Celebrating Saturday

It has been a busy day and I am exhausted.  Fun exhausted though. There is  a difference between Saturday tired and workday tired.  Saturday started typically, with an early trip to el mercado (my kids are enthralled with the spanish word for market lately!) Then we went to the post office to mail my cards. Then it was over to the bank to do the allowances into savings accounts for the kids and my banking as well.  It was exciting that KC wanted to put his tooth fairy money in his bank account. I think the near weekly deposits are having their intended effect. (grin)  Then home to unload groceries and out again to go to the library and dance class.

When we came home I had to get lunch, make 10 dozen cookies for fellowship hour at church tomorrow and I threw together a fridge cleaning soup.  I abhor wasting food. There was a thankfully brief period in my life when I could not really afford food.  I was both proud and stupid and lost 20 pounds that  year living on a baked potato a day.  Seriously. So wasting food is an anathema to me.  Each week in the winter I take the bits and bobs of the week and meld it into some type of soup.  Deb at Smitten Kitchen would not swoon to be sure, but they are hearty and waste free and often provide if not a family meal, lunches for me for work. So, got that done.  Cleaned the bathroom and finished the wash.

The little boy next door and his dad came over and wanted to play outside with my kids.  I had been planning an early trip to the Holiday Stroll that our city does annually, but let them play first.  Then when they got home, we went to the stroll.  I wish I had gone earlier because I had the vague and slim but still real possiblity of meeting a blog friend IRL, but the fates conspired against us.  Her time at the stroll would have been early, and mine was very much late-ish.  Still it was fun and I (patting self on back) did a good job of finding ways to stroll and still keep the kids warm.  First we walked down to the UU church I used to go to.  The kids godfather still goes there and we said hi to him, looked at items for sale and bought a bracelet for Lissa.  One simply does not pass up bargains like a hello kitty bracelet for a buck! LOL

From there we wandered to a pizza place where they could decorate cinnamon cookies.  From there we strolled over to an insurance office where they could write letters to Santa and place them in the mailbag.  From there, we went to City Hall and admired the many trees that decorate the hall and voted for our favorites.  We found Santa and had our picture taken with him, Lissa went inside a big "gingerbread" house and we also were able to see our city's famous 100 yr old resident and wish him birthday greetings.  This person is amazing and his holiday decorations are hand made and well known.  He has met all my kids and taught Chet and Rob's classes how to carve when they were in public school.  It is amazing to be 100 and still be such a vital person, I was glad the city is celebrating his birthday in style and that we were able to offer our personal congratulations and good wishes.  Then it was home to warm up which meant we did not see the lighting of the tree down town but we still have some great holiday memories!