Christmas boos.

Last night, when I was trying to remove a miniature Ron ornament from its packaging for placement on the tiny tree in the bathroom, his head ripped off. So I can hang just Ron's head on the tree now - festive!

When I woke this morning, I noticed that NONE of the roof icicle lights are working. They were ALL working last night when I went to bed. Everything else on the roof and yard is working, but the icicles provide the most light. As Philip left for three weeks yesterday morning, I don't see how the roof will be repaired until he gets back. I'm so bummed about my Christmas lights. Lights are probably my second favorite thing about the holiday season, and now they're not working. :-(

The orange candy cane.

There's a particular holiday kid craft that it seems everyone has made at some point in time or another. You alternate red and white-colored beads on a pipe cleaner to make a candy cane Christmas tree ornament. A.J. has made a few in preschool and Sunday school, and Jack has made some as well. This year, however, he made his stand out a bit more...

Jack: Look, Mama! Here's the ornament I made for our kids' tree in preschool yesterday!
Me: It looks great, bud! Good job!
Jack: And see, if you look closer, I put on one ORANGE bead at the very end. I like it that way, but it doesn't look silly! Do you think it looks silly, Mama?
Me: No, Jack. Actually, I think it looks just - like - you!
Jack: ME? I don't have an orange BEAD at the end!

But it's a rusty sort of orange color, and you do have to look closely to see it next to the red pipe cleaner. Still, each year when we find this ornament, we'll know exactly who made it among the many bead candy canes. :-)

Ta-da!

Philip is the man. Seriously. He just fixed our Christmas lights, and he's not even in this state!

He was calling just to chat for a bit tonight, and I was telling him of the Christmas lights going out this morning. I told him that I'd tried to reset the outlet, but that hadn't worked, and that I figured some fuses were blown in the strands. I can't reach the fuses from the ground on our step ladder, and I wasn't about to get on the roof myself. I also told him that I suspected the outlet had a problem, as I'd tried to plug a nightlight in it, and it hadn't worked either.

And he said, "Did you flip the breaker?"

*smacks head* That never would have occurred to me. While I was talking to him, he walked me through trying it, and ta-da! The lights work on the roof again!

I love my man. :-)

The mighty Al-la.

The story as told to me during dinner tonight:

A.J.: Mom, do you want to know the life story of Al-la?
Me: Sure. (thinking to myself that he surely meant Allah, and wondering where he might've heard "the life story" of such)
A.J.: Okay. Well first, there was Al-la. And then he grew into Al-la-cadabra, and then he died as Al-la-kazam! Neat, huh?
Me: *roars laughter*

Like a rock... no, not under it.

I slept like a rock last night. I laid down right before 1am, and I was shocked to not even stir until the alarm went off at 7:40am. I'd barely even moved! A.J. was up in his own room and getting ready, but I had to wake Jack up so that we could leave.

I want some more of that. I find myself getting a bit relaxed now, and I'm going to take advantage of that and pour myself into an early bedtime tonight. I hope to see that same Sandman again soon!