Christmas Festivities

Our run of Christmas festivities has continued since last I wrote.  Last Thursday night we were joined by Ron, Elaine, and the Bergherms (minus Bruce) for Holiday on the Drive which is in College Park. We go just about every year.  They close down the street and they have all kinds of booths and activities going on - - I think they add stuff every year and it gets better and better.  This year the big deal was that they made snow and the kids could walk on it and throw snowballs.  Looking at the weather report for up north, I have the sinking feeling that this may be the only time the kids see snow all year.  Say it isn't so, errr, snow?  All the activities on the "Drive" are free which means lines to do the rock climbing wall and bungie jumping thingy are really long.  I told the girls that next year we will vow to be there when it opens at 5:00 pm so we can be first in line.  Hopefully I will remember that!

Working on crafts

Train ride

Snow!

Such joy.  Enjoy it now, son!

The highlight of his evening.

Friday evening we were planning to go to a lights display at a park in Orlando.  It was only open from Monday to Friday evenings of last week.  You just drove through in your vehicle - - free of charge if you brought an unwrapped new toy.  Sounded great!  Well, Wednesday morning they closed it down for the rest of the time because they said it got too busy.  They have had this going on for 15 years and each evening they would typically have about 200 cars.  This year, they were having 1,000 cars coming through and it caused terrible traffic jams and the residents nearby were really upset.  Not to mention it was taking people forever to drive through it.  So what happened after all those years?  Someone got the bright idea to post the event on Facebook and this was the result!  The thing blew up.  Indeed, I had never heard about it before this year. Many people were disappointed and critical because the Facebook post/invite had gotten responses of 18,000 people saying they were going so they should have planned a little better. Lesson learned, hopefully.

Since that was out, we decided to head over to our old stomping grounds and visit the house that has a million lights on it and see the neighbors that set up these massive train villages.  Unfortunately it was a little windy and the people didn't have their garages open for fear of wrecking part of the set up so that was a bummer. Nevertheless, we enjoyed walking around the neighborhood and then stopped by Ron and Elaine's to enjoy some drinks.




Sabbath afternoon I went with Calaubra to the Forest Lake Gym to do "Pack the Forest" which was pretty much the same thing we (or should I say, Duncan and the girls) did a few weeks ago while at Leadership Weekend.  I got to go this time while Duncan stayed home with a napping Colby.  It took us awhile to finally find a table with enough spots for us all to work at but we got it all figured out finally.  The kids did a great job, I must say.  The only blip was the inappropriate playing of some non-Sabbath music that I had to talk to the pastor about but it did get rectified to my satisfaction.

The group that came from Adventurers to help.

Weighing the bags.

Sealing the bags.

Even London helped...pull off people's hairnets when she got close enough.

After that, we had to speed over to the church where we had Adventurers going on. That finished about 5:45 and then it was back home to pick Duncan and Colby up so we could go to the Ocoee Christmas Tree lighting event.  We had been planning to go to Crane's Roost in Altamonte where we go every year to see the fireworks but we discovered that it's closed down due to renovations so that was out.  Why not participate in something in our own town then?  It was the "third" annual event so I guess we missed the first two years!  They had several food trucks, bouncy houses, a train ride, crafts, and my very favorite, a jazz quartet (keyboard, drums, saxophone, and cello) which was just college kids but they were VERY good. Honestly, I could have just sat there all night listening to them playing Christmas music.  It's the best!

Wait, is that Brady raising his hand in Adventurers?  Wow!

Ocoee Tree Lighting

Hard to see but this is where you throw yourself up against the wall and get stuck on.

We were there until things shut down for the night which was about 8:30.  At about 8:20, we discovered some things that were up for bids in a silent auction.  One of the items was this huge basket of really good goodies/foodie items like gourmet olives, Godiva chocolates, etc that seriously must be worth over $100.  At least.  Also attached was $80 of gift certificates to a hibachi restaurant in town. The highest bid at the moment was $50.  I told Duncan we should bid on it and he could give the basket to some people at work he needed to get a gift for anyway and then we'd take the gift certificates.  So he bid $55.  We had about eight minutes of time left so I just stood there to see if anyone else would come along and outbid us. Sure enough, a lady came by and put down $65.  But she didn't stick around or anything so I easily outbid her to $70 and a minute later, the auction ended. Unfortunately you could only pay in cash and since I don't walk around with $70 of cash in my pocket, we would have to come another day to pick it up.


In the meantime, the next morning I discovered that the debit card I had put in my back pocket (so as not to carry a purse or bag) was missing.  Boy, did I ever feel like my mother as this seems to happen to her all the time although she always finds it, at least. I figured it must have fallen out at the event the night before but after I checked my bank account and found nothing suspicious, I decided to let it just ride and see if the card appeared.  It is a pain in the you-know-what to get a new card because then I have to memorize a new card number and worse, also change all the bills that are automatically charged to it every month.  Ironically, a few hours later, I got an email alert titled "fraud alert" and I immediately figured someone must have tried to use the card. Nope, it was just Duncan making a purchase at a shoe store with HIS card.  Very strange.

The next day the event organizers called me (ironically, the number on my phone said "Winter Garden" and this was the City of Ocoee calling me) and said the basket was ready to be picked and it would be fine to use a credit or debit card to pay.  I got the kids all together and we traipsed down to get it.  When I gave the lady my credit card, she studied my name for a few second and she says "Oh, I think we have a card with your name on it." Sure enough, someone had found it and turned it in. The receptionist was the one who had gotten it but she had already left for the day and they didn't know what she had done with it.  I finished my transaction with the original lady and at one point she looked at her screen and said "You still live at xxxxx?" So then that really got me thinking.  Why wouldn't they have just looked me up in the system?  I have my water through the city and they clearly have all my info including my phone number in their system.  That would be the first thing I would have thought to do had I found a debit card.  Anywho, the next morning I called in and the receptionist says "Oh, yeah, I had the card.  I called the bank on the back and they had me cut the card up into little pieces." Well, there you go.  There went the idea of avoiding a new card.  I asked her, very nicely, why she didn't try to look me up in her system but I couldn't understand her answer. Oh well!  Anyone reading this - - a good Christmas gift idea would be to get me one of those little credit card holders that sticks to your phone. Insert smiley face here!

Sunday afternoon we were off on another Christmas adventure, this time to do the scavenger hunt at the Gaylord Palms hotel. We did ICE there last year, which is where they have all these ice carvings, but we honestly didn't think it was worth the money considering that you can do a really fun scavenger hunt for free (well, minus the price of parking).  Last year the theme was reindeer. This year it was Elf on the Shelf.  They had ten elves hidden around the hotel with a little booklet to provide you clues.  We met Ron and Elaine, Isidros, and Jennifer and Evan down there.  The elves were FAR easier to find than the reindeer although that could partly be because we went during daylight instead of at night like last time (the hotel has a glass ceiling so it gets fairly dark in there). It was a lot of fun with the kids all racing ahead to see who would be the first to find the elf.

The boys of the group.

And the girls.

Sunday evening was much less fun as we watched the Patriots and the Eagles game.  At one point the Patriots were down by three touchdowns with like 6:00 left in the game and poor Calleigh was sitting on the couch all worried and stressed.  She asked me "What do you think the chances are for them to win?" "Not good," I said.  She says "No, like what percent?" I threw out 5%.  "So there IS a chance!" she says.  I felt like I was in the movie Dumb and Dumber.  "What are the chances of a guy like me and a girl like you..." "I would say one in a million." "So you're telling me there's a chance!" The Patriots did get two touchdowns and came close but they lost as anticipated.  Sorry Calleigh. Welcome to my world in the 80's and 90's.

Our next outing was Wednesday evening when we met Ron and Elaine in downtown Orlando next to Lake Eola.  I had gotten Ron, Elaine, and Duncan a gift certificate last Christmas for The Escape Room which is basically a room that you are locked into with up to nine other people and you're given clues to try and get out of the room within one hour.  The gift certificate was about to expire hence the weeknight escapade.  Although the kids and I weren't going, we decided to meet them down there because it's been years since I've been to the "big city" during Christmas and we wanted to check it out. We met at Panera Bread for supper and I was highly disappointed with the atmosphere. I love Panera because it seems so cosy and usually they have Christmas music playing but this one had some other kind of crummy music playing. I tell you, music makes a big difference. After the meal, the three of the game players left and the kids and I decided to walk around Lake Eola a little bit.  We immediately found a great playground and they played there for probably 40 minutes. It was hard to tear them away.  We got home and I got the kids to bed and a bit later Duncan called to tell me he was on the side of the road on the Florida Turnpike with a flat tire.  He had a spare so he would change it himself.  Boy, those were a long 12 minutes.  Nothing like having to change a tire on the side of the road of a major highway in the dark.  I was quite worried!  But it went quickly and he got home and told me that it ended up only being the three of them in the room and they weren't able to solve all the clues to get out.  The success rate is 47% with ten people so only having three definitely was a disadvantage. But they had fun!

We were walking by this bike rack on the way out and Brady very sincerely says to me "Look at the mini jungle gym!!" So of course, they had to go play on it.

Last night we had company over - - the Vohwinkels (visiting from Texas, hi Stephanie!), the Isidros, and Zbaraschuks.  I was hoping to do a fire pit but this blasted warm weather puts a damper on things.  It means the bugs are still out!  We had to move our hot dogs to the stove and hang out inside instead.  Nonetheless, it was a good evening of visiting and I was reminded again how nice it would be if the Vohwinkels lived around here instead of doggone Texas.  They fit in so well with our group and of course, have the magical number of kids - - four!  (No offense to those with another number).

Despite having three younger brothers of her own, Sophia Vohwinkel took a liking to Colby - - this was this morning at church.

This evening we had planned to do the bike parade in Casselberry with Ron and Elaine but some of us were dragging our feet.  You're supposed to be 10 to ride it and then we weren't sure how to get all the bikes and trailers over there.  In the end, we decided to forego it, much to the girls' consternation, and go to Plan B (my Plan A) which was the Sanford Christmas parade.  Can I just say that I LOVE a parade.  And then for it to be a Christmas parade?  Well, it doesn't get much better than that!!  We met Ron and Elaine there and I have to say it lived up to my expectations.  It was a good hour and twenty minutes long and included several marching bands playing Christmas songs, my favorite.  The girls came around and enjoyed themselves but I think Colby loved it the most (besides me). He didn't want to miss a single thing.  We will for sure go next year although we want to get there earlier to get a seat right along the front row.

Waiting for the parade to start.

For anyone who has seen "A Christmas Story."

Marching band.

Of course, what would it be without Santa?

Perfect seat on Grandpa's shoulders.

By the end, they were on the front row.

 A few recent anecdotes and conversations:

I am in some homeschool groups on Facebook and from time to time people will post about how they were out somewhere with their kids and people will say "You must homeschool because your kids are so smart." Or "Your kids are really well behaved - - you must homeschool." Or something along those lines.  This has never happened to me.  But I was at Trader Joe's one evening with the kids and this is what happened.

We are checking out and the cashier, a lady in her 50's, is being very friendly, asking the kids questions, talking to me, etc.
Cashier: "You must homeschool them."
Me: (Out loud):"I do.  How did you know?"
Me: (Thinking to myself): Here it is.  This is the moment I've been waiting for.  Which reason will she give???
Cashier: "Oh, it seems like most big families homeschool their kids."

That loud noise was me being brought back to earth!

We were studying Brady's Sabbath School lesson which, fittingly, is about baby Jesus, his birth, and the reason we celebrate Christmas.
Me: "Brady, what day was Jesus born on?"
Brady: "Wednesday."

Well, guess it could have been. And back to the lesson we go.

While our company was here Friday night, many of the kids took part in a big wrestling match which resulted in a few minor scrapes for some of the kids. As I'm putting Brady's pajamas on...
Me: "What happened to your shoulder?"
Brady: "I've been scraped by a guest."

A little dramatic but funny.

Some more pictures...

Waiting for the offering call.

Since no other kids were doing the offering, I tried to get Brady to go out on his own but he would not be separated from Aubree.

Chilling in Sabbath School.

I thought our church was decorated very nicely for Christmas.

Calleigh finally won the sword drill at Sabbath School (who can find Bible texts the fastest)

He's very comfortable with who he is.

Playing football with Dad one fine Sunday morning.

How many people can pull off a fur and a bandana loin cloth?

Remember my rant last week about the pee on the lid?  He's struck again!  I think the real question is, who is putting the lid down???

These two are really playing well together.  They play together as often as Calleigh and Aubree.

Found a snake skin in our yard.  I'm surprised it's taken us this long to spot one.  Fortunately it seems to be from a small harmless snake.  But still...

The boys playing during art class.  The little girl is Nora, Violet's younger sister.  She reminds me of Winslow because they are the same age.

This guy wanted to go outside and eat his snack.  So he just sat out there all alone for quite some time.  I wish I knew what was going on in his brain.

Trying to figure out how to work scissors.

My little shepherd in Sabbath School.

Hanging out this morning outside before getting ready for church.

"I"m going to be Darth Vader when I grow up." That literally is what he was saying.  Where do they get this stuff from?  We've never seen the movie or talked about it!

Have a great rest of your weekend.