Oh Blogginess, Take Me to My Happy Place

So, I tried getting a not so dumb phone and have had nothing but trouble since, only to discover that said phone cannot be activated.  Likely, it can't be returned. I ordered it to come over Thanksgiving break so I would have time to learn to use it and activate on a day I was home long enough to get it done. Under the circumstances with Jimi, I did not feel I could be phoneless.  Alas, my mailman delivered it to the wrong house, didn't manage to find it for a week and delivered it with no time for me to do anything about it.  Now, I am past the bit of time allotted to report a failure to activate. Stink!
Why wasn't I available?  Well, I have a job, a brother who needs my time and some wee folk wanting to do our traditional activities.
When Bugg was here for Advent she noticed my bare tree and said she wanted to help decorate it like last year, so she came on Friday evening and we decorated the tree.
Then it was time to turn out the gingerbread houses.   I thought she would play on the computer while I put the houses together, as they are  tedious.

 No, she wanted to assemble and she did.  How absolutely marvelous to have an accomplice in house building.  That's a part of the whole tradition that I don't enjoy, and have mostly done single handedly these many (25+) years.
 Now, perhaps there were a few houses that looked like the crooked man that walked a crooked mile, but that concrete icing kept them together, and when they were covered in candy, who knew?

 Next, she sorted all the candy, so we were ready to go on Saturday.  I came home from school that day wiped out, so I was most grateful for some good help.

 And, they are off.

 Missy Toddles didn't think tasty treats should be wasted on a house.

" Umm, Gramerly," says Mr. Smiley, "Where is the candy?"  Talk to your mama son.

 This bigger house was created for Uncle Jimi. Jakester was there to supervise the creation and each little one added his/her favorite candy.

 My little elf with her creation.

 I always have a few little crafts for them to do as well.

As an act of mercy to parents for  endless sugar sampling, I took them out to feed and chase chickens and look at the creek and, oh of course, swing a bit.

Uncle Jimi continues to improve, losing one thing after another that he's connected to.  He is still facing much rehab and difficulty stabilizing all levels all the time.  Wow, six weeks. 

For years, he was the calendar and flashlight man.  Everyone over eighteen received a calendar with important family dates filled in. Those under eighteen received a flashlight.  He believes he's feeling up to some calendar creating, so I bought the supplies this evening after spending WAY TOO MUCH TIME on the phone trying to activate that new phone.  I was glad to see him wanting something to do.

That stirs a little flashlight memory.  The first year he went the flashlight route he bought Rae Rae something girly.  She was the first girl in a long string of boys and several boys followed.  Lands, she was devastated. She wanted a flashlight like the boys.  From then on, girl or boy, they all got a flashlight and they were always the favored gift of Christmas Eve at Granny's. I think they are all kind of sad when they turn eighteen and get a calendar.