It Was A Very Purple Christmas

Gloves

Boots

Sofa Blanket

Pajamas

Hand Towels

Shower Curtain

Flannel Sheets

Vintage and Homemade Pillowcases

Stocking Stuffers

Thanks everyone!

Goodbye Winter, Hello Christmas

Here was the scene on our street over the weekend. Looks lovely at first...but we shoveled snow for hours over the weekend.

Monday morning found us at Logan Airport on our way south to TN.

After a day of travel, we arrived at Mammaw's house for the Christmas holiday!

Snow Day for Trixie

Because the forecast calls for snow starting mid-day and turning heavy later this afternoon, there is no school today (because the buses might get caught in gridlock). Trixie found a warm place to wait for and wait out the storm and says, "Every day is a snow day for kitties."

Dear Santa, Please Bring Galoshes

Britt rides his bike to work in most all weather conditions. When the roads are wet, however, his shoes get wet. His solution? Grocery bags on his feet. 

Does anyone still make over-shoes?

Wintertime in KittyLand

All things considered, it's been a mild fall. But Trixie thinks it's already winter. She roams the house looking for a warm body or a fluffy duvet, and when she can find both, she's hit the jackpot.

Beau's Two-Week Birthday Celebration

Beau turned 12 in November. Since his birthday falls near Thanksgiving, it's always a battle to squeeze in a celebration.

We began on Monday morning, the day before his actual birthday, with a surprise visit from the neighbors to have a "last day of 11" breakfast.

We did the surprise breakfast the day before his birthday because Aunt Carrie and Uncle John arrived that night from CA and we didn't want to disturb them on Tuesday.
But we did have present-opening at Tuesday's breakfast (because Tuesday is a busy, busy day here, and breakfast is the only time we're all together).

He got a bit of loot that he was hoping for, plus some useful items that he's been in need of.

It wasn't until last weekend (12/7) that we had a party. We took a pack of 11- and 12-year-old boys into the North End (the Italian neighborhood of Boston) for pizza. We chose a place that had a big variety sold by the slice, so each boy could chose his own topping; also at this place, a "slice" is a quarter of a pie (seriously!), so we only needed to buy one "slice" per kid. This picture shows only half a slice!

Once fortified, we walked through a light snow to the North End ice rink



and went skating.


Back at home, we finally had a proper birthday cake and wrapped up a celebration that was spread out over nearly two weeks.

Stinky Jersey Update

Casey's team won yesterday's game, too. Still not allowed to wash the jersey.

Smells Like Hockey

So... the mite-sized game jersey that Casey had for hockey this season was a bit small, and the team manager queried the other team managers looking for an unused larger jersey.

Apparently, the only jersey he could get his hands on was a midget-sized jersey. "Midget" is the age division for high-school players, and they only play a short season of town hockey in the early fall before playing school hockey in the winter. Therefore, midget season is over, and all of their jerseys have been turned in. Unwashed. 

So... the manager brought the larger sized jersey to today's game. It smells, of course, like a rank, sweaty teenage boy. Britt says it smelled so bad that his eyes teared up and his nose hairs curled. 

Casey, however, took a whiff and said (with reverence): "It smells like pure hockey."

That's not all.

The Cambridge team won today's game, and Casey scored four of the team's five game goals. Now, you may or may not know that athletes can be superstitious, but Casey came home not only pleased about his four goals but also adamant that I not wash the stinky (and apparently lucky) jersey...

Casey's Soccer Season

Casey wants you all to know that his soccer season ended Saturday, November 8. His team finished with a 6,1 and 2 (6 wins, 1 loss and 2 ties). Casey and his friend Sky were on the same team.

The Widsom of a 3rd Grader

"Pants. They're really important."

-Casey, Nov. 8, 2008

Lucky, Lucky Me

I got new countertops this week. It's Formica, in a color called multifleck. You can see it, here but it's hard to tell on the screen just how pretty it is.

Britt's Take on the State Prop. Results

Question 1: Repeal the state income tax? NO
Question 2: Decriminalize marajuna possession? YES
Quesion 3: Prohibit greyhound racing beginning in 2010? YES

= Your tax dollars: buying pot for retired greyhounds.

Our Halloween

This year, our Halloween began a full week before the actual event. First up: a Halloween celebration at Britt's office on Friday afternoon beforehand. Beau and Casey are, perhaps, getting a bit old for the event, but it was good to have them there to off-set the tide of preschool princesses.

Beau was a sort of mercenary archer, and Casey was Jackie Chan.

That weekend, Britt and Casey went to the Halloween event at the local cub scout camp. (Can you find Jackie Chan?)



Casey carved his own pumpkin this year.

As usual, we had the neighbors here for pre-trick-or-treating dinner. (We also had a "haunted basement this year, but there are no photos of the actual basement-dwelling ghouls.)

Then, sufficiently fortified, we went out to beg for candy.