2023.2

efore anyone points out that I am already behind, I know, believe me, I know.  I’m not offering excuses, today, but just letting you know, I am aware.  The best laid plans of elves and thieves, y’all.  

This morning there was a thing at church where the young adults decorated cookies.  Pause for a moment and consider that I could be included with a group of young adults.  Consider it!  I mean I wasn’t, I was on child care duty, but I could still be thought of as young.  In some circles.  Of very old people. Maybe?

Anyway, in December I always have a plan, or two, for Christmas crafts with littles, however it has been a minute since I’ve done baby crafts.  The last couple of years I have managed at least one craft for the baby room kiddos, usually done on the sly, over the whole season, one kid at a time, so it can be gifted to the parents for christmas.  Typically it is little effort from the babies, and relies heavily on hand prints and/or photos.  This year I opted for a more or less age appropriate task and I am allowing the wee ones to stuff clear shatterproof christmas baubles with tiny colored pom poms.  No glue, no paint, and it is just about their skill level.

Guess what? Success! Truly.  All three of the boys we had today enjoyed it.  It is a one at a time task, and it took a few minutes for them to catch on, but then they all seemed to enjoy picking up the pom poms and carefully sticking them in the baubles.  Clearly, it's no big exciting crafting skill they have learned, (they already know how to stick their fingers into things), but I got smiles from all three of them.  I am counting it all as a win.

Feel free to extrapolate some greater meaning about slowing down, living in the moment, and the smiles of children.  Also, being prepared, books about baby animals, rhyming words, and goldfish crackers.

Blub, blub, blub

Judson 

2023.1

nd here we are again.  December One and its the Christmas season all over again.  Am I ready? No.  Do I have 25 blog posts already written and ready to post so that I don’t fall short again?  Also no.  Have I at least outlined or planned any of the blog posts to ensure the handful of people who show up and read these posts will be entertained this year and not left with that “stale cookie-disappointment” feeling?  Pretty much 3 strikes here.  Are you picking up what I am laying down?  But, Yet, And, However I am choosing to just boldly push forward in the hopes that something happens and I get inspired and everyone ends up celebrating.

For those of you who are not playing along at home all year long, here is the latest and greatest from my family.  We are all doing well.  I am working, working, working, like someone who has a job, and has to work.  Pretty much like a working person.  Also I am still doing the social media for my sister’s bakery in Tucson.  Kathleen is still an important person working for the state of Oklahoma looking at spreadsheets from her parents dining room table, all the time.  Shes got to keep an eye on them, because there is no telling what they might do if left to their own devices. 

Paul is still working at On Cue, and he made the change from the overnight shift to the afternoon/evening shift and is much happier about it.  Matthew is making handmade pizza dough at Fair Weather Friends here in OKC, and really excited about that.  He and Kathleen competed again at this years World Food Competition in November and had a great time, although they did not place this year.  They also catered a romance writer’s retreat in September and received amazing raves and accolades for their cooking. (And literally no one was surprised.  Not one single person was like “who know they could cook like that?”, because of course EVERYONE knows.)

Markese is also doing well, he has had several jobs this year, but the one constant is that he works hard.  Also?  He is a great dad.  Briella, his daughter, our grandaughter is almost one year old and just adorable.  She loves her Dad so much, almost as much as the rest of us love her.  

What else? Kathleen and I are still teaching sunday school and working with the childrens ministry at church.  Those littles are a challenge and always keep us on our feet.  September was sad when 3 of our bigger littles moved into the 1st grade class, leaving us with a much smaller class.  However, there are so many babies in the nursery!  Most Sundays I am spending the sunday school hour with the babies, because they vastly out number the kids in our regular class (the 3-6ish crowd).  January 2025, when a group of those babies turn 3 and move up is going to be an adventure!  I am not sure how Ms. Kathleen will keep up her tradition of having the youngest sit next to her at the table during the lesson when there will 4 littles coming in all at once?  Something to figure out I guess.

Speaking of figuring out…My book is still available for kindle.  The 25 Days of Judson Blog is available as a book.  For those of you who want the best of the best.  Even if you don’t have a kindle, you can download the kindle app on your phone for free and then buy the book.  If you are feeling really generous, feel free to review the book for amazon.  I mean clearly I'm not banging on the doors of any best sellers lists, but one review for the 12 copies I sold would be something.  There is a link to the amazon page over there on the right I think.  

Merry merry 

Judson

The actual Decorations

 

Party Party Party!

 So This year, finally we were able to return to a live in person face to face party.  So much planning and plotting to host this year's bacanalia of festiveness.  Once again I went way to far with the theme and decorations.

I had this vision of Christmas at Tiffanys - a play on the Truman Capote classic Breakfast at Tiffanys.  As usual I went down some serious rabbit holes to find ways to reference the OG story, the movie, Capote's black and white ball, facts about his life, and his classic 'A Christmas Memory.'

Well, see for yourself.

More Day drinking and crafting

Because we had so much with the first one, we came back for more.

This time I asked the hard hitting question - What song is not a christmas song, but you feel should be.  I am sure you are expecting Hard Candy Christmas, or Cohen’s Hallelujah.  But we do are best to defy and confound expectations.

So here you go!

Crafting with Amy

I did manage to do some fun holiday crafting this year.  I also managed to persuade Matthew to film it.  I even invited my friend Amy to join me.

Please bear in mind Amy is a craft novice.  So let’s make allowances.  I mean you are already making allowances for me so is it that much farther to go?

This first video is a fun one, where we make a festive christmas wreath.  Plus I share some crafting scandal, and Amy discusses the importance of compound words.

Managing expectations

I think part of my issue, overall, is that I don’t do the greatest job of managing expectations.  Mostly my own.  I think I am sort of known for it. I have these pretty big visions of how I want Christmas to be and then I can’t quite get my dreams to reconcile with reality, and that leads to post holiday blues.  Also, something I am really sort of known for. January Blues, February Teals, March Aquas…

I know how to plan so that it doesn’t happen, I really do.  Under schedule yourself, lower the bar, plan small, schedule me time, prioritize mental health.  I know this, and yet…

In early December I was trying to explain this Paul, that I have a hard time managing my own expectations during the holidays, and then I end up feeling let down, by myself.  His wise response is that he was under the impression that I do this all the time.  Not just at the holidays.  Maybe so.  Maybe so.

So, maybe just go do some stuff you enjoy?

Hold up!

So here we are January 6th, the day that typically celebrates the arrival of the three wisemen to see the baby Jesus.  Also known as the day I dive myself to wind up things here at this 25 days of Christmas with Judson.

How did I do?  Another year of falling far short of 25.  Honestly it isn’t that I don’t have thoughts, I have them, or that I can’t express them,I really do just fine once I sit down and do it, but the problem is I always think I have more time than I really do.  Or I get busy doing other stuff and don’t get around to it.

But I truly want to share all the christmasy things with you.  This year was a good one.  So if you will give me a few days of grace, I’ll dump all them on you now?

The gift of the magi.

I’ve been sitting on this O. Henry-esque story for a year.  Obviously last Christmas was lacking for our family.  For all of the reasons. One bright spot was having Matthew back at home.  Even though his work schedule, and Paul’s work schedule were not lining up for lots of quality brother time, or over all family time it was nice to have everyone around.

I tried, but could get no commitment from the boys on helping me decorate the house.  Paul assured me that probably no one was decorating because it just didn’t feel like christmas.  Matthew said he was working so much all he wanted to do was rest.  When I suggested maybe a holiday movie, I got shot down again.  Ok fine.

Then about a week before Christmas the schedules aligned and both boys were off on the same day.  They decided to go do some holiday shopping together away from prying parental eyes.  I suggested to Kathleen that clearly they were choosing that option to avoid spending time with me.  She suggested I stop pouting and over myself.  

As the day approached, Matthew shared with Kathleen and I that he knew Paul was not really feeling the Christmas spirit, and that was not like his brother.   His plan for their day together was just to really go and do it up, and do the fun holiday things to really cheer his brother up, and that was really the best gift he could give to his brother.  Oh, my heart!  I just wanted to grab him and hug him, but he already thinks I am a weirdo so I refrained.

Paul works overnight so I had to go pick him up the next morning and as we were on the way home, he shared that he was looking forward to spending some quality bro time with Matthew.  I agreed that it sounded like a good idea.  Then he said, you know Matthew has had a really hard year.  My plan for today is just to really have a good time, and do all the fun holiday stuff with him, to try and put him in the holiday mood.

Someday’s I might be Santa, and other days I’m the grinch.  And, yet, however, every single day I am blessed to be the father of those boys.

Zuzu’s petals y’all, Zuzu’s petals.

Your Hosts aka the clean up crew

 

The Guests

 

The Spread!