c is for cookie!

I really love making cookies this time of year. The kids and I made chai tea shortbread cookies today. A new recipe, and pretty good I'd say based on the 6 I've had so far today. I was pleasantly surprised at how really helpful the kids were. Typically cookie making is a drawn out, we're never going to get this done, kind of project. But this year, Gabe read the recipe while Ava attempted to find the ingredients...she took out everything she thought should go in cookies (vanilla, baking soda, sprinkles), then when I told her no, we're looking for pumpkin pie spice, I got this look:


Ah, but we're oh so happy when we find the right thing (rabbit on the bottle was a very helpful clue)

Now we're off to the mall, Christmas lists in hand. The kids brainstormed all morning about what they really, really wanted. We'll see how we do. Just the 4 of us, dinner out on a slightly snowy evening and an attempt to make a dent in the shopping...I think it should be pretty fun even if we don't accomplish a lot.

'tis the season

I've been thinking about getting ready for Christmas. It really hasn't gone much beyond "thinking" because I've been too busy cleaning up other people's garbage (see previous post) to actually do any doing. We're going to Joe's brother's for Thanksgiving. Thank goodness for small favors. No need to clean the house quite yet. Maybe somebody out there can help me with a couple major questions to kick off the dreaded season?

1) Any good Christmas card making websites? I have the picture. I was hoping to find a cool website to create the card, but haven't had time to look around (maybe I should do that instead of blogging...) I can go the old slim line route as a last ditch effort of course, but I was hoping for something unique. Anyone?
2) What should I get my kids? I know, I should know better than anyone else what to get them, but they have so much. I think I'm really starting to fear clutter (again, see previous post). We're toying with the Wii idea. I haven't even started to investigate though, and I truly am clueless. What is the bare minimum I need to get to avoid a war between 2 kids on Christmas morning? Can I even get one still and where? Will my 5 year old girl enjoy it? Or would Santa be really ripping her off this year?

I'm sure I have more questions, but my brain is ready to shutdown. I found a few pictures from previous years Christmas cards that I thought worth sharing. My how they have grown. Don't ask me what happened to 2004 though?

2003 - look at that fat and crabby face (no, this wasn't our Christ mas card)

2003


2005

2006

2007

please de-clutter

I spent the better part of the day sifting through garbage. And not my garbage. Somehow Joe scored himself a job cleaning out a house that is no longer inhabited. The previous occupant is now in a nursing home, and the house has been empty for over five years. I have never seen anything quite so sad. I have never walked from room to room on piles of trash. I have never opened bag after bag of brand new clothes and shoes with the original receipt still intact. I have never seen so many books unopened, notebooks untouched, nor shoes unworn. As I helped haul out bag after bag of garbage, filling dumpster after dumpster, I couldn't help but think how lucky I am that my whole life will never be thrown in the trash. We are strangers to this woman, rummaging through, shoveling out her garbage, her life. She has to pay someone to clean out what she's accumulated her entire life because she either has nobody, or the somebody she has doesn't want deal with this kind of mess. So sad...

Not a very exciting post. I guess I needed a way to process this crazy day. Joe tossed a book to me this morning that he found in the pile, "How to De-clutter Your Life". Guess she never got around to reading that one...

baby boy!

My friend Gina just had a baby boy tonight! I know he was 7 lbs 12 oz and that's about it. I'm so happy for you Gina, good job!!! Congrats you guys, can't wait to meet him (I hope he likes me...)

is anybody out there?

I admit to what my husband reminds me on a regular basis, I have no patience. I want to instantly be good at everything I attempt. So as I spend my somewhat limited free time adding posts to my blog, I can't help but wonder (average 0 comments per post, average 21 seconds per visit) am I just talking to myself? I would expect to have hundreds of regular readers and thousands of comments on each of my posts by now. I started this way back in September and, after all, I'm wildly entertaining, and why would you not want to read about my daily life and see dozens of pictures of my kids, comment on each post and include a link to my blog on your blog so people from all over the world will come read about my life...???

Ok, that was really ridiculous. Seriously, just like most everyone else, I do this to keep my friends and family up to date and let them catch a glimpse of what's going on in our crazy little world. It makes sense to me since they can't all be here with me where I feel they belong. For those of my friends and family that actually access the internet, it has worked out well. But, sigh, there are many that sadly do not, leaving me here talking to myself.

Like every problem in the world, this can be Googled. I found that it is suggested you gain loyal readers by having contests, starting lists, writing witty, opinionated posts and calling for comments with inquisitive questions, or by adding value to your post with links to other cool stuff.

Here you go. Value added, TA DA!!! Some kind of cool stuff I came across, and despite potentially decreasing my odds of winning, I will share with you - createdbymom.com (some really cute stuff and a great concept) by just adding a comment to her blog (and to your blog), you could win one of these sweet handmade pendants...there were only about 10 comments when I visited, so that's a pretty good chance of winning. Drawing's on Saturday, check it out!
I'm sure my friend Carla, who is a skilled stained glass artist, is dying to make me a cute little star like this. But I could never ask her to stop her late night studying, so I'll try to win one of my very own, you can too, go here and add a comment :)

Sorry, Mom, no new pix of the grand kids in this post. But for the rest of you, how's that for value added? Finding giveaways just may be my new obsession! I love free stuff, who doesn't? You never know when I may add tips, tricks, or other interesting, potentially useful information to my blog. Come back soon!!!

more treats than tricks

Ooops....got a little behind on the Happy Halloween post.

Once again we attended Ava's pres-school Halloween party/carnival. We were there for 2 hours and the kids loved every minute of it. In summary, controlled chaos. Kids of all ages, all in costume and many adults did partake also. Gabe got to work some of the games, so he was feeling pretty cool. Let me just say that Ava's teachers are crazy...Ms. Patty in particular. She began coming to school in costume about 2 weeks ago. A different costume each day. While Patty made a pretty cute chicken, hands down, the best costume goes to Ms. Renee. She was a baby on a grandma's back, and the picture doesn't even begin to do it justice, but I tried. Tell me that you don't want to wear this costume?! It is awesome! I nearly dropped to my knees laughing when I saw her.



Two hours and two thousand grams of sugar later, I took the kids trick or treating. The best part of the carnival was they were completely content after an hour of door to door and so was I. They were home and in bed relatively on time...yeah! Do you recognize Ava? Several people said no...who knew she could pull off anything besides a princess?!

weekend recap

Thanks to my brother and his wife for a nice weekend. We celebrated my niece's second birthday and enjoyed our time catching up. The kids had a blast! How could they not when it was 70 degrees and sunny?! Made it hard to come back home. I hope everyone has recovered from the chocolate cake overdose...it was delicious! I'll go in reverse order and get back with the Halloween post once I have time to get through the pictures. Thanks again Trevor and Cathy!

Ava and Sophia

Sophia with Grandma and Grandpa

This dress is about the most adorable thing I've ever seen!