{"id":4197,"date":"2016-12-05T12:33:38","date_gmt":"2016-12-05T17:33:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.laserfarm.com\/?p=4197"},"modified":"2016-12-05T12:55:53","modified_gmt":"2016-12-05T17:55:53","slug":"2016-playmobil-advent-calendar-day-5","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.laserfarm.com\/?p=4197","title":{"rendered":"2016 Playmobil Advent Calendar: Day 5"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"golden-girls1\"<\/a>Every day in December feels like a different Golden Girl character. <\/p>\n

Sophia<\/strong> — Days when you\u2019re cranky and obsessed with the past.
\nBlanche <\/strong>— Days when you\u2019re overly confident. \u201cHell yeah, I can do all this! Of course I can! Look at me!\u201d
\nDorothy <\/strong>— Days when you\u2019re pragmatic and busy, with little time for frivolous things.
\nRose<\/strong> — Days when you see the world as a candy-coated wizard school with free puppies.<\/p>\n

The key to a successful holiday is to have more Rose Days than Sophia, Blanche and Dorothy Days. <\/p>\n

Sophia Days don\u2019t help anyone. It\u2019s okay to think of Christmases past, but when you start comparing rose-tinted memories with the current state of affairs, you\u2019ll find yourself upset that this holiday season doesn\u2019t feel as good. But every December more or less feels the same — we simply remember the good stuff. Trying to relive the past sometimes means missing out on crazy, cool new stuff happening RIGHT NOW!<\/p>\n

Blanche Days aren\u2019t terrible, but too much confidence can easily set yourself up for disappointment. For instance, you might start the day thinking: I can do all of my holiday shopping in one store, I\u2019ll be home by noon to decorate the tree, write my Christmas cards at 1, and then at 1:30 I\u2019ll learn how to cook and by 2 I\u2019ll start making Creme Brulee from scratch! Easy!<\/em> And then it\u2019ll be 8 p.m. and you\u2019re still at the mall with sore feet and gallons of frustration filling your brain. <\/p>\n

And perhaps too many of us fill December with Dorothy Days, as we rush and work and stress and wear amazing, long blouses that catch a winter\u2019s breeze like a flag in a hurricane. <\/p>\n

So, how do you transform the other days into Rose Days? Allow it to happen, and if it doesn\u2019t happen…force it. December is when it\u2019s okay to be silly and dumb. I hereby give thee permission. Giggle at a duck, talk to a Christmas tree, dance with a door — it\u2019s okay. <\/p>\n

Christmas magic doesn\u2019t just happen. Rose Days aren\u2019t always a given. Often, you have to give it a little push. And if you find yourself feeling those other types of days sneaking into your brain…giggle at more ducks. <\/p>\n

That\u2019s why I open a silly toy calendar every year. Some days I don\u2019t feel like doing it, but I force it. And every time, I\u2019m glad I did. (Today isn\u2019t a bad day, really. In fact, despite my lack of sleep I am feeling quite happy and Christmas-y. This post was just a reminder I can look at when I have bad days.)<\/p>\n

This ends my Golden Girls Discussion (Part 1)<\/em>. <\/p>\n

Part 2 focuses on the possibility that all four Golden Girls were not human, but personifications of a teenager\u2019s brain (a\u2019la Inside Out<\/em>), and that teenager is named Miami. More on that at my Ted Talk. <\/p>\n

Yesterday we got a table. <\/p>\n

\"img_1385\"<\/a>Today we get…
\n<\/p>\n

\"img_1386\"<\/a>Barrels and sticks!<\/strong><\/p>\n

The barrels come with tops, so…there\u2019s that. I don\u2019t know about the sticks. Are these sticks some sort of cannon plungers? Drumsticks? Licorice lollipops? Alien fish? <\/p>\n

\u201cI know what these are,\u201d Jonas said. He then tried to shove them into the barrels. \"img_1389\"<\/a><\/p>\n

They don\u2019t fit, but damn if he didn\u2019t try his hardest.<\/p>\n

\"img_1391\"<\/a>And then I realized they are not drumsticks or lollipops. They are microphones! <\/p>\n

\"img_1399\"<\/a>Now gather \u2018round for the soon to be Christmas classic, \u201cThe Christmas Feet\u201d by Jonas Cannoncube (Feat. Robot Snowman). <\/p>\n

JONAS: <\/strong>It\u2019s Christmas Eve in all the land, and both my parents are dying.
\nROBOT SNOWMAN:<\/strong> …<\/p>\n

JONAS: <\/strong>Dad was attacked by a coyote, mom was attacked by a rare mold allergy.
\nROBOT SNOWMAN:<\/strong> …<\/p>\n

JONAS:<\/strong> I better buy them shoes. Sure hope shoes don\u2019t cost more than $2. Dad only needs one shoe on account of the coyote.
\nROBOT SNOWMAN:<\/strong> Pah-rum-pah-pum-pum!!!<\/p>\n

You might think that song sucks, but what if I told you it\u2019s sung a capella…in a round!!! Spoiler Alert: Towards the end of the song, we learn about the high cost of funeral arrangements. <\/p>\n

Day 5 Rating:<\/strong> 2.99 out of 5 (Points added for the ambiguity.) <\/p>\n

\"img_1401\"<\/a>This blog is brought to you by the handsome people at PowerPencils.com<\/a>! Warning: Magic pencils may attract ice lightning and spontaneous squids.<\/em><\/p>\n