New Christmas Poll

Our last poll ended with four votes for photo cards and one vote for other (I wonder what the other was).

Our new poll is about Christmas gifts. I think the poll is pretty self-explanitory, but if you have any questions just drop us a comment here.

I have put the deadline after the new year, becasue Granny Begonia is holding "Christmas" on New Year's Day this year.

You can chose more than one.

Boxing Day

Yesterday, we Mundeleinians (or is that Mundeleiners) took our semi (sort of, not every six months) annual Metra ride into the city to see the Christmas tree and Marshal Field's (hey, the still have the MF name on the State Street building and Tulip hates it when we even say the "M" word) windows.

The windows were not that impressive, but we liked the tree, and Star got to use the camera that Santa brought her.

Santa also brought Orchid a flute and Tulip a Barbie carriage. I don't know if Orchid's favorite gift is her flute or her iPod Nano. Tulip's favorite gift is most definetly her Leapster.

Star says she doesn't have a favorite gift, but she has already read the second two books in the Wereling series, and I think she is going to find that her cell phone will be her favorite.

Mommy Gardenia got some lovely jewelry and I got SO much that decorum prohibits listing them here. I think my favorite is my new friend Jill (the name they give the voice in my GPS).

This is my photo of the tree, I asked Star to write a post and post her photos today.

BTW, this was written on my PDA while riding the train home.

Christmas Stuff and Basketball Less Taken

On Monday we went caroling at the Greek American Rehabilitation Center in Wheeling. It was very nice. All five of us went with the JOY (Junior Orthodox Youth) and GOYA (Greek Orthodox Youth of America) from our church (Ascension of Our Lord Greek Orthodox Church). We walked up and down the halls singing and Star made a couple of new friends. We even sang one Greek song (well, I didn’t sing it as I don’t know the words or tune).

Tuesday everything was Ice Stormed out. No school, no band concert and no Greek school.

I used our brand new Cannon ZR800. Tulip’s Christmas concert was Wednesday morning and I got the whole thing on tape. She was very cute and really got into the movements for the songs. First graders can be so funny; they don’t have all the inhibitions in place yet.

Star’s basketball season is on hold until after the new year because of some scheduling conflicts. Wednesday night they didn’t do too well, losing 29 to 8. Star played pretty well and I managed to video tape some of the game. I ran out of battery at about half time because I hadn’t recharged it after Tulip’s concert.

Wednesday was Uncle Sweet Pea’s 40th birthday. Happy birthday Uncle Sweet Pea, and congratulations again to Granny Begonia (I always say that the mother does all the work and deserves all the credit for a birthday, since the baby is just along for the ride).

On Friday we had Girl Scouts and we made pretzels.

Ice? Day and New Poll

No school, no concert, no nothing today. It was all called off because of the ice storm they expected that never really came.

We had work of course, that never changes, we always have work.

The Christmas wish list poll is over. Only three people voted. Electronics got three votes and everything else got one vote each. I hope everybody gets what they want.

New poll, what do you send out at Christmas time?

Granny Begonia (I gotta call you Granny, I'm calling Dad Pansy) sends out a typed letter (same one to everyone) along with a photo of sister Lavender.

My sister-in-law Daffodil's parents send out a similar letter with no photo.

We from Mundelein send out a photo card and have this little ole blog.

What do you send out?

Congrats to Brother Rose!

Yesterday at Fort Rucker, AL my brother Rose graduated from the US Army Warrant Officer school. My dad, Papa Pansy, the retired Brigadier General pined his bar on.

Granny Begonia and sister Lavender went down with Papa Pansy for the occasion. Rose's Juniper and Jasmine were there too.

Rose will be home for a while before other Army commitments take him away again, including Military Intelligence Branch School. He's been a Secret Squirrel for a while, but now he needs to learn to be an Army Secret Squirrel and and officer Secret Squirrel.

Congrats again lil' bro!

BBall Record 3 and 3

Ah, I remember it like it was yesterday: they wore blue, we wore white, we were at home, we scored a lot, they didn't.

You can see by the scoreboard that it was a blow out. They actually only made two baskets, the other point was from a free throw.

Our Stargazer Lily got fouled and had to shoot two free throws. From her reaction you'd've guessed that she committed the foul. She made one of the two. She got at least one other basket, several rebounds and several blocks.

It was a fun game. It was the game the scoreboard is from (note Star's number on the board, 50).

On Tuesday I had to take Tulip to Greek School so I couldn't make the game. We played the same school, but at their home gym. We won again, except it was 30-something to 20-something today. I'm glad, it would have been sad if we had beaten them as badly again.

On the way to Greek School, Tulip and I were listening to the School Of Rock CD in the Flowermobile. When it got to the line about "until the stars are falling," she asked if they meant asteroids.

I told her that it meant, "the end of time." She said, "but the circle of life goes on forever." I asked if we could please just listen to the song. She said, "Continue."

On the way home I offered to play an audio book. She said, "Yes, that will get some English into me."

Six year olds are so funny.

Basketball Record 1 and 3

Star and her team had another disheartening loss Sunday. It was a wild, brutal and strange game that ended 33-22.

The team they played really manhandled our girls and were thoroughly thrashing them in the first half. They mugged our team in every way except to take their money and rarely got called for it.

There was shouting from our parents and it looked like the refs didn't know the rules about "pressing" when one team is ahead by a certain number of points. They looked it up at half time and found that the margin has to be 15. The other team was over that margin.

I saw when girls were hit in the face and a foul was called against them (on both sides).

The odd reffing (I won't say "bad" because I don't know the game well enough to tell) wasn't the only thing. Midway through the third quarter the other team suddenly stopped being able to make baskets, even when they had unopposed breakaway layups. Also there suddenly were full court passes going both ways. It looked like a Rugby game (for those readers who know the European style of kicking for field advantage).

Finally, our Stargazer Lily tried to make a basket at the buzzer and was fouled. The refs didn't let her take her two free throws. Our head coach yelled at the ref, the ref bumped into our coach and threatened to call the police. In the end I found out that that ref has refused to do anymore of our games.