It's Nelfy Around Here

The Nelves are picking up the pace! They delivered an elf carrier so the girls can take turns toting around “Cherry Sugar Cookie.” The jingles sounded twice right around 7 am, I am too slow and haven’t caught them yet. Monday the girls heard jingle bells, found the elf carrier and a fake snow toy stuffed in the Christmas tree. Wednesday the Nelf came earlier at 7:45, dumped candy on the floor! Everett was thrilled his Nelf left peppermint nougats, a family favorite. Thursday the Nelves hid Cherry under a Bluey Advent Calendar. I ordered a cute Bluey Calendar last month, seems the Nelves took it and switched the ornaments from cute ones to cheap China crap. The figures looked nothing like the photo. To add insult to injury the containers did not match up with the openings.  Misery! Justin is gloating that he bought a legit Lego advent. He saved the day. 

Josie went to bed with a headache and cough. Evelyn woke up next morning with the stomach flu. Justin planned to stay home from work because we had a Christmas party to attend with his new company at 5:30. It was easier to drive together than separately. Evelyn said she felt better after barfing and wanted to go to school. I instructed Justin to have her eat breakfast, if she kept it down then I’d consider her coming to school. She did not make it to school at all! Josie slept until after noon! I felt on the queasy side half the day, kept it all together somehow. 

December 4th-8th is national Hour of Code week! We ventured into the world of coding using CODE.org Dance Party lesson plan. The kids really, really enjoyed the change of pace. I had a couple students act like stinkers, ended up banned from computers for two weeks. This coming week the students will do typing then design their own snowflake pattern. That should be a fun activity. I decorated the lab with all sorts of lovely hanging decorations. Bah hum bug, hanging decor is considered a fire hazard. I’ll survive somehow. 

The Cascadia company party was at the company building(s) downtown. I got to meet the CEO and CFO, the HR lady, and Justin’s team. He works with a good group of people. Dinner was a fancy plate of salmon, steak, mille-fueille potatoes, and carrots. The bulk of the party consisted of a gift opening game, trade once, if item is traded more than once a sing or dance off took place. Only two people sang to win a trade. The cappuccino machine and Williams Sonoma gift card were highly sought after. Justin got a pair of Xbox headphones. He reported next day the headphone squeeze his head too tightly. We listened to an NSD report on consolidating and closing 6 schools in our district. I really hope at least Reagan Elementary’s boundary is redrawn. We’re bursting at the seams. 

Wednesday was a red banner day for Phillip. He got his patriarchal blessing! I took the girls to visit with Nina until 6:30 so was not around for the event. Justin took Phillip to the appointment. Phillip carefully shaved, showered, and dressed up for his blessing. He reported on his experience later for devotional. Phillip said the patriarch asked him about himself, his family, etc. Phillip explained he was named after his Great-Grandfather Phillip and his many great-grandfather Anson. He said it felt like Anson was present for the duration of his blessing. Justin urged Phillip write down his thoughts, a challenge for our boy, BUT he wrote two entire pages in his bullet journal! As they headed home Phillip said the words from Glorious went through his mind, “And pretty soon you'll start to figure out your part. Everyone plays a piece and there are melodies In each one of us, oh, it's glorious.” He had a very silly grin on his face when he related that his future wife is being prepared right now for him just like he is being prepared for her. It’s moments like this that define our lives. Hold on to that experience with your heart and soul, dear boy. 

Thursday I stayed home from MCO to catch up on some photo editing before I get even further behind. I was able to complete an entire session! Hooray, only 3 more to go. Evelyn came home with a hang dog face, complaining that I was not there, she had no dinner, and life is just not the same without me exactly by her side. Josie entered a few minutes later crying because Ellie was not in Quasimoto. She looked everywhere with no luck. I advised her to postpone the freak out until after Amelia got back home with the van. Ellie was not visibly present in the van after an initial search. We emptied the trunk of dinner, got her school things out, no Ellie. I said a prayer, just had a vision of her elephant wet on the pavement back in Eagle. Josie came out and said another prayer with me, we searched one more time. She opened the driver’s side passenger door and there was Ellie’s fuzzy leg sticking out from under a paper bowl. We both had tears of joy, such a simple miracle for her and I. God even cares about precious stuffed elephants brought to life by loving little girls. 

Amelia’s choir hosted a Dessert Show to raise money for their choir trip. Justin and I helped out in the kitchen plating cream puffs, peppermint brittle, popcorn, and cheesecake. Amelia helped decorate 4-5 tables with cute stuff from our home. Our table was especially darling, good job Amelia. Amelia played Sugar Plum Fairy’s dance on the piano as her contribution. Most of the performances were cute skits the students thought up. Several were so off-key my curls tightened several twists. The favorite 12-days of Christmas skit was a real winner with Clyde and another dude acting out all the parts. There were more tickets sold this year so that was a really winner. I was trashed by 8 pm, went to bed after trying to edit with my eyes closed. 

Mrs Harp at school gave me 5 tickets to have breakfast with Santa in Melba for a cheerleader fundraiser. Josie was very excited to meet a real Santa “because Brother Finch was not really a Santa.” I’ve never been to Melba, it reminded me up Potter in Nebraska. Breakfast was at a pizza place across the street from the schools. I parked a bit wonky, back up to correct the park, then got a silly urge to repark until the kids noticed or made a comment. I got at least 5-6 reparks until Phillip quipped, “mom either you are terrible at parking or something is going on!” I lost it! Laughed my head off, Justin joined in with blessed mirth. Santa was a real Santa! He knew that Josie was an elf, could possibly make her own toy in the workshop, and ate only Lucky Charms marshmallows! Evelyn was stunned Santa somehow knew she was 10 years old! Mrs Claus was a special extra bonus. We only had 5 tickets and 7 people, just let the kids eat pancakes, syrup, and bacon. It was “early” to get up and going by 8 but the kids had a fun time. Amelia went back to bed with a headache and sore throat. I went to get the weekly grocery trip done. I was craving Panatonne, made a special trip to Winco just for that! Happened to pick up sourdough bowls and meat since Walmart was out. Phillip struggled his way through an essay he has due on Tuesday for ELA. I got an email Friday morning alerting me Phillip was seriously behind for this essay, the draft was due last week. He spent Friday and Saturday morning whining and crying about the work. Finally put his head to the wheel and tapped it out. The topic was on a famous person and what made that individual famous. He chose George Lucas. He was hung up because the teacher had a handout he forgot to grab earlier in the week. I advised him several times the teacher would not ask him to work on something she did not provide information for. He said there was only a sample essay….great! That is perfect! We read through it and divined what needed to be written about in each paragraph. I am quite glad he finished while I was gone because I probably would’ve helped him just to get it over with. 

Josie had her Great to be Eight program this evening. My last baby is somehow getting baptized in a couple months. She just has a jolly disposition that makes us all smile. 

I am stressing about MCO attire. There are still several girls without a jumper and several boys without ties. I have a couple in my emergency box BUT I am reticent to lend those out now in case others show up with missing attire. I texted 50 families last night pleading for updates, thankfully, several folks responded, especially the ones missing attire. We figured out the main issues via text. I am quite frustrated with MCO, they did not advise the company French Toast that the choir alone would need 2,000+ jumpers in various sizes. I feel so bad for those frustrated parents whose orders were cancelled and cancelled and cancelled. Hopefully, next time won’t be so stressful! The main stressor was the new attire each choir was required to get AND the shortage of clothing stock with the companies they contracted through. 

Evelyn is hates taking music lessons. She cries/complains each time I remind her to play her instruments. This week she came home crying because Becky said she needs to play faster and wanting to learn more songs because she’s been in the same place for 2 months. I am done! I won’t fight with her about music. I remind the kids that playing their instruments is part of their chores, Evelyn chooses to ignore me claiming she is overwrought and unable to practice. I suggested she bring her ukulele to school and practice before school! She actually did play twice this week! I will probably have Everett take Evelyn’s place in lessons, he is making progress and really is at that point where he needs a more accomplished teacher.