Advent Fun + Skating + Crafting

I have been having so much fun with the Advent Calendar this year.  Each morning I stuff the little red envelope with something fun to do and it's worked out quite nicely.

Principal's List for the 1st time!  Calvin & Grady only two from 4th grade with 4.0 GPAs

The rains have stopped, but the roads were flooded due to the run off from the hillsides.  Between Steve and myself, we trekked to G's school five times in one day.  Between drop off, honor roll award presentation, mobile library, basketball practice & the high school mentoring program meetings...well, let's just say we logged the miles on this day and didn't get very far away from home.

Reflection tree on Highway One near Erickson Ranch & flooding on Hwy One @ Moreda Ranch

Bake & Drink

This stormy weather makes me want to hunker down and turn on my oven.  I made short ribs for the first time this week and they were absolutely delicious.  This entire meal will make a repeat performance the next time we have the occasion for a dinner party.  Also, it's been forever since I made cookies and the advent calendar gave me just the excuse I needed to whip up a few batches for the guys.

The week is drying out and the guys took the opportunity to play a little mush ball and have a little father-son bonding time.

Advent Day #7 did not disappoint

We got around to putting up our little funky vintage silver xmas tree.  We pulled out ornaments, played a little xmas music and had a quiet dinner together.  We were all a little spent from our day, so it was simple and sweet.

I don't ever remember making a gingerbread house as a kid.  Maybe we did?  If so, I just can't remember.  Last year I bought a little kit from Trader Joe's and G loved building it with his dad.  We did the same thing this year.  

Our sweet goddaughter, Isabella, turned 11 years old last weekend and wanted to celebrate at Cal Skate roller rink in Rohnert Park.  Be still my heart.  I had instant flashbacks to when I used to reign as Queen of the Limbo Contest at Roller City in 1978.  I used to order suicides (a concoction of every soda pop they had mixed into one big, gross cup) and skate backwards.  I used to wear white, so I would glow when they turned off the lights and the black lights would go on near the stage.  My mom used to drop me off there all alone and I'd skate for six hours straight.  My heaven.

Roller Derby Wannabes
Mother-Son skates
G playing it cool during the hokey-pokey

I donned a pair of skates with the other moms, but let me tell you - it was not like riding a bike.  Oh, it was harder than I remember, but really, really fun.  Grady tried to play it cool, but he had a bit of a time getting around the rink.  By the end of the day, he held my hand and told me I was pretty good.  A high compliment coming from him.

Homemade hot cocoa + marshmallows

We made our way over to Bodega on Sunday morning for a five hour craft workshop with Stacy *Wonder Woman* Finke at G's old preschool.  This woman oozes style & creativity at every turn.  Upon walking up to the little red schoolhouse, you are instantly greeted with hand-felted garland, stenciled welcome signs & pom-pom ornaments.

G did a little making and then volunteered to work with the little ones outside.  They climbed trees and ran around.  A little two year old named, Ezra, was Grady's shadow for most of the day.  He also joined forces in the afternoon with two alumni from his preschool class, Spencer & Bella, and they got permission to go climb the hillsides across from the school yard.  Oh, how the little boys wanted to go with the big kids.  The perched themselves on the picket fence and patiently waited until they came barreling down the hill, laughing and talking - as big kids do.

Bubbly + Glitter Paper = Super Fantastic Day

I set out in earnest to learn block printing & carving and had great success - thanks, again, to Ms. Finke's guidance & tutorials.  

I then proceeded to make felted acorns, stationary and a glitter bunting to use for the holidays and beyond.  Stacy rounded out the day by serving the kids cookies & milk and the ladies all received chilled bubbly.  And before you knew it...five hours had passed.

New bunting adorning the dining room
Day Ten :: Play Xmas Music All. Night Long.
Tea + wrapping tools
New hand carved stamps

Day 10 found me a little bit exhausted from all the fun we had over the weekend, but I rallied and turned my dining room table into Santa's workshop.  I pulled together gifts for my sister and her girls, as well as Kacy's family.  I wrapped & adorned all of the packages and even got them in the mail today, on time and as planned.  I think that crafting workshop got me motivated and I wanted to make every gift as pretty as I could.

This week was beautiful.

And fun.

This week filled me up creatively.

And exhausted me just a little bit.

Drinking tea today.

Getting ready to do it all over again this week.

Oh, yes.