#our potluck and secret santa was fun

[cornerstonc]

[fckinwild-kiwi]

Dec. 10th: Happy Little Family

Day 10: Unexpected Gifts/Kids

Day TEN (10!!!) of @comp-lady’s Domestic December writing challenge!

Warnings: Swearing (This is an 18+ blog, minors dni)   Word Counts: 1.5k+ Words Pairings: Steve Harrington x Reader

“I have a crazy idea,” Steve blurted out as we were walking around the Christmas tree farm.

“And what does this crazy idea entail, Stevie?”

“Well, you know my parents are out of town again, right?”

“Sure,” I urged. His parents had left two days after our dinner at the country club. Mr. Harrington needed to be in Chicago for another weeklong conference and Mrs. Harrington needed to chaperone. Steve tried to hide his feelings about this with indifference but I could tell he was hurt. To ease his, clearly, anxious mind, I joked, “Are you trying to get me back to your place alone, Harrington?”

“That was not my crazy idea,” Steve said, coming to a stop. “But I can be persuaded.”

“You dirty boy,” I giggled, pushing his shoulder. “What were you thinking then, baby?”

“I want to host a Friend’s Christmas with everyone,” Steve said, turning to face you. “Potluck style because if we don’t specify those gremlins will think we are making everything. And we can all draw secret Santa names tonight when we are all at Eddie’s trailer for movie night. We can all meet next week with food, games, and gifts.”

“Aw,” I sighed. “A fun little family get together!”

“Exactly!” Steve said. 

“I love it, and I think everyone else will too,” I said, before pressing my lips against his. Steve’s hands coming up to grip my waist as he pressed his body against mine. Reluctantly pulling myself away from Steve, I whispered, “If we don’t pick a tree soon, I think they’re going to think something happened to us.”

“I hate it when you’re right,” Steve groaned. “Let’s pick out a tree.”

After picking out a tree, Steve and I went back to house to put it up and begin decorating. It felt like looking into the future and seeing our life play out in front of me. It was refreshing and reassuring to feel the love and see exactly how it is shaping our future. If I could have told myself that this would be my Christmas season this year, I would have laughed. Funny how things work out. 

Two weeks later, Steve was frantically running around the house, making sure the decorations were put in “the most perfect location”, his words. To prepare for the day, I prepped a tiramisu the day before so it was setting in the fridge. Today, Steve had tasked me with cooking the turkey and wrapping the presents. In our drawing, Steve had picked El and I had chosen Dustin.

Before long, people started arriving. As visiting Steve’s house had become such a constant activity between the party, we had all just stopped ringing the doorbell, coming in as we please.

“What’s up, I’m here!” Dustin yelled, walking in with Eddie, Lucas, and Max.

“So are we, loser,” Max retorted, pushing Dustin out of the way and making her way to me. “Hey, Y/n!”

“Hey sweet girl,” I responded. “Everyone put your gifts under the tree and bring the food into the kitchen. I will get it situated there!”

Within the next half hour, everyone else had shown up and Steve was finally sitting down, allowing himself to calm down. “Baby,” I called in to the living room, causing Steve to jump up and make his way into the kitchen. “Grab the plates and have everyone help you set the table. I could use two people to help me bring the food in.”

Giving me a quick nod, Steve rushed out of the room, Max and Robin taking his place to help me bring the food in. “Guys, give Steve a break tonight, I’m not sure why but he’s insanely stressed today. I think he just wants this to be perfect.”

Robin, laughing gave you a thumbs up as Max rolled her eyes. “He’s so dramatic,” She said, walking into the dining room.

“She’s got a point,” Robin agreed, bumping my hip with hers as she followed Max.”

“As if I don’t know that,” I whispered out, grabbing what was left and following them. As I got to the dining room, everything was set up to start digging in. 

“Before we start,” Steve began. “I wanted to tell you guys how thankful and proud I am to call you guys my family. We’ve been through the most challenging times but we always find a way to be there for each other and I couldn’t love a group of people more. And everyone needs to thank Y/n for what she did to set this up tonight.”

“What? Steve,” I said, involuntarily giggling. “No way, you put this all together. I love you guys too but Stevie was the mastermind behind this.”

“Oh my god,” Mike groaned. “Everyone loves everyone, can eat now, Dad? Mom?”

“Did he just call us-“

“We’ve been calling you Mom and Dad now for like a year,” Dustin interrupted before grabbing some turkey. “You guys act like a married couple and you take care of us like we’re yours. It’s a thing.”

“Did you hear that, honey?” Steve asked, mockingly. “It’s a thing.”

“Well in that case, eat your vegetables or you’re grounded,” I joked out, everyone laughing except for El who grabbed more green beans. 

After dinner, we all decided to pass on the dessert for the moment. The idea of presents looming in the back of everyone’s mind was causing everyone to get antsy. Once the kids helped load the dishwasher and Robin, Nancy, and I loaded up to-go containers for everyone to take tonight, we all settled in the living room. 

“Oldest gets to start,” Eddie said, causing everyone to groan and roll their eyes. “Hey, I don’t make the rules.”

“Okay, Eds, you’re first,” I said laughing. “Who had Eddie?”

Mike stood up, grabbing the gift he brought and handed it to Eddie. With a childlike reaction, Eddie shredded the paper and destroyed the box to find a Monster Dungeon Master kit that had  a new booklet of monsters, monster tokens, and a new dungeon master screen. “Thanks, man! I’m going to use this to crush you guys when school starts again!”

“Jesus Christ, Mike,” Dustin groaned. “We will never have a chance.”

“That’s the point, Henderson,” Eddie said, slapping Dustin on the back. He grabbed his present before handing it to Steve, “I had ole Stevie.”

Steve, grabbed the gift, his face lighting up with excitement. Quickly pulling the paper out of the bag, Steve was met with a can of Farah Fawcett spray and a new Queen cassette. “Thanks man, I know the hairspray is a joke but the jokes on you because I needed a new can.”

“I know, I checked,” Eddie said as he barked out a laugh. 

“Shut up,” Steve mumbled, his cheeks turning red. Steve leaned over, grabbing a small wrapped package and handed it to El. With slow hands, El began peeling the paper back.

“Makeup!” She said excitedly. “Mike, I can put this on you too!”

“No makeup for me, El,” Mike said, shaking his head. 

“I don’t know, man,” Steve said, shooting Mike a smile. “I think she’d make you look beautiful.”

“You’d be so beautiful,” El confirmed before grabbing the gift she brought and handing it to Jonathan. El had gifted him with new film. Before long, Robin was handing me the last gift that was under the tree. As I opened it, I was speechless. 

“Robs,” I muttered, grabbing the photo album. 

“It’s a scrapbook, I’ve been saving things that we have done as a group and that you’ve mentioned doing with Steve. Once you guys finally got together, I thought it was the best time to gift it to you. Figured it might be meaningful one day. I was playing the long game.”

“This is the most thoughtful gift anyone has ever given me,” I choked out, wrapping my arms around her. Every memory and moment that we could document in ticket stubs, photos, receipts, and notes were in the album with the last bit of the book open for future events. 

“There’s more,” She said sheepishly as we pulled away from each other.

I quickly reached in to the bag, pulling out a sweater. “Oh my god,” I squealed before looking at Steve. “Baby, now we can match!”

“I know how much you love his yellow sweater,” Robin said, laughing. “Can you guys go to J.C. Penny’s and take Christmas Card photos wearing them?”

“I’d love absolutely nothing more,” I gasped, leaning across the circle to grab Steve. “Babe, do you want to?”

“Of course I do,” Steve responded quietly as to not cause a scene with the party. 

“Can we come too?” Dustin asked. “It can be a whole family affair.”

“Mom and Dad need some time away from the kids sometimes,” Steve groaned.

“We have to take them, Stevie, we can’t leave the kids out.”

“You’re the best parents ever,” Robin screamed, causing everyone to laugh and echo the sentiment.  

“We have the best kids ever, don’t we,” I giggled, leaning in to Steve. 

“Yeah, yeah,” He agreed, pressing a quick kiss to my forehead. 

“Can we get some dessert now?” Argyle asked. “I’m starving.” Everyone else, agreeing with Argyle, got up and started heading to the kitchen.

“Let’s go, handsome,” I whispered, turning to look at the boy beside me. 

“Give me a second, it’s our first minute alone since our children got here,” Steve sighed. “Let’s enjoy it.”

“Okay,” I sighed back, relaxing into Steve’s side as I looked into the kitchen, watching everyone talk and serve themselves dessert. This family was perfect, flaws and all.

[loverdlx]

the catholic church as an institution is terrible but they really did go off with the aesthetic choices! covid really threw off most of my family’s christmas traditions too : /

i don’t have super big plans this weekend but think im gonna try and get some christmas shopping done though! i need to catch up on my shows so ill probably be doing that this weekend. do you have any fun plans this weekend?

what are your favorite shows? i’m always in needs of recommendations even though i have long list of shows ive started but never finished

happy friday! 🧑🏿‍🎄

OMG HELLO I'M SO LATE TO THISSSS I'M SORRY SECRET SANTA MY BELOVED

i did have some fun plans this weekend!!!! i went to a friend's house and spent the night with a bunch of our other friends. we had a potluck dinner as a like belated friendsgiving thing that was also like partially in celebration of me and 2 other friends who have bdays this month! it was super funnn

omg so real i have so many shows i Want to watch and just...never do? wklnskldb streaming has made watching tv/film so overwhelming. my all-time favs are probably one day at a time (the netflix reboot) and babysitters club (also netflix version wlkndbf)! ooh and ofc abbott elementary is fun. most recently i watched the summer i turned pretty with my sister and my mom which was...something WLKNLDKNFB just a lot of Teen Angst

happy sunday!!!! hopefully no sunday scaries 🤞

[mnoonthego]

Christmas in Kenya (Day 17)

We had a lovely Christmas with family and new friends

We started the day at “our place” where Santa had visited with a bit of money for the girls as they hadn’t written letters to Santa so he wasn’t sure what to get them but knew that they would be able to find a treasure here to spend it on. The girls each got a little present from us although their real present was this family trip. The dogs also had socks full of treats to enjoy, We had a quick chat with Mom and Craig to wish them a Merry Christmas (their Christmas Eve) and Mark was glad that Richard and Paddy were over for dinner so he could hear how the snow blower was working.

Aileen and JD hosted us for a pancake breakfast at their house, complete with maple syrup. We enjoyed our breakfast out on their garden patio waiting to see if the monkeys would join us (they didn’t)! From under their Christmas tree, the girls got these awesome shorts (brand- rock and stones) made with fun African prints which they were quick to put on! They have great fabric prints here and like many of the Kenya made products they encourage shopping with a purpose. For Rock and Stones some of the proceeds from the products help fund an orphanage and programs for kids that have been living on the streets and/or who have suffered from child abuse.

We headed back to the house to finish our prep for our Christmas lunch. Mark was in charge of the turkey and stuffing, and I was responsible for the cranberry sauce and Brussel sprouts. We also packed up as tomorrow we are heading on another safari, this time to the Masai Mara and Lake Navasha. We are heading out on our own with JD’s land cruiser!

Prep done, we headed to Sam’s house, which was beautifully decorated for Christmas, for a potluck Christmas lunch. What a spread! We started with prosecco, and bitings (British term for appetizers), played a round of bocci, had an amazing lunch where there was so much food we could have had another 9 people join us. When we were immobile due to the amount of food we ate, we moved back outside to play another round of bocci in hopes that we could find some room for one of the many desserts. (score- Kenya 1 and Canada 1). After dessert, it was time for the secret Santa game. The game went really well as there were a balance of very Canadian and very Kenya themed gifts. I think everyone loved what they ended up with. A first for me but obviously not all of the Brits in the group, we listened to the Royal now King’s, Christmas speech. By this time, I think we were all moving into a food coma so we washed up, divided up the leftovers and headed home. Thankful for our wonderful day, we started the calls and texts back home to wish everyone a wonderful Christmas day (they were all just waking up). As Oriana said, “it was a fun Christmas even though it was different.”

[poepartysecretsanta]

Third Annual Shipwrecked Comedy Secret Santa/Gala for Friends Potluck

Who can participate in Shipwrecked Comedy Secret Santa?

Any Shipwrecked Fan.  It’s a totally free, non-denominational gift exchange.  If you can make something that can be posted to Tumblr, you can participate!

How does Shipwrecked Comedy Secret Santa work?

I take your prompt and assign it to someone (you’ll find out who it is when they post your present on the December 21st).  They’ll make you something, and on the December 21st they’ll post it to their blog.  It will be tagged with your URL, so check there!  

I’ll also assign you a prompt to fill, and it’s your responsibility to post your gift the same way.  You’ll also send your partner Anonymous Love at least once a week all through the exchange, and should get Anonymous Love from your Santa in turn.

Make sure you reply to the Love your Santa sends  you on your blog – Anonymous Love is the way they will get to know you, to make your gift more personal!

If you’re not hearing from your Santa at least once a week, let me know so we can go put a lump of coal in their stocking.

SIGN-UPS FOR 2018 WILL RUN NOVEMBER 1 - 10

Here’s what you need to know:

Poe Party Secret Santa gifts are exchanged on December 21, and you must send your partner Anonymous Love at least once a week leading to that date. You must also enable your own Ask to accept messages from Anon, and publish replies to the Asks your Santa sends to you.  

In order to receive a gift from one of our Secret Santas, you must agree to supply a gift to someone else.  It’s a community-wide exchange, and it’s no fun if people don’t get into the spirit and MAKE A THING.

To sign up, send an email to PoePartySecretSanta@yahoo.com with the subject line Shipwrecked Comedy Secret Santa!

You will need to include things in your email:

1) Your Tumblr Username / URL

2) Your Shipwrecked Comedy prompt.

Can be Poe Party, Guilded Lily, Kissing in the Rain or American Whoopee

I’ll  will get back to you twice:

1) To tell you I got your enrollment and prompt, probably just a quick reply to your email.

2) To tell you who you will be Santa-ing and to give you a prompt to fill. This year, prompts will probably go out between November 13th and 16h.

This almost goes without saying, but don’t reveal your identity to your Secret Santa partner until the day of the exchange!

1) Your gift can be anything free, digital and rebloggable on Tumblr.  fanvids, fanfics, gif sets, photosets of cosplay and handicrafts, monologues, edits, manips.  If you can blog about it, you can gift it.  

HOWEVER: IT MUST BE COMPLETE and ORIGINAL. 

Also: the minimum length for fic is 1000 well-polished words.

2) TAGGING IS ESSENTIAL. When you post your gift, you’ll tag two things: #Shipwrecked Comedy Secret Santa and #[Insert Recipient’s Username]. These MUST be the first 2 tags on your gift, otherwise Tumblr may not categorize it properly.  Other relevant tags like #Poe Party or #Shipwrecked Comedy will have to be secondary.

3) We require that you leave your Ask open for Anons and that you send your partner AT LEAST 1 lovely, Anonymous Secret Santa message / week.  You must also reply to at least one message per week, so we can confirm your blog is active.

4) Don’t change your URL before December 21. I know, there will be that amazing holiday pun you think of at 4AM and just HAVE to make it your URL… fight that urge.  Your Santa won’t be able to find you if you change your name.

[indigo-a-creeping]

Our office Secret Santa/Dessert Potluck was fun!

I made a s’mores pie and froze it mostly for ease of transport, but the marshmallows didn’t want to toast for me afterwards.  Disappointing.

I got a big bag.

My (upcoming) manager is trying to hack off a piece of the s’mores pie, because in addition to being frozen, I coated the graham cracker crust in melted chocolate.  So yummy.  So hard to break.  (also she was in love with the gifts I got her:  a beautiful succulent in an elephant mug, some semiprecious stone balls, an elephant painting, and a little silicone ice/candy/treat mold).

I got a dragon pajama costume.

[the-savewoy-letter-blog]

A general but lengthy SaveWOY template

Hey, all! I wanted to upload the first letter template I made, from last year. It has a lot more info (and passion) contained, so it’s a lot longer than the other ones that exist so far. Feel free to use it whenever you like! Here’s the download for the word file, and the letter itself will be included below in the read-more as well.

Greetings, Disney.

I am a fan of Wander Over Yonder, writing to express my feelings as to why the series deserves to be finished the way it was intended. About a year has passed since the second season ended, and in that time, much has happened concerning fans of the show, old and new. I think it would interest you to know of the fans’ efforts to keep Wander Over Yonder alive, and to try to someday bring it back for at least one more season.

Over the years of this generation, a trend of reviving series seems to be taking effect. It is not uncommon for fans to work hard at bringing back the shows they love that were ended before their time. The 13-year-old Samurai Jack was revived for a final season due to fans’ support. The 14-year-old Invader Zim was revived for a comic series, and now a tv movie after its fans kept demanding continuation. The 13-year-old Hey Arnold! now has its intended finale in production, since people have been supporting it for so long. Not to mention the series that have been saved before true cancellation, such as Harvey Beaks, as well as Disney’s own Future-Worm! and Kim Possible. With all this being written, it should not be surprising that people who love Wander Over Yonder have come together to join the revival trend and save the wonderful show they all love.

In just one year, the campaign to save Wander Over Yonder– or “SaveWOY”, as it’s most commonly referred to– has made incredible progress.

Almost immediately, when the cancellation of the series was announced, a few fans began a petition to show to Disney how many people wish for WOY to continue (https://www.change.org/p/walt-disney-encourage-disney-to-make-wander-over-yonder-season-3). In only one day, it reached its goal of 1,500 signatures. In one weekend, it reached 4,000. By this year, it now has over 42,000 signatures. This is more even than the petition which Gravity Falls fans are using in an effort to get said series on DVD. Not only that, but a map has been made to show the support of fans around the world (https://www.scribblemaps.com/maps/view/SaveWOY_Petition_V2/S9qbMCKcUL). This does not include the several other petitions that have been made for the SaveWOY campaign(https://www.change.org/p/the-walt-disney-company-tell-disney-to-bring-wander-over-yonder-back-for-a-third-season

https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/wander-over-yonder-let-it-continue).

Fans of Wander Over Yonder have made many pages through which anyone may seek information on the efforts to bring the show back, including, but not limited to, a Tumblr account (http://savewoy.tumblr.com/), a Twitter account (https://twitter.com/savewoy), a Facebook account (https://www.facebook.com/groups/488409891359644/), a Deviantart account (http://savewoy.deviantart.com/), a fan Wikipedia (http://savewoy.wikia.com/wiki/SaveWOY_Wikia), and a page on savedisneyshows.org (http://savewoy.savedisneyshows.org/).

Things such as the aforementioned are only the beginning. WOY fans have created several projects in order to express love for this series, such as videos still in the works that contain a collaboration of fans’ messages and art from around the world, a mass of letters for DisneyXD executives that contain 200 reasons to save Wander Over Yonder (http://peepsqueak.tumblr.com/tagged/200rtsw), a SaveWOY raffle (https://alicia-lvn.tumblr.com/tagged/raffle), a 30-day email project to send SaveWOY emails to DisneyXD executives (http://peepsqueak.tumblr.com/tagged/email-campaign), and a charity project to send holiday cards to children in the hospital (http://peepsqueak.tumblr.com/tagged/savewoy-holiday-card-project). Incidentally, a new project has been made, where people all over the globe plant little flags at popular sites with the character Lord Hater’s face on them as a fun game to pretend to conquer the planet earth for said character, although the true motive is to have fun while making another map of worldwide WOY fans (https://operationforce.tumblr.com/).

Fans not only collaborate with projects, but also meet up with eachother in celebration of the series we love. A potluck picnic was arranged (http://savewoy.tumblr.com/post/152888374823/savewoy-good-morningafternoonevening), and additionally, every month, Wander Over Yonder fans on Tumblr do Secret Santa-esque exchanges with one another (http://savewoygiftexchange.tumblr.com/).

There are things we continue to do as well. Fans are still sending letters and emails to Disney, as well as a flash-drive containing updates of the progress of our campaign. Every month on Tumblr, and from time to time on Twitter, the hashtag #Wander Over Yonder trends. This is because an effort has been made to show our love for the series every monthly anniversary of its second season finale (http://peepsqueak.tumblr.com/Trending%20Twenty-Seventh). Additionally, fans have created certain days of the week to make posts about Wander Over Yonder regularly (http://savewoy.wikia.com/wiki/Wander_Wednesdayhttp://savewoy.wikia.com/wiki/Season_3_Saturdayhttp://savewoy.wikia.com/wiki/SaveWOY_Sunday). The “villain leaderboard” from season two is still ‘updated’ by fans every month as a way to keep the show’s spirit alive. Whenever a page on Thunderclap is made, not only is more than the required support gotten, but ends up in the top five of Thunderclap pages that week. Even in addition to all this, there will still be more to come, and things not mentioned here; Wander Over Yonder fans love the series and will always continue to keep it in our hearts!

It is not only the fandom of Wander Over Yonder that rallies support for the series. It is quite apparent that simply anyone who enjoys it wants to see it end the way the WOY crew wanted. Videos from popular people come out more and more about the quality, and the chance WOY deserves (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD30N7h1pyZU5YV-AYBWRwyFm-sFZJgtb). A show with such positivity and joy and fun has helped countless lives when one simply looks for people’s takeaway, online or anywhere. Furthermore, it is quite apparent that Wander Over Yonder in general is something deserving of praise, and of more chance than it was given.

Wander Over Yonder has not only been nominated for– and won– several Annie Awards for its character design, animation, and overall quality as a series; but has in fact been Emmy-nominated for its overall quality as a short-format animated series. Not to mention, Wander Over Yonder had gained far more attention than ever once season two premiered– already after its cancellation. Moreover, after the middle of season two– the airing of the episode “My Fair Hatey”– an even bigger boom of fans came to realize what a fantastic show WOY is, not even including the fact that the song within the episode, “I’m the Bad Guy”, is nearing 5 million views on Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdEo_t-iVbM&spfreload=10), more views than any other Wander Over Yonder video has ever received. It is clear that even people who haven’t watched the show love the character Lord Dominator, and would love to see more of her. Since the current end of the series, more people than ever before are coming out to say how much they love it, and moreover wishing it hadn’t ended with a mystery left unsolved. Now that the Wander Over Yonder reruns have come back, perhaps the viewership numbers will be surprisingly much higher than before.

I thank you for taking your time to read this lengthy letter, and I hope you can see that my message is one that sincerely hopes you can take all that is written above into consideration, and hopefully take into consideration as well the amount that Wander Over Yonder means to so many people, the efforts they have made to spread awareness of the show, and the hope everyone has found from others making efforts just the same and having success come out of it. I hope that the tone in which all of us fans have been contacting the people at Disney means something, and that it helps our message to be seen more clearly and understandingly.

With this letter, and with all that people have done to make their feelings known, I hope you might begin to consider that maybe the show people love so much could be allowed at least one more chance.

Please let SaveWOY save Wander Over Yonder.

Best regards,

-A Wander Over Yonder fan.

[dateflight398]

Dating As A Single Dad Reddit

Dating As A Single Dad Reddit Free

Dating Single Parents Reddit

Reddit Dating Advice

A few years ago, I started cracking jokes regularly about hot dads. Then when I met a charming, handsome dude with good taste in music and tacos at a secret Santa vinyl swap party last winter, I started dating one. Suddenly the jokes seemed a little creepy, and although I actively pumped the brakes on making them, those familiar with my menagerie of hot dad puns rose a skeptical eyebrow. I didn't seek out a hot dad, it just happened. Hotness aside, there's some unexpected things that happen when you date a single dad.

I've dated ('dated') divorced dudes before, which might be a little similar, but this relationship marks my first with a parent. When the relationship was brand-spankin' new, a lot of close friends lamented renditions of, 'I could never DATE A PARENT.' They echoed sentiments of kids being deal breakers. But I just figured, we're getting older. Everyone has a past and brings baggage into a relationship. And sometimes that baggage needs soccer lessons. Although, of course, I find my partner's child a deeply charming, fun, hilarious little human who doesn't qualify as 'baggage.' You know what I mean. A man willing and thrilled to take on the dad role shows commitment. It shows a patient man who gives a damn and has a loving heart. These are positive things. However, yeah..dating one of these men summons some unique situations sometimes.

Aug 27, 2018 Single dads have responsibilities, and that’s a sign that they’ll be able to handle a relationship maturely. Speaking of fatherly responsibilities, single dads have to take their kids to the Dentist, the Doctor, and other appointments. This means that it should be relatively easy to meet a single dad if you’re looking to date one. If you’re newly single, ease into it. Remember, you’re the grown-up here. “The decision to date is 100. Single Officers, hows your dating life? I am a Deputy that is currently working in the county jail. I was recently set up on a blind date with a friend of a friend. She was was really cute from her pictures and i was told she was a great person so i agreed. We met for dinner and I was actually having a good time.

He gets along great with your dad

I already knew I was dating a sociable, nice guy, and my dad is the same way, but I don't know how I failed to predict this easy bond. It's kinda unbelievably cute to watch them nerd out on fatherhood together.

He moves easily in different social situations

If he has to make pleasant conversation with other parents during tae kwan do, he can flow harmoniously through your old coworker's new girlfriend's potluck.

Finding tiny clothes in your clean laundry

Or..not even that tiny. Just not yours and not big enough to be his. I recently unearthed a red T-shirt that was definitely not mine in a batch of clean laundry I did at bae's house. Granted, I'm a fairly petite person and my boyfriend's child is seven. Even though I modeled it for jokes above, I resisted the urge to actually don and sport it around. That seemed too far.

Reexamining past relationships

Every situation is different, but my boyfriend is still on amicable terms with his child's mother, who also lives near us. Matters are so peachy that she even shared me on a Google Calendar she, her boyfriend, and my boyfriend share re: who has chief parenting duties when (it's half-and-half, really). This kind of amazing camaraderie made me really look at past relationships I'd previously kept duct-taped in a box and tossed the way-back part of the closet. I'd like to say this exercise made me resurrect toxic romantic relationships as healthy friendships, but that hasn't quite happened yet (and with some specific ones, I honestly can't see that ever happening). More than anything, I think it's helped me recognize the hard fact that all humans have faults and, in general, good intentions. Harmony can exist with a little work. (Though to be fair, I can't take credit for the calendar. That's all his superstar ex's handiwork and maturity.)

Realizing people sure like to make fun of/talk about dads

I actually muted #dadbod from Twitter and had to fake a million smiles for people trying to relate to me by bringing the meme up IRL. Also very tired of the dad joke thing (which is real, sure, but still not a phenom I care to discuss for the 999th time).

There's far less invented drama

Dating As A Single Dad Reddit Free

When a person has to care for another human, they simply have less emotional and physical energy to invent snafus or hang-ups. Nothing is a big deal unless it's an actual Big Deal. He has developed a wisdom to help him identify the difference between the two, and if you haven't already done the same, hanging with him long enough will be educational.

You have an incredibly patient partner

Someone who had to teach a tiny, indignant child how to master the toilet isn't gonna flip when you need to take nine breaks hiking back out of a canyon.

You save money

I've never considered my income sizable until I started thinking of the glaring fact that I don't have to split it with anyone. Since single dads still have to, you know, fund their child, there isn't always a ton of extra dough to fund flippant outings to fancy cocktail bars or jump onto tubing trips you didn't even want to attend in the first place. It inspires you to be more mindful of your own spending habits. As such—

He's wildly creative with cheap and free activities

And knows every single dope park worth visiting in town.

It forces you to address your own insecurities..

So when the kid asks, 'Why are you wearing lipstick?' You can actually think to yourself, '..Yeah. Why am I doing that?' And in a more serious sense, it forces you to dissect immature impulses. Like when you're running late to meet a friend because you're stuck in a child-stuffed lantern parade one town over, you're not allowed to bitch and force your S.O. to help you summon an Uber to pick you up, STAT—because he's too busy pushing the kid on a skateboard inside the festivities to indulge your princess agenda. It makes you take a more discerning look at this princess agenda and brainstorm ways to be more reasonable in general.

..and to be an adult yourself.

I was playing with the kid at a playground near my boyfriend's apartment and when an authority figure from the attached daycare came out to ask if we had permission to be there, I immediately turned to the child. Then I realized, 'Oh fuck. I'm supposed to answer here.' I've always been a touch afraid of authority but knew I had to handle the current situation. It turned out fine, by the way.

Conversely, it means you can't let jealousy get to you with exes. I used to let envy blind me badly in the past—even if a boyfriend managed to remain congenial with an ex, the whole bond made me feel rattled as hell. Now that I'm with a person who's ex will be around in a close way forever and ever amen, I have to be OK with that. Which is the adult thing to do anyway. We can't let ourselves feel threatened for no viable reason.

He knows the world doesn't revolve around him

This can be a difficult quality to find in this world of overgrown Peter Pans on the hunt for their own Mother figure—a person to handle all the less savory household duties, remind them to go to the doctor, praise them constantly, hinge their daily or long-term plans on what Pan wants or says he needs. This situation is different, because he already takes on that role for his child while still taking decent care of himself. Playing Mother to a series of adult Peter Pans got old, so this kind of attitude is a very welcome change of pace.

He is deliberate

Since there's a kid involved, he isn't trying to be all willy-nilly with decisions in life—both those that do and don't concern you. That's pretty hot, TBH.

You can dodge responsibility for your music choices

When 'Uptown Funk' happens six times in a row, I can blame that on the kid (which is true). Same with Katy Perry (which might be an extrapolation or even just my idea).

It's hard to gross him out

Possibly one of the best treats of dating a dad. If your cat got secretly sick and he steps barefoot into a pile of barf, he doesn't love it but he understands that happens (probably because he has experience direct skin-to-someone else's-barf contact before). He also doesn't panic about periods or farts or other body stuff.

Dating Single Parents Reddit

His place is gonna be messy..forever

Cleaning is one of my favorite forms of therapy, likely because if I'm in a highly cluttered space physically, that transfers mentally and makes me feel like a stressed-out trashcan. Very early in this relationship, I suggested I help my boyfriend with an intense cleaning sesh of his kitchen. We had a lot of wine and played loud punk and soon it was gleaming. This lasted about 36 hours. With a child and full-time job and other luxurious duties such as bathing oneself and staying fed (AND keeping the kid fed), cleaning falls to the wayside. Besides not having enough time to clean, kids are just miraculously mess-inducing machines. Tireless ones. As such, I try to see this situation as an opportunity to relax my OCD tendencies and work to become a more patient, understanding person. Of course my apartment is much cleaner—because I only have to account for me. It isn't fair to hold him to the same standard.

You learn how to relinquish some control

I recognize I have some control freak tendencies, relationships included. A lot of life is outside our control and dating someone with a child is a very effective reminder that no matter what, we can't always call the shots. We have to be adaptable. As such, I waited until my boyfriend thought it would be OK to introduce me to his kid. And even then, it's not like I leapt from a cake and shouted, 'I AM YOUR NEW MOM!!!!!!!!!!!' Not at all. I'm still just a buddy who kicks it from time to time to join in on eating pizza or playing 'balloon' or the occasional ride home from school. When and if my boyfriend wants to explain my role in his life to his child, that's not really up to me. It's a discussion he and I can have, but it's not my endeavor to pilot.

You get a bit of perspective about your own age..

It's fun to make fun of Oldsters until you realize you are now one. This is highlighted by the frequency at which you offer anecdotes children don't want to hear, always marked with the beginning, 'When I was a kid..' They don't care, probably. They just don't need to hear about how your lack of skills with Donkey Kong at age seven feeds into your lack of skills with Mario Kart Racing at age 27. They're just stoked to authentically beat an adult.

..and your general level of importance.

Not to say my boyfriend treats me like I'm not important; He treats me with total kindness and respect. It's just that I have dated people in the past who put me on a pedestal, and you know what? The oxygen gets pretty thin up there. Although I'm sure it's meant as an appreciative gesture, it's unrealistic and puts a lot of pressure on the person sitting on top of it. Dating a parent, though, means no matter what, there is always going to be someone more important than I am in the mix. And I am so so OK with that.

There's no room for jealousy

If a sitter falls through last-minute, that means reservations gotta be canceled and dinner gets moved to the living room and the main dish will probably be pizza. You can't take it personally if homie is late because his child's mother got a flat tire so he had to go help out. You also can't get suspicious when he's on the phone with her a lot. These are complicated waters to navigate and if you're even to dip a few toes beneath the surface, you gotta be able to resign yourself to faith and trust—two things that ought to be present in any grown-ass relationship anyway. It's just here, it's especially non-negotiable.

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Reddit Dating Advice

Shit doesn't have to be so serious

I never babysat growing up and none my nieces and nephews live close by, so I don't actually have much experience hanging out with kids. The first time I met my boyfriend's child, I was 900 times more nervous than meeting any adult. What were we supposed to do or talk about? 'Seriously, whatever,' he instructed. After a while, the nerves dissolved and we were playing a stirring game of 'balloon,' which entails whacking a balloon back and forth between two or three people in a living room. Extra rules vary, but usually Taylor Swift is a necessary soundtrack. Things just don't have to be so serious in the sense that kids are very fun and it's almost astounding how quickly you can reverse back to such an easily entertained brain space. It's freeing to launch into some weird accent and spike a deflating balloon in the air without fear of being judged. It scratches a specific existential itch.

There's no ego

Because guess who makes the weird accent and plays balloon when you're not around? Conversely, though— Gaydia gay dating site reviews.

You can have serious conversations without scaring each other

Although I'm sure there are exceptions, most of the time when a single dad is dating, he isn't just screwing around. It's surprisingly refreshing to sink into a relationship and have the comfortable freedom to discuss individual big-scale hopes and goals. In other relationships, talking about the future at all can often be exactly the catalyst to send Pan off packing for a return and permanent trip to Neverland.

You retain a lot of your own time

Often, especially in new relationships, it can be hard to balance love stuff and friends. https://dateflight398.tumblr.com/post/658104267855577088/catholic-dating-app-free. Assuming you're in a situation with split custody in a local setting, that means half the time you get to yourself. It helps slow things down early on and maintain other hobbies, tinkerings, friendships, and such in your own life. It's the antithesis to smothering and fosters vital independence.

Images: TriStar Picturs; Giphy(23); Beca Grimm

[holisticsoulhealer]

Goodwill - Green Bean Casserole Recipe

I love the whole potluck dinner idea. I also really enjoy the secret Santa thing we do. Both are fun and a community sharing that’s really cool. I feel that a good green bean casserole is so delicious that you could eat it all by yourself and that instead of it being a side dish, you could devour it with nothing else on the table.

Here’s mine………….

  Creamy Mushroom Casserole:

 Ingredients:

1/2 cup olive oil

3 cups of mixed wild mushrooms, chopped

1 small onion chopped small

2 celery sticks chopped small

2 medium potatoes, peeled, par-boiled, chopped small

1 cup Marsala wine

10 cups of vegetable stock

1/2 cup sherry

1 1/2 cups cream

1 cup milk

1 packet of green beans

1/4 cup soy bacon bits

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup (plus 2 Tablespoons)of minced parsley

2 cups fried onions

 Roux to thicken;

 1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup cream Method:

Method:

Main Casserole;

 Heat a griddle or saute pan with the oil.

Sprinkle with salt, pepper and 1/4 cup parsley

Add the onion and cook slow to golden caramelized

Add the celery and mushrooms

cook all to golden

Add the potatoes with salt, pepper

Add the Marsala wine and reduce

Remove from griddle and hold

 Roux;

 Take a pot and gently melt butter

Add the flour stirring all the time

Remove from heat

Add the cream to keep a thick paste

 Combine;

 In a pot  Add 1/4 cup of the vegetable stock - reduce

Add the sherry -reduce

Add the warm mushroom veggie mix

Stir in

Add the roux to thicken

Add the stock and simmer for at least 45 minutes

Remove from the heat

Stir in the cream and the milk

 Green Beans;

 Take a pot of water and boil with salt

Add the green beans, boil to al dente

Drain

Add salt, pepper

Place mushroom mixture in a dish

add the green beans on top

Sprinkle with fried onions

Sprinkle the parsley across the whole dish and serve hot.

ENJOY THIS HOLIDAY CLASSIC!!!

 Please share, in the comments section below, your versions of this recipe or just your favorite healthy creation!! It often helps us all when we can read and relate the experiences of others to our own. It can provide the keys to unlocking our hidden abilities to activate change in our own lives!!

As always, please share this post with anyone that you feel can benefit from it! Please like us on your social media channels and subscribe to our mailing list if you haven’t already done so… We are mailing out a monthly newsletter and a recap each week of our blog posts and interesting tidbits… This is how you can stay informed with what is new in the world of The Holistic Soul Healer!!

Love & Blessings, Ruth

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[laceyeb]

I had an exceptionally good day at work today. Not because of the kids, although they were better than expected, but because of my fellow teachers.

We had our little Christmas potluck and secret santa gift exchange reveal today and it’s just the best. We so seldom all get together for something fun, so it’s always particularly enjoyable. 

After we opened our presents and ate our food, we had to get to the “business” side of our Wednesday afternoon meeting. Although “business” today was deciding which teacher would participate in which game at our winter rally on Friday and choosing a carebear to dress up for during kindness week! We worked hard today! And fyi: I took one for the team and volunteered myself for “Santa’s Beard.” This involves putting whip cream on my face while another teacher throws candies at me and tries to get them to stick to my “beard.” And I say I took one for the team, but I’m actually really excited about it! 

I’m always the quiet and reserved one in a group of people and that is true at work, too. But for some reason today I felt like I really belonged and it was the best feeling.

[thomasonweb-blog]

Planning an off-beat Christmas party at work

If you’re in Sydney during December and you’re planning to surprise your employees by throwing an offbeat Christmas party, you ought to make sure it turns out to be a memorable one for you and your buddies. From planning a festive potluck to picking up gifts for your Secret Santa, there are countless things you can do at your office for Christmas, true! But wouldn’t it be even more fun if you could tweak it up a bit to make it more Christmassy and peppy? Let’s take a look at some of the exquisite christmas party cruises.

If you and your folks love to take a day off and spend time outdoors, here’s a great option for you. Christmas cruises have been indeed one of the most popular Christmas party venues in Sydney and it’s worth it. A Christmas cruise could be your perfect pick as it is an all-inclusive package that serves everything from a scrumptious meal to premium beverages. Also, enjoy the scintillating views of Sydney Harbour while you much on your favourite dish. Besides having earned the reputation for delivering quality, these Christmas cruises are also known for the sightseeing opportunities they provide. Gifting your colleagues a once-in-a-lifetime cruising experience such as this, would be a great way to build up a great rapport. Now isn’t that a perfect idea for a corporate christmas party? 

Christmas, known worldwide as the most wonderful time of the year, is uniquely a time when everyone stoops down to gluttony and greed. But it is also a time when ‘giving’ is synonymous with the spirit of Christmas. Perhaps, you’d like to share your goodness and wealth with the less privileged to celebrate Christmas in a more meaningful way. Before you look down on this option(because it may sound boring to some of you), celebrating Christmas this way could be more memorable than you think. Because, once you’ve spent a day with the homeless or the orphaned,there’s no going back home as the same person. Pack up some Christmas goodies and head to the streets with your folks to celebrate Christmas right.  

The world as we see today is never the same and Christmas is a time when we embrace our old ways and traditions, at least for a day. However, there might be a few ways that have become obsolete and it may be past the time that we bid goodbye to them. Since Christmas is also a time when we’re anticipating the new year, you may rethink making room for a new tradition, such as inventing a new game or recreating an old tradition. This could be a fun thing to do with your colleagues for Christmas or even your family. 

Every year, when Christmas arrives, we’re often pumped up to invite the new while remembering the old. Ring in this year’s Christmas by ditching the old ways. An out-of-the-box Christmas celebration with your work buddies might be just right to serve this purpose. Now, if that’s the sound of perfection you hear, have fun going offbeat for Christmas!

[temptation-narnia-chronicles]

From Upon the Golden Thrones

Episode 12: The Christmas Ball

      Lucy grinned from the windowsill as a thick blanket of snow covered the land. The fireplace in the corner crackled, radiating a cozy warmth throughout the room. There was just something so comforting about the holiday season and everything to do with it. As Christmas grew nearer, the youngest queen's excitement multiplied. She was determined to make this Christmas the best that Narnia had ever seen, especially since for many, it was their first real Christmas. As such, she went to great lengths to ensure everything would be perfect. Massive evergreens filled the castle, decorated with garlands and candles and poinsettias galore. Wreaths hung from every door, the hallways lined with plush red carpets, and every room smelled of cinnamon. Just like Christmas in Finchley.

     For many, however, this was a very foreign Christmas. Eilonwy's head spun with all the strange new traditions the Pevensies implemented. Truthfully, she wasn't sure how fond she was of them. As she trudged into Parliament that morning, she was quickly overcome with the sickening hunch that this was only the beginning.       "I have a proposal" Susan announced, rising from her seat. A knitted shawl embraced her shoulders, a style she seemed to frequent lately as the temperatures continued to drop. Eilonwy's eyes locked on the antique brooch fastened at her collar, an overwhelming disdain washing over her. She recognized it immediately: her mother's amber pin. Deep down, the huntress knew she would never have made any use of it but the thought of someone else doing just that boiled her blood. She wanted to reach out and rip out straight off of her.       Completely oblivious to his friend's internal monologue, Peter nodded in the queen's direction and prompted her to speak.       "I've been looking over Narnia's previous Christmas protocol" she began, "and I've decided it would be in our best interest to rework Christmas day entirely. I say we replace the annual game hunt with something a little less...dare I say, violent?"       Eilonwy's jaw dropped. "Replace the game hunt? That's absurd! What do you expect t eat for Christmas dinner then? Narnian tradition dictates that the royal family embark on Christmas morning to peg a slew of game for feast. You can't possibly change that!" Her face turned redder the longer she spoke, fists clenched at her sides.       "Well then perhaps we ought to to reevaluate Christmas dinner, as well" Susan suggested. "I certainly wouldn't mind changing the menu. Would you, Peter?"       The High King stood tensely at the head of the table, eyes shifting between both women. He hated seeing his sister and beloved argue, and was smart enough to know choosing sides was a dangerous game. If he disappointed Susan, the unity of the tetrarchy could crumble. If he disappointed Eilonwy, something much more elusive was at stake.       "Well, I mean....Susan, what did you have in mind?" he asked cautiously. A proud grin spread upon the gentle's face.       "Instead of game, maybe we could hold a potluck in which every guest brings a dish native to their country or--" she began but Peter quickly interrupted.       "No, I mean to replace the hunt" he said.       "Wait, I want to hear about the food" Edmund interjected. Susan cast a soft smile to him and replied that they could discuss it later.       "Rather than a hunt, I say we do something special, like a gift exchange of sorts" the gentle suggested.       "Like a Secret Santa!" Lucy interrupted, nearly leaping out of her seat.       "Wait, what's a Secret Santa?" Eilonwy asked in confusion. Never had she heard such a strange phrase before. It must've been an British thing-- certainly it was no tradition of Narnia.       "It's this gift exchange thing where people draw names at random and surprise that person with a gift on Christmas" Edmund explained.       Eilonwy cocked a brow, trying to comprehend the explanation, before replying, "But is that not already implied? Exchanging gifts has always been embedded into Christmas."       "The Secret Santa is more of a social event than a simple tradition, Eilonwy" Susan explained. "And I think it's a wonderful idea."       "But is that not already the whole point of Christmas in the first place? I don't think it's entirely necessary to replace an age-old tradition with something that's already there" Eilonwy argued. "I don't see why we have to change everything about Christmas day. You wake up, eat breakfast, open your presents, and then you go hunting. That's the way it's always been and that's the way it ought to stay."       "I think the Secret Santa is a great idea" Peter chimed in. Eilonwy's eyes widened as she glared back at him incredulously.       "You what?" she exclaimed.       "I think a Secret Santa is a great idea. Really in the Christmas spirit, Lu" he commented. The valiant grinned triumphantly. With a groan, Eilonwy slammed her head on the table and sprawled her arms out in front of her. This is nowhere near what she had hoped for.       "It's okay, Eilonwy. You don't have to participate if you don't want to" Lucy assured her.       "Oh, no, Eilonwy's going to participate" Peter demanded, dismissing the rest of the council.       "Wait, what? You can't force me to be a part of something I want no involvement in" she protested, but Peter refused to hear it. In the back of his mind, he already had the perfect plan and he wasn't going to let Eilonwy back out so easily.       The small group gathered at the head of the table with quills and slips of parchment, scribbling their names and tossing them into a large, golden bowl previously occupied by hand-painted pine cones (courtesy of Susan and Lucy, of course). Professor Arcadian stirred the ballots, eyeing everyone cynically as they waited and mumbling something dryly about how "It's nothing but a simple task of probability, not a matinee drama. Don't look so eager." But they were eager, Peter most of all. One by one, everyone stepped forward to draw a name.       "Don't let anyone know who you received or it'll ruin the fun!" Tumnus announced excitedly, adding for everyone to wait until the end to unfold their paper. As High King, Peter was called upon first. He sucked in a deep breath, dug his hand deep inside the bowl, and prayed that he had grabbed the right parchment. That was the one thing Peter hated about Secret Santas, and the one thing he dreaded more than anything this time around. The randomness of the pick meant that there was no guarantee in getting who you really wanted. For Peter, this was crucial.       Once the bowl had been emptied, Professor Arcadian allowed everyone to unfold their papers. Peter nearly ripped his in half, he worked so quickly. The moment he caught sight of the letter E, his heart leapt into his throat. Had he really gotten so lucky? Upon revealing the rest of the word, his heart proceeded to plummet straight to the pit of his stomach. Edmund. He had picked his own brother. This was not how he intended this to go.       As soon as the others were out of sight, the High King rushed to the doorway and pulled his brother back frantically. "Ed, I need to know whose name you pulled" he blurted, eyes wild and wide.       "Why...?" Edmund asked suspiciously, leaning back a bit to put some distance between he and his brother's faces. "You know, Pete, that kind of defeats the whole purpose of Secret Santa. I don't think the others would be too happy with if you if they found out you were cheating."       "Ed" Peter sighed, rubbing his face. "I know that's not the point but I need to know. This is important. Come on. Please."       Edmund eyed his brother a moment, studying the desperation in his voice and face. Finally, he caved. "Alright, fine. I got Susan" he admitted.       "Dammit!" Peter exclaimed, slapping a palm to his face. "Do you know who drew Eilonwy?"       "No..." Edmund said slowly. "I don't know who anyone drew. And I think that's kind of the point. Why do you need to know?"       "Because I need to trade with whoever drew her. It's all part of my plan!" Peter explained. "I draw her name for Secret Santa, I surprise her with a ring, we dance, we celebrate, we get married, we spend the rest of our lives together, and we live happily ever after, understand? But I can't do any of that if I didn't draw her name!"       The young king blinked a few times, unsure of how to respond. Deep down, he still didn't think this was a very good idea. He had wanted to speak to Peter when he returned from the Shuddering Wood but the High King barely gave him a spare second for private conversation. He was far too preoccupied. "Alright, well in that case, who did you draw?" Edmund finally asked.       "You" Peter replied flippantly. He sank into the nearest seat and tossed the parchment onto the table. "It's going to take forever to try and find Eilonwy's name."       "What would you have bought me?" Edmund interrupted.       "I'm going to have to cycle through everyone. I'll never find it in time" Peter replied, almost as if he hadn't heard the just. Then he paused a moment before turning to his brother. "Wait, what did you say?"       "You drew my name. So what would you have gotten me?" Edmund repeated.       "Ed, you know I can't tell you that. It goes against the rules" Peter replied.       "And so does trading and yet here we are. Come on, Pete. I doubt you'll still have my name by the end of this anyways so go on and tell me"       The magnificent furrowed his brows a moment. Frankly, he hadn't really thought of anything yet. "Um...I don't know. I guess I would've gotten you something like a...like a new sword?"       "Would it have been a nice sword?"       “Oh, god, Ed!"       "What? I'd like to know! You should pass that suggestion along to whoever you trade with. Let them know. I'd like a new sword. Not a replacement so much as an extra. You can never have too many swords, Pete." As Edmund rambled about his goal of learning to wield two swords at once, or inventing a contraption consisting of multiple swords, Peter buried his face in his hands and struggled to untangle a plan. He needed to find whoever drew Eilonwy's name if it was the last thing he did. He needed to trade so he could fulfill his plan. He needed to ask her to marry him.         Later that day, Peter barrelled down the hall toward the library. Just as he assumed, Susan was seated at the long central table surrounded by endless books and papers. No doubt all planning and progress reports for her orphanage.       "Hey, Su, I need to speak with you" Peter spoke, sliding into the seat beside her.       "Well make it quick or save it for later, Pete. Now's not the best time" she replied, eyes locked on her work.        "Alright then. I need to know whose name you drew for Secret Santa" he said. Susan opened her mouth to speak but her brother quickly interrupted. "I know this goes against everything Secret Santa is about so please don't lecture me. I already heard enough of that from Ed."       Finally looking up from her work, the gentle grimaced and shook her head. "That's not what I was going to say. I know you hoped to draw Eilonwy so you could use that as an excuse to propose, but since you didn't, you're going around asking everyone who they drew in hopes of a trade."       "How did you know all that?" Peter asked, taken aback.       "It's pretty simple to figure out, Pete. Besides, I overheard you and Ed this morning" she replied. The moment she mentioned overhearing them, something horrible twisted Peter's gut. If Susan caught wind of their conversation, then anyone could've heard. Eilonwy included. But he couldn't afford to fear-- he was running out of time.       "Well, I'm on a tight schedule here so who did you get?" Peter pressed.       "I'm sorry to say but I drew Lucy" she said. "Have you spoken to her yet?"       Peter shook his head. "I was hoping I wouldn't have to. I know the minute I ask, she'll know something is up and then I'll have to explain myself. You know how Lucy is with secrets. I don't want her to give the game away."       "Well you can either talk to her and potentially end this all now, or you can go through everyone else in the castle and potentially ruin it yourself by word of mouth. It's your choice" Susan replied.       The High King sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "I suppose you're right, Su. I just hope I can catch her before tea, or else we'll really have a problem. And by the way, while I'm here, have you heard anything from that blacksmith about the ring?"       Much to Peter's chagrin, Susan shook her head. "I haven't heard from Sir Ollivander in days" she replied sadly. Susan had been of great help in regards to finding Peter the perfect ring. She went so far as to help him design something special, something no one else would ever have, with intricate carvings and a beautiful stone of mossy agate. It was a jewel fit for notj just a queen but one who ran wild through the woods for so long that the forest coursed through her veins. Peter anticipated finally holding it in his hands, wrapping it up in a cute little box and presenting it to his beloved on Christmas morning. Though Susan had relayed the importance of this to the blacksmith in the Western Wood, she hoped his tardiness was just a result of devotion to this and nothing else. "If he doesn't message us in the next 48 hours, though, I suppose I'm just going to have to go down there and check up on him myself" she added. She could see the anxiety clearly painting his face at the thought of things going awry, and placed a gentle hand atop his in reassurance. "I'm sure everthing will turn out fine, Pete. Just have a little faith."       Peter nodded halfheartedly, inhaling to gather his composure. Susan was right. He needed to believe that everything would go according to plan. The clock chimed four in the afternoon, signalling a sigh from the gentle as she rose from her seat and motioned for Peter to come with her. He followed her dutifully to the parlor, despite his distaste for the place, knowing today he had no choice. Lucy had taken it upon herself to plan the entirety of the Christmas ball, seeing as Susan was so busy with her orphanage, and the valiant enjoyed being at the helm of something so grandiose and exciting anyways. Despite her delight, however, it was a big job for such a small girl and she found it necessary to enlist her siblings' help, at least regarding invitations.       When the eldest Pevensies arrived, Lucy and Edmund were already seated at a fully cluttered table chatting away. A little cart sat beside the valiant, stacked high with letters and wax and a stamp of the Narnian crest. Eilonwy lounged on the windowsill casually. Damn.       "Who should we invite next?" Lucy asked, mouth full of watercress.       "Lucy, remember your manners!" Susan scolded tiredly. She drew a piece of folded parchment up from her overskirt pocket and stared at the list scrawled upon it. "I made a comprehensive list of all the neighboring countries, both those with which we share alliances and those we have yet to meet, for us to pick from. We have to remember, this isn't just a celebration. It's a social event and we need to be on our best behavior so that we can make a good first impression with new dignitaries."       "Well, you can start by tossing Brenn in the garbage" Eilonwy commented. Nobody knew these countries as well as she did and the last thing she wanted was for the Pevensies to invite a bunch of ingrates.       "What's wrong with Brenn? Have we met them yet?" Edmund asked. The huntress shook her head.       "No, you haven't. And believe me, you don't want to" she commented.       "Oh, come on, Ellie, they can't be that bad" Peter replied. "No worse than Lord Lemuel and his crew" he continued, turning to the others to then add authoritatively, "who we are definitely not inviting." He was met with a collective nod in reply.       "Listen, just trust me on this one" Eilonwy assured. "Brenn is filled with nothing but cheats and rogues and dishonest scoundrels who don't give a fuck about anyone. They are not the kinds of friends you want to have."       With a sigh, Susan picked up her pen and scratched at the parchment. "Alright then, so Brenn is off the list. What about the Isle of Sparrow?"       For the next hour, Eilonwy rattled off yes and no answers to every nation on the list, giving blunt and rather harsh explanations for each. By the end of the afternoon, they had addressed invitations to only three of the seven isles, Archenland, Calormen, and Galma. It was a far shorter guest list than Susan or Lucy wanted but Edmund reminded them that they had to trust Eilonwy's judgment. After all, she was appointed advisor for a reason.       As everyone filtered out of the room, Peter hung back and called Lucy to join him on the balcony. She stared up at him with curious eyes, unsure of what her brother was hoping to tell her. All she knew was that if it called for privacy, it must be immensely important. "I need to know who you drew for Secret Santa" he said.       "What? But Peter, that's cheating!" she exclaimed. He would've assumed she was highly offended if not for her lively laughter.       "Lucy, I know it's cheating but you just have to trust me. This is really important" he replied, hints of desperation beginning to break through the cracks in his words. The littlest Pevensie cocked a brow in suspicion as she stared back at her brother, watching the madness slowly begin to envelope him.       "Alright, fine. I guess I have no choice but to tell you, I got you!" she exclaimed. "Now that you know, you ought to tell me what you want for Christmas because I've been drawing blanks all day."       Peter sighed. Yet another failed attempt. "Quite honestly, Lucy, all I want right now is to find whoever drew Eilonwy's name."       "Oh...?" she replied slyly. Something was brewing and now she was determined to find out what. "Why do you need to know that?"       Peter averted his eyes, contemplating whether this was a good idea. It was risky business, telling Lucy secrets, but what other choice did he have? The only way she was going t help him was if he finally told her the truth.       "Alright, you want to know why I asked? Because I need to trade with whoever drew her name. I Have something special planned for her but it's only going to work if I'm her Secret Santa, understand?" he explained. Lucy nodded.       "Well, then let me help you find it!" she exclaimed. "We can get it faster if we work together. What do you have planned for her, anyways?" A few moments of silence and Lucy knew Peter's fear. "You don't think I can keep a secret, do you?" Peter bit his lip and slowly shook his head, refusing to look at her. Placing her hands on her hips, Lucy narrowed her eyes at him. "You ought to have a little more faith in me, Peter! I'm not that bad! Come on, tell me! Pretty please?"       The thing about Lucy was that she was wildly persuasive. She knew when to pull out all the stops just to get what she wanted. After a few moments, she had transcended all the way to the cute stance and pouty lips, with puppy dog eyes that made her look like she was on the verge of tears lest you keep quiet for one more second.       "Fine" Peter sighed, finally breaking. "But you have to promise not to tell absolutely anyone about this, alright? There is no way Eilonwy can ever find out I'm doing this." Lucy nodded, even pinkie promising to further cement the deal. Peter braced himself, straightening his back and taking a deep breath before finally saying it. "I'm going to ask Eilonwy to marry me."       The second the words fell from his lips, the little queen burst like a firecracker, jumping and shrieking all over the balcony. It took her five whole minutes before she even came close to calming down but when she did, Peter begged her not to say another word about it.       "I can't believe you're going to ask Eilonwy to marry you! Eilonwy's going to be your wife!" she gushed. "And there's going to be a wedding and she's going to wear a white dress and a veil and she'll look so beautiful! And then she'll be like a new big sister!"       "I know, Lucy, it's all very exciting but you have to promise me that no one will find out about this, okay? Especially not Eilonwy. It needs to be a surprise" Peter pleaded.       "I know how to keep a secret, Peter. You act like I've never kept secrets before" she replied matter-of-factly. "Besides, I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise anyways!"       Before Peter could say another word, she bounded off down the hall and returned to her party planning duties. As he watched her disappear, he dug his nails into his palms and swallowed hard, praying that she would keep her word.       The following days passed in a whirlwind of chaos as everyone scrambled to prepare for the event ahead. At every turn, someone was rushing past with an enormous wreath or tray full of pastries or cart of fresh flowers. Lucy worked tirelessly to ensure that their first royal Christmas party was the best that Narnia had ever seen, all while helping Peter with his mission. Nobody really wanted to tell her anything, but just like Lucy, eventually she persuaded them all. It was when they asked for a reason that she faltered. She really did try to keep her promise, but it was so hard when everyone wanted an explanation. By the end of the week, however, the whole castle was abuzz with whispers here and there about the impending engagement.       Like every other day, Hattie scampered up to Eilonwy's room bright and early to deliver a morning snack, make her bed, and retrieve her dirty laundry. It was a ritual Eilonwy wasn't very fond of but after many unsuccessful protests, she unenthusiastically gave in to the pampering. "Sorry for the stains" Eilonwy commented, a scone hanging out of her mouth, as she drew her stockings up over her knee. "I just can't help it, but I know they must be a massive pain in the ass to get out."       "Oh, it's no worries, miss!" Hattie replied happily, inspecting a dress still damp with sludge. "After all, I'm sure after marriage there will be far worse stains to handle."       Eilonwy's back shot ramrod straight, scone falling to the floor. "What did you say, Hattie...?" she asked, rage and fear slowly swelling inside her. She wasn't stupid. She had heard the whisperings, swore she caught the word "marriage" on multiple lips but quickly wrote it off as her mind playing tricks on her. This, however, she knew she definitely heard right.       The moment Hattie realized what she had done, she wished for nothing more than to be absolutely invisible. "I...I said..." she stammered. Eilonwy rose from her vanity and stalked forward, eyes wild and hands clenched. "I mean, I just meant...if you ever do get married then..."       "Come on, Hattie! Out with it!" Eilonwy demanded. Despite their similar heights, the huntress seemed to tower over the faun through sheer force of will and wild intimidation. Hattie stared up at her charge, terrified, clutching the dress close to her chest as if a scrap of dirt wool would protect her.       "I-I've heard word that...that the High King prepares to ask for your hand, miss" Hattie finally said, quick and quiet. Eilonwy instantly crumbled onto her vanity's stool. Her face had grown rather pale and dewy.       "He's...he's planning to marry me..." she stammered softly, staring off into the void. "So the whispers are true..." She looked around the room, at the messy bed and cluttered floor. A box full of memories she had long wished to forget. She had a very small but distinct window of opportunity that was now closing at an incredible speed. If she didn't make her decision soon, she knew the choice would be made for her. No matter what she did, someone was bound to get hurt.       Moonlight filtered through the open windows as a steadfast heart beat in time with a steadfast hand. Tears rolled down flushed cheeks and dripped onto parchment, blurring the swooping letters of a huntress's words. She folded the page neatly and left it there on her vanity, swinging a pack over her shoulder and praying no one would notice her in the crowd. The clock read 10:42pm.       The entire castle was electrified with holiday cheer as the help rushed to pin the finishing touches on the Christmas decor. Father Christmas would be making his rounds, placing presents under the tree for every good boy and girl. Even the adults would get something special, Eilonwy was sure. It was whether they wanted it that was the question.       Everlast neighed and recoiled as an invisible approached in the dark. Eilonwy pulled back her hood and tried to calm the mare, terrified someone might hear her whinny and come running.       Peter weaved through the hordes of guests, searching every face he passed. He wasn't sure if he could wait until Christmas morning. The excitement was almost unbearable. Eilonwy was going to be his bride. He couldn't propose, however, if he couldn't find her. He scoured nearly every room in the castle but to no avail. Finally, he resorted to just knocking on her bedroom door. If she was nowhere else, she was bound to be there, locked away hiding from all the commotion. She was never was one for social gatherings. As he approached her chamber, however, his heart sank like lead into the pit of his stomach: her bedroom door was creaked open. Her door was never open.       He approached cautiously, unsure of what to expect but knew something must be terribly wrong. With bated breath, he peered inside only to find the room completely empty. A defeated sigh passed his lips as he pressed his forehead to the doorway and cursed under his breath. A soft gust of winter air flowed through the room, fluttering the corner of the note left behind. Peter paused, turning to the sound in equal parts curiosity and confusion. He lifted the note cautiously, as if it was a bomb on the verge of explosion. His fingers tingled upon finding it was addressed specifically to him. He recognized the penmanship immediately. Glassy eyes scanned the note quickly, each word stabbing a new blade into his chest.

     Her vague delivery was in no way helpful. If anything, it made him feel even worse. What did he possibly do wrong? He only loved her. The ink still smelled fresh, proving that she had left not too long ago. A fleeting hope surged through his body and without a second's hesitation, he started down the hallway. As he ran, he nearly tripped over a figure slumped on the staircase, face stained with tears.       "Hattie! Where did she go? Tell me now!" he begged, on the verge of tears himself. But Hattie was too dutiful to her charge, shaking her head as she wept hysterically and murmured desperate apologies. Peter waved her off and passed her quickly, knowing any spare second he spent there was a waste of time. Besides, if she hadn't disappeared already, he knew there was only one place she could be.       "What the hell do you think you're doing?" he called, skidding to a halt in the snow. Eilonwy stood in Everlast's pen, cloaked in crimson, tying the last of her things to her horse's flank. The second she heard Peter's voice, she paused and swallowed back her fear. This was the exact kind of confrontation she had hoped to avoid.       "How did you know I'd be here?" she replied, turning slowly to face him. A mixture of fear and frustration painted her face. Peter wasn't sure which dominated, nor did he really care.       "I followed some context clues" he replied sourly, stalking forward. He was gasping for breath, sweat beading on his brow and hands shaking at his sides. "What do you think you're doing?"       "Did you not read my letter?" she replied harshly, recoiling. There was a helplessness to his tone that secretly ripped her heart in half.       "Ellie, please don't do this!" he begged.       "Please don't call me that..." she murmured, averting her eyes.       "You don't want to do this! Please! Don't leave!" he continued. He placed a trembling hand atop hers on Everlast's flank. "I need you. Please don't leave me. I love you...I love you so much. And...and I know you love me, too! You said so!"       "When did I ever tell you that?" she fired back. She was too petrified to remove her hand.       "When you were sick and I took care of you! You looked up at me with tired eyes and admitted you loved me. You need me just as much as I need you so please, stay!" By now, he couldn't hold back the tears any longer. His voice was quivering, his hands were shaking. Everything was at stake. He couldn't afford to lose her.       "I don't need you or anyone else to take care of me, Peter!" she shouted back, fighting tears of her own. She was not going to cry. She refused to. Why should she, anyways? She didn't love him. She couldn't love him. She refused.       "Okay, okay. You don't need me. You can take care of yourself. You're fine. But we want each other and that's just as important! And we love each other. That's most important! Please, Eilonwy, I...I can't imagine my life without you. You need to stay. Y-you need...you need to stay with me. Please. I can't do any of this without you."       Eilonwy sniffled and averted her eyes. She couldn't bear to look at him any longer. "I think you've been doing a pretty fine job so far, you don't need me hovering over everything you do. You make a fine king without me playing puppeteer. It's time to...to cut the strings" she murmured. A smile forced it's way onto her lips but they both knew it wasn't genuine.       "Ellie? Ellie, no! No, please! Don't do this! You can't leave me!" he begged. He took her hands in his, held them tightly to his chest, kissed every bruised and scabbed knuckle as tears rolled down his cheeks. "I love these hands....these strong, purposeful hands. Your quick fingers. If only...if only you'd let me place a ring on one..."       "Peter, stop..." she pleaded, voice hoarse and cracking. Her eyes burned with the impending tears, a few drops escaping and catching on her lashes.       "I love this face, everything about your face" he continued, raising a hand to cup her cheek. He brushed his thumb against her skin, leaning his forehead against hers. "Your eyes, and the way hey look at me. That cute little nose, how red it gets when it's cold. And these lips..."-- he shifted his thumb so as to gently graze her bottom lip-- "how they're always so pale and chapped and imperfectly perfect. And...and this heart"-- his hand skated down to her chest, pressing his palm right between her breasts. "Your good, pure, lion heart."       "Peter...Peter, please..." she wept, struggling to break free from his grip. She was too weak, though whether from exhaustion or sadness she had no clue. "I need to go..."       "But why? Why?" he whined, holding her tighter. His nose was running over his upper lip, his eyes tired and bloodshot. His warm breath fell upon her skin, heavy and desperate and forlorn.       "Because, Peter!" she exclaimed, finally shoving herself away from him. The distance was a welcome relief. She gasped for breath, letting the cold air overwhelm her, and gripped at her hair. "I can't do this! I don't belong here. I never have and I never will! I need...I need to go, Peter. I can't take it here anymore. I can't be trapped here for..for the rest of my life. I can't do it. It's too...it's too much, I just...I can't spend the rest of my days someplace where I'm not happy and I...I'm not...I'm not happy here. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so...I'm so sorry. I never...I never meant to hurt you but...but I can't be with you, here, like this. I can't. I'm so...I'm so sorry, Peter..." She recoiled to the very back of the pen, pressing her back against the wood and fighting for her composure. She couldn't think, couldn't breathe. Peter stood there frozen in his place, watching her through blurred eyes.       "Y-you can't...you can't just leave me like this!" he screamed. He could literally feel his heart tearing inside of his chest, each shard stabbing his flesh from the inside and ripping apart his organs. "You do belong here, Eilonwy! You belong with me..."       The huntress shook her head, breath hitching in her throat. "I don't, Peter. I really don't. I'm not who you think I am. I'm not what you think I am. I was never meant to be a...a wife or a mother or...or a queen. The...the sooner I leave here, the better off we are. All of us."       "Better off? You think leaving makes us better off?" the magnificent asked incredulously. "We're not better off without you, Ellie! We need you! All of us need you!"       "Well, I don't need...all of this" she replied, motioning to the castle. "Peter, please, just...try to listen to me. I can't stand to stay here anymore. It's not right. This castle is a box that I just don't fit inside. B-besides...it's filled with too many horrible memories."       Peter surged forward, grabbing her waist and pulling her close to him. He needed o savor every last moment with her, absorb every single morsel of her being, every detail of her face and body and hair and clothes and scent. "But you do fit, Eilonwy. Please, believe me when I say that. You do. Just please...please stay with me. W-we can make new, beautiful memories to overshadow the bad ones. Just please...if you'd give me a chance..."       "That's...that's not how this works, Peter. That's not how any of this works" she squeaked, shaking her head against his chest. "Just because you make new memories doesn't mean the old ones disappear. They'll always be there, Peter. Every time I walk past that parlor, they're always there. It's all I can see, every waking moment, it's there. I can't...I can't do this anymore. I can't live like this anymore. Please, don't...don't make this any harder th-than it needs to be. I need...I-I need to go, Peter...please...just let me go."       Her pained whispers slaughtered him as he squeezed her tight, burying his face in the crook of her neck. His tears slid down his face and condensed against her skin, seeping into her pores as if a little part of him would always be with her. He held her for a moment longer before loosening his grip, tilting her chin upwards to face him. Looking at him hurt, how broken and dissolved he had become. In that moment, they were no longer the High King and the lost princess. All she saw was that terrified little boy from when they first met, naive and desperate and vulnerable, fighting for something he had a high chance of painfully losing. He had come so far and yet was still so much that same little boy. His shaky fingers brushed the stray strands of hair from her face, just trying to collect every last moment with her and make them last.       "I love you...I love you so, so much..." he whimpered. Caressing her cheek, he gently shifted his head and leaned in, lips barely brushing against hers, but she quickly turned away before he could give her a proper kiss. Kissing would make things far too complicated. This needed to be a clean break. She at least owed him that much. Without another word, she composed herself and mounted her mare, gripping her mane tightly. The longer Peter looked at her, the weaker she felt until she began to question whether she really had the strength to do this. But no, she had to. She had no other choice. She needed to leave. She gazed down at him sadly, forcing a smile. As if in silent communication, she bid him goodbye. In a matter of seconds, she disappeared into the darkness, never to be seen again.       Peter clung to the post of Everlast's pen, watching as is beloved was swallowed up by the night. A rock dropped into his stomach, knowing he would never, ever see her again. The love of his life. The woman he wanted to marry. He slowly reached into his pocket, terrified, and pulled out the ring he was so set on giving her. The moment he laid eyes on it, he burst into monstrous tears, clutching it close to his chest and falling to his knees. Eilonwy was gone and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it.       As the morning light fell across her face, Lucy jolted awake with the sugar sweet realization that it was finally Christmas morning. Without a second to lose, she leapt out of bed and down the hall, banging on doors screaming, "Wake up! Wake up! It's Christmas! It's Christmas!" In true Lucy fashion, however, she did all of this at what her siblings would consider an ungodly hour but thus was tradition. The three of them trudged out of their rooms, each in varying degrees of sleep deprivation, and shuffled to the great hall where a large tree filled with presents awaited them. Lucy dove head-first into the pile, astonished with how many boxes there were. She took it upon herself to read the labels on each and hand them out to the deserving recipient, ripping open her own at warp speed only to ooh and aah at every single gift. There was something inherently heartwarming about Christmas morning and the way it seemed to redeem all the bad in the world. At least for most people.       "What happened to you? Rough night last night?" Edmund asked his brother, the only one without a smile upon his face. The High King was an absolute mess. His cheeks felt tight from the tears that had dried upon them the night before, his eyes were puffy and red, face pale and hair matted beyond repair. Even his pajamas were buttoned incorrectly, much to Susan's obsessive-compulsive chagrin. Peter simply groaned in response, shaking his head and rubbing his face.       "I really don't want to talk about it, Ed. Just open your presents and carry on as if I wasn't here" he croaked. The just simply raised a brow and slowly turned back to the task at hand.       "Peter! This one's for you!" Lucy exclaimed, struggling to lift a rather large box from beneath the tree. Peter sighed and forced himself forward to take it from her, dragging it back to his seat. Truthfully, he didn't give a damn about Christmas presents. The only thing he wanted, he was never going to get back. Contrastingly, though, he didn't want to seem rude and turn down anything he was given. He ripped the package open carelessly to find a large tapestry mapping out the whole of Narnia and the surrounding countries. It was impressive, no doubt, but even something so grand as this could not enlighten Peter this morning.       Lucy's voice once again snapped him from his daze, standing with a decent sized box to ask, "Say, Peter? Where's Eilonwy? This one's addressed to her." The High King's heart suffered another tinge of pain, his throat constricting to the point where he was unsure if he could even speak.       Tossing his box to the ground, he shook his head and replied, "She's not coming."       "Not coming? What do you mean?" Susan exclaimed. "She's not sick or something again, is she?"       "No" Peter said bluntly. "She's gone."       "What do you mean she's gone?" Lucy asked dreadfully. She lowered the box to the ground, her heart racing in fear.       Peter wasn't sure if he had the strength for this. A part of him hated Eilonwy for leaving him to explain her mess to everyone. For leaving him heartbroken. "She left. Late last night" he started, then explained everything that had happened to the best of his ability. The room had grown dead silent as he finished, sucking nearly all the joy out of Christmas morning with his tale.       "But what about the proposal...? She was going to be a part of our family..." Lucy murmured. She didn't understand. They had treated Eilonwy with nothing but kindness. They loved her dearly. They wanted her to stay with them forever. The littlest queen couldn't see any reason as to why their dear friend would just leave, especially without saying goodbye.       "Not anymore, she's not" Peter said. "But don't let me ruin your Christmas. I'm fine. Promise." He was obviously not fine. Everyone could tell the High King was heartbroken but he refused to let them pity him. He had brought all of this upon himself. He was hasty and naive. He had jumped the gun and tried to propose to a girl who didn't even want him to begin with. By now, he was certain that he must have hallucinated that night she told him she loved him. He must have imagined it all, projected his own desires into a hazy, sleep-deprived memory. Not that any of it mattered anymore. There was nobody to blame but himself.       As day turned to night and the sun dipped into the Great Eastern Sea, guests from all across the land began filing into the ballroom. A group of fauns gathered in the corner to play a rousing tune: Tumnus's flute fluttered alongside Professor Arcadian's violin, with Hattie surprisingly manning the drums in a talent nobody had ever expected of her. Every guest overflowed with happiness, dancing and stuffing their faces. In that moment, that was all that mattered.       "At least everyone else is enjoying themselves" Lucy remarked as she poured herself another glass of punch.       "Why do you say that?" Edmund asked, filling his plate once more. "Are you not having fun?"       Lucy shook her head. "No, Ed, as a matter of fact I'm not."       "Why not? This is all your hard work. Everyone is having a great time. I'd say all of your planning turned out to be a success. You should reap the benefits, Lu. After all, it's Christmas."       "Well, it doesn't feel like Christmas. Not like this" Lucy sighed. Her eyes shifted to Peter staring absently out the large windows. "It wasn't supposed to be like this."       Edmund glanced to his brother and shook his head. "I know you feel for Pete. We all do. But this isn't our problem. Peter needs to figure his way out of this maze and when he does, he'll be fine."       "Edmund, you don't understand. This is all my fault" Lucy pleaded.       "Lu, what are you talking about? You had nothing to do with this."       "Yes, I did" she demanded. "If it wasn't for me and my big mouth, Eilonwy never would've found out about the proposal and everything would've been alright. I did this and there's nothing I can do to fix it."       Edmund sighed and wrapped an arm around his baby sister. "Lucy, listen. If it wasn't for Peter being hasty and rushing into a proposal, you never would've been put in the situation you were. This is Peter's battle and all we can do is let him know we're there for him and that we care about him, you know?"       Lucy nodded halfheartedly. "I suppose you're right. Still doesn't make me feel much better, though."       "You will, Lucy. I promise, you will" Edmund reassured her. Lucy leaned her head on her brother's shoulder, watching their guests laugh and dance, and prayed that he was right.       As the night neared it's end, Professor Arcadian called for everyone's attention to initiate the Secret Santa exchange. Tumnus stood on tiptoes, oblivious to the drastic changes of their plan, and conducted a quick head count to ensure everyone was there. A look of distress crossed his face when he discovered someone very important was, in fact, missing.       "Where's Eilonwy? She needs to be here, too!" he exclaimed.       "She's not coming" Peter announced bluntly. He didn't have the heart to explain everything a second time, leading Susan to jump in and whisper a brief explanation. Tumnus uttered a soft oh as he chewed over the news, Hattie gripping her friend's forearm for both comfort and support.       "I should've known she would be the cause of some sort of kerfuffle here" Arcadian remarked, glaring over the top of his spectacles.       Tumnus bowed his head in response, placing a hand upon Hattie's. "Eilonwy was a dear friend. To all of us. She may have had her moments, but she was kindhearted at the core of it all. She will be missed dearly." His mind flashed back to when he came to her a year prior, speaking of his fears in entertaining the human Lucy Pevensie in his home and Eilonwy's outburst of a reply. Despite how cruel she had sometimes been, he still held her very near and dear to his heart. He never would've wished ill upon her. A small sliver of him prayed she'd come to her senses and return someday soon, but he knew Eilonwy well enough to understand she was often far too stubborn to back down from her decisions. If only he could've just seen her one last time.       "What about the presents?" Lucy then asked.       Snapping from his daze, Tumnus exclaimed and replied, "Well, I suppose you can all feel free to exchange your gifts with one another now."       "I'm sorry I didn't actually get you anything, Ed" Peter mumbled, turning to his brother in personal disappointment. Edmund placed a hand upon the High King's shoulder.       "It's alright, Pete. I understand" he whispered softly. Though he knew it wasn't exactly his problem, he, too, missed Eilonwy. He still may not have known her very well but he knew enough to at least like her. In many ways, she reminded him of himself: a mended traitor with a shameful history. She understood his strange and experiential relationship with Jadis like no one else because she, too, had faced her own long before. She was outspoken and brash and blunt and strong. She was, to Edmund, an ideal model of patriotism and valor. She deserved so much better than what she was dealt.       Lucy approached slowly, nervously, clutching a small box in her hands. "Peter? I know this may not be the most appropriate gift to give you now, but I didn't have time to get you anything else. I'm dreadfully sorry."       The High King shook his head, still appreciative of the gift, and took the box from her. He opened it slowly to find two little wooden figures modeled after himself and Eilonwy. A sob broke past his lips as he turned to Lucy and wrapped an arm around her, kissing the top of her head. "Thank you anyways, Lucy. I love it."       "I thought...I thought you could put them on top of the cake when you, you know...got married" she whispered, skirting around her words carefully. Tears welled up in her own eyes at the thought of that wedding never coming to fruition. She had so hoped for her brother and friend to get their happily ever after.       "It's okay, Lucy" Peter whispered, wiping his tears. "All I wanted for Christmas was Eilonwy, but now that she's gone, I suppose this is as close as I'm ever going to get."       Lucy nodded solemnly, patting her brother's back, before a realization struck her. Turning to the rest of the guests, she commanded their attention and then asked, "Wait a minute, who drew Eilonwy?"       All the faces in the crowd looked to one another quizzically, checking their slips and shaking their heads.       "You mean none of you drew Eilonwy's name?" Susan questioned. Again, everyone shook their heads. The four Pevensies looked to each other in confusion, trying to figure out how that could possibly be. Clearly someone was failing to speak up.       "It is my understanding..." a voice then boomed. Professor Arcadian stepped forth from the crowd, looking as pretentious as ever. "...That in a drawing of 25 such as yourself, the chance of a negative permutation is far larger than one might expect." When the professor was met with a full minute of unblinking eyes, he sighed and shook his head before adding, "In layman's terms, it is not unlikely that Miss Eilonwy has perchance drawn herself."       Another long minute of silence enveloped the ballroom as Peter comprehended the possibility of such a thing. It made quite a bit of sense: there was no way he could've ever hoped to find her name if she had it herself the whole time. Not that any of it mattered much now. She was gone and there was nothing he could do about it. Nothing else mattered anymore.       Saddened by their brother's heartbreak, Susan and Edmund and Lucy all huddled close and wrapped their arms around the High King in comfort. They knew it wasn't much and that it probably wouldn't make him feel any better but it was the least they could do for someone they loved so much. As the night came to a close and the guests began filtering out one by one, Peter stood by the large windows and looked out at his country longingly. He knew not where Eilonwy had gone nor where she intended to end up but wherever she was, he hoped she was happy with the decisions she had made. What he did know, however, was that no matter where she went, he could scour the entirety of Narnia and the surrounding countries and would never find anyone was amazing, as strong, as beautifully complex as that little lost princess. And, by extension of that, that he would never love anyone nearly as much as he loved Eilonwy, Princess of Narnia.

[nuitapp]

Zodiac Signs Holiday Celebrations!📍

🎵 Oh the weather outside is frightful, but each of the Zodiac Signs have their own way of making the holidays more delightful! 🎵

✨Here’s our thoughts to where you can find the Zodiac Signs this Holiday Season.👇🏼 🙌🏼

♈ Aries

Where will you find Aries this Holiday Season?

Likely being their impulsive, fun selves! Their childlike excitement is infectious, especially around this time of year!

Aries is not known for their patience. These Rams may get so carried away that they gift you your present a whole month ahead of time. They just can’t wait until day of!

They also may ruin the surprise for themselves by taking a peek at their presents under the tree – they can’t help it, they want it now!

♉ Taurus

Earthy, sensual Tauruses can be found in the kitchen during the Holidays, over the oven to cook something special for the feast. They’ll be baking the cookies, creating the gorgeous gingerbread houses, crafting a delicious Hot Toddy to sip around the fireplace…Anything to soothe your tummy and taste-buds!

To Taurus, these special holiday foods and beverages represent more than just a meal, but also symbolizes sustenance, comfort, joy, creativity, and happiness.

♊ Gemini

Geminis thrive when they can be their social butterfly selves, so the Twins are more likely to be bouncing around from holiday party to holiday party! Your go-to +1 for your work party, Geminis make for a lively conversationalist with their witty banter and curious approach to getting to know new people.

They adore how the Holidays bring people together, so they be the fluttery selves they desire to be!

♋ Cancer

Holidays are special to Cancers, as these Lunar beings have a connection to the past. They are incredibly nostalgic, so they may revere the Holiday traditions they had while growing up.

Homebodies as always, you can find your Crabs decorating their home in all of the seasonal decor. Their aim – to create an atmosphere so magical, as they remember it being during childhood.

♌ Leo

Leo, at their best, is one of the most generous Zodiac Signs. Lions are heart-centered and they can truly lose themselves in the spirit of giving, around this time of year. You may find your Leo using their marked creativity to craft gifts for their loved ones, or hitting the mall to share the fruits of their labor with those that they love.

They also use their creativity to sing in the choir, be a part of the holiday theatre show or any other holiday-related excuse to be in the spotlight!

♍ Virgo

Virgo energy has a strong need to be of service. During the Holiday season, you may find your Virgo giving back to their Community. They may adopt a family, volunteer at a soup kitchen or organize a fundraiser.

To Virgo, the Holidays are a time to be grateful for all that you have and give back to those who may not be as fortunate!

♎ Libra

These Venus-ruled natives are most likely to get wrapped up in the aesthetics of the Holiday Seasons, as they adore Beauty. Libras will be the one to pick out the most magnificent holiday tree in the lot. They spend ample time decorating the tree with the most elaborate ornaments, illuminating the outside of their homes with lights so bright you can see it from space! And to debut their adorable new earmuffs while skating at the ice skating rink.

Librans want to both immerse themselves in the Beauty of the Holiday while adding it to themselves.

♏ Scorpio

Scorpions are intensely loyal to those that they love, so you are most likely to find your Scorpio out scouring the stores, to source the most thoughtful present for their intimate partners.

Scorpions prefer having a smaller circle, as they go so deep with all of their connections. Therefore, the Holiday Season is an opportunity for them to celebrate with those they truly care for.

♐ Sagittarius

Sagittarius has a larger than life approach to the Holidays. Sagittarians can’t help but do things BIG, so you can find them this Holiday Season throwing an epic party for all of their Friends.

Sagittarius loves the CELEBRATING aspect of the Holidays!

They’ll be most likely to be the one popping the champagne cork at your soiree, encouraging everyone to partake in the game of charades and using their humor to bring the fun!

♑ Capricorn

Capricorn is incredibly practical and they can find the Holidays to be a bit of a waste of time. However, you are likely to find them organizing their work’s Holiday Party to ensure it’s up to their standards.

Additionally they’ll be putting together their friend group’s Secret Santa and planning the potluck with their family members. Capricorns do best when they’re in charge, even when they are off the clock.

♒ Aquarius

Aquarians are the Individualists of the Zodiac, so you are most likely to find your Aquarian doing the exact OPPOSITE of what you’d expect. They may go against tradition by going out to the movies on Christmas day or eating sushi instead of the typical holiday fare.

Rebel as always, your Aquarius friend will be the one to remind you how commercialized the Holidays are!

♓ Pisces

The Imaginative Fish are most likely to get carried away with the songs and movies associated with the Holiday Season. Tender-hearted Pisces love to feel swept up in a good piece of art…So, you may find them this Holiday Season snuggled up on the couch, misty-eyed at the ending of a heartfelt holiday movie or out caroling to share the songs that mean the most to them.

They also may use the season to connect deeper with their spirituality. They could be found ppending time at a Church or another sacred site to remind themselves of their deeper connection to the Universe.

By the way, we have all the Signs gathered here -> on NUiT App 😍 if you’d like to celebrate with a specific one! 😉

Have the most Magical Holidays! ⭐

[michaelbisbell]

All ready to go; the turkey and ham are in the oven, and I'm chillin on the couch with @skthehusky relaxing before people get here. 👨🏽‍💻🎄🎉⁣ ⁣ I have to say I am very excited about this party! It's been a long time since I have had a party with only people our age instead of all out various types of friends coming together. Doing a potluck and a Secret Santa so there will be plenty of fun times to capture and get for you guys! So happy how all this work is paying off. Merry Christmas everyone! Be sure to ♦️ follow ♦️ 👉 @MichaelBIsbell 👈 👨🏽‍💻 for daily posts like this!⁣ ⁣ Double tap ❤️ and ⬇️ tag a friend below ⬇️ to help me connect with as many people as possible!⁣ ⁣ I am very happy to be giving a shoutout to all the comments 💻, messages 📲, follows ♦️, mentions 🙇‍♂️, and shares 📢 recently showing support on the page, and following along my journey 🌎:⁣ ⁣ @dugoutmugs⁣ @pc_adictos⁣ @antmikejack⁣ @maltipooqueen⁣ @allidoisnguyen⁣ @jaystillo_47⁣ @kitkatqueen986 ⁣ @mahmadovic⁣ @j_ramon420⁣ ⁣ Want to be 🌟 #FEATURED 🌟 on one of our future posts!?! Send us a #DM, or be sure to leave a #comment with the hashtag #mbimedia so we can add you to our list of supporters!!⁣ ⁣ 📸 captured/edited by 👨🏽‍💻 @MichaelBIsbell⁣ ⁣ 📍 #NorthMiamiBeach, #Florida 🏝️🇺🇸 📍⁣ ⁣ ♦️ #FOLLOW 👉 @MichaelBIsbell 👈 for #DAILY pictures 📸 and videos 📽️ of documentation inspiring you to keep going, and never stop building to a better life! I document 💻 my travels ✈️ with my love 👱🏻‍♀️ @assassinscreed420 & #SelinaTheSiberian @skthehusky ♦️⁣ ⁣ #WorkHardWednesday #LifeIsBetterWithFriends #LiveStream #PodcastLife #TeaNotCoffee #WeeklyMotivation #AuthenticConversation #PodcastGuests #PodcastInterview #LiveInterview #TalkingItOut #LearnYourLife #ShareYourPassion #mbimedia #mbimshare — view on Instagram https://ift.tt/36PzWyk

[savewanderoveryonder]

A SaveWOY Letter Template by Wherefancytakesme

Hey Wanderers! I’m really late in posting this! But the super awesome, wherefancytakesme worked extremely hard on creating a SaveWOY letter template for you all to use to send to Disney! I’ve had a read through it and it’s one of the best I’ve seen! They’ve worked so hard on it and it’s so informative about the whole SaveWOY campaign! 

If we could get a load of these mailed out to Disney, that would be great! This can also tie in with @cerise-the-traveling-artist‘s July letter project!

Go give wherefancytakesme lots of love for working so hard on this and being generous enough to provide us with this awesome template letter!

You can find the Disney addresses here.

You can download the letter template as a Microsoft word file here.

I’ll also paste it under the Read-more below but be warned as it’s quite long.

Greetings, Disney.

 I am a fan of Wander Over Yonder, writing to express my feelings as to why the series deserves to be finished the way it was intended. About a year has passed since the second season ended, and in that time, much has happened concerning fans of the show, old and new. I think it would interest you to know of the fans' efforts to keep Wander Over Yonder alive, and to try to someday bring it back for at least one more season.

Over the years of this generation, a trend of reviving series seems to be taking effect. It is not uncommon for fans to work hard at bringing back the shows they love that were ended before their time. The 13-year-old Samurai Jack was revived for a final season due to fans' support. The 14-year-old Invader Zim was revived for a comic series, and now a tv movie after its fans kept demanding continuation. The 13-year-old Hey Arnold! now has its intended finale in production, since people have been supporting it for so long. Not to mention the series that have been saved before true cancellation, such as Harvey Beaks, as well as Disney's own Future-Worm! and Kim Possible. With all this being written, it should not be surprising that people who love Wander Over Yonder have come together to join the revival trend and save the wonderful show they all love.

 In just one year, the campaign to save Wander Over Yonder-- or "SaveWOY", as it's most commonly referred to-- has made incredible progress. 

 Almost immediately, when the cancellation of the series was announced, a few fans began a petition to show to Disney how many people wish for WOY to continue (https://www.change.org/p/walt-disney-encourage-disney-to-make-wander-over-yonder-season-3). In only one day, it reached its goal of 1,500 signatures. In one weekend, it reached 4,000. By this year, it now has over 42,000 signatures. This is more even than the petition which Gravity Falls fans are using in an effort to get said series on DVD. Not only that, but a map has been made to show the support of fans around the world (https://www.scribblemaps.com/maps/view/SaveWOY_Petition_V2/S9qbMCKcUL). This does not include the several other petitions that have been made for the SaveWOY campaign

(https://www.change.org/p/the-walt-disney-company-tell-disney-to-bring-wander-over-yonder-back-for-a-third-season 

https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/wander-over-yonder-let-it-continue).

Fans of Wander Over Yonder have made many pages through which anyone may seek information on the efforts to bring the show back, including, but not limited to, a Tumblr account (http://savewoy.tumblr.com/), a Twitter account (https://twitter.com/savewoy), a Facebook account (https://www.facebook.com/groups/488409891359644/), a Deviantart account (http://savewoy.deviantart.com/), a fan Wikipedia (http://savewoy.wikia.com/wiki/SaveWOY_Wikia), and a page on savedisneyshows.org (http://savewoy.savedisneyshows.org/).

 Things such as the aforementioned are only the beginning. WOY fans have created several projects in order to express love for this series, such as videos still in the works that contain a collaboration of fans' messages and art from around the world, a mass of letters for DisneyXD executives that contain 200 reasons to save Wander Over Yonder (http://peepsqueak.tumblr.com/tagged/200rtsw), a SaveWOY raffle (https://alicia-lvn.tumblr.com/tagged/raffle), a 30-day email project to send SaveWOY emails to DisneyXD executives (http://peepsqueak.tumblr.com/tagged/email-campaign), and a charity project to send holiday cards to children in the hospital (http://peepsqueak.tumblr.com/tagged/savewoy-holiday-card-project). Incidentally, a new project has been made, where people all over the globe plant little flags at popular sites with the character Lord Hater's face on them as a fun game to pretend to conquer the planet earth for said character, although the true motive is to have fun while making another map of worldwide WOY fans (https://operationforce.tumblr.com/).

 Fans not only collaborate with projects, but also meet up with eachother in celebration of the series we love. A potluck picnic was arranged (http://savewoy.tumblr.com/post/152888374823/savewoy-good-morningafternoonevening), and additionally, every month, Wander Over Yonder fans on Tumblr do Secret Santa-esque exchanges with one another (http://savewoygiftexchange.tumblr.com/).

 There are things we continue to do as well. Fans are still sending letters and emails to Disney, as well as a flash-drive containing updates of the progress of our campaign. Every month on Tumblr, and from time to time on Twitter, the hashtag #Wander Over Yonder trends. This is because an effort has been made to show our love for the series every monthly anniversary of its second season finale (http://peepsqueak.tumblr.com/Trending%20Twenty-Seventh). Additionally, fans have created certain days of the week to make posts about Wander Over Yonder regularly (http://savewoy.wikia.com/wiki/Wander_Wednesdayhttp://savewoy.wikia.com/wiki/Season_3_Saturdayhttp://savewoy.wikia.com/wiki/SaveWOY_Sunday). The "villain leaderboard" from season two is still 'updated' by fans every month as a way to keep the show's spirit alive. Whenever a page on Thunderclap is made, not only is more than the required support gotten, but ends up in the top five of Thunderclap pages that week. Even in addition to all this, there will still be more to come, and things not mentioned here; Wander Over Yonder fans love the series and will always continue to keep it in our hearts!

 It is not only the fandom of Wander Over Yonder that rallies support for the series. It is quite apparent that simply anyone who enjoys it wants to see it end the way the WOY crew wanted. Videos from popular people come out more and more about the quality, and the chance WOY deserves (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD30N7h1pyZU5YV-AYBWRwyFm-sFZJgtb). A show with such positivity and joy and fun has helped countless lives when one simply looks for people's takeaway, online or anywhere. Furthermore, it is quite apparent that Wander Over Yonder in general is something deserving of praise, and of more chance than it was given.

Wander Over Yonder has not only been nominated for-- and won-- several Annie Awards for its character design, animation, and overall quality as a series; but has in fact been Emmy-nominated for its overall quality as a short-format animated series. Not to mention, Wander Over Yonder had gained far more attention than ever once season two premiered-- already after its cancellation. Moreover, after the middle of season two-- the airing of the episode "My Fair Hatey"-- an even bigger boom of fans came to realize what a fantastic show WOY is, not even including the fact that the song within the episode, "I'm the Bad Guy", is nearing 5 million views on Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdEo_t-iVbM&spfreload=10), more views than any other Wander Over Yonder video has ever received. It is clear that even people who haven't watched the show love the character Lord Dominator, and would love to see more of her. Since the current end of the series, more people than ever before are coming out to say how much they love it, and moreover wishing it hadn't ended with a mystery left unsolved. Now that the Wander Over Yonder reruns have come back, perhaps the viewership numbers will be surprisingly much higher than before.

 I thank you for taking your time to read this lengthy letter, and I hope you can see that my message is one that sincerely hopes you can take all that is written above into consideration, and hopefully take into consideration as well the amount that Wander Over Yonder means to so many people, the efforts they have made to spread awareness of the show, and the hope everyone has found from others making efforts just the same and having success come out of it. I hope that the tone in which all of us fans have been contacting the people at Disney means something, and that it helps our message to be seen more clearly and understandingly.

With this letter, and with all that people have done to make their feelings known, I hope you might begin to consider that maybe the show people love so much could be allowed at least one more chance.

Please let SaveWOY save Wander Over Yonder.

 Best regards,

 -A Wander Over Yonder fan.

[btafest]

Three fun facts: Traci Chee

I attended my first protest march in San Francisco.

My favorite item of clothing was an old flannel I called my “ugly shirt.”

The best part of my senior prom was going jet skiing the day after.

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM 

This year’s theme is Flashback to Seventeen! Here are three fun facts about Traci Chee when she was seventeen. Check back in each Friday for two more fun features, and follow along on our Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for daily content leading up to the festival!

ABOUT TRACI

TRACI CHEE is the NYT bestselling author of YA fantasy The Reader. An all-around word geek, she loves book arts and art books, poetry and paper crafts, though she also dabbles at piano playing, egg painting, and hosting potluck game nights for family and friends. She studied literature and creative writing at UC Santa Cruz and earned a master of arts degree from San Francisco State University. Traci grew up in a small town with more cows than people, and now feels most at home in the mountains, scaling switchbacks and happening upon hidden highland lakes. She lives in California with her fast-fast dog.

ABOUT THE READER

A stunning debut set in a world where reading is unheard-of, perfect for fans of Inkheart and Shadow and Bone.

Sefia knows what it means to survive. After her father is brutally murdered, she flees into the wilderness with her aunt Nin, who teaches her to hunt, track, and steal. But when Nin is kidnapped, leaving Sefia completely alone, none of her survival skills can help her discover where Nin’s been taken, or if she’s even alive. The only clue to both her aunt’s disappearance and her father’s murder is the odd rectangular object her father left behind, an object she comes to realize is a book—a marvelous item unheard of in her otherwise illiterate society. With the help of this book, and the aid of a mysterious stranger with dark secrets of his own, Sefia sets out to rescue her aunt and find out what really happened the day her father was killed—and punish the people responsible.

With overlapping stories of swashbuckling pirates and merciless assassins, The Reader is a brilliantly told adventure from an extraordinary new talent.