Darwin the monkey.....

Why is it when we go shopping we see angry husky dog with an attitude
 But when others go shopping they see a cute macaque monkey in a shearling coat!!

This macaque monkey is sooo CUTE......

Apparently he got lost his mommy while shopping in Ikea in Canada.

Poor little guy looks like a sad lost child wondering where his family is...
My kiddos and I agree that this little guy is soooo Crazy ADORABLE and we hope he reunites with his family before Christmas.
Oh my.....a monkey in a coat!!! Isn't that just so stinkin' CUTE!!

It's Christmas time...... in Costco

After school today we decided to get ourselves in the holiday mood...... So we headed to Costco--our favorite little place. (hahahaha.... Costco is hardly considered little)

...surrounded by several hundred poinsettias, wreaths, and thousands of Christmas decor and cheer. 
...we began to see people with that certain twinkle in their eye

Call it what you may....but I'm a late holiday shopper.

I'm not one those that shop in July or even the dreaded Black Friday.
If anything I like to begin my shopping the week before Christmas sometimes a little earlier.
As we left Costco I remind my children, "Remember SANTA is watching.....his elves are everywhere."

They laugh at their insane mommy....
I said, "You don't know. Santa's elves might be disgusted as a..... HUSKY

 

 

But then, the Husky stared an icy glare.
"YOU TALKIN' TO ME?"
We laughed so hard...

it's the most wonderful time of the year.......

T'was Christmas Eve.....
We've set our luminarias out along our walkway, driveway and sidewalk.

.....this is Christmas Eve on Nob Hill
 

In case you're wondering.....

Luminarias or farolitos are brown paper bags weighed down with sand or gravel and lit with a small votive candle or tea light candle.

 On Christmas Eve our neighborhood is aglow with glimmer and flicker.

They're so beautiful to walk among....

We enjoyed our evening walk among thousands of luminarias in our neighborhood.

Lighting up the way......

Runway spectacular

this is definitely something everyone should experience.... a New Mexico Christmas Eve.

After our walk, we made cookies and sweets for family, friends and SANTA. (of course)

If only you could smell our home.
Mmmm......

If you've tried to call us, you probably couldn't get through.......our apologies.

The children are on the phone with NORAD.

(North American Aerospace Defense Command)

Every year since I can remember NORAD has been tracking Santa's flight around the world.

We check via the internet as well as many calls to NORAD in Peterson AFB (Airforce Base) in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

When you call the Santa number a volunteer military personale will let you know exactly where the military satellites and NASA are spotting Santa's sleigh.

Pretty fun and exciting for us.........

In anticipation, Bam, Fifi, Sweetheart and Cookie set out milk, a piece of Navajo fry bread and cookies for Santa. They also left fresh carrots, celery and strawberries for the reindeers too.

Our choice bedtime story tonight is ......T'was The Night Before Christmas.
(loving tradition!!)

HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVE to all.............and to all a good night.

razzle dazzle

This evening we enjoyed the Christmas light displays in and around our neighborhood.

By far the most exciting home is the Speake family home.
This family puts on the most EPIC lighting displays annually.
You can tune your car radio into their frequency to hear the music that goes along with the lighting display.
Check it out.....

Thank you, Speake family, for taking the time to make our holiday more magical.
You inspire us......

a haunting Christmas night

We're reading the ultimate Christmas ghost story A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.
The classic tale, from 1843, of Mr. Scrooge who is visited by the spirits of Past, Present and Future.
This is among one of our favorite family holiday books to read aloud together.

"I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach. Oh, tell me I may sponge away the writing on this stone!"

My children understand that the true joy of the Christmas season is in giving.
You're never too young to understanding and learn what A Christmas Carol teaches about regret, greed, suffering, and misfortunate; along with charity, salvation and appreciation.
"Mr. Scrooge regrets the pain and sorrow he left upon others yet can now reflect with peace only after learning and understanding the full scope of his life's path." explains Bam to his sister.

"No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of it to anyone else."
"We forge the chains we wear in life."


Absolute words to live by.......

I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself.....

We got up very early this morning; in anticipation.....
We got everything sorted, lined and ready:

Dress up shirt ironed

Dresses steamed

Curlers set

flattening iron on

fancy shoes and tights found

hair gel, hair spray, ribbons, bows, earrings, necklaces 

and LISTS in hand.......

Any guess on where we're headed today???

Can you spot him???

The day is here..........
The day we get our annual holiday portrait with SANTA.
--------

We got up bright and early and hit the mall at the opening hour.

With our attempts to beat the crowd, we were astonished to see the Santa line was already long.

Two hour wait???

Yes! Two hours!!

--That's GREAT

We're happy to have ONLY a two hour wait to see the "Big Guy".

We're prepared for the long haul

In one bag I've made child sized breakfast burritos, juice boxes, crackers, cheese, granola, bottled water and plenty of napkins.

In my other bag I was armed with chap stick, lip gloss, hair spray, hair brush, hair pins, baby wipes, anti static spray, lint roller, hand sanitizer and cellphone.

"Wait, the line is moving!! Ohhhhh.....I think SANTA sees us!" exclaims Cookie as Santa smiles in our direction.

His eyes--how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!

"I've been very well-behaved, helpful, friendly and kind all year long. But I don't need to tell you that! You already know....." Sweetheart bashfully announces to Santa.

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas......

Oh Christmas tree 
Oh Christmas tree
Glowing on a warm evening at home
Oh Christmas tree
Oh Christmas tree
Every time the bell rings an angel gets her wings?
Oh Christmas tree
Oh Christmas tree
We don't want to ever see you go

All her glittery glory aglow 

We spent the day enjoying ourselves and our tree.
As we unpacked the ornaments and decorations, we recall all the memories they bring.
If only we could keep the tree up year a round; bringing us feelings of comfort and joy.

All snug in their beds with visions of sugar plums dancing in their head

Together......

Today is the first weekend day to the start of winter vacation from school.

We'll be on holiday until the 4th of the New Year.

Hurray for the Holiday..........

what could've been......

A little wet weather and super cold temperatures kept us from enjoying a lovely field trip to Popejoy hall for an afternoon matinee today.

Sweethearts class was scheduled to attend the Mariachi Christmas performance today.

But teacher decided against attending due to the super cold temperatures and wet conditions; which would not be safe to walk in.

This would've been Sweethearts second year of attendance (and my fifth) to this visually wonderful Mariachi Christmas performance.

Oh well, there is always next year.......
--SAFETY FIRST--

......soon it will be Christmas day

In the air there's a feeling of Christmas.......

We're absolutely in love with the way our front porch looks.........

the clear bright stings of lights shine so glimmery and glizy; making us feel so fancy, cheerful and loved.

--Hurray for the Holidays--

Our Gingerbread House

We've decorating the house today!

After untangling strings and strings of lights.

Then testing and retesting many light bulbs and fuses......

--How do those strings of lights get so tangled? We remember carefully putting them away the year before with great consideration of the next year. 

Then BOOM! 

The string of lights come out of storage in a massive ball of tangle

Hahaha....

The children are convinced that roadrunners, raccoons, squirrels, AND aliens must delight in balling them up during the summer.

PRESENTING.............. (drum roll please) 

The Persingerfive Gingerbread house

 APPLAUSE -- APPLAUSE

Special Thanks to: 

Princess Fifi for patiently enduring the ritual of checking bulbs and fuses.

(and initiating and motivating the christmas decorating crew)

Sweetheart for holding and spinning around each post without getting too dizzy.

Cookie for finding those small nails when they dropped out of our hands.

AND

Bam for getting all those extension cords to fit properly.

I ♥ my children for making the most beautiful Gingerbread house in the WORLD!!

singing all the way to school

This morning Princess Fifi went to school a little bit earlier.

All this month in chorus club they're learning some Christmas carols.

They're planning a special performance for the teachers at the end of the month.

Exciting....

I'm dreaming of a PINK Christmas....

--While visions of a pink tree danced in her head--

Guess who decided today would be a perfect day to set up the pink table top tree?

Yes, that would be Princess Fifi and Sir Kyle.

Christmas Carols gently echoed from the room and filled the house.

Princess Fifi knows what she's doing...... 

She got us all thinking of the upcoming holiday, decorating the house and the tree.

Oh joy!

Disney - Jingle Bell Rock (2002) by Bubudu57