And the award goes to...

Political Dad!







We are so proud of you..but we always knew you were the best.

A Christmas Miracle

Remember this?

PK 1 wanted a box of kittens for Christmas.

Well, low and behold, the son of the Chief of Staff at PD's office brought home a baby kitten the other day.

I knew we had to take the PKs down to German Village to see it. 

They were so excited and the kitten was a really good sport.  I got to have a couple glasses of pricey wine and watch my daughter have the time of her life.  It was honestly the best night of the Christmas season so far.  I really was starting to think we could get one of our own (a kitten, not a pricey bottle of wine), but after about 20 minutes I started melting in a pool of my own mucus...so I guess I am still allergic.

Afterward we went to see this giant Nativity.  This is a picture of it from a couple years ago...my camera ran out of batteries after Catpalooza '08.

Keep it Simple Stupid

Sometimes I really sweat the small stuff. But I just ran out of energy for it this year. I decided that the girls would not have new matching Christmas dresses like they have in the past:

I decided that the Political Dad would not put up the outside Christmas decorations and lights. We would rather have him inside hanging out with us than hanging out on a ladder one morning to put them up and another morning to take them down.

I usually have to lose 5 pounds before I see my gorgeous sisters and sister in law for the holidays. They are all taller than me and with better hair darn it! But this year I am only going to lose 2 pounds. (Bye bye Baileys you are so nummy with crushed ice.)

I even decided not to send out a Christmas card this year although when I think about that, I do have to go breath into a bag a little because I guess I am not 100% cured.

PK1 will wear a beautiful dress that her Great Aunt gave her last year. PK2 will wear a hand me down from another political family.

The only thing I had to buy was these tights, on sale at Kohls for PK1.

As I read over this I am actually wondering whether what started out as altruistic has turned into just plain laziness. Oh dear.

Happy Birthday PK1

We didn't have a digital camera until PK1 was a few days old, so this is the youngest picture I could find.  She was less than a week though I think. She was such a little tiny baby that we called her Birdie. I can't believe that she is six years old today.

To market we will go

On Saturday morning, PD and I went downtown to The North Market  :

We wanted to see some of the cool art vendors and also to eat just a ton of the treats we love.  We were going to take the kids but since the college sister was in town we decided to leave them home, reduce our stress level and not have to share any of the treats.

Here I am reveling in my freedom:

We ate our favorite Vietnamese noodle bowl:

and followed it up with the best ice cream in Columbus..Jeni's.

They use all real, fresh ingredients and they come up with the coolest flavors.  I had Crème Fraîche with Amarena Cherries and PD had Cocoa Zinfandel.  The Political kids would kill us if they knew we went there.  They love it and are so spoiled with this $4 a scoop ice cream.  We even have the Political Grandparents hooked on it!

In case you think we ate too much we did forgo the world class cheese counter:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

hot carmel corn:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and the German bakery:

The arts and crafts fair had a lot of things I liked too.  This woman made the most beautiful children's purses out of old vintage hard cover children's classics.  But the PKs will have to forgo those at $37 a pop.

I also thought they would look cute in these, but I had already purchased their winter hat with Dora the Explorer on it at Meijer.

I asked the Political Dad to buy me this:

and this to wear to political events:

And I had a great find for the political grandmother for Christmas, but I can't post it because she sometimes reads this blog.

Then I wanted to go to Yankee Trader the weirdest little costume/kitsch/political junk shop that I used to have to go to all the time when I taught theater. It was right next door to the North Market, so we stopped in there and made fools of ourselves for awhile.

It was so much fun, that I didn't even mind that the PKs were covered in College Aunt's make up and half clothed when I got home, or that PD had to leave for a policy meeting right away, or that we got 4 inches of snow that night. 

All I want for Christmas...

I never have my kids make Christmas lists.  At this age anyway, that is just setting everyone up for failure.  They are always thrilled with whatever they get and taxed from opening so many gifts.  But last week, when I was at the gym trying to run off the last of that pumpkin pie, the childwatch teachers had PK1 make a list of what she wanted.  THANKS childwatch ladies!

It isn't so bad because thank goodness PK1 is like her father and very easy to please, very laid back and eternally understanding.  So she is still getting what her grandmothers and I already planned and purchased.

Still the list is really really funny.  Of course after a year of phonics I am a little embarrassed about her spelling.  My kingdom for a vowel PK1!  But I am still posting it here for posterity.

In case you can't read it:

The first thing is a stuffed animal "Dere"  or deer.

She does love animals and does occasionally fall in love with a stuffed animal at the store.  Her friend had a stuffed deer and she wants one now too.  Funny sidebar:  I put "stuffed deer" into ebay and it turned up some really pricey taxidermy!

The second thing is a "FLEZTE DOL" Felicity Doll. 

Thank you American Girl company who sent me several glossy catalogs, that I hid... that PK1 found.  She doesn't play with dolls and I have some issues with this brand and their lack of historical accuracy anyway.

The third item.  The piece de resistance is a "Box of KTS"  or box of kittens.

I laughed so hard at that, I dropped the generic iPOD I got last Christmas!  I am allergic to cats and generally opposed to animals sharing our planet and even if that weren't the case, I think it is precious that she went ahead and asked for a whole box!  Go for broke babe!

Merry Christmas PK1 I love ya!