It’s beginning to look a lot like…

…the busy season! And toss a couple of birthdays in the mix too, while we’re at it! So real quick blast through this today:

Had the youngest’s 4th birthday earlier today. I even baked the cake and the husband made homemade beans for the chalupas. Balloons were blown up. The party was from 11am to 1pm then everybody get the F out, it’s nap time. Worked like a charm!

The Christmas decorations are up, the tree looks awesome, and all presents got wrapped yesterday. I only have the below partial shot of what is actually the prettiest tree we may have ever had.

The whole tree is a beaut’, though you’ll have to take my word on that because the only pic in my phone is this partial through snowflake effect glasses.

Heck, I even did a Christmas-style flower arrangement I’m super proud of.

In other news, a few weeks ago I went all the way to D’Hanis, TX to pick up one free brick as a quasi-Christmas gift for my husband. I say quasi because it’s no surprise to him, already gave it to him, and it’s really kinda for both of us. But it’s in December so it’s not like it doesn’t count at all, either…) It’s about 4 hours round trip and I almost got hit by a high speed chase on the way back. During which the last thought that COULD have gone through my head was: “If I die for one brick…” It’s a thousand times worth it though.

Hardest to find stamped brick, and it’s over 100 years old. And our initials.

Since I was going through Castroville to get to D’Hanis I figured I’d take some Christmas tree branches and leave some boughs on the ancestors graves on my way through town. You know, normal weirdo shit.

So I took my overly sweet fast food restaurant coffee and my couple of Christmas tree branches and wandered about a cemetery at 10am. Next to one of the graves I noticed this small child’s grave that had a stone bible on the front. Went, “Awww, have a branch too, youngin”… and then realized the bible part wasn’t connected to the headstone. Huh… I wonder what would happen if I tip it ba… OH MY GOD

I truly, and I mean truly, love that weird shit, lemme tell ya. The art! The change in culture! The symbology! What it indicates about grief and life and society… it does my little cultural anthropologist heart good, I tell you what. But yeah, I can see why the bible was added on there later.

And finally, while I do a load of laundry and the newest of 4-year-olds naps, I’m taking a few minutes relaxing in bed blogging with a couple of sleeping cats. Only this time… this time it’s one who has never ever curled up with me before like this- the oldest’s stand offish calico. Heck- she very seldom even comes in this room!