Santa Test

The Foreman twins informed Tell this year that Santa Claus is not real but Tell still has his doubts and has decided to clarify things one way or the other. He has made each family member promise not to eat the snack that we set out for Santa.


He has said,"If the snack is gone than Santa is real. If it's still there than that means he's just pretend." I think it's a great idea! Now to see how he will react seeing the goodies still there in the morning,


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Tradition Training

Every year, a day or two before Christmas, Dad gives me a bag of Mom's stocking stuffers to wrap. This has been happening since I was about 9 or 10 because even back then my wrapping ability was better than his.


This year, I enlisted Atira's help in hopes that after a couple years of training, I can delegate the job to her for a few years before she leaves home.


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Always A Romano

Nicki hand-delivered our Christmas card after my hair cut at her house last night......after looking at it for a second, I realized why it looked odd. Nicki had accidentally written the Romanos instead of Gilberts. Even after 18 years of marriage, my old friends still think of me as a Romano. I don't mind.....



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No Cash, No Card

While Christmas shopping in the Maine Mall this afternoon, I walked into the Apple Store to purchase a longer charge cord.


I walked up to the item, took out my iPhone and accessed the Apple Store app. It located the store I was in and brought up the Easy Pay barcode scanner. I scanned the product, the app accessed my iTunes account and withdrew the necessary funds. I then walked out the door with my purchase. It was extremely convenient and very disconcerting.

Full and Open Houses

Many years and friends that have moved away ago, Bud and Genia Anderson used to have a party to celebrate the completion of their elaborate Christmas village. Atira and Tell weren't even around then and the older boys were too young to remember these events or the huge display, so I was happy to receive the Anderson's Village Open House invitation. I wasn't sure if I had the time right when I arrived because only Bud was home and no one else was there yet. Arriving first is a disconcerting experience for me. We brought along Atira's friend Erin, who became the "mayor" of the village. With a finger touch to one of the giant trees, the village lit up. To show me he wasn't "just another pretty face", Bud showed me his homemade peppermint candy serving tray.....Impressive and easy.


Soon after, Genia and Jen arrived and then the flow of friends began, including Peg


and Steve McConnell as well as the Foremans.
Inevitably when talk of the village starts, we remember the year that Bud put tiny hay bales into the Triscuits dish to see who would try to eat one.


Is anyone surprised that it was Jim! Bud also recalled that toddler Jubal walked up and kicked him for no reason at one of the parties. That, I did not remember.


We left Tell to hang with Ben and Zac Foreman at the Open House and headed home to prepare for Atira's belated Birthday party. She and Erin decorated the cupcakes and then when Cara arrived, the girls arranged them in the form of a heart. It was a very pretty cake, party and birthday girl.

It's Up!

Getting the Christmas tree up was a twofold process this year. We didn't have the amount of time in one night to find, put up and decorate the tree so we split it up. The family picked the tree out and with Nolan's help, hauled it home on Wednesday,


saving the decorating for tonight. The ornaments went on one by one, interrupted once or twice by a wrestling match or a bulb breaking.








It occurred to me tonight that, as the kids have gotten older, there were several jobs that no longer required Jim or myself. Except for the very top, Atira took Jim's place helping me drape the lights around the branches and Jubal stepped into Jim's shoes to trim the top of the tree for the star.


Even Tell took my job of taking a photo. When the tree was finished, he asked for the camera, and captured the moment, stating "Now I can always remember my tree."


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Fruit of the Week - Pomegranate

Nolan tried this recipe today and it was excellent! It's definitely a keeper.

Pinky Sweet Smoothie
(1 serving)

1 very ripe banana (we used frozen)
1/2 cup frozen pomegranate seeds
1 cup frozen strawberries
*1 1/2 cups of whole milk
*Dash of vanilla

Blend together
(* the original recipe was vegan and called for vanilla soy milk ...
Blech! We used regular milk and added vanilla)



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Location:Ledgewood Dr,West Bath,United States

Insert Foot

After Coastal Christian's annual school Christmas program, Jubal and I scooted over to Moody's with Don, Nate and the Hodgdons. As expected, when spending time with this crowd, fun and foolishness reigned and turning your back for a moment means you will find either your utensil licked or a crumpled straw paper in your ice water.

 On this particular evening, however, I should have kept a closer watch on myself. While opening my mouth to savor some strawberry-rhubarb pie, I also managed to insert my stubby foot. In an attempt to convey my admiration for my dear friend Deb Fisher, the words, "It would be an honor to be called 'Mrs. Fisher'." escaped my lips.

BAD, BAD, BAD choice of words.....Needless to say I spent a few seconds hiding behind my menu.
Then, of course, the next few seconds found Don on his iPhone posting to Facebook.

Curse you, instant communication!

The Sounds and Snacks of Christmas

Atira and I, along with her friend Erin, enjoyed the perfect beginning to our Christmas season on Saturday. It was the Midcoast Dance Studio's annual Nutcracker production. There's nothing like the Dance of the Sugarplum Fairies and half-eaten gingerbread men to get you into the Christmas spirit.


Making a Gingerbread House will put you in the same spirit and this was tonight's AWANA event for the kids. Jen H., Maddie, Jen K., Atira and I put the bare graham cracker houses together yesterday. This meant they were firmed up and ready for the inevitable smothering of candy from the kids.


Tell and Atira created their own masterpieces,


while Jubal and Nolan helped Rory and Wes Leeman, yet still managed to consume the candy equivalent of their own house in the process.





Young and old had fun and with the exception of Riley Foreman's, all "houses" safely made it to at least the family car, so I'd call the night a success.

Morning Quip

Most mornings, Jubal and I have about 45 minutes together before encountering another human being, during which, we have had many conversations. Depending on the topic and the mood of my teenager these talks have ranged from shallow to serious and frustrating to entertaining. This mornings was more of the latter. It was a friendly debate about whether French or Italian was the nicer language. Jubal ended his argument with this conclusion:
"Italians don't have a language, they have HANDS!"

Location:Ledgewood Dr,West Bath,United States