Stephen and I went on a couple of dates this weekend. One of the nights we came home to this …
These sweet notes brought big smiles to our faces.
Then disappointment on the other night as we came home to fighting and hearing that “Jacob is the worst babysitter ever”, according to the girls.
Can’t they just ALWAYS get along, and stay busy leaving notes for us, instead of fighting!
I thought this was such a cute ad with such an important message.
It also reminds me of this little craft here - http://bridgetbaxter.blogspot.com/2009/11/taking-calgon-moment-with-terrible-book.html
I think I need to make me one of those to hang up. I tend to get carried away with projects and not so carried away with playing Polly Pockets!
The kids had a half day yesterday and then had friends come over after school for play dates. As we were driving home the girls started to talk about music and songs. Kaylee said that one of her favorite songs was one that Nathan is ALWAYS playing. She went on to say that it is “Living on a Prairie”. I was like, “What song?” To which she quickly tried to sing “We’re halfway there ….Oh Oh I’m living on a Prairie” I think you mean Living on a PRAYER! “Mom how could you live on a prayer? It IS living on a PRAIRIE!
Oh lyrics! Does anyone ever sing them right?!?
I know, I know, I know that you don’t start the 12 days until the 13th of December, BUT due to circumstances we can’t do that, and so we started on December 1st. This is by far one of our favorite traditions. We have been doing it for a few years now. We pick someone and then give them our silly notes and gifts. The gifts are practical - because remember - Stephen is my husband. The kids LOVE to knock and run or find creative ways of giving the goods.
One year we did it to my sister Tanya. She was working at a vet clinic and sometimes we would have random people going into the clinic give Tanya the gifts. We were SOOO tricky that she never caught us and didn’t know it was us until the last day! Last year we did it to a fun family that has kids the same ages as our kids.
At any rate, it is totally fun and a rush in trying to not get caught. This year has been a little more trickier. Tonight I had to do it since I was out and about. I quite like having the kids do it so that I’m not the one slipping and sliding in snow and getting scared. I had to deliver this …
Three LARGE cans of chicken noodle soup, compliments of the three French hens. AND let me report that I DID IT! I didn’t get caught and even saw the mom pick them up with a grin on her face. I think I was grinning bigger, because I was so sneaky!!!!
Last night was a box of Turtles and a box of Dove chocolates. Stephen and the boys were in charge of that drop off, I’m still wondering if it really made it to their house?!?!
I have decided that the REAL reason why I put on weight in the winter, is so that I can keep warm. I think I will have to put on hundreds of pounds to combat these FREEZING cold temperatures.
Today as I was driving over to a friend’s house it was ELEVEN degrees according to my van. I was glad to stay warm and take pictures of her new little one. We got soo many fun pictures.
Then I had to drive to the school to pick up Jacob because he had hurt his knee playing football at recess. Once again the van said ELEVEN degrees.
Next I was running errands and getting a couple of things to make Aunt Kathy’s toffee for a party tonight.
As I pulled out of Costco’s parking lot I looked at the temperature once again and it said ELEVEN degrees. I knew it was FREEZING, but started to think that my van’s thermometer was stuck on ELEVEN.
Then tonight as I drove home from the party I looked at the temperature and it said FOUR degrees! So I guess it’s not stuck on eleven.
OH, why can’t it be in the 70’s!!!!!
After putting up Christmas decorations, I have decided that I have quite a collection of nativities. I think I have one of every size and in every corner. Here are a few favorites on my tree.
The felt ones, (story and countdown)
A few around the house…
I love this little mini one above. I think they are only 2 inches tall. HOWEVER, this next one is the all time favorite. It is the classic plastic one that kids can play with and believe me it has been played with! I think I bought it when Jacob was a toddler. Ashley is constantly sitting in front of it and doing her little dialogues with each of the characters. I love listening to her play with them. Jerrica too plays with it, but she is at that stage where she loves to line things up and is constantly putting them in a row.
Hopefully, with ALL these nativities my kids will KNOW the true meaning of Christmas.
I have to write this down before I forget. Doesn’t it seem like you get so used to how little ones say things that you forget how funny it is?! Jerrica does NOT say “Peek a Boo” instead she says “Take a Poo”. I’ve even tried to show her with my lips the “B” sound, but NO she prefers the Poo sound.
Maybe she REALLY is “taking a poo” while I’m thinking that she is playing “peek a boo”, and that’s why she says “take a poo”!
I’m sure that most of you have heard of the fun idea of wrapping up 24 Christmas books and then unwrapping one each night to read. I like it because you don’t know which one you will be reading AND you get all of your favorites read.
I just wanted to remind all of you though, to USE the LIBRARY. I got a few that I would love to have in my collection but don’t have the funds to buy them right now. The library still has a huge selection, and the books I checked out will not be due until the end of December. SO, don’t forget to check out some favorites at the LIBRARY.
My other source for my wrapped stories are from my file. I have a couple that aren’t in a picture book format, but I love the story. I took my copy, stuffed it in an envelope and had the kids wrap it just the same.
A book that we added last year was “Humphrey’s First Christmas”. I LOVE the illustrations and the message. Check it out here - Humphrey's First Christmas
SOOO, don’t forget the LIBRARY, or your paper stories. If you want a copy of my list of favorites, just comment or email me and I will send ya one! I would ALSO LOVE to hear what your favorite Christmas stories are.
A big thanks to Nathan and Kaylee for wrapping and getting our basket of books ready to go!
We cleaned, we cooked, we fancied up our table with apple/name/turkeys
We ate way too much yummy food!
We finished our Thanksgiving puzzle, which is a little tradition that we enjoy. (Well, most of us enjoy.)
It was actually a cute puzzle of humans in a zoo with animals walking around viewing the human exhibits.
Joe, Tanya and Miss Kaila joined us for the festivities (Notice the hat Miriam!)
Then Post-Thanksgiving we have enjoyed shopping, a beautiful day outside at Blackforest Park, and then we started taking down the …
Thanksgiving decor
BECAUSE …
It’s time for CHRISTMAS!!!!
My dad LOVES to make things out of wood. We have reaped MANY of his projects. He made a tall Barbie house, a cradle, a marble game, this fun puzzle …
This year was no different! My parents flew to Tennessee for Thanksgiving and stopped by here to drop off their Christmas presents. They had the kids open them up so that they could see their expressions. ANYWAY, let me show you what dad made THIS year.
A wooden trivet for hot pans.
A collapsible easel for FHE or just when we need to hold a big picture up.
Then my favorite is the little step stool. My Grandma Jackie had one JUST like this one. I remember the fun handle that you could grab to move it somewhere to reach something. It is also the perfect little stool with such a cute back on it. Little ones LOVE to sit on it. My mom got Grandma Jackie’s when she passed on and then my dad made a pattern from the original and made one for each of us kids.
The only problem with Dad’s wood projects is that they are left for us to finish with paint or stain. I’m not complaining dad, just stating the facts! It’s probably better that way so that we can do the colors we want.
He also brought up another project that I had him help me with. I found this fun sidetable that I thought would be perfect with a lamp on top and then books and magazines underneath. It had a place for a drawer, but the drawer was missing. I asked dad if he could just put a piece of wood across the hole. It is rounded, so I knew that it would need to be beveled. Well, he brought it back, WITH a drawer. He said that I might as well have a drawer than just a piece of wood across. I’m excited to paint and finish it.
Thanks for all the wood projects. I LOVE them Dad!!!
Don’t you just think that homemade presents mean sooo much more than store bought!!!
Today the boys had a play date and the girls were home with me. We couldn’t let the boys have fun as we worked around the house. I asked the girls what they wanted to do and Kaylee said “Sew”. I remembered this little project and thought that it would be perfect. I let the older girls go down to the fabric box and pick a “Fall” print. Then they traced each others hands on paper for a pattern. Next was cutting the fabric and the Wonder Under. After cutting came the ironing on to the T-shirt.
I thought that I would machine stitch around each turkey just for good measure. Sometimes Wonder Under decides that it will not stick on the edges after a few washes. I let the girls each pick out a button out of the button box. They both agreed on ones that had a little diamond in the middle. It really was a fast, cheap and fun project.
As we finished them off I thought that the t-shirts will be out grown before I know it, BUT I can always cut their little turkey handprints out of the t-shirts and frame them for a Thanksgiving decoration. I think it would be a two fold because it will also remind me of the sweet conversations we had as we made them.
Speaking of decorations, this Turkey is one of my favorites that I pull out each year. It is a Turkey that Nathan had to make in Kindergarten. He had to use various materials, including spices and fill it out. It too reminds me of making it with him.
Those Tootsie Rolls are over FIVE years old. What is interesting is how you can STILL smell the pepper and cinnamon. Oh Projects are too FUN!!!
Kaylee and Jacob had some bring it life days at school on Friday. Kaylee’s class had a Native American Day.
They had four rotations. There were Indian games, crafts, storyteller with legends, and then a little feast.
Jacob had a Greek Day to culminate their unit of study. The also had rotations. They were Olympic Games, The Golden Ratio measuring, Greek Food and mythology.
It was fun because Stephen got to go to Jacob’s and I went to Kaylee’s! I’m just glad that Stephen and I didn’t have to dress up!
Everyone hates when obstacles get in our way, but OH the JOY when we overcome them!
Look at the height advantage that the other girl has over Kaylee. Then look at Kaylee’s determined look, she is concentrating on the basket. I believe that if you keep your eyes on target, you WILL be successful. Don’t ask me HOW she even got the ball off, but she actually MADE this basket. In fact she had SIX points on Saturday.
Someone else overcame an obstacle on Saturday. Do you remember this http://mymixofsix.blogspot.com/2009/09/shes-my-hero.html? Well, she ran again to try and qualify for the Boston Marathon. Running another marathon this close to the other is quite hard to do. AND she DID IT!!! She made the qualifying time.
Yeahhhh Aleshaaaaa!!!!
A few weeks ago when I was playing basketball I hit another woman with my elbow as I was coming down from a rebound. My elbow hit her cheek bone and broke the skin. Needless to say there was blood everywhere and I felt awful. I took Ashley over with me that afternoon to run a fruit basket to her and tell her how bad I felt that it had happened.
ANYWAY, today I had this conversation with Ashley.
How was your class Ash?
It was fun! How was basketball?
I had fun too.
Did you hurt anybody this time?
No I didn’t.
Oh Wow Mom, that’s great that you didn’t hurt anybody. I’m so proud of you.
I felt like this giant, beastly bully that beats up other moms!
Every day I hurry to get all the housework done so that I have a little time to work on projects in the afternoon when Jerrica is napping. This has been my afternoon friend for a while now.
I should’ve taken a picture before the sander started on him. I had to use wood putty on little nicks. I love that it’s solid wood with interlocking corners. It seems like all the new dressers just don’t last as long as these good ol heavy wooden ones do. I think every dresser in our house are OLD dressers that I have redone.
This one was a steal! I took one of the kids to the ARC to find a costume for a school day and passed by this one for a mere $25. I did a double take and thought about the new little girls room that I’m working on. Of course I just couldn’t keep walking, I HAD to buy it at that price!
I LOVE the original knobs that were on him. I took them off and spray painted them a pretty satin nickel color. I also LOVE those little square drawers, won’t they be fun to put things in!
You will have to stay tuned to see the finished project!
Another project that my older girls helped me do after school yesterday was this one.
Stephen you better be proud of all the money I save you!!!! (He always says that I don’t SAVE when I have actually SPENT)
Ashley was sitting eating lunch with Stephen and I today. She looked up at us and said, “Slimy, yet satisfying”. I was like WHAT are you saying!?!? Stephen quickly filled me in, that it’s a line from “Lion King” (Ash’s FAVORITE movie). Ashley went on to explain that its just something that Pumba and Timon say when they eat their bugs. I was NOT feeding her bugs!!!
I didn’t mind her saying that it was satisfying, but the slimy comment has got to go!!!
Have you heard of this book? My sister told me about it a few years ago. I LOVED the cute idea and went to buy it, until I saw the price tag of $35 for the elf and book. To me that was a little too much, and I didn’t necessarily find the elf that cute. SOOOO I have tried to find my own elf, to no avail… UNTIL this year! I ran into Michaels to get a gift for Ashley’s birthday and found EXACTLY what I had been looking for. I had a 50 % off coupon which made him $8, now that I can do.
My sister told me that the story is about the elves and how they watch children to report back to Santa. I can remember MY mom using the “Elves are watching” MANY times on me during the month of December. It also talks about how we should watch our actions because we never know who is watching, but someone ALWAYS is!!! The elf is then hidden each night somewhere in the house. The next day everyone keeps their eyes open for the hidden elf, to see where he is watching from. When he is found, he is returned to “the shelf” until he hides again that night.
I thought that this would be so fun for my little ones to look forward to each day as they search for our elf. I think it will even be fun to have my older ones hide him. Today Ash helped me hide him in different places to take pictures. See what you think of our little friend…
Isn’t he cute!?!? I’m excited for December for this hiding and seeking. Hopefully the kids will have fun with it, AND be extra good for the month!!!
Ashley is NOW 4 and we had a Pinkalicious Party to celebrate.
Pinkalicious is one of her favorite books. It is about a little girl that eats WAYYY too many pink cupcakes and turns PINK!
We made a PINKalicious Ashley poster to add to her decorations. WE always decorate the night before the birthday. She came into my room around five last night and said adamantly , “MOM, get out there and decorate for my birthday. It’s TOMORROW!!” Anyway, here was her pink picture that we put up.
She was so excited and grateful for each of her gifts. Kaylee had gotten her a set of $1 stamps from the dollar section and then made a cute little stamp book for Ash to stamp in. It was a huge hit and made me wonder why I spend so much on gifts when the cheap ones are just as good if not better.
Of course we had to make the PINK cupcakes from the book that had the cherries on TOP!
As she started to blow out her candles, Rebecca leaned over and said “Don’t forget to make a WISH” Then as she leans down to blow out her candles. She says, “I wish for a BOYFRIEND” I was like WHAT?!? You are turning 4 NOT 16, where did that come from!!!
We sure love our Ash! She is so spunky and full of energy.
