Summer vacation in California Montecito by Ann Wood part 8
September passed quickly, Annabelle started working at the school, and she liked working with children. She ran the magazine online and from home. The children at school were very good with her and helped in class. Michelle was very proud that their English and literature teacher was her friend Annabelle.For the October holidays, they would go to the lake for a vacation. Cynthia will go with them the rest of the time. Annabelle was also successful in the magazine. Cynthia's contract for the bungalow she kept expired at the end of September, and Annabelle offered to go and live with them in the house. There were enough rooms even for their parents to come for Christmas. They talked to the hazan, and he didn't mind. They packed Cynthia's luggage, and they were all happy together. Michelle's parents didn't mind either.
On the contrary, they were glad that there would be another adult in the house. Melanie, as always, helped when Michelle had to stay with her. Annabelle received the Christmas decorations for the home and put them in the cellar. They would decorate the house in late October early November. For Halloween, they were going to decorate the house, and Annabelle ordered decorations online. They were going to get pumpkins from the farm for the Halloween pumpkin pie. Michelle wanted to make a pirate costume for Halloween. Cynthia promised to help her do it. For Christmas, the school would play a play, and Michelle would be the main character.
Michelle was very proud to have been chosen as the main character of the play for Christmas. He sat down and learned his lines and rehearsed every day. Annabelle was very busy making curricula, writing articles for the magazine, putting on Halloween decorations, and preparing for Thanksgiving. They would gather at the cottage by the lake. He also started buying Christmas presents for his family and friends in America and Australia and took Christmas cards. Cynthia helps her a lot with the house and Michelle. The three women understand each other very well and help each other. Once a week they go to dances for two hours and to drawing lessons. Every week on the weekends, they go to the lake, where everyone gathers together and rests. Michelle does very well in school, stealing math, poetry, music, and gymnastics. He also trains tennis, swimming, and badminton with Melanie and Annabelle. They bought bicycles, and on weekends they go for a walk.
October passed quickly, and they had an adorable Halloween party. A local newspaper chose their house as the best decoration for a holiday. On November 1, they received parcels from their parents, winter clothes, books, and food from Australia. They called to thank them and find out how to book their tickets to America for the Christmas holidays. They agreed to travel on December 18 and overtake on the 20th; they would stay until January 10. Michelle counted the days until they arrived. It is going to be a wonderful Christmas. Cynthia invited her two sons to visit her for the holidays. They would come on December 23 and stay until January 6. The house will be full, and they are pleased to be with their loved ones for Christmas.
On November 10, they began decorating the outside of the house. They put a sleigh with reindeer and Santa Claus in one corner of the yard, and on the other side was a snowman, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the scene from the baby's birth in Bethlehem, and an artificial Christmas tree. The house was decorated with lights on the door had a Christmas wreath and the inscription Merry Christmas, everyone. The interior decoration was left to be placed in early December.
For Thanksgiving, they bought turkeys and vegetables and went to the lake. Lizzie had made a pumpkin pie, sweet and savory biscuits, baklava, and bread. Annabelle cooked the turkeys and vegetables in the oven, Melanie made the risotto with mushrooms and salads, and Meghan made homemade French country cake and Turkish delight rolls. The men chopped wood for the fireplaces and barbecue, went hunting and killed a deer and several partridges and pheasants. Cynthia's sons surprised her two days before Thanksgiving arrived in Canada for a holiday. They had a good time, the children played and enjoyed the presents. Cynthia was pleasantly surprised by her sons, and they had taken a very nice coat for the winter and a set of jewelry.
The days leading up to Christmas passed quickly and were very busy. They decorated the house from the inside with a giant Christmas tree, lots of garlands, and Christmas ornaments on the walls, and the house was full of Christmas stars and flowers. There were many presents and artificial snow under the tree. On the fireplace hung Christmas boots full of goodies. The house smelled of pine and Christmas cookies and egg punch.
The Christmas concert at the school went very well; Annabelle filmed the whole concert and the play to show it to their parents. They received a lot of Christmas cards and sent a lot too.
The week before the 20th, they also decorated the house on the lake where they would be for the holidays. They cut down the best Christmas tree in the forest and decorated it with many Christmas toys, garlands, and lights.
They put a snowman outside, and Santa Claus decorated the trees in the yard with lights and garlands. They hooked up a few Chinese red finches. They exhibited several tripods with Christmas-themed paintings painted by Michelle and Annabelle in the house.
On the 20th, they went to meet their parents at the airport. The school was closed for the holidays, and Annabelle was busy only with the magazine. They arrived at the airport in two cars, picked up flowers for their mothers and a small gift for everyone. The flight arrived on time, and their parents left in twenty minutes with their luggage. Michelle cried with excitement to see her mother and father and her little twin brother and sister. From the airport, they returned home for lunch and prepared for the trip. Cynthia's sons would be overtaken by a car from Canada and knew the way to the lake. They had rented another car for Michelle's parents in which they had loaded their luggage, which they would take with them. They decided to spend the night in the city and leave in the morning so that their guests could rest from the long flight. They had been given first-class tickets so they could travel more comfortably. They dined early and went to bed so they could leave early in the morning.
The following day they got up early and had breakfast. They left for the lake at eight o'clock, locked all the doors and windows, and sounded the alarm. They went in a convoy and drove slowly because it had snowed and accumulated on the ground. They reached eleven o'clock on the lake and unloaded the cars. The other three families had been there since the day before to light the fireplaces and prepared the guests' rooms. The men had gone hunting in the woods, and the women were preparing lunch; the children were playing in the living room by the fireplace. The guests settled in, and Cynthia and Annabelle went to help with lunch. The men returned with an excellent catch, killing a boar, a deer, several rabbits, pheasants, and partridges. After lunch, they began to cut the meat. The women went to the village to buy turkeys for Christmas dinner and fruit. They took milk and flour for the Christmas cookies they would make the next day.
When they returned, the men had lit the barbecues and had dinner, and the children were playing. It was still snowing outside and piled up. They had dinner and then watched the concert at Michelle's school. They went to bed early because they had a lot of work and preparation for Christmas Eve the next day.
According to an old custom, they cooked lean meals for Christmas Eve. They baked Christmas cookies and pies. They played monopolies and listened to Christmas music. On the 23rd, the sons of Cynthia arrived, and all gathered. The house was full, and everyone was happy to be together.
On the morning of the 24th, they got up early, and the men went to cut firewood. The women began to cook and decorate the table. The children sang Christmas carols and played by the Christmas tree. In the evening, they sat at the table and had dinner and told stories from past Christmas. Then they left the festive table with the food on it and went to the living room to watch Christmas movies. The children went to bed early so that when Santa came, he could see that they were obedient and asleep. They put a tray with a glass of milk and Christmas cookies for the older man and carrots and apples for his deer. The house was lit, and the fireplaces burned and radiated heat into the house. They went to bed at eleven, so they could get up early and continue their Christmas preparations. In the morning, after breakfast, they began to cook and arrange the Christmas table. After lunch they went to the village there will be a concert and a Christmas party. They came home at seven and sat down to dinner, talking and singing Christmas carols. At midnight they said a prayer and put the children to sleep. Then they sat down to watch TV and talk. When they finally went to bed, it was three in the morning.
On the morning of the 26th, when everyone got up and had breakfast, they gathered by the Christmas tree and opened their presents. Then they went down to the village to visit their friends there.
The days leading up to the new year were spent visiting museums and other landmarks. They went to the premiere of the Little Match Saleswoman and watched the Hazelnut Crusher. They were also invited to several Christmas and New Year concerts. They took many pictures and visited the mall to buy small gifts for friends and relatives in Australia. On New Year's Eve, they had a big party with guests from the village, and Mrs. Smith and Paul visited them as well. The children collected many gifts both at Christmas and for the New Year.
On January 1 there was a big celebration in the village with barbecue and entertainment. The children had a lot of fun and enjoyed the fair in the village, and there was a New Year's sale and a raffle.
The days to six passed quickly, and they said goodbye to Cynthia's sons, who were to return to Canada. They all returned to the city and spent the days until ten in walks and games. On the ninth evening, they held a farewell party for the guests from Australia; on the tenth, they were sent to the airport, where they said goodbye. Their parents will come again for Easter, and until then, they will see each other on video chat. They returned from the airport and cleaned the house, and put the Christmas decorations in the closet. They ordered pizza and pasta carbonara for dinner, dined in the living room, and watched TV. They went to bed early because the day was long and tiring.
Short story by Ann Wood
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Written on 2021-10-01 at 00:22
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