November 27, 2005 [see new photos in album]
Christmas has officially started. The majestically large, beautiful advent wreath was at the front of the church this morning, and 1 blue candle was lit, signifying the 1st Sunday of Advent. (Advent is the season counting the 4 Sundays leading up to Christmas, fyi)
Instead of Sunday School, Alesia got to join with all the other kids, big and small, in the parish house, and she made a lovely small advent wreath with real greenery. When we first went in, she just looked puzzled. There were tables covered in greenery and florist wire and red berries and candles. I bought the materials, showed her to a table with some other girls her age, and asked the other kids to help her, which they did. Her wreath was lovely - lots of variety in the greenery, and she inset the red berries into the oasis form, so they peep out of the greenery like tiny jewels. Before church, she put it in the car. It's a "wet" wreath, meaning we have to soak it in water for 10 minutes a week to keep the greenery pretty.
The afternoon was basically quiet. I ran to the grocery store and did errands, and Mother napped, and Alesia played in her room. She loves to listen to the Russian language CD's I bought to teach myself Russian. I hope they are helping with her English, somehow.
Sometimes she tells me the wrong Englishphrase just to annoy me.
Tonight when I was waiting on her to tuck her into bed, I saw the bathroom door was cracked and said "Alesia come on, you need to go to bed." She replied, "Mom! I'm ON the bathroom!"
I corrected her. "Alesia, you're either in the bathroom, or on the toilet. It's more polite to just say in the bathroom." She giggled.
We made up the wreath and garland for the front of the house. I think they look beautiful. We used all silver ornamentation on the green wreath form, with a big blue and silver bow. They are much better looking than anything we saw in Michaels. Tomorrow, the tree!
Alesia was really acting whiny and sulky during the wreath-making process.
She pouted when we wouldn’t let her make the bows. She refused to admit she
didn’t know how to make them. I made her say “I don’t know everything” and it
took her 10 minutes to reluctantly mumble it. She finally was so cross I had to
yell at her and send her up to her room. I think she has PMS. Didn’t make it
much easier to deal with her.
We got some photos developed to choose a family photo for this year's Christmas card. It was a painful process - a great incentive to diet. I've got to get with it. It's depressing to think about during the holidays, but totally necessary now that my pants have reached maximum load-bearing capacity...
