Jolly Old St Nickolas

Our house feels very festive.

I have the lights on outside (not as many as I put out last year, but I don't think anyone has noticed).

The trees are all up and decorated in the house. 

Oh, I said trees plural.  The traditional one upstairs, the white girly one downstairs and then the small table top tree on the bar which has gone from a Noah's ark tree, to a tree for Rosie's room with lots and lots of tinsel, to this year an Ohio State tree.  



The stockings are all hung on the chimney with care in hopes that someone was coming last week.... Jolly Old St Nick.

So the whole St Nick thing isn't something that I grew up with.

I remember having conversations with my mother about St Nick when everyone else was talking at school but it wasn't something we celebrated as a kid.

Nate on the other hand would put their Christmas lists in their stockings on Dec. 5th and then St Nick would come take them and drop a few things off in their stockings. 

As Lil Miss got the Veggie Tales movie about St Nickolas in her stocking we have been hearing about the story of St Nick all week and how he was a gift giver.  But not just any gift giver, he gave to the poor, assisted the needy and helped the sick and suffering. 

The story is just one more in which I can reinforce the need to give to others in my children. 

Yes, they might get gifts in their stockings or under the tree on Christmas day, but it is so much more meaningful to give to others who need it more. 

Lil Miss sure gets excited every time she hears a bell ringer and grabs for my shirt sleeve to tell me to get some change out.  My coin purse is now empty.  I have to refill it about once a week. 

She trots over to the red metal buckets and stands on her tippy toes and just barely reaches the hole to drop her coins in.  It's never to young to do that!



 



Rosie (the tallest of the four) helped the kids get their stockings down from the mantel to see what St Nick had left.  They got a movie, and a small toy and the big girls got cute ear muffs which they so desperately needed so their hair doesn't get all matted down in a knit hat.

Gigi was all smiles over her Hello Kitty earmuffs.

That same day was Bubba's birthday. 

I had asked him earlier in the week what he wanted for dinner on his special day. 

His answer:  chicken! 

My boy loves his chicken. 

So this momma decided to fry up some of Grandma Aggie's Fried Chicken for dinner.

It made the house smell so good! 

The house was permeated with fried chicken baking in the oven getting tender and falling off the bone.   Reminded me of going over to Grandma's for dinner and getting mashed potatoes and gravy and all that wonderful goodness.

I am not a pro at making her chicken because I can't master the art of frying chicken without ending up with grease burns. 

And the ones on my arm just might be permanent.  :-) 

I did the whole chicken dance. 

The one where you drop a chicken leg in the pan and jump back and then put another one in and jump back as quick as you can.  But alas my jumping skills must not be that good because it got me. 

Now I know there is a trick to this that I must learn from my mother or Aunt Carol because I am sure my grandmother was not jumping around with her chicken while frying every week. 

I need to learn the secret. 

 

When we came to the weekend we got to spend some great time with old and new friends.

Lots of food was consumed and laughter shared among us.

The kids love playing with friends and Rosie has an infatuation with little babies to play with. 

 One thing that Rosie started last week was sewing. 

Oh yes, this momma is proud my girl is sewing. 

One of her friends had gotten her a sewing kit for her birthday so we sat down and did her first project.  She made her own little stuffed frog. 

As the project went on she really got into the swing of the straight stitch. 

She can't wait to sew more projects with me.   

On Sunday night we had a popcorn and movie night. 

I love those!!

We watched Cinderella (which Nate didn't think he had ever saw!) and snacked on some Boy Scout Popcorn.  Can't go wrong with that.  

It was nice to sit down to some family quiet time when the whole weekend was filled with guitar music from Bubba's new guitar. 

Uncle Jeff and Aunt Ash surprised Bubba with his own guitar and an amp to make it even LOUDER! 

Thank you Jeff and Ash... but where was the ear plugs for mommy and daddy? 

:-)  No seriously he is in heaven and is often found now in his room on the edge of the bed playing a tune.  It's the little things. 

Now it's Monday night and I just heard Bubba tell me all about the caroling they did at a nursing home for Boy Scouts.  Rosie went along too and they sang songs and smiled and got candy canes at the end!!  So much excitement. 

Nate said he sang his heart out too.... that might have been said sarcastically. 

I need to get him in the holiday spirit. 

Maybe a family sing along is needed for this weekend to get him in the mood. 

Not sure, what do you think?