January Hymn

About 3 weeks ago, the Decemberists, my most favorite band (yes, even more than Mumford and only slightly more than the Beatles) released their new album, "The King Is Dead," on NPR. I listened and listened and listened and loved the whole album, but one song, "January Hymn," really struck me. I couldn't stop listening. It was so beautiful it alternately took my breath away and made me want to cry. Cheesy, and cliche, but I am totally serious. You know how once in a great while, an idea or an event strikes you, and it won't leave? Well, that was this song. I knew I had to do something with it. So I whiled away the days until the CD came out, which was today. Here's what I made. Watch it then run, don't walk, to your nearest CD retailer and purchase the album. For serious.

Watch out Rockettes...

Here come the Gacek Girls (fourth and second from the right):

Holidays Wishes from Clan Gacek

Happy Holidays and rock on!

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How much Cat in the Hat is too much??

Abbie and Ellie LOVE the new PBS version of the Cat in the Hat. We have DVRed all the episodes, so they watch them over and over. In a recent episode, we learned about bower birds:

In the episode, we learned that male bower birds collect pretty things to make a house to attract a friend.
Today Abbie announced that she was a bower bird and made her bower on her bed:

Getting My Polish On

So St. Nicholas Day is fast approaching. As a kid, I could always expect a brown manila envelope from Calumet City filled with little trinkets and a few dollars in honor of the saint, a tradition my mom continues to keep. For those of you who don't know, St. Nicholas Day is December 6 and is the saint's birthday. He is model for our American Santa Claus. On the 6th, boys and girls leave out their shoes and their list of Christmas wants. They also leave a treat for him, often a cookie in his likeness (speculaas) or, in Poland, pierniki, which are kind of like gingerbread. Then the saint gives the good boys and girls a small gift, like an orange and something like a stocking-stuffer.

I decided this year that I should start this with the girls. So I mentioned it to Abbie yesterday about the tradition of putting out their shoes and she looked at me, horrified. "Really?!? I don't think eating an orange that's been in my shoes sounds very appetizing."

So on that note, I leave you with the very best story about St. Nicholas ever. Until next time, kiree-a-kee.

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Sneak Peek Into Our Lives

This is just WAY to funny not to post. Sad thing is that mothers of multiples actually have people say things like this to them...enjoy.

ROUSes

Yeah. That was in our garage. Well, not THAT one specifically, as the one above is stock footage from Google, but one of it's brethren. I came out in to the garage both Tuesday and Wednesday mornings to find stuff knocked off of shelves and junk everywhere, like someone had rummaged through the garage. On Wednesday, not only was stuff on the floor, but it was wet.
Totally freaked out, I get into work and find this in my email box from Chris along with afore mentioned (and pictured) stock footage:

That was in our garage! I went in the garage this morning and all kinds of things were toppled over. First I made sure our car stereos were still there to rule out a burglar. I thought maybe a squirrel had gotten in through the roof somehow. As I was picking up stuff, I noticed a head pop up out of one of the boxes by the Christmas stuff. It was too big and pointy to be a squirrel. I was hoping it would flee after noticing me, but no luck. I made some noise, but it still go anywhere. So, I decided to bring out the big guns. I hooked the nozzle to the side sprinkler, turned it on full blast, and sprayed that sucker out of there!! It took him a minute to react to all of the water. I’m sure he was a little frightened. He went running down the driveway into the darkness. He must have been in there for a couple of days. Probably snuck in there while the door was open.

To which I replied:

OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG

So on the ride home Wednesday night, I told the girls about our visitor. Below is the conversation:

me: Girls, we had big animal the size of Ewok [our cat] called an opossum in our garage last night. Daddy got it out with the hose. That's why everything was wet
Ellie: What his name was?
me: I don't know.
Ellie: How about Carl?
Abbie: Yeah, Carl. And his last name is Hyde. Carl Hyde. That's his name.

So Godspeed Carl Hyde. Sorry for squirting you with a hose at 6:30 in the morning. Please don't enact any vengeance upon our house. Until next time, I leave you with this: "Rodents of unusual size? I don't think they exist."
Peace and thumbs.