December Celebrations...#1

I'm so sorry that I've been gone for a bit...We've been cramming a lot in this month and it's just been so much fun!  Although, I have missed catching up on my blog reading and facebooking...

So without further ado...thought I'd share just a bit of what's been going on in our life over the past few days.  I will try to spread it out over a couple of days so as to not bore you with a lengthy blog read...I hope it will still be entertaining though...

After school parties concluded and school programs had ended...the Christmas break truly began...

#1:  The Nutcracker

We kicked off the celebration with a trip downtown to the BalletMet to see the Nutcracker Ballet...it's a tradition in our household.  When the girls reach the age of 4, they get the opportunity to stay up late and get dressed up to go see the production.

Nana has always made them black velvet capes to wear over top their Christmas outfits...and we got them white muffs to keep their hands warm.  They make quite an impression whenever you see all 4 girls heading down the walkway...I guess it's like a flashback in time for most people...who really wears muffs these days?  But, my girls love them and it's the highlight of the December celebrations...

This year we sat in the balcony...I was able to get one picture before getting reprimanded to put my camera away because they aren't allowed in the theater...perhaps the flashes will eventually take out of the color of the plush red velvet seats?  Not sure why, but I graciously put it away anyway...

It's probably a good thing though...last year, we sat on the floor right UP CLOSE to the dancers...and let me just say that we got quite the show when the Sugar plum fairy and her partner came out...and by show I mean that we may have seen a little MUCH of her partner to my little girls' liking...not wanting to be taking pictures of THAT for sure...(perhaps that how my girlies decided to make their anatomically correct gingerbread man this year? hmmmm?)

Anyhoo...the ballet was wonderful as usual and as we headed back out, we saw our first snow falling...it was beautiful and we couldn't resist just a few more pictures as we got soaked with the wet precipitation and slipped along the sidewalk...

Rock Your Momma!

My husband was working on Google Earth dot com with my 2 older girls...they googled the statue of liberty, golden gate bridge and then the Capitol...

Once there, my dear Italian Stallion asked Sweetpea, "Do you know who the President is right now?"  To which she quickly replied, "Barack Obama"...at which time, my little Peanut started laughing hysterically...when asked what was so funny, she replied, "I thought she said Rock Your Momma"...

My good friend Marla had this link posted on facebook today...something about a Mondegreen...which is evidently when someone says something, but other people HEAR something entirely different and therefore you get a really messed up version of whatever was meaning to be stated...whew, that was a lengthy definition...

anyhoo...I thought I'd post the same link here because I just laughed so hard and thought you might enjoy it as well...

Click Here

Donut Man Live!!!

We saw the Live Nativity last night at a little country church.  We've had this tradition since Sweetpea was about one month old...

I remember that first time as I have her completely covered up in her little Graco car seat carrier...bundled and sound asleep...thinking, "What are we doing out here in the cold with a one month old???  OH...it's gonna be a tradition...okay..."

And so began the yearly trek out to the country church for a live OUTDOOR presentation of Christ's birth and then the Puppet Posse performance INSIDE along with hot cocoa and cookies!

This year Little Munchkin was a tad nervous...with the donkey braying and the sheep bleeting and the run away llamas...she was clinging to my neck...

I whispered in her ear the story she's heard a million times...the angel coming to Mary, the mommy and then to Joseph, the daddy...and then they had to go to Bethlehem and baby Jesus was born...

She sat wide eyed and watched everything...it was sweet as she commentated what was happening back to me..."the mommy sit...Jofes, the daddy is seeping...hee hee, the sheep is too loud!"  and then "Mommy, it's DONUT MAN"...

Now, those that have no clue what I'm talking about...please just know that IF you did know...you'd LAUGH...but, since you don't...this post will be utterly meaningless and for that I apologize...

Donut Man is a guy that has been around a LONGGGGGG time teaching kids...remember Captain Kangaroo?  Well, it'd be like our kids talking about Captain Kangaroo...no other kids knows what they're talking about, but the adults do...We still have Donut Man videos and he has a christmas presentation all about Jesus' birth and HE plays the angel...

Needless to say, when the "angel" came out last night...Little Munchkin yelled:  DONUT MAN for all to hear...I'm not quite sure the GIRL playing the angel was all that thrilled being compared to a DONUT...but hopefully the sheep bleeting in her ears drowned out the sound of my little one yelling...

Fun memories and traditions to be had...
What is your favorite Christmas tradition???

SQUIRREL!!!

How do I manage to go 3 days without blogging?

I'll tell you:

A.D.D.

That would be Attention Deficit Disorder

Now, I'm not trying to poke fun at the disorder at all...nor am I saying that I have actually been diagnosed with said "disorder"...

Have you ever seen the movie UP?

Ya know when the dog is talking (yes, I know...dogs don't talk...he "talks" through a speaker thing on his collar...but anyway...) He's in the middle of a long discourse that would explain the entire situation of why the older gentleman and the young boy have happened upon him...all of a sudden he turns his head, "SQUIRREL!!!"

Yes, that's me...

Oh, let's sit down at the computer and start working on my bl..."LAUNDRY"...

My, there are lots of clothes to do today, I need to get a basket for the drier..."VACUUM"

Holy cow, the floor in here is filthy, good thing I got the vacuum out..."MIRRORS"

Okay, the mirrors are awful, how did the girls manage to get toothpaste all the way up here, I've got to get up on top of the sink to be able to rea..."BLEACH THE TOILET"

Whew, that smells much better, now I'll just scrub around the edges here and on the floor, I've got to move these ribbons out of the wa..."ORGANIZE THE DRAWERS"

Where did this come from? I think I saw a match to this in the kitch..."DISHES"

The dishwasher is full again?  how did that happen?  I just emptied it an hour ago...this is crazy, I guess I'll just start collecting the dishes from the office first..."BLOG"

Oh Darn...I didn't write my blog...and now it's time to make "DINNER"..."GET THE GIRLS OFF THE BUS"..."FEED THE DOG"...good grief...

Anyway...I hope to do better...cuz, I really do LOVE to chat!  enjoy your weekend!

Is there a law against cuteness?

Because, seriously...

Italian Stallion and I have discussed this a couple of times...more on his end because he realizes what this means for himself with regards to future "suitors" for our girls...

I mean, what can you do?  We don't focus on the outward here at home, we focus on the inward...the heart...but, I think that's what scares us the most...in the sense that she's learning to love Jesus AND she keeps getting cuter...

Eh...but maybe we don't have much to worry about???  Or perhaps we need to focus a bit more on some "outward issues"???

I'll get to the good stuff later

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...

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!!!