Hot Chocolate

"Here we only got one rule:  never ever let it cool!"  Our elf is apparently a big hot chocolate fan.  But when you think about it, who isn't?  There are probably people on this planet that don't like hot chocolate at all, and the more I think about this, the more I'm not entirely sure I want to be around those types of people!

Madison has hot chocolate sometimes in the morning, and in the evening as well this season.  Fun fact:  Daddy has one of these coffee makers at work, and as he doesn't drink coffee that much, it's primary purpose is to make hot chocolate.  This is perfect for this cooler weather outside, and when the air conditioning is at DEFCOM 5, inside as well.

Today was cool outside, but next week promises to be quite a different story.  Well, we say "promises," as if that's going to certainly happen.  Different forecasts are out there, and some actually call for a bit of frozen precipitation on Christmas Day.  Others call for sixty degree weather, so you never know what will happen.  We might see it rain fish.

Tonight we were moving along pretty well with homework, which was about Madison's recent book she's been reading, "Number the Stars."  She's been really enjoying this book a lot, so very tempted to actually read the next chapter when she's only supposed to be reading to a certain point.  We tell her, "Why not go ahead and read ahead if you like the book?"  But Madison tells us, "No.  The teacher wants us to only read so far, so that's where I'm going to stop.  But I so want to read the next chapter!"

Speaking of which, Daddy has a few books he's wanting to stop and read.  With that chilly weather on the way, the perfect sort of restful day would be one in front of the fireplace with a nice book.  Madison is getting a few for Christmas, and Mommy too - perhaps we can have our own little Jólabókaflóðið.  

We watched "Babes in Toyland" tonight, talking about Annette Funicello a bit with Madison.  The whole idea of Disney's teen idols of the season started with her, pretty much.  Daddy remembers watching "Mickey Mouse Club" re-runs when they were on television.  In fact, we bought a collector's tin of episodes dedicated to Annette, and of course we have the "Beach Party" movies with her, a few "Zorro" episodes, and some other Disney-related movies too.  Madison loves watching a current Disney star, Dove Cameron, in a television series, "Liv and Maddie," watching that time and again.  And then she's also in the "Descendants" movies of course.  It's the modern day equivalent, although Annette was first, and probably had a lot more exposure at the time.  The market is kind of flooded these days.

Anyway, we love this movie.  Yes, it has a 36% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.  But the music and dancing are fun, and there's Annette, and Ed Wynn too.  And Roy Bolger is a lot of fun.  And Gene Sheldon and Henry Calvin are perfect as well.  This is a Christmas tradition for us, really.  We also love the version of "Babes in Toyland" that you can find on the Shirley Temple show.  It features Jonathan Winters, Jerry Colonna, and Joe Besser, and it's a lot of fun.  We'll try to get to that this week.  Only one more week to go, so we have to fill it up with all these Christmas movie classics!  To think, we started watching Christmas movies back seven weeks ago!

Madison did more than just watch movies today.  We were doing a bit of pro-wrestling too.  She's been into tackling Daddy of late, which generally devolves into wrestle mania in the living room.  Not sure where this comes from!  Daddy and Mommy were doing some wrapping this morning, watching more Christmas movies like "Scrooge," with Albert Finney.  There's another good one there.  Mommy and Daddy have been singing "Thank You Very Much" all day. 

We're really getting the Christmas cards now, speaking of which.  Daddy sent out a lot of thank you notes to our Scrooge actors this series, because that was a lot of fun, and it all worked out well.  "Humbug!" was a good series.  We injected some culture into these children's lives, and of course did a lot of great messages about God's love this season.  Madison had a great time on stage too.  She's anxious to be in the audience again, not because she hates it on stage, but because she loves it there too.  She spends time longing to be on stage, and then time wanting to be back in the audience again for a spell.  She'll be there for our mountaineering series, "Elevate," which we're still writing the messages for today.  Thanks to the recent update on this computer, the Notes program lost all of my notes for Elevate, and I'm having to start all over again.  This is unfortunate, to say the least.  Fortunately, the devotional was emailed away.  I sent a copy of the completed devotional to myself by way of email, not out of any sense of losing it, but because it was done just the day before.  Thankfully, I finished that one day before this update, otherwise I would have lost a lot there.  It would have been crushing.  So, "Thank you very much."  Not for the lost "Elevate" sermon notes, but at least with those I have something from previous to build on.  Also, a new message or two - I'm really feeling something about the Sermon on the Mount, which of course goes with climbing because Jesus was speaking to everyone... on the mount.  See?  Anyway, the "Sermon on the Mount" is three chapters long, and is filled with all the "Greatest Hits" and wisdom of Jesus' ministry.  In fact, listen how the Message translation of the Bible starts out the Sermon on the Mount:  

“When Jesus saw his ministry drawing huge crowds, he climbed a hillside. Those who were apprenticed to him, the committed, climbed with him. Arriving at a quiet place, he sat down and taught his climbing companions.”  Matthew 5:1-2 (MSG)

I love that part there:  "he sat down and taught his climbing companions."  It really brings this series to life.  And that's what we're hoping to do this week before Christmas.  We're working on the booklets for "Elevate," and that's what we're hoping to do at the beginning of 2018 with these kids, taking them all to the next level.