It's more than candlelight and cheer...

“There's more, much more, to Christmas Than candlelight and cheer; It's the spirit of sweet friendship That brightens all year. It's thoughtfulness and kindness, It's hope reborn again, For peace, for understanding, And for goodwill to men!”

One of my favorite traditions from childhood was tenderly placing candles in the windows and turning on the tiny light when the sun went down. For the past three years, I have struck out left and right with this tradition and I'm not sure what the deal is?!? Last year I bought new candles for the windows, as most of my candles are hand-me-downs from Grandma F. I figured it was time to get a few new ones to replace the old ones...ones that have white plastic, rather than yellow plastic. Well. Apparently, new candles come with these "short" mechanisms, probably to prevent fires, I guess...These shorts come with replacement pieces, that don't work. (Nope, didn't save the receipt.)

Last year, I think maybe two or three of the new candles worked. So, I just said for-get-it! and didn't do the candles in the windows. Fast forward a year, and I did the same thing again. I bought new candles for all of the windows. Much to my delight, they all worked! It was an exciting day for me, the day after Thanksgiving, when I lovingly placed the candles in the windows.

Sure enough though, a week later and a 2.5 year old the loose...they're breaking LEFT. AND. RIGHT. Michael is to blame this time. So, this evening, I pulled out Grandma's candles and went back to her trusty standby.

As it stands, we're back in business, until Michael wakes up, anyway....How do people with small children decorate? Michael has been a bull in a stinking China shop this weekend. We broke (between the two of us) six glass ball ornaments or so while decorating the tree. And, Michael broke the leg off of the Jerry Rice ornament and the hand/football off of the Peyton Manning ornament. Both of these ornaments were/still are(?) Josh's favorites. Michael doesn't care that they're broken...he likes to play with them. Like they're his dolls or something.

I'll tell you one thing, though. It's going to be awhile before I pull out the Nativity set, I tell you what.

It's been a fun weekend, really! We went to a parade yesterday, watched a little bball, decorated the tree, went to church (managed to not get kicked out, though our pew was empty shortly after communion~conspiracy or coincidence?).

Now I'm off to finish The Jungle, only have about forty pages left! It's been killing me to leave it down, as Josh has been working up stairs pretty much all day long. (With a few breaks here and there for FFball, you know how that goes...)