Santa's a-comin'

The countdown here officially began today, with the (FINALLY, dad!) unwrapping of the advent calendars - one lego, one choco. The boys have decided to alternate days - it took a Bali-level of negotiation, and if advent calendars went 25 days instead of 24, I swear they would have had to agree to split a lego guy and the last piece of chocolate. But, day 1 has been unveiled, without the expected bloodshed. The apartment doesn't exactly look Christmas-y yet though. We can't get a tree - well, at least not this early. Christmas trees are sold here with two 1x2 boards nailed X-fashion to their bases, and water-holding tree stands seem to be unknown. (The top of the odd list of not-available-here's is now window screens, peanut butter, and tree stands.) The tree I picked last year was not only ridicu-large in our apartment, but was nearly de-needled at least a week before Christmas, and practically self-immolating by the holiday. So that, along with our departure this year on Christmas day, means we will either get a very small tree, or maybe a Norfolk pine or other non-cut one. (I hesitate to say live, given that it'll probably only last a month under my care.)

Most of our Christmas shopping for us is done - it's pretty limited, and we'll give the boys (and each other) some cash to blow in Florence. I have a couple of things in mind to send to folks there, and will finish that this week. We're also almost done with our 2007 year book, and will try to post it here as well as print some copies.

Well them's the highlights from here. Boys' weekend is going as expected - except for Calvin up barfing last night. Betsy called in from Copenhagen today and they seem to be enjoying themselves, despite it getting pitch dark by 4:30pm. We're off to church tomorrow, assuming the forecast 100 km/h winds don't deter us, then maybe to a movie before heading to David's for dinner with the boys. Then it's back to the school week and the fun that brings - whee!

Oh, almost forgot. We LOVE the Santa tracker that NORAD has done for, it turns out, over 50 years. You may have heard us tell of last year, when I was showing it and (geek alert) realized from the URLs that you could preview the next stop or two. So it was maybe 9pm, and I showed the midnight clip which was of Santa flying past the Eiffel Tower. Well Calvin took one look, his eyes got wide, and he BOLTED down the hall to jump in bed. He knows where his bread is buttered - no way he was letting Santa peek in his window and pass by! Anyway, here's a nice story about the tracker I read today.