Weekly Wrap Up - Tis The Season

Tis the season, for Lantern Tours at the museum.  The first round of tours started this past weekend, and run for the next two weekends.  The first show is at 5:30, the last scheduled for 8:30.  This year's shows are not nearly as well attended as in the past.  Likely due to the format of only touring the "old world" (England, Ireland and Germany sites) and having cut out the horse drawn wagon rides to the "new world" (1740's, 1820's and 1860's).   The wagon ride through the dark, cold night with the sound of the sleigh bells was always my favorite part (aside from watching my children act in the scenes).  We went on Sunday night and watched Lindsey's mummer's play in the Ireland site.  I ran into "Father Christmas", who Lindsey calls "Grandpa", at the ticket sales counter and put a bug in his ear that a visit to Ireland might be necessary.  (Lindsey is the short one on the far left of the photo.)

Monday was St. Nicholas day, and I had a new plan of attack for our neighbor Ms. Kay (she is from Luxembourg).  Normally, I make her some kind of traditional Luxembourg holiday treat.  This year, however, I diverted and decided to go with the fact that she'd been a nanny in Paris before coming to the United States, and thought I'd get her some lovely French macaroons from a little pastry shop I found downtown.  I snuck out to put the package in her mailbox around 7am (clad in my nightgown a sweater and sneakers), and just as I started to shove the package in the opening of the mailbox, I heard the distinct sound of her garage door starting to open.  I bolted across the yard, and up the side of my driveway and hid on the far side of my car waiting for her to get the paper and go back in.  I must have been a sight, my husband was chuckling pretty hard when I came back in.

Little did I know, that the little macaroons were actually invented by a Luxembourg pastry chef and called Luxemburgerli.  She was so excited when she opened her package.  She called, sounding like a giddy school girl as she was telling me all about the Luxemburgerli and the fond memories they brought back.  This little accidental connection made my whole week!

Lindsey was off work Monday, Tom got called in early so he left at 8am, and Olivia had a regular work day.  After school, Lindsey and I went out for coffee and a little Christmas shopping.

Tuesday Tom and Olivia both worked, but Lindsey was off again.  Our new Christmas tree arrived, so she and I assembled and fluffed the tree, and rearranged the living room to allow for the tree to go in front of the large living room window.  Not sure when we'll get it decorated with the current work schedules. The girls had jiu-jitsu in the evening.

Wednesday morning we were supposed to have snow, but it didn't materialize.  Olivia had to work the morning shift (5:30am-7) at her weekend job; then go to her new job.  She left at 12:30 to go back and do the afternoon feeding and then returned to work until about 5pm.  She was tired and cold when she arrived home.  Lindsey got up at 6am and got her school work done, then she worked 8:30am-1pm at family #1.  I picked her up and took her straight to family #2 where she worked until almost 5 as well.

Thursday Olivia had to work a double farm day again, starting at 5am.  Lindsey was up early to get her school work done.  I dropped her off at work at 8:15 then went grocery shopping.  When I got back, I mixed up a pot of split pea soup with spicy sausage and put it in the crockpot for dinner to feed the hungry troops.  Once I retrieved Lindsey from work, I hopped in the car for a trip out to see my brother.  We went to a nearby town with an old timey store (one we went to as children) to pick up Christmas candy then drove around looking at Christmas decorations.  It seems folks have really gone all out this year, and it's nice to see their efforts.

Friday morning, Olivia had to be at work at 5:30, but she doesn't work her 2nd job on Fridays.  She'll be able to come home and go back to bed.  At 10 she's supposed to go horseback riding and will then go do the afternoon feeding.   Lindsey decided to sleep in (I don't blame her).  We'll be working on laundry and beginning stages of interior house decorating.  We're hoping to get the tree decorated this afternoon between when Tom & Olivia get in from work, and before Lindsey has to leave for lantern tours.

It's seems impossible to me that two weeks from today is Christmas Eve!   Are you ready for all the things, or are you like me, and getting what feels like a late start?