holidays
Christmas in the Foyer
Last weekend we pulled the Christmas boxes down from the attic. All three of them and a wreath box. Even after culling out over half of my Christmas decorations in preparation for our overseas move, it still feels like Christmas vomited all over my house. Why is it that decorating a tree and putting up a few festive touches means that the entire house is destroyed in the process? After I took the kids to school on Monday, I returned and tidied up one area. The foyer. Don’t foyers look so much better without the stuff that actually goes in a foyer? Backpacks, jackets, shoes…so many shoes. I even dusted the Christmas glitter off…
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. A holiday ubiquitous with turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie. While Americans in the U.S. are on pumpkin-everything overload, Americans in Ireland are googling “where to buy canned pumpkin.” I’ll give you a hint. One store carries it. And it’s sold out. Fresh pumpkins left the store shelves October 31, so that’s out as an option too. It’s a good thing pumpkin pie isn’t really my thing. I’ve been told Thanksgiving is the loneliest day of the year for expats living in Ireland. Way to sugarcoat it, people. My goodness. Why is it the loneliest day of the year? I suppose it’s because you’re separated from extended family…
Happy Halloween
It’s here! It’s here! My kids are busting with excitement. They love Halloween! For those of you who have wondered, yes, Halloween is celebrated in Ireland. The kids do dress up and go trick-or-treating, so that is on the agenda for later today. We also carved pumpkins! The teeniest, tiniest pumpkins. Honest to goodness, I don’t know why we didn’t do this sooner. See that little hole in the top of the pumpkin? Mom and dad cannot fit their hands in there. Therefore, mom and dad’s ability to help with this process is very, very limited. Or so I told my kids. Worked like a charm. These were Irish grown, “medium-sized” pumpkins. They…
Halloween Bat Mantel
A couple of weeks ago a strange man at the train station offered my kids packages of Starburst candy. I’m sure the man was just trying to be nice and the candy was unopened, but still. In context, it was an uncomfortable situation. It was one of those lessons in “we don’t take candy from strangers.” Except on Halloween, right mom? GAH! My kids are wild about Halloween. They’ve been planning their costumes for months. And they really, really, really like it when we decorate the house for Halloween. Just because one year I went a little crazy with Halloween book covers and such and now they think we should decorate…
Halloween Countdown Lunch Notes
I first published this post last September. It is pretty hilarious to note that despite so much changing in our lives this year, the day-to-day has stayed pretty consistent. My children still forget to put on socks. Every. single. morning. And they’ve been asking since August if I’m going to do Halloween countdown notes in their lunch boxes. Why, yes. We are definitely counting down the days for that one special evening when it is suddenly okay to take candy from strangers. Free printable below! My children’s selective memory is quite excellent. Case in point. They have been asking me for at least 3 weeks if I am going to do the Halloween countdown in…
From Sea to Shining Sea
It’s a little strange celebrating America’s 4th of July along the Irish Sea. My kids, who love a good 4th of July parade as much as I do, asked me if we could just go throw candy at people on the street today. Um. Well. Let’s see. No. Definitely not. I think that would be an excellent example of good intentions, but poor execution. Besides. We don’t want to waste good candy. What will mommy eat after you go to bed? Whether you are throwing candy in a parade, catching candy, watching fireworks or celebrating the 4th with friends please know we are with you in spirit! Thank you to all…
Free 4th of July Printable
Just a reposting from last year in case anyone wants to print off these 4th of July images. And if the links at the bottom don’t work, let me know. I don’t have a printer setup at our temporary residence, so I can’t actually test it. Details, details. n 1776, the Continental Congress gathered in Philadelphia. I don’t know that this group of individuals considered themselves extraordinary. I’d venture to guess they considered themselves quite ordinary. They varied in education levels, in occupations. They disagreed about a great many things. But they had a common ground – declaring and gaining the colonies’ independence from the dictatorial rule of Great Britain. Whether they would…
Pallet Flag Tip
The 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays – especially when I can celebrate with a good ol’ fashioned small town parade. Nothing screams “proud to be an American” like your local insurance agent throwing hard candy at little kids who run out into the street to grab these free treats. Seriously can’t wait. Now’s the time to get into the patriotic spirit with a little Americana decor, which brings me to this burning question. Is the pallet flag trend over? I don’t keep up with these things. I’m all about displaying what you love for however long you love it. It eventually all comes back into style anyway. I’m…
Our Memorial Day Tradition
Our most humbling family tradition occurs on Memorial Day Weekend. Three generations gather at the cemetery to honor and remember those who paved the way for our freedoms, our lives and our heritage. American flags have been placed beside the headstones of those who served in our country’s armed forces. Colorful flowers brighten the landscape. We clean the headstones, reminisce and pause in quiet reflection. My children have never met the family members buried there – not even their grandma. Yet, with a willing heart, they kneel on the ground and scrub the headstones clean. They trim tall grass and pull weeds. They listen to the stories of our family members who are…
Lion and Lamb Children’s Art
With Easter rapidly approaching, I thought it would be the perfect time to share some ideas for lion and lamb artwork. These were both made by my daughter in preschool, which was *sob* way too long ago. I can’t take credit for the artwork, unless you count growing the artist in my belly, birthing the artist and then meticulously selecting a preschool to cultivate the artist’s intellect and artistic talents. So, yeah. When you think about it that way, I can totally take credit for this artwork. I say this with all sincerity, the lion artwork demonstrates the best combined use of a paper plate and a tongue depressor that I’ve…
