Visitors from another world

One very underslept Girl was returned to us this morning, so I guess that rates as a successful "no-sleepover".  She didn't manage to muster any visible energy for the rest of the day.  I hope she catches up with herself tonight because she has a New Year's Eve sleepover tomorrow.

We had visitors in the afternoon.  Yesterday at the dentist, her son interpreting for her, my refugee friend offered to come and clean my house.  When I told her no, no she didn't need to do that, she admitted that really she just wanted to come and see where I lived.  Fair enough.

So this afternoon I collected her - and several other members of the family - and brought them over for a visit.  It was fun, even though the dog - still on loan from next door - scared the toddler (simply by virtue of being a dog - he didn't do anything scary and he's scarcely bigger than a guinea pig).  We looked through some photos and books about Burma, while the kids played with toys (including the dolls' house and the singing Christmas penguin).  Then we piled back into the car and I drove them home again. 

What people who have spent most of their lives in a refugee camp in Thailand make of an average American suburban home, I can't really imagine.

Dog days of winter

It has been a funny old day, with different combinations of us to-ing and fro-ing, and the Man slightly feeling that he's running an exceedingly cheap taxi service.

The kids were up early - the Boy's buddy had stayed overnight and was spending the day with us. I took the Girl for a skating practice first thing.  Then later in the morning I was called out to take my refugee friend and her son to the dentist.  After lunch the Girl needed a ride across the river to visit a friend, and the Man went on from there to the Dept. of Motor Vehicles for an eye-test to renew his licence ("Would you like to try reading the chart first without your glasses? Go back to the third blue floor tile and no cheating now!").

Soon after getting home from that he went out again to fetch the Girl and get her to her evening skating lesson, and himself to the YMCA for a run.  Then we all scarfed down some dinner before I set off to deliver the Girl to a sleepover (her first teenager's birthday party. Yikes.), calling in on the library on the way home to pay off my final fines of 2011.  And now the Man has gone back to the Y to take the Boy swimming...

The most restful presence in the house today has to be next-door's dog, who is with us again for another overnight stay.  He can hardly be bothered to go out, never mind take a ride in the car.

No-show snow woe

It has been much colder today, with a biting wind.  Not at all nice to be out in.  It even tried to snow a bit this afternoon, but nothing has stuck.  I'm pining for white scenery - compared to our other winters here this one is freakishly unsnowy.  This time last year, for example, we were up to our knees in the stuff.  This was the scene at Five Rivers on Christmas Day this year.  

A this-and-that day for us, then - the children seeing friends and the adults odding about.  The Man tried to take the Boy and his buddy to play glow-in-the-dark minigolf, but discovered it was closed for the winter this year, which about limits indoor diversions to museums, skating and ten-pin bowling until further notice.  As for outdoor pursuits, well, if it doesn't start snowing soon skiing isn't going to be much fun...

Could be a long, long winter.

Out of the closet

In our bedroom the Man and I have a spacious walk-in closet (what in other cultures might be a called a "room").  Inevitably, because it's behind a door that closes, all sorts of junk ends up in there.

Today I emptied it out and sorted through everything.  It was very satisfying.

There are things that do rightfully belong in a closet - the sort of things that are useful occasionally, like sleeping bags and extra quilts, suitcases and wind-up gramophones.  Also a small stash of emergency gifts in case of unexpected birthdays.  I've now made space for some of my fair trade campaign materials (posterboards and such-like) which until now had just been propped against a wall.  I haven't quite managed to part with the unpacked box of books, or the stack of pictures which we clearly don't love all that much or we'd have hung them up by now.  But I have made the space cleaner and tidier and altogether less appalling, and that's a good thing.  Also, I found a favourite sock that has been missing for months.

Now just the rest of the house to deal with...

Going cold tofurky

You will of course be wondering what a tofurky really looks like (we were).

Voila! 

And as for the flavour?  Well, let's just say that it tastes as it looks - not very much like a turkey.  The Man thought it was OK.   I wasn't too convinced - though surprisingly it's not bad cold.  Just a couple more days of torfurky sandwiches ahead of us now...

Happy Christmas

We had a lovely Christmas - we hope you did too.  Thank you to those who sent gifts, they are all much appreciated.

A while ago we suggested to the kids that they might like, ooh I dunno, a cruise in the Bahamas for Christmas?  But they weren't interested.  What they really, really wanted was to stay at home in their pyjamas all day, and...

..a singing penguin.

Result!

Seasons greetings

The house is tidy, the presents are wrapped and the tofurky is plucked and in the fridge.  The children aren't quite in bed, but at least they are in their pyjamas.  I think we may actually be ready for Christmas.

The Girl declared today that she has a new favourite seasonal song - we share it here as our novelty festive gift to you.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Joyous Kwanzaa to all!