Merry Christmas

At the end of a really wonderful day, filled with family and fun, I just want to extend my hopes that everyone had such a great day and that their season continues to be merry!

It's Almost Here...

I'm not sure what I think about Christmas anymore. I mean, I still enjoy it - I like the music and the anticipation. The thing about Christmas, however, is that it's really all about the anticipation. That's it. The exciting part happens so quickly ON Christmas - that the bulk of the "joy" is in the anticipation. It's eagerly waiting to see the children's faces as they rush to the fireplace that morning. It's the savory aromas that waft out from the kitchen while we salivate over the impending meal. It's the carols on the radio becoming more and more frequent as Christmas nears.

For our family - well, for Alexandra and myself - it's overdosing on carols early on... and never letting them up. It's the long and arduous drive from southern Illinois to Connecticut. It's the hope of snow upon arrival and the hope for no snow on the journey. It's decorating my father's tree with the ornaments that document my childhood and now Alex's. It's passing down the stories of Christmases past to a new generation - and creating new traditions with her.

Of course, our holiday lasts a little longer, I guess, than most. We are able to spend over a week visiting with friends and family whom we don't see very often anymore. We partake of so many experiences that used to be so ordinary - and now are a rare treat. I drink my Dunkin' Donuts coffee and Alexandra enjoys her Friendly's sundaes and we're both a little happier.

It's the end of the day on the 23rd. I'm not sure entirely how productive today has been for me, but it's been enjoyable. And tomorrow the anticipation will increase - especially as I prepare to do a whole lot of wrapping that I've been putting off.

Caroling, caroling, baking and singing will be the order of the day. Anticipation.

I'm sorry - was I WANTING cold weather??

I know I was bemoaning the warm weather back in Illinois the other day - but I think I'll take a sunny 65 degree day over the bone-chilling cold that I'm dealing with at present.  

Of course, I love the idea of a white Christmas.  Bing Crosby instilled that in me long long ago.  I just put the dog outside, though, and the minute that I was outside was enough to get under my skin and chill me to the core.

Brrr....

So I'm going to make some hot chocolate tonight to warm my cold cold heart.  Tomorrow we're going sledding and then decorating Grandpa's Christmas tree.  We're also going to catch up on our baking.  I'm hoping that all this activity will make me forget that chilling feeling invading my soul... or at least my bones.

This is the week before Christmas, right?

... the reason I ask is that it's 65 degrees outside and sunny with blue blue skies.  Oh, there's a puffy white cloud over my car, but other than that...

The idea of driving back to CT tomorrow morning with these conditions shining down upon me - well, that's not so bad.  The problem comes with the fact that the rest of the country (or at least the part that I'll be traversing) is covered in multiple inches of snow.  

Don't get me wrong, I love a white Christmas.  

It's been a year, however, since the last time I made this drive - and being out of practice, I'm a little nervous about the drive to begin with.  After all, not only is it a hellishly long trip, I'm doing it with Alexandra, two guinea pigs, two hamsters, and the puppy.  The hellish nature increases exponentially with each being.

At the end of journey, we will be rewarded with seeing our friends and family back home, catching up, and relaxing of a sort (okay, I have some writing to do too).  

Then, two weeks later, we'll do the trip in reverse!

Happy Holidays! - Our Digital Christmas Letter

Happy holidays from our family to yours!  

Welcome to our digital Christmas letter!  It’s that time of year again – and we’re trying something a little different. 

As technology advances and we’re brought back into contact with so many people in our lives,

we’re trying a more techno-savvy method of conveying our holiday greetings to everyone we love!

(I’ve been assured that this is acceptable and not tacky by multiple people…)

2008 has been an interesting year for us, filled with all kinds of highs and lows.  My teaching assistantship ended last year, which found me working for the graduate assistant union in the spring semester and scrambling for employment in the fall.  I found it at the campus Starbuck’s – as well as a great appreciation for teaching! Since I started there, my constant latte addiction has been cured.  I’m much better now about going without my coffee!

Alexandra finished up her first year at St. Andrew’s school with an excellent report card and jumped right into second grade with gusto.  She’s still taking her regular dance classes (advanced ballet as well as jazz/hip hop), participating in the Southern Illinois Children’s Choir’s Apprentice Choir, active in Brownies (I’m her troop leader), and simply being the crazy kid she was born to be! 

Perhaps the biggest highlight of the year for us was a trip this past summer to Australia to visit our family – and, of course, do some sightseeing.  We spent five weeks visiting Sydney, Toowoomba, Lismore, and Canberra, with trips to Burleigh Heads, Hervey Bay, the Big Banana and Australia Zoo!  While the experience of traveling to Australia itself was definitely incredible, getting to spend time with our family there was certainly the best part for both of us.  It was so wonderful to spend time with my cousins – as well as finally meet all the children!  Alexandra also adored meeting all of her Australian cousins for the first time – and hasn’t stopped talking about them since!  According to her, we’ll be going back every year.  According to me, we’ll see.

My fourth year at SIUC has found me starting a new program here – working on a second MA in Linguistics, specifically Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL).  The new department is really welcoming and I’m enjoying working on my skills at teaching English.  I can’t wait to apply what I’m learning in this program to what I’ve already gained through teaching English to native speakers.

This past autumn has also brought us to a new home – Alexandra and I moved out of the student housing where we’d lived for three years and into a house about twenty minutes outside of Carbondale.  Alex is most appreciative of the big yard that came with the house (not to mention the fact that she has her own room plus a playroom!) and I’m still in my honeymoon phase with the laundry room!  Just before we moved, I managed to break my wrist, putting a damper on the whole moving adventure.  Five weeks later, two days after I took the brace off, I fell and sprained that same wrist.  Oops!  This autumn also brought a new addition to our family – we adopted a very sweet little beagle puppy, Violet Whey (aka VW Beagle), who has since kept us very busy.  She’s quite the handful, but a wonderful playmate for Alex and such a loving little girl!

From Alexandra, Violet Whey, the hamsters (Hannah and Lily), the guinea pigs (Hermione and Gigi) and myself, we wish you and your family a wonderful holiday season with all the love and joy that accompanies this time of year. 

With love, Kylie, Alexandra, and all the girls

 

Papers are all handed in...

... and except for a quiz in Phonetics tomorrow morning, this semester is over for me!

There are a couple more things that I'd like to get done tonight, but I'm not overly concerned whether that happens or not.  I still have my hours at Starbucks to spur my daily trips into town and, of course, Alexandra has to go to school until the end of next week.  

Now that things are handed in, though, I'm trying to map out my activity for the next few days.  The hours that have been spent on school work can now be applied towards preparing for the holidays - with gusto!

I'm looking forward to completing the photo albums in the next couple of days and am contemplating making some cards as well.  While I'm not going to send out cards this year (after all, every year I get the cards and usually forget to mail them) - I'm trying to come up with some creative way of wishing everyone who's important to me a very happy holidays.  The problem lies in the fact that so many people whom we love are scattered all over this planet.  We can't very well deliver a plate of cookies to people in Japan, Australia, and Germany (if I'm forgetting your country and you're not close, then I'm talking about you too!).

Of course, avoiding the obligatory Christmas cards also means avoiding writing the obligatory Christmas letter... which may actually be of use this year (especially considering we moved rather suddenly in October).  

I guess I'm just torn about the card issue after all.  We'll see what I decide.  

If I don't have your current address, though, shoot me an email - just in case!

xxxooo

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

... at least, that's what "they" say.

At present, though, I'm overwhelmed with too much worked that's piled up on me throughout the semester.  At least for the next two days, I'm SWAMPED.  

My thesis is written and handed in to my committee.  I'm still operating under the assumption that I'm defending next week - no date has been set yet, though.  

I'm sad to note that my work hours will be cut with the end of the semester - after all, no students means a lot less work.  The extra time at home is nice, of course, but the smaller paychecks really aren't.

Alexandra is an activity magnet during the weekends leading up to Christmas!  This coming weekend brings her First Reconciliation, marching in the Lights Fantastic Parade, and a Brownie Troop dinner.  I also have my work Christmas party - and did I mention that all of this occurs on the same day?  

Next weekend is even more busy with activities completely filling Saturday and Sunday - two Christmas concerts, a birthday party, and two scheduled shopping dates.  

In the midst of all this hoopla, I'm trying to adopt a new Christmas outlook.  Yes, Alexandra will get presents from me and from Santa.  However, most of the other people in our lives will be receiving baked goods (oh yes, there will be cookies!) and handmade photo albums.  We're embracing the idea that Christmas should come from the heart - and so are trying to cut down on the "stuff" that the holiday has become.  

I won't lie and say the economy hasn't spurred this change, but I'm not upset about it either.  I really like the idea of putting the effort to make the gifts for everyone rather than looking for stuff.  

That said, I'm enjoying Sirius' 24/7 Christmas Carol station and trying to psych myself up for a joyous season (provided I get all this writing done soon!)...