our busy Christmas time

Here are a few fun things about our Christmas this year.

Random - Nadia's hair is long enough for two French Braids!!!

She also apparently thinks it's hilarious to sit on the toilet. She often says, "mommy - potty - poop - potty". She doesn't really mean it, i've learned.

This year for Christmas dinner, i wanted to try to cook duck. I asked some of our neighbors where i could buy one fresh, and someone knew someone who knew someone who's brother's wife raises ducks. So... i went, picked one out, watched the guy kill it and clean it for me. In all, the 4 pound duck from start to finish cost me about $6. The duck soaked for 2 days in brine, cooked for 2 hours in my E-Z Bake oven, and actually tasted rather delicious!

Here he is! Si bebek kecil yang lezaaaaaaat sekali!

Our teeny-tiny Christmas tree - purchased "downtown" for about $3 - the lights were a spectacular find - Although, I nearly died from electric shock while stringing them on the tree. I made the mistake of assuming it would be safe to string them while plugged in. Apparently they're not THAT well made... Also, 220v running through your fingers and up your arm actually hurts a bit...

Nadia making the most of the box that my new violin came in - Mom, you can see she LOVES those crayons you sent. Also, you should notice how she's squatting - She already likes that better than sitting most of the time - She sees everyone around here doing that, and she doesn't really know anything different.

Michelle - we loved the card you sent in the box for Nadia. I taped the kid's photos to the fridge at Nadia's eye level, and peeled the stickers off (carefully) and stuck them on there too. Nadia spends a ton of time looking at the photos and trying to say the kids' names - Kate, i'd like to stick Ella up there too - PJ and Donna, when bambina gets here, her little mug will be taped up with the other cousins. :0)

Mom, here's the outfit you made :0) She wore it on Christmas Eve - She was a busy little bee that day, stealing cookies right and left, running around the house calling out for her puppy, running around our friends' house poking the ornaments on their Christmas tree and knocking poor Baby Jesus out of His cradle...

She was very, very tired - and slept all the way to 7am the next day. whoo. hoo.

Nadia (and i) playing in a new pop-up tent (from Angie, below). She loves this crazy thing - Thanks Angie and Dylan and Raquel.

Angie and Raquel model their new matching aprons. Angie and i went together some months ago to buy our awesome manual sewing machines. We often trade patterns and discuss our sewing machine troubles (troubles are frequent when working with machines made at least 30 years ago... in this country...). For Christmas i made them matching aprons - and she made me a fun new purse!

And for Tim, Michelle, Mom & Dad Svoboda, Grandma, Granddad, and the rest of you dear people who pitched in to send all the awesome tools and great equipment - as well as wonderful ingredients - THANK YOU!!!!!!!!! Here we are pictured wearing our fabulous headlamps. Last night, we lost power (like usual) - and we could see what we were doing! YAY! Thank you so much!