Here is Amber washing the windows so we can stick those Christmas window stickers up.
We are all set for the holidays now! Having been cooking for 2 1/2 days I had a lot of things I needed to get done around the house. The boys watched the last Ocean's movie that is out, 13. They enjoyed it. We had leftover Thanksgiving for dinner and lit our first candle on the Advent wreath. The seller's came back with their final offer take it or leave it and we have until Wednesday.
Monday morning I went out to Germany to my couple of stores. The toy store opens at 9am and usually I am the only one there, but today there were about 15 people waiting for the store to open! Here St. Nick day is bigger then Christmas, so with that coming up this week I guess everyone needed to finish their shopping. I ran into this discount clothing store too b/c Jacob needs to wear all black tomorrow night for his band concert. So we have the pants, shoes and socks, but not the black collared, button down shirt. I was so happy I found one for under 10 euros! Perfect! So after the grocery store I came home and ate lunch and then headed over to the other side of town to see about some things for a center piece for my Christmas tea I am having on Friday. Then off to pickup. Today Jacob had a friend over after school.
Tuesday Jacob had early band and Jason took him in. I had yoga then off to the British store. I was looking for molasses to make gingerbread cupcakes, but they were out of the American one, but had one they said was similar. Maybe a British version. Then I was looking for a lego book that has just ideas of things to build with the legos. I thought the boys would enjoy something like that for Christmas, but they were out so I ordered it. Then on to the other mall/grocery store. So now it was around 11am and this lot is so full. I find a spot and back into it, but 1/4 of my front end is sticking out- ugh. So I get out and look at the car behind me and the car behind me is way over the line into my parking space. So I see that he is still in his car, so I got my brave pants on and went over and knocked on his window. Here is how my conversion went... "Hello. Hello Madam. s'il vous plait(please) move your car forward as I am motioning with my hands for him to move his car forward- ha! He is just staring at me, so I say it again. He gets it this time and moves his car forward. Merci beaucoup(thank you very much) I say! Voila! My car is in! So I get some groceries, pick up a gift for a friend and head home. Amber had the quote of the day, "I have a GPS in my head, so I can find my way home!" Good luck with that sister!
After school Jacob had basketball practice and then his band concert after dinner. It was good just long, especially for Amber. It was the middle school and high school, choir, concert bands, jazz bands and symphonic band. But they all did their own thing. So each group got a couple songs to play and then the next group went. It was nice. Jacob played the crashing symbols in one song and the tambourine in another one b/c he is in the percussion section.
Wednesday after drop off I got the cookie dough made and then put in fridge to chill. I added a pinch of salt but to the batter and not the flour mixture and the dough was so salty- ugh! I will try and bake it later and see if it is still salty or I have to remake it. I got a little exercise in and got cleaned up and then ran back to school as Amber had her winter concert today. Sean's teacher let the kids go see it if they had a sibling in it, 4 kids from his class have a kindergartner sibling! The concert was cute. They sang songs, and did a dance on the floor in front of the stage. Amber is in French class so all the students in French class came forward and sang a song in French. Amber and her best friend were good singers, and when it was just their class we could definitely hear a lot of just them!
After this she was done with school, so I took her and 2 friends home for lunch and play time. The one girl is French and I said we were having little mini pizzas and this girl said she didn't like pizza, so I told her I could make her a sandwich, what would she like. She told me salmon and a salad. Ok I am sorry I told her but I don't have salmon and I have cut up fruit and veggies. So she settled on salami with butter and cheese. Then a bit later we went back to school for ballet. Sean had soccer after school. So we waited around until he was done and then Jacob was done with school and both boys had a friend over. So it was a loud afternoon! They did go to the park for a bit so that was nice. Tonight I made those salty cookies and they didn't really taste too salty. I noticed it a bit but no one else really seemed too. These I can't get to taste just like at home. I think it is b/c of the butter. It is a big ingredient in the recipe and obviously I can't find the same butter here. I am giving them out as little goodie bags after my tea on Friday with our Christmas card.
We went through some of Amber's craft area tonight as it is a big mess. It is where we might have had a seating area, but the whole floor is open so we just use the family room area for that. But so many papers and such. It helped a little! We decided to let the house we were bidding on just go for now. We couldn't agree on a price and we will just wait and see how things go when Jason moves next month. I am sure a lot more houses will come on the market in the months to follow as well. We never put ours up yet either.
Thursday I ran to the 2 stores and then home to get some more things made for Friday morning. I got the cranberry bread made and the start of the scones then showered and back to school for pickup. Sean had a friend over and Jacob had basketball and Amber rainbows. Then back for the kids. After dinner I got the Gingerbread chocolate cupcakes made and the fruit kabobs and browned up the sausage and onion and pepper for the egg cups tomorrow. I was up pretty late just getting things together. Amber's class had put a shoe out for St. Nick at school today so she couldn't wait to put her shoe out here at home tonight. All the kids put out their shoes for St. Nick tonight. Amber put out a big pink boot in hopes that she would get more b/c her boot could hold more stuff- ha! Jason didn't get home from work until around 12:30am or so.
Friday morning the kids were super happy to see that St. Nick had stopped by and left them each a little something.
Jacob's band was canceled since they just had their concert, so Jason took all the kids into school. That helped me as my Christmas tea was this morning.
These pictures were before my egg cups were done so not in picture.
It turned out really nice. I made fruit kabobs, and egg/hash brown cups instead of a quiche. Then the scones, cranberry bread and Chocolate gingerbread cupcakes. Everything tasted great! It was nice to see everyone and chat. There were 8 of us today. I had invited 10. I did feel bad as I had tennis at 11 so I had to end the tea by 10:50 so I could get to tennis. Tennis was good and then I ran to school to see Jacob off on the bus to Belgium for the away basketball games this weekend! I told him to leave his bookbag by his locker in case I missed him and I would go in and pick it up. So I said goodbye to him at the bus and went in to get his bookbag. When I picked it up it is was so heavy, I was like what in the world does he have in here! I looked in the side of his bag and he had 7 D size batteries that I had given him over the course of the week to take inside of school and recycle! Ugh he had forgotten and was carrying them around! His poor back.
Then I came back home and cleaned up from the tea. After school Sean went home with a friend and Jacob was gone, so it was just Amber and I so that was nice. Jason got home around 5pm and Sean came back around 6pm. We grilled out and had a nice evening. I told Jacob to give us a call before bed. Well at 11pm he calls us. I had figured he just forgot. He did but then realized it when he was in bed and got up and called. The bus trip was good and the game they had tried but lost by a few points. He had made a basket. His team is under 12 which is 5th and 6th grade boys, but the team they played today and tomorrow was mixed under 12 and under 14 which is 7th and 8th graders so those boys were a lot bigger then our boys especially the 5th graders. Kind of hard to even compare! His host was a 7th grader and from New York. After the game there was a party at school. So they went there and there was a DJ and they danced and ate. Jacob had a great time. Other players from his team where there too. Then him and his friend from the team went home with this boy that was hosting them to spend the night. Jacob said it went well, but he didn't sleep that well. He slept on a cot that they had put out for him.
Sat. morning we were able to sleep in so that felt good! I tried out a new waffle recipe and made fruit slushys for breakfast- yummy! Before lunch we dropped off my car at the car dealership as I need 2 new front tires put on. The tread is all gone. After lunch Jacob gave us a call and said they were back on the bus and would be home around 2:30. The game was good but they lost. He had a really good time. Jason picked him up and he came home and showered and then we left and went to Jason's company Christmas party. We brought some cookies. So children under 9, poor Sean since he is 9. got to go up and see St. Nickolas and get a goodie bag from the Black Santa and a gift from St. Nickolas.
In August they gave us the list to chose from and pick something out for her. So I picked out a little pet shop set. So she was excited. Then we got snacks and drinks and sat for a bit. She saw one of her friends from class. Then we drove Amber over to her friend's house as she was going to spend the night. Get one child back and get rid of another. Then we went to the mall for a bit as we had dinner reservations at a place right across from the mall but it wasn't open yet. So when it opened at 6pm we went over. No one goes out at 6pm to eat, too early. So we went in and the kitchen staff was eating dinner. But someone got up right away and seated us and was a great server. We left him a nice tip. We have never had such good service in Luxembourg or Europe! Another couple came in shortly after we did with 2 big dogs! They brought a blanket for them to sit on and hid them in the corner behind their table. They knew the manager and such but ugh! You really don't see it much here, besides the outside seating. But in France you see it all the time. After dinner we rented a movie. A bit quieter tonight without little Amber here.
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