We've started our Advent traditions in our little family...these are special times wrapped with all sorts of traditions and songs and family times that we remember the whole year through...
and I promise that I'll have pictures....
later...
although, if you can't wait, you can go over to my facebook page and search through my album for December Traditions...OR you can just link it here:)
But...what I want to discuss now is the shopping...the endless shopping for things for people that I never really know what to buy in the first place. It's not that I'm not perceptive, nor does it mean that I don't WANT to get something really neat for my family and friends...on the contrary...the problem is that I am scared to death of being that person that buys a really (now pardon my language here...my girlies will NOT be reading this blog entry) STUPID gift...the kind of gift that people open and smile and give you a hug and are thinking, "What the heck is this...I don't want this!!"
I fear this reaction...I'm a people pleaser...and like people to LOVE what I do for them...it's a problem I know...
Amidst all this emotional baggage that I carry concerning the christmas "gifting" season...I also struggle with distraction...
Actually, I struggle with distraction pretty much ALL the time...but that's another story...
If I were more like my sisters in law, I would have lists of every thing that I needed to purchase, at which stores I needed to peruse and the exact coupon cut for that particular item...I would recklessly search through all the ads in the paper each weekend to find the best deal on that particular item and then schedule the time to run out and get it...
However, I, on the other hand do not have a list persay...it's in my head and sometimes I write it down on a piece of paper or two or a sticky note or the back of my hand...whenever I kinda think of something that might be good and wouldn't be a bummer gift...UGH...it's like a crazy cycle of ridiculous thinking going on in my head...and so, I just guess at what I need and then get home from my hours out shopping...that I already feel guilty about having left my kids and my family time...only to feel the utter disappointment of realizing that I not only didn't achieve what I set out to do...but I came back with bags of other things that I'm going to have to go back out and return later anyway....UGH!!!
Needless to say, my christmas shopping hasn't necessarily been the MOST productive as of late...but, I'm headed out to try again tomorrow...who knows...I may end up coming back with gifts for my little nephew and my in laws...OR, I might end up coming back home with a caffeinated beverage and 4 pairs of pants in different sizes and colors of which I will need to then try on, and decide which 3 to return at a later date! Only, to begin the cycle again...
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh the gifting season...
Monday, December 7, 2009
Saturday, December 5, 2009
A little sporadic for ya?
Oh my...
my blogging status has not been the best as of late now has it?
Why NO, dear...in fact, it's quite pathetic, thanks for noticing!
Yes...well...I have the usual excuses...like: laundry, trimming the christmas tree, finishing up client photography stuff that sometimes seems like an endless journey, changing diapers, playing playdoh, cleaning the kitchen AGAIN, reading a good book, grocery shopping, finishing up a REALLY COOL December Traditions book for my girlies...(pics to come later)
you know...
the usual stuff...
I may have hit a little writer's block too...nothing huge...not like a boulder or anything..just a few bricks thrown at my head a couple times...making me rethink "what in the world do I have to write about that people would actually want to read?"
that's about it folks...those are my excuses...
We did trim the tree today...it was delightful! I like that we get the non-prickly trees now...I think they're called Caanan trees? I have no idea...but, I like them...we've got decor all over the house and I think my darling Italian Stallion might just suffocate if I add one more candle or decorative wreath anywhere near him! He likes his space...no clutter...S P A C E....
We're all looking forward the live nativity and cookie baking that's coming up...and I'm sitting here in my new christmas pjs...I participated this year in getting myself new pajamas..because frankly, I need some! My girlies always look so comfy and warm in their new ones each year and I thought that I need to be apart of that WITH them....
Italian Stallion didn't feel the "need" to participate in that area...but that's okay...the poor man is surrounded by girls in this house...stand your ground honey!!!
Hope you have a great day...I'm planning on lounging in my PJs and probably not blogging consistently once again...hope you'll forgive me...but, I'm tellin' ya...
new pjs and good book....
come on...there's just nothin' better!!!
my blogging status has not been the best as of late now has it?
Why NO, dear...in fact, it's quite pathetic, thanks for noticing!
Yes...well...I have the usual excuses...like: laundry, trimming the christmas tree, finishing up client photography stuff that sometimes seems like an endless journey, changing diapers, playing playdoh, cleaning the kitchen AGAIN, reading a good book, grocery shopping, finishing up a REALLY COOL December Traditions book for my girlies...(pics to come later)
you know...
the usual stuff...
I may have hit a little writer's block too...nothing huge...not like a boulder or anything..just a few bricks thrown at my head a couple times...making me rethink "what in the world do I have to write about that people would actually want to read?"
that's about it folks...those are my excuses...
We did trim the tree today...it was delightful! I like that we get the non-prickly trees now...I think they're called Caanan trees? I have no idea...but, I like them...we've got decor all over the house and I think my darling Italian Stallion might just suffocate if I add one more candle or decorative wreath anywhere near him! He likes his space...no clutter...S P A C E....
We're all looking forward the live nativity and cookie baking that's coming up...and I'm sitting here in my new christmas pjs...I participated this year in getting myself new pajamas..because frankly, I need some! My girlies always look so comfy and warm in their new ones each year and I thought that I need to be apart of that WITH them....
Italian Stallion didn't feel the "need" to participate in that area...but that's okay...the poor man is surrounded by girls in this house...stand your ground honey!!!
Hope you have a great day...I'm planning on lounging in my PJs and probably not blogging consistently once again...hope you'll forgive me...but, I'm tellin' ya...
new pjs and good book....
come on...there's just nothin' better!!!
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Thinking again...
No...don't get worried..it's not another lame installment of Deep Thoughts from Mamarazzi...although, I must admit that I've had some doozies lately...like, why is it that I have to plunge out plugged toilets in my bathrobe because I can't seem to figure a way to plunge properly so that the "disgusting goop" doesn't splash all over me...
Ahhh...now isn't that a LOVELY picture to wake up to? Aren't you SOOO incredibly happy that you happened over to my blog this morning? or afternoon? or right before lunch? yes...I will stop now...
Sooo..back to my "thinking"...
I had a book discussion last night....
at AWANA...
That's another reason why I love reading so much...if you read, you pretty much NEVER run out of things to talk about...I mean, you can only talk about the weather and just how wonderful your children are for so long (well, in my case...I could get going on Cumulus clouds and onto the craziness of my princess house for a good long while...but, I digress AGAIN)
Anyway...there I was reading a book in the hallway, just waiting for the kiddos to be done...
Let me just interject here (because I can...because it's MY blog...and well, because I ENJOY making a story longer than it really needs to be because secretly I think I like to see how many words I can actually type in a short period of time...UGH, I"m getting nowhere fast!!!)
Interjecting cont... I think it's pretty great that I can actually chisel in some time for reading...albeit, I'm up until after 1am these days...but, I don't think I could ever give up my fantasy world that lives in my books...
Okay..back to the story/point/endless wandering of my mind: Someone asked me what I was reading...which led to a cool discussion on books and authors and suspense and how I don't like it and historical fiction and how my darling Italian Stallion thinks that is an oxymoron because...DUH: HISTORY...FICTION??? get it??
Anyway...that led to talks of other things like recycling and photography and back to reading books again...
And the fact of the matter is that as much as I love reading...I like me some good TALKING time with other people too...it's that crazy energizing thing for me...
So, in my pathetic, desperate attempt to get some comments on my blog post today...HINT HINT HINT...(I lack the talent of subtly and tact in case you haven't noticed)
What is your favorite genre of reading???
Have a great day!
Ahhh...now isn't that a LOVELY picture to wake up to? Aren't you SOOO incredibly happy that you happened over to my blog this morning? or afternoon? or right before lunch? yes...I will stop now...
Sooo..back to my "thinking"...
I had a book discussion last night....
at AWANA...
That's another reason why I love reading so much...if you read, you pretty much NEVER run out of things to talk about...I mean, you can only talk about the weather and just how wonderful your children are for so long (well, in my case...I could get going on Cumulus clouds and onto the craziness of my princess house for a good long while...but, I digress AGAIN)
Anyway...there I was reading a book in the hallway, just waiting for the kiddos to be done...
Let me just interject here (because I can...because it's MY blog...and well, because I ENJOY making a story longer than it really needs to be because secretly I think I like to see how many words I can actually type in a short period of time...UGH, I"m getting nowhere fast!!!)
Interjecting cont... I think it's pretty great that I can actually chisel in some time for reading...albeit, I'm up until after 1am these days...but, I don't think I could ever give up my fantasy world that lives in my books...
Okay..back to the story/point/endless wandering of my mind: Someone asked me what I was reading...which led to a cool discussion on books and authors and suspense and how I don't like it and historical fiction and how my darling Italian Stallion thinks that is an oxymoron because...DUH: HISTORY...FICTION??? get it??
Anyway...that led to talks of other things like recycling and photography and back to reading books again...
And the fact of the matter is that as much as I love reading...I like me some good TALKING time with other people too...it's that crazy energizing thing for me...
So, in my pathetic, desperate attempt to get some comments on my blog post today...HINT HINT HINT...(I lack the talent of subtly and tact in case you haven't noticed)
What is your favorite genre of reading???
Have a great day!
Monday, November 30, 2009
Family Whirlwind
I love the holidays...and my body pretty much dreads the holidays...
I'm just being honest...
I LOVE people...I get energized being around people...it's just that after about 5 straight days of people 24/7 (and when I say 24/7 I literally mean 24/7 because my little people like to get up in the night while we are visiting other peoples and I get my fill of people!!!) I'm a little tired...
We had a great visit with my brother...and I WOULD have some lovely pictures to share with you, but I unloaded the pictures onto my brothers computer and then proceeded to play with them...cuz that's what he and I do...we sit and talk about stuff that we think we know a lot about and then share tips and stuff and in the end, we're totally just playing around and acting like we are soooo coool! We SOOOO need to grow up, but I'm really not in that much of a hurry:)
ANYHOO...I don't have pictures right now...I have to go and REplay with all of them because there was some major head switching going on in order to get all 4 boys and all 3 girls looking in the same direction at the same time...but, I digress...
We had a great visit (didn't I just say that?) they taught me to play euchre AGAIN...I think I've been taught this game at least 10 times now...I thought I was smarter than that, but it appears that I am wrong...and I also learned that I do NOT have a poker face...NOPE...you pretty much know what I have in my hand...not just because of my face...I just talk...and when you put a late night person around the table with PEOPLE, LATE at night...what else am I GOING to do but talk...
okay, this "story" is going nowhere fast...I think I have a post about that "quirk" of mine...but oh well...
We finally got back home and headed straight over to Italian Stallion's family...for OUR version of Thanksgiving...ITALIAN style...ravioli, noodles, ciabatta bread...just like the Indians did:)
Nana always gets the cousins matching pjs...so I DID get a picture...didn't have to play much because I told them to be crazy...
And then, here's one of my girls (and no, I don't know why Peanut is frowning in the picture above, except for maybe because she rammed her knee into a wooden object while trying to FLY onto Nana's bed and Mommy said, "honey, let's just get a picture:)"...oh so sensitive I know!!
I'm just being honest...
I LOVE people...I get energized being around people...it's just that after about 5 straight days of people 24/7 (and when I say 24/7 I literally mean 24/7 because my little people like to get up in the night while we are visiting other peoples and I get my fill of people!!!) I'm a little tired...
We had a great visit with my brother...and I WOULD have some lovely pictures to share with you, but I unloaded the pictures onto my brothers computer and then proceeded to play with them...cuz that's what he and I do...we sit and talk about stuff that we think we know a lot about and then share tips and stuff and in the end, we're totally just playing around and acting like we are soooo coool! We SOOOO need to grow up, but I'm really not in that much of a hurry:)
ANYHOO...I don't have pictures right now...I have to go and REplay with all of them because there was some major head switching going on in order to get all 4 boys and all 3 girls looking in the same direction at the same time...but, I digress...
We had a great visit (didn't I just say that?) they taught me to play euchre AGAIN...I think I've been taught this game at least 10 times now...I thought I was smarter than that, but it appears that I am wrong...and I also learned that I do NOT have a poker face...NOPE...you pretty much know what I have in my hand...not just because of my face...I just talk...and when you put a late night person around the table with PEOPLE, LATE at night...what else am I GOING to do but talk...
okay, this "story" is going nowhere fast...I think I have a post about that "quirk" of mine...but oh well...
We finally got back home and headed straight over to Italian Stallion's family...for OUR version of Thanksgiving...ITALIAN style...ravioli, noodles, ciabatta bread...just like the Indians did:)
Nana always gets the cousins matching pjs...so I DID get a picture...didn't have to play much because I told them to be crazy...
I have a LOT of photo editing to do for CTPhotoMems this week...I will do my best to update, but please forgive me if I get a little bogged and you don't hear from me...rest assured though, I'm getting my people fill and hopefully will lots of stories to share in the weeks to come!!
Yay...here comes christmas!!!
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
I'm Thankful For:
* a God who made me just the way that I am because He likes me!
* a husband who is my best friend, who understands me, and who shows me how to love.
* three beautiful little girls who call me Mommy.
* White Chocolate Mochas and just Starbucks in general.
* a really nice house on lots of land so I can grow a garden with my family.
* chocolate covered almonds.
* a teacher for Sweetpea that knows Jesus.
* a business that lets out my need for creativity, while being able to contribute to the family.
* socks without holes.
* cameras and lenses and photoshop and all that cool stuff.
* oh, and computers too.
* friends who listen when I'm depressing and laugh when I'm silly.
* music and dancing.
* a thermostat set at 70 instead of 64 :)
* the beautiful weekends we've had in November.
* a great church family.
* good books to read.
* doctors that listen and will go the extra mile.
* having the courage to stand up for myself in conflict situations.
* silly jokes that my girls play on me and each other.
* a daddy for my girls that they adore and run to each evening as he comes in the door.
* pink post it notes.
* pens that write really smoothly and you don't have to scribble to get them to start.
* when the budget meets up on the last day of the month.
* the color brown just cuz I like to wear it.
* milk...I love milk...lotsa milk!
* fountain drinks...Pepsi especially...
* the little shopping carts at Kroger, even though we don't shop there...cuz now I can use it as an activity when I'm in a bind.
* comments left on my blog and on facebook...I *heart* comments!!!
* healthy children
* playing at the park with the girls and helping them do the monkey bars, except when I have to hold them for long periods of time and they get kinda heavy after awhile...but for the most part, I'm thankful for it!
* when Macie DOESN'T pee on the floor.
* the fact that I can still fit into my jeans and we're almost to christmas!!!
* the fact that because of the above thankfulness, I can eat more pies and cookies at christmas time and not feel overly guilty about it!
* the phone...I like talking too!
* hot showers
* dates with my husband and when he surprises me with thoughtful things.
I feel like I live a charmed life...Thank you God for the wonderful things...help me to be thankful for the things and times when things AREN'T so good either!
Happy Thanksgiving!!!
* a husband who is my best friend, who understands me, and who shows me how to love.
* three beautiful little girls who call me Mommy.
* White Chocolate Mochas and just Starbucks in general.
* a really nice house on lots of land so I can grow a garden with my family.
* chocolate covered almonds.
* a teacher for Sweetpea that knows Jesus.
* a business that lets out my need for creativity, while being able to contribute to the family.
* socks without holes.
* cameras and lenses and photoshop and all that cool stuff.
* oh, and computers too.
* friends who listen when I'm depressing and laugh when I'm silly.
* music and dancing.
* a thermostat set at 70 instead of 64 :)
* the beautiful weekends we've had in November.
* a great church family.
* good books to read.
* doctors that listen and will go the extra mile.
* having the courage to stand up for myself in conflict situations.
* silly jokes that my girls play on me and each other.
* a daddy for my girls that they adore and run to each evening as he comes in the door.
* pink post it notes.
* pens that write really smoothly and you don't have to scribble to get them to start.
* when the budget meets up on the last day of the month.
* the color brown just cuz I like to wear it.
* milk...I love milk...lotsa milk!
* fountain drinks...Pepsi especially...
* the little shopping carts at Kroger, even though we don't shop there...cuz now I can use it as an activity when I'm in a bind.
* comments left on my blog and on facebook...I *heart* comments!!!
* healthy children
* playing at the park with the girls and helping them do the monkey bars, except when I have to hold them for long periods of time and they get kinda heavy after awhile...but for the most part, I'm thankful for it!
* when Macie DOESN'T pee on the floor.
* the fact that I can still fit into my jeans and we're almost to christmas!!!
* the fact that because of the above thankfulness, I can eat more pies and cookies at christmas time and not feel overly guilty about it!
* the phone...I like talking too!
* hot showers
* dates with my husband and when he surprises me with thoughtful things.
I feel like I live a charmed life...Thank you God for the wonderful things...help me to be thankful for the things and times when things AREN'T so good either!
Happy Thanksgiving!!!
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Croupe Stinks
It stinks...plain and simple...I don't like it...I don't like when my little girls are barking like seals and feeling horrible...I don't like that they have trouble breathing and I'm taking their temperature every 10 minutes...I pretty much hate it!
Peanut's got croupe...I hoping that we're at the worst of it now and that it will subside by Thanksgiving...
Of course, she's not all that concerned...you see...Mommy gives her the walkie talkie and she gets confined to the basement with the big TV and her laptop computer and a bunch of books...she gives me the play by play of the TV programs, lets me listen in on her computer lessons and then reads to me or Little Munchkin...
Little Munchkin's favorite saying with regards to the walkie talkie, "what's that say???"
We're doin' our vicks rubs, steam showers, hot chest compresses, etc etc...we've got this down to a T...it's just that I don't LIKE it...but, I guess that just comes with the territory sometimes...I'll try to be thankful that I HAVE that problem in the first place...since we're on our way to THANKSGIVING!!!
Have a great day!
Peanut's got croupe...I hoping that we're at the worst of it now and that it will subside by Thanksgiving...
Of course, she's not all that concerned...you see...Mommy gives her the walkie talkie and she gets confined to the basement with the big TV and her laptop computer and a bunch of books...she gives me the play by play of the TV programs, lets me listen in on her computer lessons and then reads to me or Little Munchkin...
Little Munchkin's favorite saying with regards to the walkie talkie, "what's that say???"
We're doin' our vicks rubs, steam showers, hot chest compresses, etc etc...we've got this down to a T...it's just that I don't LIKE it...but, I guess that just comes with the territory sometimes...I'll try to be thankful that I HAVE that problem in the first place...since we're on our way to THANKSGIVING!!!
Have a great day!
Friday, November 20, 2009
Shout Out to Starbucks
I'm a talker...Little Munchkin follows in my footsteps with "not a thought goes through her head that doesn't make it's way out of her mouth"...yep, she gets it from me...
I'm not typically nervous to talk...infact, when I get nervous, I talk all the more...it's just how I'm wired I guess...that, and the fact that I like talking to people...and just talking in general...I think my dad used to think that I liked the sound of my own voice...it's not that as much as it's that I get to my conclusions faster if I talk it out loud...
Are you seeing where I'm heading with all this...because I'm doing it again...I'm talking my way to my "story"...
The other day we were at Kroger...the NEW Kroger mind you...the one with the cute little child size grocery carts where the children can push all the groceries and your hands are free to grab whatever you need...provided you are prepared to shove said carts out of the way of stacked wine bottles and end caps...
Inside this Kroger is also a Starbucks...oh sweet heaven...and they give out free samples...LOVE IT!
So, on this particular day it was something cinnamon...normally, I stick with my White Chocolate Mocha...but I went out of my comfort zone and took the free sample...actually, I took two! AND, they made sweet little hot cocoa samples for my girls...Low and behold, I LOVE the cinnamon thing...and my girls, with hot cocoa down their shirts and whipped cream on their lips, mumbled a quick thankyou as they gobbled down their free coffee cake too...
okay so we left kroger got home, put groceries away...blah blah blah...WOKE UP the next morning...
On our way to BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) Little Munchkin and I stopped to pick up some donut holes for her and a latte for me...At the Starbucks, I pull up and the server was just so nice and chipper in the morning that we got to talking...I told him my WHOLE long story about kroger and how I liked something cinnamon...
ugh, you are completely bored with my story aren't you? I didn't say it would be entertaining...remember, I just TALK!!!
Okay...so, by the time I was done telling my story and trying to figure out what it was that I had for my 2 free samples...yes, well I think he was about as thrilled to hear my tale as you are at this moment...I pulled around and he stuck out a nice warm Cinnamona Dolche Latte and said, "Ma'am, we'd like to give this one to you on the house...please enjoy"
Yep...WOOHOO to Starbucks for putting up with a talkative mother of 3 and giving me a free latte for the morning...made my day! Although, I don't think they are encouraging me to NOT talk as much...I mean, seriously...FREE Starbucks...I can think of MILLIONS of stories!!!
have a great weekend!
I'm not typically nervous to talk...infact, when I get nervous, I talk all the more...it's just how I'm wired I guess...that, and the fact that I like talking to people...and just talking in general...I think my dad used to think that I liked the sound of my own voice...it's not that as much as it's that I get to my conclusions faster if I talk it out loud...
Are you seeing where I'm heading with all this...because I'm doing it again...I'm talking my way to my "story"...
The other day we were at Kroger...the NEW Kroger mind you...the one with the cute little child size grocery carts where the children can push all the groceries and your hands are free to grab whatever you need...provided you are prepared to shove said carts out of the way of stacked wine bottles and end caps...
Inside this Kroger is also a Starbucks...oh sweet heaven...and they give out free samples...LOVE IT!
So, on this particular day it was something cinnamon...normally, I stick with my White Chocolate Mocha...but I went out of my comfort zone and took the free sample...actually, I took two! AND, they made sweet little hot cocoa samples for my girls...Low and behold, I LOVE the cinnamon thing...and my girls, with hot cocoa down their shirts and whipped cream on their lips, mumbled a quick thankyou as they gobbled down their free coffee cake too...
okay so we left kroger got home, put groceries away...blah blah blah...WOKE UP the next morning...
On our way to BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) Little Munchkin and I stopped to pick up some donut holes for her and a latte for me...At the Starbucks, I pull up and the server was just so nice and chipper in the morning that we got to talking...I told him my WHOLE long story about kroger and how I liked something cinnamon...
ugh, you are completely bored with my story aren't you? I didn't say it would be entertaining...remember, I just TALK!!!
Okay...so, by the time I was done telling my story and trying to figure out what it was that I had for my 2 free samples...yes, well I think he was about as thrilled to hear my tale as you are at this moment...I pulled around and he stuck out a nice warm Cinnamona Dolche Latte and said, "Ma'am, we'd like to give this one to you on the house...please enjoy"
Yep...WOOHOO to Starbucks for putting up with a talkative mother of 3 and giving me a free latte for the morning...made my day! Although, I don't think they are encouraging me to NOT talk as much...I mean, seriously...FREE Starbucks...I can think of MILLIONS of stories!!!
have a great weekend!
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