Back up and cooking

The maintenance man was able to fix our stove on Friday afternoon. As a result I am nearly caught up on my baking. I was able to complete 6 dozen Oatmeal Cranberry cookies, 6 dozen chocolate chip with candy cane cookies, 2 dozen mint chocolate chip cookies, 4 dozen sugar cookies (frosted and drying now) and 2 pecan pies. Most of these items were gifts for co-workers and I was really worried about what to do if the oven wasn't fixed in time.

Grrr

I heated up the oven last night to do some holiday baking and tucked the boys in bed. Imagine my surprise when I returned to the kitchen to find in filled with gas! My oven is broken, the emergency gas trip apparently does not work and there are only 5 more days to get cookies baked for Santa.

I'm very frustrated.

I've put in a call to housing, but they have 2 business days to respond. So it looks like we will be ovenless until next Tuesday. What a perfect time of year to be without an oven.

Each year this poem makes the rounds thru military families, and each year I cry like a baby. This year it is even more significant as Erik is returning to battalion, and those battalions are supporting missions in Afghanistan and suffering losses.

CHRISTMAS POEM

TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS,
HE LIVED ALL ALONE,
IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE MADE OF
PLASTER AND STONE.

I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY
WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE,
AND TO SEE JUST WHO
IN THIS HOME DID LIVE.

I LOOKED ALL ABOUT,
A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE,
NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS,
NOT EVEN A TREE.

NO STOCKING BY MANTLE,
JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND,
ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES
OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.

WITH MEDALS AND BADGES,
AWARDS OF ALL KINDS,
A SOBER THOUGHT
CAME THROUGH MY MIND.

FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT,
IT WAS DARK AND DREARY,
I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER,
ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.

THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING,
SILENT, ALONE,
CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR
IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME.

THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE,
THE ROOM IN SUCH DISORDER,
NOT HOW I PICTURED
A UNITED STATES SOLDIER.

WAS THIS THE HERO
OF WHOM I'D JUST READ? CURLED UP ON A PONCHO,
THE FLOOR FOR A BED?

I REALIZED THE FAMILIES
THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT,
OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS
WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT.

SOON ROUND THE WORLD,
THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,
AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE
A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.

THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM
EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR,
BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS,
LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.

I COULDN'T HELP WONDER
HOW MANY LAY ALONE,
ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE
IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.

THE VERY THOUGHT
BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE,
I DROPPED TO MY KNEES
AND STARTED TO CRY.

THE SOLDIER AWAKENED
AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE,
'SANTA DON'T CRY,
THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE;

I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM,
I DON'T ASK FOR MORE,
MY LIFE IS MY GOD,
MY! COUNTRY, MY CORPS.'

THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER
AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP,
I COULDN'T CONTROL IT,
I CONTINUED TO WEEP.

I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS,
SO SILENT AND STILL
AND WE BOTH SHIVERED FROM THE COLD NIGHT'S CHILL.

I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE
ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT,
THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR
SO WILLING TO FIGHT.

THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER,
WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE,
WHISPERED, 'CARRY ON SANTA,
IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE.'

ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH,
AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT.
'MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND,!
AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT.'

This poem was written by a Marine.

Crafts

I finished and gave this to the intended, and he liked it.

Hans & Niels

Niels was pretty stoked when he woke up and discovered a Christmas tree lit in the living room

Pictures

We had a wonderful time at the party, although I am dragging today. I don't drink, so it must be the late night that has me feeling hungover.

Tonight is the Big Party

Tonight is my annual Christmas party. Time to pull out "THE DRESS". I spoke to the babysitter last night to make sure everything is in order. She is planning to spoil the kids with Burger King meals with "wee" toys in them. She is Scottish and I love her Scots slang.

We received an invitation to Erik's holiday party, and they are not including kids this year. We already had plans that night with the scouts for a drive in moving at one of the hangers here. The boys will be able to get tours of the different aircraft, and they have been asked to make their own cars or airplanes out of cardboard boxes. We'll be serving popcorn and pop to everyone (cub scout popcorn never goes away, it just gets stale). The odd thing about the command party is that even though there are no kids they want everyone to bring a gift or donate $25 to buy a gift -- even if they aren't planning to attend. In the past we each had to provide gifts for Santa to give the kids. I just don't understand what they are thinking! How do you exlude kids from the holidays, the holidays are meant for kids!

Anyhow, hope you all enjoy your weekends!

Great Den Meeting

Tonight we had a potluck for the cub scouts, followed by Erik balancing on crutches and trying to teach 10 boys how to make fire. First with dowels, then with dowels and bows. The boys were so excited and suprised to learn how difficult it is to make a fire without a ready flame.

We have had a hard time getting the parents involved in the troop, but tonight they Dads all jumped in to help out. I think we need to come up with more fun group activities!

Thanksgiving Recovery

Well, we seem to be getting back to normal after the holiday. Niels came down with an ear infection which resulted in a round of antibiotics. He, like his Daddy, is allergic to penicillin. This always makes treating him an adventure.

Hans has turned in to quite a reader and is whipping thru the Magic Treehouse series. He fought me forever on starting chapter books but has now decided it is nice that the stories are longer. This weekend he used his money to buy a Star Wars chapter book. It was not my first choice of reading material, but I don't want to discourage him. Next up are the Charlie Bone books, which I love, love, LOVE!

Erik continues to have problems with his knee. He sees the physical therapist for the first time on Wednesday and we are hoping to get his brace changed. His current brace presses against the longest of the four incisions and isn't so comfortable. We are hoping a different model will provide better support.

I am busy with proposals at work and trying my best to balance work and family. We have our work party this Friday so I'll be squeezing into "The Dress". Perhaps I'll be brave enough to post pictures of it!

I hope everyone enjoyed Thanksgiving and was able to spend it with people they love.