December 23, 2013

 Christmas is almost here!  I hate how frazzled I feel-  I have done everything I can to make this season simple and beautiful and Christ-centered, and it seems like that all got lost this past week in the mad dash to finalize meal plans and shopping, check everyone's gifts off the list, and wonder if I have done everything I can to avoid disappointing anybody.

Change in family situations made my wish of hosting a large, beautiful, meal to everybody a moot point.  We moved the smaller family gathering to Christmas Day to avoid stressing over two large meals, and now my sister and I are hosting separate ham dinners on Christmas Eve, and then I am hosting a...cocktail party on Christmas?  There will be a buffet of appetizers and platters of vegetables and cheese, there will be pie and presents, there will be paper goods, and there will be ice cream floats.  Yes, a cocktail party I suppose it is!  We will have our large family gathering next week, with lots of pizza and pop.  

The kids and I ran errands this morning (after I had a very strange dream about being forced to join a "fun excursion" swimming with a school of leaping swordfish.  Ouch.). The car passed its emission test and we passed on shopping at Costco! 15 minutes after opening the parking lot was already full and a policeman was directing traffic.  We hit Fred Meyer instead,  bought enough food that my worries about "What if no one else wants to bring anything to the potluck" could be put to rest, and made it home for lunch.  

My sister picked Mimi up for school and left Ming Wai here to play for the afternoon.  I made the pies we need for Christmas and helped the girls with their sewing projects.  Cocoa slept all afternoon.

I made a pot of rice and sautéed some shrimp in a pat of butter for dinner.  I threw in a glob of puréed peach jam, sriracha, and lime juice to make a quick glaze at the end, and served a salad on the side with our current batch of vinaigrette (creamy miso with honey.). It was very good!  We had pumpkin pie for dessert- Mom's birthday dessert from last night we were all too full to eat and I rudely cut a chunk out to take home with us to avoid the melt downs of "I wanted pie!"

We did our advent candle and read a story and got the kids ready for bed.

Cocoa got his pants on by himself this morning- he was mighty proud of himself!

At the store he claimed our new plunger as his own rifle.

Ernie asked me to thread her needle for her project-"Can you thread my needle?  It's a small hole...just like it's a small world.... But it's a big world!  Why do people say it's a small world?"