Snow and light

 Our first good storm of the season blew in last week.  Not enough for a snow day, but enough for a gloriously snowy evening, and a cover of white that's lasted for 5 days now.  Holiday lights twinkle from beneath a soft blanket of white atop bushes and roofs.  And-- roads have been mostly clear!  My favorite kind of snow.

The weather warmed enough today to make for excellent packing snow, and so the construction of some leafy snowmen was in order.

 But-- to backtrack a bit!  In the midst of the snow, we've had a nice, busy week full of music, light, friends, and cookie baking...

 

A week ago today found us back at the dog show for a second day...

This lady wanted to meet her future grand-dog.  

It's looking like we will be bringing home this little girl!! She may end up returning to her breeder at times for showing or breeding if she shows promise, which is kind of exciting.

 We just can't wait to bring her home! Though I am not sure that we are ready for all the chaos little girl will bring with her.... (she just looks sweet and snuggly-- she's actually a pretty spunky, active little lady...)

 Monday:  The kids had a piano recital!  A little informal gathering of Miss Kathy's current students.  While the kiddos actual playing was far from perfect (what with the general lack of practice that we manage), I was very proud that they conquered their nerves and played in front of the crowd...

 They had a lot of fun at the reception after.  I like this photo of Jack pontificating to the other 10 year olds...

 Wednesday:  The music continues.  4th-5th grade concert at Boulevard.  These big tall kids, singing the oldies and grooving along.  Jack sang earnestly and participated well, though he told me that hand motions aren't really his thing.

 Friday:  Glow!

 We love our gardens!

 Saturday-- Another Harry Potter birthday party (this time for our little friend Ellen), then a great night at our house with our friends.

With a quick stop at the car wash on the way home, of course.
Who knew the car wash -- and a ride home with three girls squished into the back of a car-- could be full of so much excitement?

 Of course, that has NOTHING on an evening of felting.

 The idyllic peace of this moment can be contrasted with the point in the evening later, when there were 4 children running madly around the house as Melinda, Will and I were busy putting out a grease fire in the kitchen, right before our new boarder arrived and our broken dishwasher began to spontaneously and repeatedly turn on and off.   Good times...

 Sunday:  Cookies!  In preparation for today's cookie-swap party, we baked 3-4 dozen each of 4 different types of cookies.  We were supposed to make 6 dozen of one type.  We are bad at math.  But good at cookie baking!  Our house is completely full of deliciousness now.

And now-- back to the wrapping.  7 days til Christmas, and there are still many bows to tie! 

Its beginning to look a lot like Christms...

 All of a sudden it is December.  As I type tonight, a dusting of idyllic snow is falling.  Our decorations are up and the main rooms of the house are suffused with glowy light and greenery.  We've just returned from a winter festival complete with bonfire and trolley ride,  Life is rather like "a picture print by Currier and Ives" just at this moment...

 Also, it can be noted that my children were in a screaming match at bedtime about whether stocking presents are acceptable for family gifts, and my daughter was sobbing over how much gift-making she has yet to do, and I can't walk into my office for all the boxes, and I am already exhausted without having even begun the wrapping...

THAT'S the real indicator that Christmas is upon us, isn't it??

Meanwhile-- we've celebrated birthdays, seen lights, started Advent traditions-- and carried on with the living and growing up that's always happening around here, Christmas season or no.

My birthday fell on a Thursday, which happened to be "bargain night" for Deck the Hall at Stan Hywet. So, you know what we did to celebrate!  A lovely, mild night at my favorite place, with our best friends, and NO crowds...  who could ask for more.

Oh!  They are too big!!  But-- silver linings!  They can not only be trusted on the house tour... I think they are starting to LIKE it!  Ivy said as we rounded a corner, "We get to go *upstairs* next.... I *love* going upstairs!"  Me too, daughter, me too. 

Will and Nat enjoy a walk in the magic of the birch tree allee...

Our beautiful friends. I am so grateful they joined us because everything is more fun with them around.

We stayed up til a ridiculous hour for a school night, so we could do presents and cake at home. These are the kinds of sacrifices we are willing to make for birthdays...

Mere days later...  time for Light Up Lakewood!  More lights than you can handle around this town!

This festive Dalek was our favorite.

 We went mostly for the parade...

... but lingered for the lights and the fun of walking amongst the crowd in the middle of the street.  Until it got TOO crowded (its a fine line, for us), and we skedaddled back to Gram's for a lovely birthday dinner.  This year's birthday theme appears to be:  "Combined with Christmas just a little bit."  I am ok with that, because I have been needing a little bit of Christmas recently.

A quiet day at home on Sunday.  This boy has taken to bringing ALL of his bedding downstairs with him, and thereby becoming the very picture of cozy repose.

Also this is pretty much an accurate image of him 90% of the time these days-- earbuds, eyes tuned to the screen, tremendous focus in effect.   Sometimes we forcibly remove the device and either send him to school or pose him for pictures, but I thought you ought to know the truth.

Also, we decorated the tree.  This is the face of a man who not only has a 70 pound child on his shoulders, but is being forced to decorate the tree BEFORE his birthday. He's a trouper.

Finished out the weekend with my West Shore Chorale concert.  But first--a trip to see and photograph the Supermoon over Cleveland.  With 500 other photographers.  It was a moon-photo party by the script Cleveland sign!

The concert went surprisingly well for having only had 5 weeks of rehearsal.  Aside from the stage being crazy-hot, it felt great to be up there singing.  I am so grateful for the opportunity to make music with this group of dedicated and talented people.  And for the gift of singing "O Magnum Mysterium."  That song is magical.

Birthday time, again!  A Monday night birthday is a quiet affair...

 ...but we did manage to liven things up with some help from Nat's new cordless leaf-blower. 

 And now-- we are in full Advent mode.  December is clicking by, in the way that only December can.  We expedite the process with all of our counting down... this year we not only have chocolate Advent calendars, and our nightly Christmas book, but we're also filling a basket with food donations.  Evenings are busy with remembering and counting.  So much anticipation!  It is no wonder that we are frayed and quick to argue by the end of each day.

Luckily some nights are peaceful.  Behold:  Jack laying "inside" his new bed, reading "The Nutcracker" to his sister.  (And occasionally critiquing the over-use of certain transition words.  That's my boy.)

 Wednesday:  Last ballet of 2017!

 ...and, "Sneak Peak" at Heights Middle School.  We are pretty psyched about the transition after seeing the space and hearing about all the opportunities.  Even the boy is beginning to wrap his mind around it.  He was so nervous walking in for the presentation.

 But by the tour, he and a friend were leading the group through the halls, asking questions of the middle school guide and making 10-year-old plans.... When did he get so grown up??

 Here is  picture of the rabbit begging my daughter for ice cream in the light of the Christmas Village.  I think I need to print this one out and look at it every time I start to think that my life is not perfect.

 Also, this picture.  Because this is me snuggling one of the puppies we met today.  One of whom will be our new family member after Christmas!

We went to the dog show just for fun but then decided to see if our breeder was there.  She was-- AND had brought the puppies!  They are perfection.  I am still on a puppy-endorphin high.  It was the hardest thing to walk away without one...

...but now, we have one more thing to anticipate!

 We ended the evening with the Coventry Winter Festival.  Despite the idyllic scene, the children were non-plussed by the activities on offer.

At least til we went in Big Fun.  They are old enough to enjoy Big Fun now, it turns out.  I think we were in there for 45 minutes....

 Closing for now with some views of our Christmas 2017 decor. While its no "Deck the Hall" around here, I'm still pretty pleased with how everything looks. I think this house just shines at Christmas, festooned in red and evergreen.  The soft lighting hides a myriad of flaws and cracked plaster, too.

 Amid all the stress and mad rush of this season, here's to moments of peace and Christmas joy.  And puppies.  Here's to puppies for sure.