I’m starting to get excited about the holidays now. Especially since I just got the news that my mom is coming! YAY! She’s coming AFTER Christmas, but that’s okay because she’s staying for nearly a month. Woot! And hopefully, my brother and Simone will be able to come up for at least a few of the days between Christmas & New Year’s, too. Hope, hope!
Question for parents: how late do your kids stay up? (did I ask this before? or am I just having déjà vu?) If they stay up until 10 on a school night, what age were they when they were allowed to do so? There is some extremely fierce lobbying going on here, and I need ammo.
I’ve had a lot of anxiety this past year about not writing the way I want to write. But suddenly, I feel much calmer about it: if it’s not coming, it’s not coming. It’s not going to stop me writing, dadgummit. At some point, it will surely be back (and no, I didn’t just call you Shirley).
Really Great Writing Out There Right Now: What’s so great about literacy and education?
Awesome Eyes: Owl in a box
One jack-o-lantern is moldering, his grinny grimace drooping down to the pavement. Time to bag them up and pitch them before I can’t approach without gagging! Anyway, it’s time to get them gone, because I plan on pulling out the holiday decorations in another couple of weeks. I already have advent calendars ready for both kids for the first time in…ever. I was joking at work today with a friend that you can’t sing Christmas carols until December and then saw that someone in the next office building over already has one of the triangular Swedish Advent lights lit up in the their window. I’m pretty sure you can be expelled from Sweden for things like that. Even our local grocery store already has Christmas stuff for sale, though they at least haven’t actually started decorating the premises yet.
Things People Have Said About Me Lately:
“I thought I’d ask you because you have a database in your head and know everything.”
“Mama äger att måla! (Mama rules at painting!)
“You’re exceptionally weird, even for an American.”
Cracking Me Up:
Liz: Karin, what the hell is this mess? Come and clean this up! You don’t need to leave this stuff all over the place.
Karin: Sorry.
Liz: Sorry isn’t good enough.
Karin: *without missing a beat* Oh please my darling mother, I promise it will never happen again, I grovel before you and apologize.
Liz: That’s better.
Liz & Karin: *giggle madly*
Martin’s room renovation is proceeding apace. Anders has spackled and removed the last remnants of wallpaper glue which Martin & I missed (there might have been some implications about our patience level in there somewhere). BUT the wallpaper set that Martin picked out has turned out to be too expensive. So, I’m going to paint the trees myself. Martin has chosen the colors: a natural palette of soft greens and browns, and now we just have to get moving so we can get this all done before the holidays. I don’t think it will be done before we host Thanksgiving, though, more’s the pity.