We Can Make a Snowman

Today was a gargantuan effort to get our new series off the ground. In fact, we're all here still at the office, plugging away at costumes and props and set pieces and videos and music and... well, you get the general idea.

Still, we found time to do something fun with Madison amidst it all. This morning, Daddy sped away to Home Depot to get Madison a snowman napkin holder kit!

Madison actually used a Felipe (a Philip's Head Screwdriver), and a bit of glue to stick in the right places. Then, once it was fixed together, she painted the body white - and the top hat black. After letting the paint dry, next it was time to put on some snowman stickers!

Madison is proud of her snowman napkin holder - a great craft we all worked on together, but mostly she herself. Good job, princess!

Ye-Ye is meanwhile doing a bit of carpentry himself: I can write about it here because Madison won't see it until Christmas. BUT, he's creating a puppet theater for her - and we know that is going to be something special for her. Sure, the electronics are great at Christmas time: games, movies, and so forth. But this project is going to be a wonderful surprise. Daddy's nearly as excited now as Madison will be in just a few weeks!

One project we did today was a video we made about the Twelve Days of Christmas. A host steps in and tells everyone just how much each of those items costs - and in the background you hear carolers singing the tune. See if you can recognize any of the happy singers below:

That's Madison in the front row, joining her first Christmas caroling expedition! This was a cute little video we did, all pretty much based on a fantastic website Daddy has been following for the past several years: The PNC Christmas Price Index. This is an awesome site that measures the cost of each item mentioned in the song, "The Twelve Days of Christmas." Not only does it list each item and price, it also keeps track of what it cost in years past, dating back to 1984. This year's price tag for every item mentioned in the song: $24,263.18. You can blame it on those seven swans a swimming. Can you believe these swans will cost you $6,300!? That's more than the five golden rings! And more than the ten lords-a-leapin' too! Those guys $4,766!

Okay, stop for a moment. You're telling me it will cost me $4,766 to have ten guys come over and jump around? Are they NBA players? I suppose that would make sense, as the NBA folks aren't doing much these days. No, they aren't NBA players. They're lords. And they leap. But how high to they leap? Or how far? Or for how long? For $4,766, they'd better do a lot of leaping, is all I'm saying.

Anyway, the price index is pretty fascinating. In 1984, all of the items added together cost $12,673.56. That's quite a jump in 28 years. But don't blame the lords-a-leaping. Blame the swans.

Madison loves this song, by the way. She was singing along with the Muppets on the way to Nana and Ye-Ye's house tonight. We heard them singing, and Madison couldn't help but sing along - especially when Miss Piggy belts out "Five Golden Rings!"

Here's a few more photos of Madison about to sing along: