You know what will derail an Advent activity calendar pretty fast? A plague, that's what.

So! I've spent the past few days doling out one teaspoon portions of Motrin to my oldest and whatever the middle hash-mark on the tiny medicine dropper is to my youngest. Then Chris picked up The Hacking and he didn't feel like doing much so it's been a blur of attending to sick people on the sofa.

Day 15

I think we watched Barney all day. Again. I don't really remember, Claire was still pretty sick.

Day 16

Claire did a Gingerbread house with her friend Emory today. I am told they both enjoyed it and wanted to eat all of the candy immediately. I wasn't here for it; I went to afternoon tea downtown with my best friend. 

 

It was nice. The last time I went there, they had someone playing a baby grand piano in the restaurant and this time there wasn't, although there WAS a lady playing a harp in the lobby of the hotel, which was really weird as NOBODY was in the lobby and EVERYONE was in the restaurant having tea. Why they didn't move her into the restaurant where we could all enjoy the music is beyond me.

I remember the food tasting better, but perhaps I have been spoiled ever since attending Afternoon Tea at The Palmer House in Chicago last year. (Or maybe it really WAS better in years past. The last time I went to tea at The Ashton was in 2007.) I mean, it was edible and everything but for my afternoon tea I don't want vegetables and red pepper dip, I want something FANCIER. Other things were okay but none of it was really gooooooood except for the gingerbread button cookie. I dunno. Seems to me that they could invest a little more in a pastry chef or explore the world of mini quiches. (The pastries had that terrible problem where they look nice but taste like sand.) The "sandwiches" were more like tiny crackers and I get that at tea the sandwiches are tiny but it was like a wheat thin type of size/consistency/quality and they felt like they'd been assembled hours ago and weren't aging very well. Perhaps if the tiny faux-sandwiches had tasted better I would be more forgiving on the format but they were just kind of...MEH.

It sounds like I didn't have fun, but really I did. I had a lot of fun. The food was just not my favorite. I went for the time alone with my friend and without our children and I got that too and it was GLORIOUS.

After dinner that night we test-drove the Gingerbread martini recipe and it was good. Very ginger-y, pretty to look at. I might not drink two or five of these but one might be really festive. 

Day 17

Claire opened a book: The Sweet Smell of Christmas. When I told her it was a book that smelled like cookies she was very dubious. Everyone on the internet remembers having this book as  a kid and I can't recall it at all. Were we a strange family that didn't have this book? I mean, we HAD Christmas books, just not this particular one. 

I made word garlands from Christmas carols. Or, perhaps more accurately, hymns? I don't know. I was thinking about what phrases to use and "O Little Town of Bethlehem" seemed far more interesting to read and reflect on while it hangs in my entry than "Jingle Bells." 

They were pretty simple to make: I freehand cut the letters from old scrapbook paper (and since I don't scrapbook any more I had zero guilt about slicing it all up) and then I taped them onto red and white baker's twine. At first I was less than impressed with the overly obvious homemade nature of their irregularities, but now I really like that part. 

Comments

[BigP's Heather]

I've never even heard of that book....

Love the garland!

Also, I've never been to a tea. Sounds like fun.

[Elsha]

We had that book growing up! Actually, my parents still have it, but only a very few of the stickers still smell. I should order myself a copy.

[HereWeGoAJen]

I really love that garland! Next year!

The plague is what took us out last year too. It's hard to be Christmassy when everyone feels awful.

[elz]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who didn't have the book growing up. My sister in law gifted it to my girls a few years ago. I don't recall reading it before then.

I love the word garlands. I saw someone use them to decorate for a birthday party; I thought that was a genius idea.

[Life of a Doctor's Wife]

The garlands turned out beautifully!

So sorry to hear about the plague. I hope it clears up soon!

[Jesabes]

I fear I'm in for it this week. We had a family Christmas on Saturday and found out on of the kids there was taken to the ER that night for the flu with a really high temp. WE'RE SCREWED.

I love the Christmas hymn garlands!