I'm done!!!

I'm feeling mildly accomplished today. Only mildly...but accomplished none the less.

I just confirmed an order on Amazon.com that will complete my Christmas shopping for the year!! The kids have been done for a week and a half, but I had to purchase one final thing for Erik. It's all done now!

Now I just have a bit list to complete....
1. Dishes (seriously, my kitchen's a pit right now)
2. Laundray (ongoing forever and ever)
3. Finish organizing my desk (another mild pit)
4. Sewing (purses must be finished)
5. Knitting (must finish mom's sweater by christmas)
6. Wrap presents
7. Bake second round of cookies
8. Insurance paperwork (and all other applicable paperwork found on desk)
9. Put away girls' clothes (currently piled in laundry baskets in living room)
10. AmVets comes on 12/20 for outgrown girls clothes (including the most adorable jacket ever *pout)

The list is ever growing...we'll see how I knock it out!!

Cookies posted...

I posted the cookie recipes over at Side Dishes!!!

Yes, the Polish Apricot ones are there ;)

Christmas Cookies...

Last night I finished (mostly) our Christmas Cookies!! It took me two weeks and 8 sticks of butter...but they are DONE! See the pretty plate I made up for Erik to take to work today:



They are from the top-clockwise: The Best Christmas Cutout Cookies EVER,
Polish Apricot Cookies, Cherry Shortbread, Brownie Cookies (w/powdered sugar, w/ candy cane bits), and LEmony Snickets in the center!!

I say 'mostly' done because I am going to make more of the Brownie and Lemon cookies because the brownie recipe didn't make much and the Lemon ones have been scarfed down by me and Molly (she LOVES them, and so do I). Depending on how the next week goes I may have to make more of the cutouts, too...we'll see!!

I don't know what it is this year...but I'm turning into a nutcase...cleaning and cooking and baking and...

(Cutout recipe coming later today...I swear it tastes delicious and was the EASIEST dough to work with I've EVER made...and I've made a LOT of cutouts in my time!)

Movies!!!!!!!!!!!

I tried to do this myself and ended up cross-eyed and annoyed...so here is a link I found...excuse the ads, it's a tripod site...but it lists ALL the christmas movies, when they are showing and what channel!! It makes me happy!! Now I know when I can see Bells of St. Mary's and other assorted favorites!!

http://holidaypages4u.tripod.com/christmas_movies_tv.htm

I feel pretty....

And lazy....and...yeah.

I have several posts on the tip of my tongue...but none of them seem to have come out this weekend. Hence, I feel quite lazy.

Besides that, I feel pretty :P Tonight was Erik's company party. It was at the zoo. It was a poorly organized slubfest, mostly. Molly's present was something she was NOT interested in (pissed me off in light of the fact of how many Dora and Diego toys were running around being held by other kids...especially since E's side-by-side coworker that he's worked with for 10 years did the shopping). Overly crowded, poorly organized, bit of a mess....and the girls started out in WONDERFUL *insert sarcasm* moods.

BUT, I still feel pretty *G* I actually did my hair, which led me to realize (after a comment from Erik) that my hair is now down to my bra-strap again!! WHEN did it get that long?! BUt, anyway, I did my hair in a style I haven't for years. I put on my newest jeans (it was dress-casual), which are actually long enough for my legs, and a pair of high-heeled boots that I haven't worn in years. I put on a shirt that doesn't disply my skin rolls so much, painted my nails, and wore makeup!! I felt pretty for the first time in a long time! Still took terrible pictures (well, one of them is really bad, I was making some STRANGE face in it).

After the party we wandered the zoo a bit. Molly was fascinated, so I'm definitely going to have to take the kids this summer (it is only 30 minutes away give or take). I'll need to buy a leash by then.

I plan on posting about Sci-Fi's Tin Man, but I may do that over at Side Dishes, which I've neglected since NaBlo was completed. I have other things too...but they're coming when I'm feeling inspired!

The....WHAT-cracker???

So, I had my very first "I'm blogging this" moment shared with my DH - he did, after all, just see it for the first time a couple of days ago. We had the appropriate 'discussion' about it last night. I was given permission to complain about how little he helps me (gee, thanks, doll - love ya)...and so, thus, the blog has been opened between us.

So the "I'm blogging this" moment happened not to him...or with one of my kids...it was ALL me...and it had my DH rolling on the floor, practically. I laughed so hard I cried...and it was ALL.MY.FAULT.

*****

Our tree is up and decorated. Sitting proudly on the upper branches, taking up much room is a very heavy Nutcracker ornament that is, in fact, a music box. And an ornament. Yeah, excessive...but still pretty neat.

So, I pull it off the tree and ask DH who gave it to us, because damned if I can remember. He can't either. We continue our discussion and get to the part where we talk about the Butler Ballet performing the Nutcracker at Cloew's. I say that I'm not too eager to see it, I'd already seen it and had been able to tell it was a college performance (Damn, I can be harsh sometimes).

I said, "But I saw it live. Up until we went on the field trip with Denver's first grade class I'd never seen the Buttcracker live..."

UMMMM....Say WHAT?!?!

YEah...meant to say "Nutcracker Ballet"....sooo not how it came out. So I hang my head in shame and blog myself.

Holiday Traditions...

Traditions can make or break a holiday. The traditions we grew up with as a child are translated into something we try to do with our kids. Every year we add traditions or drop them, but if we don't have any...our holiday can be only ho-hum. In my family there are several traditions that I continue to follow to this day. Christmas is not Christmas without them.

The first thing that makes it Christmas is listening to the The Oak Ridge Boys Christmas Album. How can you not hear Thank God for Kids with lyrics like "When you look down in those trusting eyes; That look to you, you realize; There's a love that you can't buy; Thank God for kids..." and not melt? There's just something about this album that brings Christmas to our family. We ALWAYS listen to it on Christmas eve (there's a song for that, too!!)

There are two movies that we must watch, too! First is Scrooge. It's the musical version of a Christmas Carol and it's just bright and cheery and perfect for decorating the tree with! And we canNOT live without Alastair Sim, the original Black and White version of A Christmas Carol. His pure joy when he wakes up on Christmas morning cannot be beat...even by the drool-worthy Patrick Stewart.

Beyond media, though...there is one specific tradition that has meant very much to me for the past 9 years. Christmas Eve.

When I was growing up as a child every Christmas Eve my brother and I would climb into one or the other's bed (alternating every year) and my Mother would read The Night Before Christmas. The linked version is the one she read. The pictures were so magical to me. The way she read it brought life to the pages and made me so eager for Santa's arrival. I can still remember the giddy joy of clamoring into bed, me on one side of her, my brother on the other.

When my oldest was born the tradition was passed on. My dad took up the tradition with his grandson, who meant so much to him. I bought myself the exact same version I'd grown up with, and my dad would read that - and then the bible story of Jesus' birth (Luke 2:1-20).

Now my oldest is almost 10. I have two very young girls at home. The torch has been passed again - onto me. Now on Christmas Eve, I gather my babies close to me on the couch and we read The Night Before Christmas . I quote the bible scripture, having memorized it years ago. We play our Oak Ridge Boys and set out Cookies and milk for Santa...and if I'm thoughtful enough to remember, carrots for the reindeer.

I don't know for a fact that my brother also carries on these same traditions, but I like to think that he does. They meant a lot to us growing up...and I'm so happy to pass them on. I only hope they mean as much to my children as they did to me.

******

This post was made in honor of a contest over at Sue's Navel Gazing...but I probably would have made it anyway :D I love the holiday! Thank you, Sue for the prompt!!

Operation Santa...And other random items...

*Operation Santa - Stage 1 is complete. If I may say so myself, it was a success! In order to prepare Molly for pictures with Santa, I took her and the other kids today to the Santa's Snowglobe nearby. We played in the 'waiting room' part for a while...crept our way closer to where Santa was. Finally got close. Every time I said Santa Molly would look up at him and smile. She wouldn't get too close, but we got within a couple of feet. We'll go again tomorrow. Next week when it's picture time I may have to have her on my lap, but I think we'll get close.

*DH's Christmas List - I've asked him to make me a Christmas list because we are actually getting gifts for each other this year. Among those things on his list is...Vomit Bags (he finds the word vomit funny), a 2007 Dodge Charger w/ Hemi engine (yeah, that'll happen), and sex. Hmmm...maybe I SHOULD get him the Charger *giggle*

*Christmas Cookies - I just may go overboard this year...I printed out quite a few recipes last night...but I still don't feel I've found THE recipe yet. Maybe THAT will be my contest!!

*Shoe Obsession - IT's gotten worse. I can't even take off her shoes to change her diaper. If she were potty trained this wouldn't be an issue...but...um...WTH do I do now?

*ON THE CHARTS!! - Molly and K had their nutritionist appts today! For the first time since she was 8 months old Molly is back on the charts for weight!! She's only in the 4th%ile...but she's on the charts!! She didn't grow in heighth at ALL this time (very strange for her), but her height to weight ratio is still off...but who cares...she's ON THE CHARTS!!

*A break from PT is NOT allowed - ever again!! Due to illness and Thanksgiving it's been almost a month since K's last PT appointment...and let's just say that today was NOT successful. We aren't doing THAT again *headdesk*

Overall a good day, despite the crazy way it started!!

Upcoming Contest...

In the next couple of days I'll be posting a contest...I'm the giving spirit here today *G* I need to 'officially' decide on a prize and then I'll post the contest!!

And yes...it will be Holiday Oriented...I'm really in the Christmas spirit this year!

Bring on the good news!!

Well, it looks like our Christmas, and our pocketbook have been saved! We don't physically have the money yet, but it has been withdrawn from DH's 401K. We can fix Dh's car now, and this means we can sell my car (this is bad and good) to CarMax, pay it off and get that bill, and the cost of insurance off our backs!! This translates into HUGE relief.

On top of that, our Christmas will be nice for the first time in 5 years. We can get our 'big' gift for Denver (space camp! Whee!), and a few others (It is SO hard to shop for a 10 year old boy, you know that?). We can round out the girls toys (right now they are primarily clothes)....AND...*gasp* BUY FOR EACH OTHER!!

AND, I can buy the supplies to make the girls holiday dresses...and purses for the rest of my fam (I'm still hoping mom's sweater will be knit in time...but just in case...hello pursy!).

We've been waiting on news for over a week on this! The thought of getting this money has been a glimmer of hope for us! We need it...and a good Christmas. It's been far too long! (Plus the added money every paycheck that he can't pay into his 401K will help, too).