simply lovely day

It is Christmas Eve and I will be heading into the office in a wee bit.

Yuck.

Those office days however make me appreciate the days where I don't go into work even more.

Here's how Court and I spent one of those days recently. He calls them Mommy days...

and I call them simply lovely days.
We went tobogganing in the park with a couple of his friends until his cheeks were bright red and then walked home for some hot chocolate.

We hit the library for books...

and maybe a movie...or two.

We dragged our big bag of books across the street to the bakery...

where we admired the decorations...

Court ordered his favourite monkey bread...

and he asked me if I got a picture of him "eating the boob".

We read some of the books we had picked out. I drank my pot of tea.

Simply...

lovely...

day.

~

We are going on a little holiday...a little french get-away...with family!  We will be spending our time after Christmas in a cabin in Quebec...and I do imagine a few more simply lovely days there will do this mommy good!  I will be off-line until then...

Merry Christmas my sweet friends.  What a blessing you have been to me this year!

Hugs and kisses...or should I say grosses bises!

10 things

1.  I've lost 7 pounds.

2. It only took 24 hours and it was ugly.

3. It is impossible to enjoy TV, books or blogs when you have the stomach flu.

4. Today my Christmas postcards were for the most part finished and mailed.  And it isn't even Christmas yet. This is HUGE.

5. Date night tonight.  I will be a cheap date because I am not eating much of anything or drinking wine. Nor will I be ordering popcorn at the movie theatre which is such a pity.  I can't decide between seeing The Fighter...or Black Swan.  At first I was surprised that Kevin was willing to see the later...and then I wasn't...wink, wink.

6. We rented the movie The Town and I realized that the thing I find so hot about Ben Affleck is the fact that he co-wrote and directed it.  It is that good.
  
7.  I have four more days of work to get through before the big day. Which means I am really jealous of all of you who are now enjoying the holidays.

8. I am missing ballet. This beautiful little movie I found here doesn't help.  Or this amazing project.  Or this picture of Natalie Portman...




image

  9.  I can't, for the life of me, get a good picture in the school auditorium but I do love my little reindeer.

10. Date night begins right NOW...

oh happy day today

I am off work today.

I have just kissed some red cheeks at morning school send off, which I normally only get to do ONCE a week, walked home and I just don't know where to start.

There is soooooo much I want to pack in today...

before I head back to the school for the holiday assembly.

I want to visit a favourite book shop to pick special books for the kids, pick up the mirror that I had installed in this frame...

that will hopefully bring some much needed sparkle into my dining room.

I want to make this granola.

And wear this wonderful shirt, in navy, that somehow managed to get packed in a box with some gifts I ordered....

it was on sale at the time and allowed me to take 25% off my order...so technically it was FREE.

I have been trying to get away with layering my summer T's under my nubby sweaters but to be honest it's been hard to put on those summer tees now that the snow is here.  Putting on this longer sleeve shirt was heavenly this morning.

I will first off start working on my Christmas cards...better late than never.  Of course I didn't give myself enough time to order them so I'll be winging it homestyle this year.

I'm trying some post cards...made with a picture I took on Saturday...

when I shoved the kiddos outside and asked for some cooperation.  It went surprisingly well although the snow that finally arrived on Sunday, would have been nice.

Here are a few outtakes...

And here I go...

off to enjoy my delicious day! I hope everyone has a happy day too...

I don't bowl...

Recently I did something I rarely get to do...

have dinner with a friend whose friendship I cherish at a swanky restaurant in a big city.

We squeezed ourselves into the restaurant as it was, as so many hip places are, packed to the rafters. I read her pretty lips to understand her over the myriad of conversations going on around us.

There were other girls there, just like us, catching up over a half litre of a big dry red.

There were corporate groups and younger couples.

I looked at those young couples and was reminded of my life BC…Before Children.

This was Kevin and I over 12 years ago.

We lived in the big city. We took the subway to work. We worked in big office towers with white twinkle lights outside. We worked late…because we could.

We would meet after work under the twinkle lights. We would decide where we would go for dinner. We would order a bottle of wine…not a glass. We would try new things. We would share dessert. We took our time.

On Saturday Kevin and I were offered 3 children free hours mid afternoon while the Sensei at Charlotte's martial arts academy watched over our kids and let them eat pizza and chips and...ring pops.

I thought briefly of using that time to clean my toilets...

or shop for a few more presents.

But instead we were us 12 years ago...for three short hours...and it was nice.

Then we picked the kids up and went off to get our tree...


Court with purple ring pop mouth

and it was a good thing we didn't cut down our own.  We barely made it through the 5 minute jaunt around the orchard...


before Court crashed from his sugar high...

and we picked up a nice pre-cut pine.  On the way home Court told me the reason behind his meltdown...

he explained that it was because he really hasn't gone bowling very much. Only once or twice.  That was why he completely lost it at the apple orchard?

I am a horrible mother.  I don't bowl.

sunlight...starlight

I feel like I may be channelling a bit of my high school self what with the bangs and having recently busted out the hot rollers. Yes, I rolled my hair everyday that final high school year. I had little hair...and it needed to be BIG.  I’m afraid I may look like those women who rocked the Farrah Fawcett feathers in their prime and have just refused to give it up.  The fact that hot rollers are mentioned in the new issue of InStyle mag gives me some hope...

The weekend is almost here, thank goodness. It will give me some time to turn my face toward the sun which can be found outside, I'm told.  My days have been spent in an office with no window to the outside world which is enough to drive, even this die hard optimist...down. 

This year I put twinkle lights up in the little tree in our side yard...they cannot be seen from the road...but are for my little family to enjoy instead. This is the weekend for our tree too, which will hopefully shine some more light into this house.  I just can't decide if we will do the usual...or perhaps have a try at cutting down our own? Whatever we do, I will be happy to have it up and will no doubt be decorating it as the Elf soundtrack plays in the background...

phew



Winter outdoor decor 2010

Court and I were half way through our third puzzle when an Ikea soft soccer ball whizzed past my head.

I then suggested perhaps that the balls should be basement bound along with the two kiddos...

and I'm just wondering how long that will last.

Perhaps long enough to bust out a post...

or not.

Movie and hot buttered popcorn now to the rescue and I'm giving myself 15 minutes before I must meet Kevin on the couch.

Phew...where did the week go.

There was the One of a Kind show where I did my best to spend more and buy less as Ellen suggested here.

Since I couldn't leave Kessa Laxton's booth Patouche empty handed, I purchased a pretty alpaca crocheted head band for Charlotte...and my mum bought one for me.  My mum will wrap mine up for me to open and pretend surprise on Christmas day...

and at the same time Court will open this...

and will be thrilled. If ever there was a gift made for him...this would be it.  Thank you Fancy Pants Kids.

I will share the screen printed napkins I purchased from the sweet Genevieve at her booth Ollie Golightly in a later post.  She had the most beautiful linen and organic cotton fabric.

Today I finally got a start on the winter/holiday decor, both inside and out.

I'm still not thrilled with my urns but the wreaths will have to do for now...3 are hanging leaving 3 more for tomorrow.

Kevin has missed me because I've been completely lost...

in this book.


I didn't want it to end...but it has...and I'm back.

♥