It's the Simple Stuff

Emma's First Christmas!

Ok, I know that I shared some pics of Emma on Christmas morning in my other post but I wanted a post dedicated just to her for her first Christmas.   While she really has no clue what is going on, we had so much fun with her.  I bought her this adorable little outfit from Janie and Jack when we were in King of Prussia for our Christmas Party and I wanted to share the pics with you because she is just too darn cute in it!

I just adore this cute little hat!!! 

The other pics I have to share are of her in her little Santa outfit.   She looked so cute and my mom brought over some pics of me on my first Christmas with virtually the same outfit on.   I'll have to see if I can scan that and post that pic.

More pics of Emma looking adorable!

It's getting closer....

My list is dwindling although if I actually wrote down on paper all that was left to do, it would be way too overwhelming...so, I'll leave that happy little (well not so little) list in my head!  I'm happy to say I can cross a few more things off my list...two packages that needed mail are now mailed and en route to their recipient....crafts for the boys' parties are ready to go (got the last few things I needed tonight)...their gifts for their gift exchange are bought...found cute little tins to put some teacher gifts in...have all of my teacher gifts (men teachers are hard to buy for!!!)...dipped my pretzel rods in chocolate and coated them with different candies.   Tomorrow afternoon/evening we will take the boys to pick something out for each other and for David and I...love that little tradition we do it every year (see I found a tradition that we have!!!).   Tomorrow are their parties at school and then school is out for Christmas vacation...YAY!!!   Notice I still haven't gotten any wrapping crossed of that list!!!

O well, must try to get a little sleep although, for some reason Grady is crying and Emma keeps coughing...not a good sign of things to come!!!

FEELS SOOOOO GOOD!!!

   Man it feels good to cross some more stuff off the list.  I got a ton done today, my mom and I went shopping with Emma and David kept Grady, it was wonderful!   I got tons of stuff done, my children are done, stockings and all  YAY!!!  I only have a few people left to shop for.  But its such a relief to be able to say the kids are done and I love their presents (other than all the Star Wars paraphernalia).  As soon as I'm done with this post I will be organizing all the gifts that have been bought and then I will start wrapping.   I'm hoping to spend tomorrow wrapping.  I do have to run to the post office and mail out two packages and also go to the craft store to get things to adorn gingerbread men ornaments and snowflake ornaments for the boys' parties at school.  But other than that, if you are looking for me I will be the one in the middle of a sea of wrapping paper!

O I almost forgot to mention that I think I broke my toe...not being a baby here, I literally think that it is broken.  That was actually how my day started.   Stubbed it on the step in the garage after seeing the kids off to school and cleaning off the dog's pooper scooper (yuck)!  It was more than a stubbing I hit my toe so hard I may have dropped a 50 lb. weight on it!   So I limped around all day and my dear mom put up with hearing me say about a million times..."My toe hurts sooo bad".   I decided to check it out when we got to Target since it was throbbing and felt 3 times bigger than normal and when I took my sock off it was purple...nice color, just not on my toe!  So if any of you see me hobbling around, that would be why!

Alright, off to organize and wrap so I can cross more off my imaginary list!!

Grady the Christmas Elf....

You have to see this, it is soooo funny.  Thanks Dad for sending it to me......

Grady the Christmas Elf!

Crossed two more gifts off my list...YAY!  Hoping to cross a few more off tomorrow, since I'll only have to tote two kids along with me!  So I'm planning on hitting Target, Macy's and if I'm really lucky Walmart.  If by some chance I don't make it out shopping my Plan B is to get started and make a BIG dent in my wrapping! 

Gotta go get some rest!  Hope all of your holiday plans are moving right along!

7 days left.....

AAAAAAAHHHHHH.....for all of my organized friends, you are sitting back, enjoying Christmas movies or sitting on the couch enjoying the twinkling lights on your beautiful Christmas tree....for those of us unorganized folks (I'm leading the pack) we're running around frantically trying to cross things off our lists, and we'll be the idiots out shopping on Dec. 24th for that one last thing that we inadvertantly forgot!!!!   i I vow and declare that I WILL NOT be up until 3 a.m. wrapping presents on Christmas Eve!!!  Still trying to figure out when I'm gonna get that done!!!

HOWEVER I may have something that will save that last trip to the mall thanks to an email from a friend of mine....I'm considering foregoing store-bought gifts and instead going the hand-made route....and here is the link for some of the best ideas I have seen!  Hope that helps some of you looking to show off your crafting abilities!!!

O Christmas Tree

Last evening we went and picked out our Christmas tree...one of my favorite ventures.  I love picking out the "perfect" tree that and getting some great photos at the Christmas tree farm.   Usually the hunt for the perfect tree takes a while, too fat, too skinny, too tall, too short...but this year...much to David's delight it was a quick pick.  Never mind the fact that it was absolutely frigid, but the perfect tree happened to be the second tree that we looked at.   I love my tree, it's perfect and even more I love some of the pictures we got.   Unfortunately the family photo that we had taken is a little bit blury but what are ya gonna do.   I would love to have had someone there who knows how to take photos so that we could have gotten a really good family photo.   Maybe I'll convince David to get everyone dressed again and go back over for just some pictures!  Anyway, here are a few of my favorites....

And if you want to see the rest of the photos you can CLICK HERE

So now the Christmas tree sits in our family room patiently awaiting its holiday attire.   We plan on trimming the tree tomorrow evening.

While picking out our Christmas tree, Emma had her first taste of candy cane and let me tell you she was none too happy when we finally took it away, but while she had it she enjoyed it. 

Here are the rest of the CANDY CANE pictures!

Dear Santa....

Received this in email form from my too far away friend, Amy (miss you), and thought I'd pass it on, cuz it really is cute!

Dear Santa,

I've been a good mother all year. I've fed, cleaned and cuddled my children
on demand, visited the doctor's office more than my doctor, sold
sixty-two cases of candy bars to raise money to plant a shade tree on
the school playground. I was hoping you could spread my list out over
several Christmases, since I had to write this letter with my son's red
crayon on the back of a receipt in the laundry room between cycles, and
who knows when I'll find anymore free time in the next 18 years.

Here are my Christmas wishes:

I'd like a pair of legs that don't ache (in any color, except purple,
which I already have) and arms that don't hurt or flap in the breeze;
but are strong enough to pull my screaming child out of the candy aisle
in the grocery store.

I'd also like a waist, since I lost mine somewhere in the seventh month
of my last pregnancy.

If you're hauling big ticket items this year I'd like fingerprint
resistant windows and a radio that only plays adult music; a television
that doesn't broadcast any programs containing talking animals; and a
refrigerator with a secret compartment behind the crisper where I can
hide to talk on the phone.

On the practical side, I could use a talking doll that says, "Yes,
Mommy" to boost my parental confidence, along with two kids who don't
fight and three pairs of jeans that will zip all the way up without the
use of power tools.

I could also use a recording of Tibetan monks chanting "Don't eat in the
living room" and "Take your hands off your brother," because my voice
seems to be just out of my children's hearing range and can only be
heard by the neighborhood dogs.

If it's too late to find any of these products, I'd settle for enough
time to brush my teeth, brush my hair, and put-on some makeup
in the same morning, or the luxury of eating food warmer than
room temperature without it being served in a Styrofoam container.

If you don't mind, I could also use a few Christmas miracles to brighten
the holiday season. Would it be too much trouble to declare ketchup a
vegetable? It will clear my conscience immensely. It would be helpful if
you could coerce my children to help around the house without demanding
payment as if they were the bosses of an organized crime family.

Well, Santa, the ‘ding’ has just sounded on the dryer the phone is ringing
and my younger son saw my feet under the laundry room door.
I think he wants his crayon back. Have a safe trip and remember
to leave your wet boots by the door and come in and dry off so you don't catch cold.

Help yourself to cookies on the table but don't eat too many or track the
crumbs on the carpets. The carrots are for the reindeer. Please make sure they share.
There’s enough for everyone.

Yours Always,
a very good Mommy

P.S. One more thing...you can cancel all my requests if you can keep my
children young enough to believe in Santa.

Christmas Lists....

So I was wondering....what's on your Christmas wish list this year and what's on your kid's Christmas wish list?

Owen is all things STAR WARS....really don't understand where this sudden fascination with Star Wars came from...but let me tell you it is in full tilt.   He plays it, he knows EVERY character, it's strange really!  And David is LOVING IT!!   I'm keep telling him that I will not entertain ANY complaints whatsoever when BARBIE time rolls around!  If there is any fussing over one more Barbie Doll or accessory...I will only have to say two little words....STAR WARS....yes really it is that bad.  He's even buying stuff on Ebay!

Coopie my dear sweet Coopie....he wants a vacuum cleaner (one that really works that he saw in the Leaps and Bounds catalog) because he wants to be able to help Mommy clean...just too precious he is!  This I actually had to purchase on EBAY because they are sold out everywhere...who knew that was such a hot ticket item!  Then he told me the other night when he was drawing a letter to Santa and I was writing what he wanted, he wants a pump and rocket...whatever that may be!  And last night after we went to see the train display at the library we stopped in to see Santa and he told him he wanted an airplane.   You must understand that Coopie rarely asks for anything that he wants.  In fact when we are in stores he picks lots of stuff that his brothers and sister would like, but not really him.   So its really hard to know what he truly wants (usually Owen is telling him what he wants and usually that is something that HE wants...very different personalities...we're working on the giving aspect with Owen!).   So when the vacuum was sold out at Leaps and Bounds I kind of panicked because he really wants it.  In fact the other day he said..."Thank you Mommy for getting me my vacuum for Christmas"  again just too sweet!

So that's that...Grady and Emma are still too little to ask for stuff!   So what's on your list and your kids list?

Last Minute EASY Holiday Gifts!

Ok....so if you are anything like me, you can always use a cute idea for a last minute holiday gift.   I just so happened to find a unique list that I must have been keeping of creative little gifts that I have found along the way.  So I thought I'd be festive and share some of the ideas because some of them are just too darn cute!  So here it goes in no particular order!

1. Cookie Sprinkles - "May your Christmas be SPRINKLED with laughter and love!"
2. Jolly Ranchers - "Have a holly, JOLLY, Christmas"
3. Heart Christmas Ornament - "May the joy and LOVE you give away, come back to you on Christmas day!"
4. Cleaners - "You add sparkle and make our life brighter, Merry Christmas!"
5. Calendar - "Keep Christmas in your heart the whole year through!"
6. Candle - "May your days be happy, your heart be light, your Christmas merry and the New Year BRIGHT!"
7. Wire Wisk (filled with Hershey Kisses) - "We WISK you a Merry KISSmas!"
8. Rootbeer - "We're  ROOTing for you to have a Happy Holiday Season and a wonderful New Year!"
9. M&M's - "Have a MERRY & MOST wonderful Holiday Season!"
10. Christmas Music CD - "May the sweet song of Christmas make your heart rejoice"
11. Shaped Sugar Cookies - "Rolling out a batch of Christmas Cheer, for someone we think is very dear"
12. Sparkling Apple Cider or Grape Juice - "Wishing you a SPARKLING holiday season"
13. Hershey Hugs and Kisses - "Holiday Hugs and Kisses to you"
14. Sprite - "May your days be Merry and SPRITE"
15. Matches - "No one MATCHES you as neighbors"
16. Bubblegum or Bubble Bath - "May your holidays BUBBLE over with fun"
17. Pencil and Notepad - "Merry Christmas from our PAD to yours" or "Merry Christmas to a NOTEWORTHY friend"
18. Grater and Cheese - "To a GRATE neighbor! Merry Christmas"
19. Gingerbread house - "Nibble, nibble like a mouse, we hope you'll nibble at this house!  Merry Christmas"
20. Muffins or Muffin Mix - "You're getting MUFFIN for Christmas"
21. Cookie Dough - "Here's a little extra DOUGH for Christmas" or "Everyone  needs a little extra DOUGH for Christmas"
22. Pie - "Just a Holiday HI and a tasty PIE"
23. Banana Bread - "Banana bread just for you, because you have so much to do...We also love you BUNCHES too!  Merry Christmas!"
24. Cinnamon Rolls - "Here's a sweet treat ROLLED up with warm holiday wishes, Merry Christmas"
25. Spiced drink mixes - "Hoping your Holidays are SPICED just right"
26. Crayons and Coloring Book - "Hope your Holidays are colorful"
27. Wrapping Paper - "This is to help you WRAP UP the holiday season"
28. Pizza - "PIZZA on earth, good MEALS toward men."
29. Soda and Popcorn or Pop Rocks - "POP, POP, FIZZ, FIZZ, Oh what a good friend you is!"
30. Candle - "May the candle's glow reflect the star, that wisemen followed from afar, and may your home like that above always be aglow with love"
31. Tape and Wrapping Paper:  "Since November you've been shopping, barely sleepin, hardly stoppin, now its late, you're in a scrape, out of paper, out of tape, hope this wrap helps save the day, have a happy holiday"

AND last but not least....for the REDNECK in your life....Rootbeer and a can of Baked Beans - HAVE A ROOTIN' TOOTIN' HOLIDAY!!