snow much fun

we survived the campout! it was actually a lot of fun. the cabin is very nice and cozy. here we are hiking in...the girls posing outside...


here's cassie preparing sticks for roasting hot dogs and marshmallows for dinner...
playing cards before lunch while the soup simmers on the wood stove...cassie on the stairs to the loft...

tearing down the castle

who doesn't want to be a princess?

well, apparently cassie doesn't want to be a princess. i loved this wallpaper border with the pretty castle. cassie did not. it is her room, after all.

so yesterday we started to demolish the beautiful fairy tale castle. it was a sad day for me, but my little princess seemed to enjoy it. the new loft bed (ordered a month ago) has not arrived, but she does have her new bedding, purple shag rug, hot pink accent lamp, and the decorative wall stickers.today we'll finish cleaning off the wallpaper adhesive and take down the shelf and buy the paint. maybe we'll paint the room tonight.

today it is snowing. tomorrow we'll be camping. in a cabin. in the snow. i don't love camping, but a girl scout leader's gotta do what a girl scout leader's gotta do. send warm thoughts, please!

merry christmas!

lori posted a link to that recipe for pretzel chicken and we made it a few days ago. our plan for today was to have brunch after the pageant rehearsal, but cassie really wanted that chicken -- again! -- so we had a second round of pretzel chicken for lunch. the kitchen was standing room only as the kids stood there waiting for the chicken to come out of the fryer. it was just as good the second time around.

there's a roast in the slow-cooker for dinner after mass tonight. tomorrow we'll have a big breakfast (the brunch that was planned for today -- spinach and mushroom quiche, baked hash browns, biscuits and gravy, sausage and bacon, fruit).

the rest of the day will have a pirate theme. we're planning to watch all three pirates of the carribean movies and play the pirates constructible strategy game. we'll be eating appetizers all day with tiny swords, and the adults will be drinking rum (of course).

the christmas cards still have not been mailed, but when they are, you'll find a link to the online christmas letter. christmas came way too fast this year.

hope yours is peaceful and pleasant.

the winning streak continues

Every year, the Rainy Day Doll Makers in Sitka sell raffle tickets for an American Girl doll. Cassie and I always purchase tickets. This year the doll is Julie -- the "historic" doll from 1974.

1974! When she first came out, Lori and I laughed because she looks just like us.

We bought our raffle tickets, knowing that I would win, and I did! She came home yesterday and was warmly welcomed by the other dolls in the house.

insight

was trying to get daddy to start a blog and this week learned that he DOES have a personal webpage. why not a traditional blog? he wants to have control. doesn't want to deal with comments. wants control of the page format. blah blah blah. my dad is controlling!

now i know where i get it from...

a few weeks ago at my girl scout troop meeting we were making thanksgiving centerpieces for the senior center and i had carefully selected the craft supplies so that all the colors would coordinate. as the girls were working one of them noticed that all the papers went together and i said "that's because i'm controlling." and the mom that was there helping started to chuckle. seems she had realized this long ago, but would never have said it out loud. the next day i asked my co-workers about it (did you know i'm controlling?) and my boss said "i've heard that about you."

!

i like to think that i'm controlling in a way that makes people feel secure and comfortable. i think it's working.

today has been a very frustrating day, mostly because it's too freaking cold here and the doors on my car freeze OPEN. this is frustrating to me because i can't control it. we just have to drive around holding the doors shut until the car warms up enough to close them.

and then i was trying to print my christmas cards and my printer keeps spitting out blue streaks across the pages. also frustrating because i can't control it -- even after cleaning the print heads FIVE TIMES. argh.

and those 20+ profile views, MisterG, are mostly me. i can stop now that i know where to look.

arnold's new look

At the Sitka High School winter concert last night (in the new auditorium -- very nice), the concert band performed "Disco Christmas." Arnold (on bass guitar) was "Disco", Marshall (on drums) was "Christmas." He did a great job. Arnold also surprised us during the concert by reading an introduction to another piece -- "Trail of Tears" which was a song about marching the Native Americans to the reservation.

a royal flush

or -- what's under YOUR holiday tree?

i came home from work yesterday to find this in my living room...

and after dinner this evening, this is where cassie could be found...

i had ordered this a few weeks ago from spenard's. kent happened to be there yesterday and asked if it was in, and since it was he brought it home. he uninstalled the old toilet this evening and found that he needs another part before he can install this one. he said "it needs a new ring." and i said "what? you're going to buy me a ring?" (this is a joke.)

the old toilet is currently sitting on the front deck. a well ventilated area for, well, you know...