potpourri

So, not unlike every mother out there, life is getting filled up with all the behind the scenes endeavours of making the holidays a stream of unending loveliness. I have been busy planting big fat check marks beside missions accomplished and navigating unexpected hurdles, but I am still feeling the warm fuzziness of Christmas.

I have been doing a lot of shopping online and while I could enjoy pajama and coffee shopping from home, I do have to deal with the now large task of cardboard box breakdown. Boxes are overtaking our garage and when Mark gets home from his week in D.C. to find the pristine airiness of his man-space crowded with so much cardboard and accompanying packaging, I'm going to hear about it. Luckily, I have had the chance to garner a serious toe injury, so I will at least be able to milk that for it's worth in deflecting garage infringement anger.

Will and I worked together to crack my big toe hard enough I thought it was worth a trip to the ER for an x-ray. I told Mark about my misfortune and he, the son of hearty farming stock, told me to wait and see how it felt today before going to the ER. Well, I have to look at things a little more practically. Night-time, when 66% of the house is asleep and 18% is watching a movie and also legally old enough to watch children, especially when they are sleeping, is the best time for a mom to pop out and address these types of issues. I need my mobility, and a wait and see approach only works in certain circumstances.

Backstory: Will is an old hand at dragging the counter stools over to the high cupboard that houses cookies and crackers and other junk foods. I caught him at it yesterday and lifted him down from his perch only to have his fashionable hoodie catch the heavy chair's finial and lean it far enough over to send it on a downward arc of doom. Both my hands were otherwise occupied with holding the cookie-stealing culprit in mid-air. It was one of those scenarios that lay out mere split seconds with a seemingly endless luxury of contemplation; yes, that chair is headed for my foot, I better grab it! Wait, what about Will, I can't drop him! Can I? How far from the ground is he? Oh, that's too high....oh well, prepare for impact!

If Will were adept at hearing and retaining vocabulary, his teacher's ears would be ringing this morning.

So I went to my highly efficient ER, where they can process you so quickly (especially in the evening hours) you would hardly have time to have a coffee. The toe is not broken, just swollen and ugly with bruising and very painful. My parting gift was a fabulous Velcro shoe appliance thing that will look so haute with my black velvet pants on Saturday night's company Christmas party here in my house. Then there is the neighbourhood open house here Sunday afternoon. At least in the case of the open house it will provide a great ice breaker, as this will be the first time all the neighbours get together. I think I will actually try to find alternate footwear. I would hate to spill wine or punch on that nice navy blue plastic or it's Velcro embellishments.

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How exciting was it for Will to have Santa arrive at our home via firetruck last Saturday night? We were lucky enough to win a community draw that gives us the chance for a personalized visit from Santa himself. Here are some pictures I took. Yes, they are lame-o. What is my camera trying to tell me here? Was it lighting issues or photographer issues. Mark says it's the latter. I just hate when you push the button to take the picture and the camera takes 10 seconds to make up it's mind and now everyone has moved onto the next thing and you get people's backs or blurs or shut eyes. Anyway, here is Santa arriving, Will and Santa in their Christmas wish huddle, Will wants a school bus for Christmas. Will shows Santa the tree, particularly the Little Einsteins ornament he received that plays the theme song over and over and over again :)

Highlight of the week: meeting some brand new neighbours at the bus stop who's family includes a boy *with a little extra*. We have exchanged numbers and hopefully they will show up at our open house.