knoernschild.org » Holidays

How To Decorate Your Christmas Tree

karl — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 03:40:00 +0000

Set up your tree
Install lights
Install garland
Install ornaments
Enjoy
Reach behind the tree to plug in the lights that your four year old unplugged
Knock over tree
*%#@(*$&%#@!!!!!!
Clean up broken ornaments
Put unbroken ornaments back in boxes
Tell yourself, “Well, it could have been much worse.” Yeah, just keep telling yourself that. That’ll work.
Take down old tree and put it on the curb. It was 15 years old anyway
Buy a new tree
Tell yourself, “Well, we were planning on getting a new one soon anyway.”
Wait for UPS to deliver new tree
Set up new tree
Decide expensive new tree looks worse than 15 year old broken tree, call to have new tree returned
Order new tree #2. Go really overboard this time and order a 10 footer
Wait for UPS to deliver new tree #2
Set up new tree #2. Marvel at how nice it looks
Wait two days
Install ornaments
Take photos of new tree #2
Write a snarky post on your blog titled, “How To Decorate Your Christmas Tree”
Wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!

Bunny Bowling

karl — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 01:35:18 +0000

Last Saturday we went to an Easter event at a local bank where they had food and games for the kids, along with an Easter egg hunt. There was a photographer from the local paper there, but we were still surprised to find this in the paper this week:

(click for a larger version)

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The Easter Bunny visited!

karl — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 16:48:05 +0000

The Easter Bunny made his annual visit to the house, consumed some carrots, and left copious amounts of candy behind as payment. He’s tricky, though – he hides the candy, presumably to occupy us for long enough for him to escape before we discover the missing carrots. Foiled again!

You can spot plenty of candy just in this picture

Kyle looks like he’s up to no good in that last picture. Better not let the Easter Bunny see that face!

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Christmas 2010

karl — Sun, 26 Dec 2010 03:53:14 +0000

Barely contained excitement

Time to measure something!

LOOK KAYWOL! CANDY!!!

LOOK KAYWOL! MORE CANDY!!!!

Digging deep...

Any more in there?

I AM IRON MAN!

Homemade chicken pot pie for dinner. I used cookie cutters to cut out the puff pastry.

Time to decorate cookies!

Grandpa Paul, Grandma Trudy, Katie, Zach and Grandma also came to visit:

There are some gifts that are so thoughtful, so precious, that you are left wondering how you lived your life without them. This is not one of those gifts.

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Worst. Christmas decoration. Ever.

karl — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 01:31:09 +0000

I discovered this in an office building in downtown Chicago. She is one of about four or five of these half woman, half tree beasts.

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Halloween 2010

karl — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 03:18:04 +0000

This year Kyle went as Superman, and Ian decided to wear Kyle’s pirate costume from a couple of years ago. They both had parties at school, including parades, then came home to begin the Trick-or-Treating. Later that night Katra and I went out and terrorized some neighbors with our vampire costumes.

Ian at his school party

Kyle during his school parade

Superman is mummified with toilet paper. This photo made it into the yearbook.

Kyle with some of his buddies. This photo was also in the yearbook.

Making some Halloween cakes

Ian helps stir

Arrrrrrrrrrr, me maties!

Up, up and away!

Here we have a very rare breed of pirate, the Vampirate.

Vamping it up

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Here comes the Easter Bunny

karl — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 18:18:06 +0000

The boys woke up to find presents from the easter bunny waiting on the kitchen table

Kyle shows off his new Perry the Platypus shirt

My very own tape measure

The easter egg hunt begins

Kyle finds an egg that Spike was trying to eat

Ian knows what my favorite is

Here's mommy's favorite

Comparing the haul

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A white Christmas, one day late

karl — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 01:15:43 +0000

Christmas Eve and Christmas day it was raining here, so all of our snow melted. We didn’t have to wait long, though. Last night it started snowing and didn’t stop until this evening. We ended up with at least 10 inches of beautiful, fluffy snow. One day late, but worth the wait.

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Christmas cookies!

karl — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 00:52:38 +0000

On the day after Christmas, not quite sick of cookies yet, we made and decorated cutout cookies with the boys. Cookies, sticky icing, a dozen cans of sprinkles, what could possibly go wrong?

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Merry Christmas!

karl — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 16:56:48 +0000

Christmas Eve:

This year Katra and I wrapped our gifts for each other using Furoshiki, or the Japanese art of cloth gift wrapping. The fabric can be used over and over, and allows you to wrap in some pretty elaborate styles.

A beautiful example of Katra's wrapping

Another one Katra wrapped. For this one she sewed two sheets of fabric together back to back.

A small box I wrapped for Katra

Kyle woke up (at about 6:30 am) to find his stocking laying next to him, stuffed full of toys.

The first sighting of the huge pile of presents under the tree

Ian checking out his stocking

Dr. Kyle makes a house call

hmmmm...let me see....You need a band-aid. " title="19858" width="500" height="335" class="size-full wp-image-1294" />

hmmmm...let me see....You need a band-aid.

Kyle flies the Bat-Copter

Ian! To the Bat-Cave!!

When I asked Katra to get a spoon for me, she was surprised to find this new silverware drawer divider I made for her. The wood is maple (to match the drawer box) with cherry inlay (to match our cabinet doors). The bottom is black velvet over foam board. If you look closely, you can see that the divider pieces (with the inlay) are not straight on the top – I made them with a gentle curve down towards the front of the drawer.

Close-up of the drawer divider.

Now, whenever Katra opens the silverware drawer, I hear a happy little giggle.

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