Day 3: Christmas Trees

As a family we have only a few "traditions". I think everyone would agree that our favorite is putting up the tree. I get the dubious pleasure of setting it up and stringing all the lights. When that is completed (and it usually takes a full day) we then have a tree trimming night.

Tree trimming night is fun because we have lots of snacks and eggnog.

We also get the kids a new ornament each year that somehow represents the year just past. For example, this year MM got a school bus ornament with her name and year on it as she started school. Songbird got a music related ornament that she had "Solo 2009" put on. Each year the kids can't wait to get their box and put their ornaments on the tree before helping with all the others. There are lots of "remember this!!!" conversations. And when each child leaves home to set up their own household, they have a box full of ornaments to get their tree started with.

So lets take a trip around the web and see other trees.
Ooops. That's my photo fail. See, this is me showing off my mad skillz as a photographer...being attacked by a rat....because I am in said rats territory...by being on the floor. It wants a kiss. Ewww.
Now here's a tree! Better yet...here's a mantle to die for! One day...
Is that a birds nest as a tree topper??
Kid free zone????

Talk about the perfect spot for an out of the way tree! I had to push my whole living room out of the way just to get a tree in this year! Now that looks like my idea of retirement. Log cabin anyone?
The Blue room at the White House.

Snapshot Saturday

Halloween is by far Mighty Mouse's favorite holiday.

Part of that is about the candy....but the real appeal is all the pumpkins.

And yes, she is spending the entire day in her pumpkin costume. I can't even get her to take off the headpiece until later. She is special for sure.
As goofy as this is....at least the rest of the week she has been stylin'. Nano made her another smocked dress for Halloween! It is amazing!
Sorry for the blurry shot. I think the pattern messed with the auto-focus. Here is a close-up of the smocked spiders:

Don't you love the bows?

Also this week she wore one of Songbirds Halloween dresses from many years ago:
Pumpkins everywhere! She's going to be mad when it goes in big sisters bin for saving instead of hers. LOL!

And for her party on Friday she wore last years smocked witch:

Yes, it has been a full week of Halloween fashions around my place. Kind of funny considering I don't really like Halloween. Can't really tell you why. Yet I love spending the whole month watching horror flicks. Makes no sense, does it?

Autumn is Here

I think the warm weather is gone.
And the locals keep saying they think its going to be a hard winter.

Not what I want to hear.
But I must admit I am enjoying the fall. I didn't realize I missed it while in Texas. Growing up mostly in Texas, New Mexico and Arizona, I really didn't have much exposure to a true fall.
Last week the wind changed. The temperature dropped...but not too much. It smells different.
The air just feels different when it blows on the back of your neck.
I am really enjoying my daily walks with the dog. We live on a cul-de-sac that has a gravel road at the end of it that goes out into the woods. The rat and I like to wander down the road. The six pound terror ruffs his fur up and rumbles deep in his throat as he smells the deer and other creatures. He tries to chase squirrels and ends up retching from fighting his harness. (What a dope!)
Mighty Mouse has been playing in the leaves. The rat also likes to hop around in them and chase them. We really need to hurry and get a fence up for him now that the house is sold. He needs to be able to run.
I'm soaking in the "fallness" while I can. All to soon winter will be on us (and I will cry and whine like the big baby I am.). The trees are turning and painting pretty pictures before our eyes. How amazing is that?
The change in the air also triggers a change in what we want to eat. This last week we have had homemade chicken noodle soup, tortellini soup and homemade hot and sour soup with our stirfry. On Saturday we had Mooncakes and celebrated the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival.
Hubs is at this minute at the store buying the ingredients for hot apple cider. You will have to wish us luck on that as we have never made it before...it just sounded good to both of us. The fall brings back memories of the Arbor Day Farm in Nebraska and the cider they sold. Yum. We nearly made ourselves sick off of our first taste of fresh apple cider from their apple orchards.
The pumpkins are making appearances everywhere. MM is very excited about that. She's sleep with one if I'd let her. Strange, strange child that one.
And my Songbird went to her first homecoming dance. Wow - she's looking so grown-up. When did that happen?
I will leave you today with some of my current favorite photos from the web. You know I'm a sucker for those photos! Happy Fall everyone!