Weekend Report

Ok, trying to make the commitment to write *something* tonight. Blog seems a much better bet than novel, given that I only have about 20 more minutes while the kid finishes watching Dragon Tales and Daddy does bathtime before I'm back on duty. So, here's the weekend report.

Yesterday afternoon we had a great visit from my dear friend Galila and her husband Michael and their 2 kids Jenna (about 8 months older than Eli) and Aaron (5 months now and soooooooo plump and cute). The kids played great together and we adults had fun just hanging out (catching up, watching the kids, comparing our recent visits to Disneyland, etc). It was a really nice visit.

Last night we went to go see our friend Mark in a stage production of The Princess Bride at a tiny funky little theater space in the Mission in San Francisco. It was fun to be out at that kind of of indy, happenin' event--we haven't done something like that in way too long. The play was minimalist and hammy but clever and fun. I just wish I hadn't been so tired that night--I kept pinching myself to keep from falling asleep (not because the play wasn't good, just because I'd stayed up waaaaaaaaaayyyyy too late the night before watching the Return of The King Extended Edition DVD we just bought. Mmmmmm 4 hours and 10 minutes of my favorite movie ever! It was awesome.)

Today we all went out to the City again with Dri and Jim for the closing day of the Dicken's Christmas Faire, which is an indoor, Victorian version of the Renaissance Faire. A lot of the same people work at both faires, so just like going to the Ren Faire, a visit there is always a nostalgic kind of thing for us, where we run into all kinds of people we used to work and play with at the Ren Faire. I hadn't actually been to Dickens Faire since 1988, when I worked there as a part of Cuthbert's, doing parades and singing Christmas Carols in my hoopskirts and satin. Josh (and of course Eli) had never been. We had a good time there, despite the extreme crowd that had packed itself in there by the middle of the day. Maybe someday we'll work that faire again (not to mention Ren Faire), but not anytime soon while the kids are still young--weekends will be far too precious. I do miss the acting and the immersion into "living history"...but a girl can only have so many hobbies at a time. ;)

Tonight after the kid's in bed I think Josh and I are going to partake of another tradition of ours--watching "It's A Wonderful Life" and wrapping presents. We also have some friends supposedly dropping by to bring us eggnog and gingerbread cookies. I feel so....Christmas-y! (It's weird, being Jewish and all, but yet kind of exciting too, in that forbidden fruit kinda way.) I feel like we've now been doing certain "Christmas-y" things (admittedly, the non-religious, fully secular type) long enough by now that some of the traditions we've started are finally able to bring that special sort of satisfaction that traditions give, where the things we "always" do around this time remind us of the years past, and help to fully ground us in the season and the turning of the cycles.

In a related vein, I'm feeling like the wide variety of "getting ready for the holiday season" stuff I've been obsessing about (e.g. parties and presents) is finally just about done. I have one more shopping trip to make tomorrow night, and a bit more wrapping to do, and some easy crafty presents to finish, and a holiday newsletter to create and mail. But for some reason it feels like the hardest parts (i.e. the planning of everything) are coming to a close, and what's left doesn't seem all that overwhelming. And I'm glad for that, because I really would like my brain to chill out so I can get some sleep (I've been sleeping terribly--even when I have the opportunity to stay in bed and catch a few more snoozles, my overactive insomaniacal brain won't let me). As the overwhelm dies down, I'm actually enjoying some of the seasonal stuff--driving around the neighborhood looking at lights, listening to holiday music, giving gifts, anticipating good get-togethers with friends and family.

Speaking of which, time to go do bedtime and then get on with the evening.