Christmas Card Love

Although I understand they can be quite a chore, I really hope the tradition of sending Christmas cards never dies.  I just love the fun of opening a card from someone I love.  My favorites are the cards with family pictures, then the cards with pictures of kids only, then the good 'oil traditional Christmas cards!  

Oh wha fun it is to receive Christmas cards!

Christmas Cards

Christmas cards weren't high on the priority list this year...but I still managed to get them done.

Here's how things went down:

1.  Turn on the Christmas tree lights.

(This photo doesn't have the lights on, but you get the point.)

2.  Pull up a dining room chair and an ottoman.

3.  Tell the kids to gather together.

4.  Say cheese!

5.  Snap about ten pictures and hope for the best.

6.  Load the pictures onto the laptop.

7.  Open Picasa.

8.  Crop, brighten, boost colors.

9.  Add background patterns and position my three favorite snapshots.

10.  Add text.

11.  Order 4x6 prints online from CVS.

12.  Pick up prints later in the afternoon.

13.  Peel and stick photos onto the front of our Christmas cards.

14.  Write a message inside each card.

15.  Kick myself for buying cards that required me to write inside each one.

16. Address each card.

17.  Take the girls to the post office.

18.  Buy stamps, Sarah's choice.

19.  Spend 20 minutes letting the girls peel and stick the stamps onto the envelopes.

20.  Sing a silent Hallelujah that I'm finished with that labor of love!

And lastly,

21.  Take note to use all-in-one photo cards next year!

Merry Christmas, y'all!

Reminiscing

As I wrap gifts to go under the Christmas tree, I remember a time when I wrapped gifts in paper based on the Christmas celebration at which they would be opened.  Some were were wrapped in blue snowflake paper, some in black damask, some in red and green polka dots.  I don't know which I miss more, being more organized, or seeing all the different wrapping papers under the tree!

Tooth Fairy Fail

This is not the first time the tooth fairy forgot to leave money for a lost tooth.

This time, he lost his tooth at school.  When you lose a tooth at school, you get to take home a tiny treasure chest to put your tooth in.  Not surprisingly, Caleb lost his tooth (I mean actually lost his tooth) at school and brought home an empty treasure chest.

I tried to smooth things over by telling him that the tooth fairy probably didn't leave his reward because she didn't find his tooth.  He wrote this letter for the second night.

Unusual Days For These Parts

Cocoa
Saber
Picnic
Drawers
Rain

Wednesday - Details

Fetch
Boy, Maggie loves to fetch!
That is all.

Slumber

Up-cycle
Caleb has been attending Camp Invention this week.
He's been creating new things from miscellaneous recyclables and office supplies.
He's taken apart a VCR to explore the components and later build something new.
He's been learning about atoms.
He's been in little boy heaven.
(Not that girls can't participate; there's about a 50/50 split between boys and girls attending.)

Normal

Hearing the Wii Fit tell me "That's overweight," is less than desirable.

Rude is more like it.

Today, victory was mine!

That condescending little voice said, "That's normal."

Organic
I usually pass up on organic produce.
It's not that I don't see the value.
It's just that my priorities place cost above quality in some cases.
I took a double take at the store today when I was looking for strawberries.
Of course, I noticed the 300% price difference between organic and non-organic.
But the starkest difference was in the color and smell of organic versus non-organic strawberries.
Organic wins hands down!

Wednesday

Fetch
Slumber
Up-cycle
Normal
Organic

Lazy Sunday - Details

Waffles
It's sad to say, but I think Eggo waffles win out over homemade at our house!
What pre-packaged item wins out over homemade at your house?

Reading
Sarah loves "reading" her Leap Books.
Here, she's singing the ABCs with Ozzie and Mack.

There's something interesting on this page...

Charcoal
Jadie grilled ribeye steaks tonight!
I wish I'd taken a picture, but who can resist diving right in!


Counting
I'm still on track with my calorie counting.
Let me just say that keeping things under 1200 calories is tough.
You can pretty much forget dessert.
Unless you want to skip a meal.
Or two.Salad really is your friend.
Down 5 pounds, 10 more to go!


Neighbors
Like so many things in life, you have to experience time with your neighbors to truly enjoy and appreciate them.
I enjoyed a short visit with the couple next door and I was reminded of just how sweet relationships can be!

Lazy Sunday

Today's five words are:

Waffles
Reading
Charcoal
Counting
Neighbors

Saturday Schmaturday - Details

Narcolepsy

Golden
We took a little trip out to Fuzzy Friends today.Jadie fell in love with a red colored Golden Retriever named Mackey.She is about 5 years old, great with the kids, house trained, and sweet as can be.We filled out an adoption application, so we'll see what happens!

Root Beer

If you know me well, you know that I love a bargain.

We cashed in on a B1G1 coupon for BJ's Brewery this afternoon.

BJ's is famous for their in house brewed root beer.  Yum!

Bonus: They got Jadie's order wrong, so they comped us a free dessert to boot!

Frustration

I'm not one for putting on a false front.

Let's be real here.

Potty issues with preschoolers is messy.

A stubborn child makes things worse.

Just when I think things are sailing along smoothly, we have another setback.

Noooooo!!!

City Limits

Sometimes we wish we lived in the boonies.

At least we have friends who do.

We headed outside the city limits last night to light up our fireworks, two days after the 4th.

Have you ever had an entire batch of fireworks turn out to be duds?

What a bummer.

We also enjoyed some more pool time.

For the 3rd day in a row.

And a 3rd location at that.

Don't you just love friends (and family) with pools?

Saturday Schmaturday

Narcolepsy

Golden

Root Beer

Frustration

City Limits

Full Friday - Details

Naked

We started off the morning with Norah trying to take her clothes off. 

This is not a new thing.

I'm sure she's getting mixed messages:  We tell her no while we laugh hysterically.

Temple

We drove to Temple today to have lunch with the hubby.

We used to do this often, but today was the first time in a year or so.

Chick-fil-A.

Target.

Michael's.

Ridiculous stop and go traffic on the way home.

Art

We found a few great deals on Crayola products at Michael's in Temple.

These Pip Squeaks marker sets with stickers and sketch pads were only $5 each.

I'm not sure about this face...

 But this girl got right to work.

We also found Crayola washable paints in the large bottles.  They were only $1 per bottle.

I see some painting in our future!

Bittersweet

I teared up something fierce while driving home.

This song came on K-LOVE that struck a chord with me.

I thought, "I'd like this played at my funeral."

Weird, I know.

Picnic

Sarah patiently waited for Norah to wake from her nap so she could serve us a picnic lunch.

She didn't want Caleb to help her.

He was supposed to sit and enjoy.

This was my spread.  Yummy.

She thought it was hilarious when we gobbled up our food!

She enojoyed some tasty watermelon.

Lastly, she served dessert.

Full Friday

Naked
Temple
Art
Bittersweet
Picnic

Independence Day - Details

Handprints

Family
We spent the better part of the afternoon with Jadie's mom and sister at Grandma's house.

Pool
Jadie's mom recently bought an above ground pool, so we were water-logged by the end of the day.
Norah is our little fish.
With a pair of arm floaties, she is fearless!

Face-plant
It was bound to happen.
She had been going up and down the 3 steps from the house to the patio all afternoon.
And she finally face-planted.
It still looks pretty sad this morning.
Poor baby!

Fireworks
It was a last minute decision, so I don't have any spectacular photos.
We parked near the golf course to catch a glimpse of the fireworks show over the lake.
As fireworks always are, they were spectacular!

Independence Day

Handprints
Family
Pool
Face-plant
Fireworks

So, I'm thinking about starting up the blog again.  My idea is to post 5 words at the end of the day that will intrigue you, while giving myself a little something to remember when I try to elaborate my 5 words in the morning.

Yes, this sounds like it will require some discipline, so we'll see how it goes!

Upward Basketball

This was a first run at basketball for Caleb.  In first grade, he could sign up for Upward Basketball!

He has enjoyed himself and has learned a lot.  We hope he continues to want to play in future years.

Here are some photos from a game early this year.

And my personal favorite...

All I Want for Christmas...Wait, It's Mid-January Already?

Caleb lost his second front tooth this evening.

He got in the van after school with it rotated 90 degrees. It had to come out tonight.

Why does this have to be an hour long ordeal?  Oh, right.  I'm dealing with a 7 year old.  I forgot.

So, he bit the loose tooth at dinner and it bled.  He went to twist and pull in in front of the bathroom mirror.  20 minutes later, we still had made little progress and I wasn't allowed to touch the tooth.

He finished his dinner then tried in front of the mirror in the girls' room.  20 minutes later, he had it rotated a bit farther, but it was holding on strong.

He sat on my lap on the couch and tried for another 20 minutes, the air filled with the sounds of whining.
I finally convinced his to let me apply teething gel and give it a few tugs myself.  Three pulls and zero cries of pain later...and we have a little boy who needs TWO front teeth!

Ordinary Days - {January 8 2013}

What a funny little face!

Bright-eyed and Bushy-tailed

A little fever this morning :-(