He's got no faloorum. Morning vignette. Decking the halls.

I don't know what you guys get up to in the mornings (perhaps you indulge in a spot of brisk setting up exercises or a round of Sun Salutes), but round these here parts we greet the day by listening to some Top of the Pops music straight from the Hit Parade. This morning I put the soundtrack to Les Miserables on until P screamed "Mummy I just want QUIET!", and later on, "I don't like you singing Mummy I'm trying to RELAX!".

Without doubt the best musical ever in the history of the world.  I am practically weeing myself from excitement and anticipation about the movie version.  Roll on Christmas Holidays, this has got Date Night written all over it baby.   [Source]

P then demanded that I put "Tooralooralooralie" on, by which she means this song as previously mentioned in the blog, so I obliged her and then capered for her entertainment like some demented jester. That is, if jesters ever wore tattered old cotton nighties and no bra.  I realised after a while that she had wandered off, and that I'd been skipping round with said nightie hitched up round my knees while M watched from the kitchen, incredulous.

"We are going to end up raising a bunch of weirdos," he said, shaking his head.

I quickly stopped my capering and resumed normal activities while we listened to the next song in the hit mix, which was this one...it's called "Maids When You're Young Never Wed an Old Man".


The song carries a warning that if you wed an old man you will discover on your wedding night that he's "got no faloorum", if you get my drift, nudge nudge.

M must have been feeling particularly downtrodden and decrepit because he said morosely "S you should have taken note of this song".
"No!" I said, "YOU should take note of this song! You watch out or I'll find a young man's faloorum!"
"Oh yeah? Well maybe I'll find a young man's faloorum!" he rejoined with.
"Maybe indeed", I concurred.

Can you feel the love?

I decided to go against the grain and put up the Christmas decorations today.  I usually do it on 1st December or the first weekend in December, as is my mother's tradition, but I felt the need to do it early.  Also, to cheer up a sad little wailing P on Monday on the way to swimming, I promised we would go and buy some outdoor Christmas lights afterwards. She perked up immediately and said "From the big place with the plants and things?".  I said "Do you mean Bunnings?" which she did, and so we did just that.

She had remembered there was a huge Christmas light section from our last visit.  Good work ole eagle-eyes, elephant-memory, mind-like-a-steel-trap P.  Also I needed something festively cheering to do that wasn't stuffing my face full of scorched almonds or other seasonal treats, as is tradition this time of year.  I bought these Heston Blumenthal puddins and mince pies from Coles when I read about them and they are sitting on our sideboard taunting me.  It is torture and it is taking all my strength and self-control not to rip the packet of mince pies open with my teeth and shove them all into my mouth at once, smearing their piney goodness all over my face in an orgy of sugar and fat.  I actually opened the packet of mince pies last night and was going to have JUST ONE, but I STOPPED AND PUT THEM AWAY!! I KNOW!  I'M FRIGHTENED TOO!

I'm not usually one for candied fruit but shall make an exception for Heston.  They will be my reward for good behaviour in the near future.  Food is love, people. Food is love.

                                      

                                     Here are the lights we bought.  Solar powered, don't you know!

So we did the decorating thing, despite the receptionist at kindy issuing me a warning in hushed tones that the one year she didn't put her tree up on the 1st December her mother got breast cancer.  I'll take the risk.  2012 wasn't exactly a winner of a year for our family (apart from gorgeous B being born of course!) so that's all mumbo jumbo as far as I'm concerned.

Dad aka Grandpa G came to help with the decorating but it ended up with P bossing him around all day as usual and shouting things at him like "NO! You have to be a FRIENDLY PIRATE!" and "You have to drink TOILET ORANGE JUICE, it's DELICIOUS!".

Here's some pics of our 2012 decorating effort...the solar lights are up outside but I don't think they have charged properly cos they aren't on.  Irritating.  I'll post some pics of them when I've finally got them working.

As far as I'm concerned a tray of mangoes is as festive as all get out.

Here's the old faithful el cheapo Woolworths tree still holding up.

Another angle of said tree.

I don't have many actually nice and meaningful ornaments but this one is from my friend J.  Cupcakes agogo.

A bird ornament I snaffled in last year's sales to gussy up the general Woolworths vibe.

Still life with tree and toasted sandwich maker.

Tree by night.

P helped with the decorating this year and did an admirable job.  I had to let a  few things slide re: ornament arranging but I think it looks ok.

Faux wreath to welcome any festive carollers who may be frequenting our suburb.  Or not, as the case may be.

Are you getting your Christmas on yet?  Planning any carolling this year? Or are you embracing your inner Scrooge?


Edited to add: They are working!

They are stars. I know they look like little crosses a la the tombs of ancestral family pets but they aren't.

Tasteful, innit?  None of your garish coloured lights for me thank you very much.