown businesses

 

 and proceeded to find a strategic place to park ourselves to watch the parade from.

There was much regaling and singing and shouting - though I was glad there was much less honking than previous years - and we managed to catch MOST of the parade.

We then crossed the street over to the Civic Center for the Tree Lighting ceremony, which was entertaining, as usual.

 

 

  It is always interesting to watch the Glee-type kids really getting into the songs that they sing, and it is always a marvel to listen to the combined high school orchestra kids doing their thing.

The mayor was there with his family to officiate the whole thing, and we all sang "We wish you a Merry Christmas" after the tree was lighted.  The little boy enjoyed that for sure.

 

We didn't want to be caught up in the traffic rush once the ceremony was over, so we went into the auditorium for cookies and soda 

 

and watch little cheerleaders perform their crazy feats.

 

 

 Till next year, Christmas Parade, when I will once again welcome you with much nostalgia.