Chaos...

That's what my life is. Starting yesterday, my life is one big chaotic event after another. If I can just last til Christmas without going crazy or collapsing from exhaustion, I will be so incredibly grateful.

Yesterday (Monday), started early. I got up and made cinnamon twists for Kyle and Talia, and PB toast for Alec's breakfast. I got the boys off to school, and Talia and I hurried and got ready. We were out the door by 9:30, to finish our Christmas shopping. It took us 3 hours, she ate lunch and snacks in the car, and whined at me the entire last hour, but IT'S DONE!!!!! I've been worried about finishing, so it's a relief. We went home, I put Tali down for her nap, and I......

FINALLY!!!!! got to play with my new cricut. I cut out a bunch of vinyl, played with a few of the creative features, and it was very, very fun. Most of what I cut out is for gifts for some very important people in my life, so I'm not going to post the pics until after I've delivered them. However, I did make this cute gift bag just to see how it would work. I can't wait to find some 12x24 paper and try some longer cuts....and of course Cole wants to know how he can manipulate my new machine into making Halloween cr**...I mean stuff....(I did tell him I would be nice and share).

From December 2008

Last night was Kyle's first choir concert. It was so fun, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I even got the...opportunity...to go up on stage and dance the hula. Kyle did a great job, I'm really proud of him.

From December 2008

(front row, just to the right of the microphone)
Tuesday started early...like 4 am. I didn't sleep well last night, was restless after Cole got up, and was out of bed at 7. I drove the boys to school, and Talia and I headed to Albertsons to get cupcakes and a fruit plate. I had a lunch party today with a group of friends, picked up the boys from school, left the kids and headed to work. It's been slow, but I'm tired and it's only 10:30. I usually take a nap before work, but I couldn't miss a chance to connect with the girls.

Tomorrow, I have my mammogram/ultrasound in the morning(and thanks again, Grandma and Grandpa for watching Talia), and then Kyle's birthday party at Classic Fun Center right after school. I'm really excited about the party...but since I'll be on 3 hours of sleep, I'll be running on adrenaline (and caffeine, I've already got my 16 oz Sugarfree Red Bull all ready). Classic is great, they take care of everything for you, so I'll be able to take pictures and watch the boys have a good time. (and thanks to Aunt Brenda for watching Talia and Alec during this event).

Thursday and Friday are work....Saturday starts the prep for Kyle's Family party. He's also supposed to have an indoor soccer game, but we haven't heard back from his coach.....
Sunday is church and the family party. Monday I have to get everthing ready for Christmas Eve that I possibly can get done ahead of time.

Tuesday my oldest baby turns 10 for real. It's their last day of school before the break, and I have to work. I'm hoping to be called off though...the Chapel of Flowers is doing luminaries on the graves, and Cole wants to take the kids.

This Year, Cole is hosting a Christmas Eve breakfast for his family at our house, then I'm getting my hair done, and then we're hosting my family's Christmas Eve party. I'm excited to host, we're all wearing jammies and probably eating on my fine china that I don't get to break out often...I can't wait.

I don't know how much blog posting I'll get done in the next week (Dad..sorry :))
Since you won't get to read a daily update, at least let me brag about your amazing abilities with Christmas lights...MY Dad's Christmas Light Display ROCKS!!!!!

From December 2008

If I go insane, and they take me away, I promise to think of you all while bouncing around my padded cell....

Milestones and Indulgences....

So, yesterday, my daughter learned one of the MOST important words for a woman to know. That word is.....CHOCOLATE! She now knows the difference between regular candy and chocolate. As a chocoholic myself, it was a very proud moment. It all started with these....



I've really been dying to try these, but they are a little on the expensive side. I had a pretty good coupon for them, so I decided to try them. These are the triple chocolate ones, and I must say...they are AMAZING!!!!! We were driving home from Target, and I was trying to keep her awake, so I gave her one, specifically telling her it was chocolate. It was like it clicked...all of a sudden, she was asking me for more chocolate, and when we asked her later if she wanted candy, she said "Cawcat"? It's really cute. She also started saying "Beautiful" in the correct context. It's so fun, she's saying new things all the time. She wants "colors" (crayons) all the time, and she just likes to pull them out of the box, look at their "beautiful" colors, and put them back in. Simple joys....

As for indulgences...I found a new/old one this week. I really wanted Hot Chocolate Monday morning when it snowed. I am out of my fav, Stephen's Belgian Dark Chocolate flavor, and I haven't been able to find it in stock anywhere. I took the boys to school, and had to run up to my Gran's house, so I stopped at Starbucks. I got their "Signature" Hot Chocolate, and honestly, it was heaven in a cup. It was so rich and smooth, it was almost like drinking melted really good quality chocolate. So many Calories....between 600 and 700 depending...but it's soooooooooo good.

We're busy at our house...Cole's into his Christmas Cooking insanity, and I'm working. Next week, we have Kyle's choir concert and Kyle's friend birthday party, I finally scheduled my baseline mammogram that I was supposed to get last year, plus a christmas party and working thrown in....If I can make it through this week, and get everything done that I need to, I will be very grateful.

Christmas Pictures!

Merry Christmas!

Our weekend was really good...Cole and I got all the christmas shopping for the children done. Talia is feeling much better..her ear infection and cold have mostly cleared up. I got to go to relief society for the first time in 4 years this week, and really enjoyed it. We had to have the "We believe in Santa in our house" talk with Kyle. I (finally) played with the software that came with my camera, and was able to edit the Christmas pics so that there wasn't any red-eye. I know, I can't believe I've never used it, it was really easy. I wish it had been as easy to actually take the picture...it took us probably 20 shots to get one where they're all smiling and looking at the right place. Kids....

I want in...

On the Christmas questions!!!

So, here goes....

Eggnog or Hot Chocolate? Definitely Hot Chocolate...Steven's Dark Chocolate flavor, with Whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream!

Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
Santa AND Mrs Claus wrap most everything, unless something is too big to wrap.

Colored lights on tree/house or white? Well, I prefer white. However, Alec specifically asked for colored lights outside last year, so now the outside has colored lights and the tree has white lights with Gold and Silver decorations.

Do you hang mistletoe? No...I don't have anywhere to hang it. Besides, I don't need an excuse to kiss my honey, and I hope he feels the same!

When do you put up your decorations? It depends on when I'm working. Cole usually gets the tree up the day after Thanksgiving. If I'm not working, we decorate the tree over the weekend sometime. This year, I worked the entire weekend, so I put up the house decorations on the 1st while the boys were in school, and we decorated the tree that night.

What is your favorite holiday dish? Mashed Potatoes and Gravy.

Favorite Holiday memory as a child? Hmm...there are so many good ones. The first one to come to mind was the year my Dad bought my Mom a new diamond ring..and hid it in the slippers he had wrapped for her. He encouraged her to try them on, and so did I (not knowing what was in them). Her face was priceless...so surprised and pleased and a little bit guilty. It taught me a great lesson though...sometimes giving is better than receiving. My Dad's enjoyment of surprising my Mom is etched in my memory.

When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? When I became responsible for continuing the tradition with my own kids? Seriously, though, Santa is still real to me, because of the spirit of giving that Santa embraces.

Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? We've always opened a gift from Santa at our family Christmas Eve party(courtesy of Santa doing a ring and run, and leaving a sack of presents on the doorstep), but last year I wanted to start the "opening PJ's on Christmas Eve" tradition with my kids. They don't have to match, but I try to at least get them to coordinate.

How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? Since I already covered the colors, I'll go through the process...we start with the small gold balls that we've had since before our children were born. I start at the top, and once I get enough on the high branches, the kids get to start putting them on lower branches. After all the gold balls are on the tree, Cole just hands us ornaments, and we let the boys do what they will...gently helping them if they put things too close together.
It's been hard for me to let them help as they've gotten older...but I'm always glad that I do.

Can you ice skate? Yes, but I don't often have the opportunity.

Do you remember your favorite gift? Yes...as a child, it was a Cabbage Patch Doll, the year they were almost impossible to get. I wanted one, but I didn't think I would get one...but somehow, my Granny managed to get one for each of her female grandkids. I still have it...
As a teenager, it was the year I got a TV...it was completely unexpected, and that made it that much more sweet.

What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you? It's all about family, and making sure there's a balance between the commercial and spiritual meanings of Christmas.

What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Homemade Mudpie. YUM!

What is your favorite holiday tradition? I love that Santa does a Ring and Run, leaving a sack of presents on the doorstep at our Christmas Eve party. He's done it every year since I was a toddler, and I love to see the reactions my children have. The wonder never stops.

What tops your tree? Nothing...I've never found anything I love enough to put up there.

Which do you prefer giving or receiving? I have to choose?

What is your favorite Christmas Song? Carol of the Bells, when performed by the TranSiberian Orchestra, or O Holy Night when performed by almost anyone.

Do you feel Christmas is too commercialized? Yes. I really wish the commercial part of the season didn't start so soon....and that the spiritual side lasted the whole year through.

I suppose it had to happen eventually....

Well, Talia has her first ear infection. Considering that Kyle had constant ear infections from 10 months old, and tubes at 1 year, and Alec had tubes at 6 months, 10 months, and 2 years, I guess we should feel lucky we've made it 20 months.

The backstory...
Talia's had a cold for about 10 days. She's been whiny, which I find irritating. Today was no different...until after our shower. She started crying at the end of our shower, and pretty much didn't stop. It was almost noon, so I thought she was tired and hungry. She ate well, and I laid her down for a nap...15 minutes later she started screaming. I tried to comfort her, and get her to go to sleep...no luck. Finally, I brought her out of her room, and sat holding her. She was sobbing, and started saying Owie, Owie, over and over. I asked her where it hurt, and she pointed to her right ear. She would try lay her head against me on that side, and then would cry harder. So, I gave her motrin, but something told me I should call the doctor. I was glad I called when I did...they'd just had a cancellation for 2:15. If I hadn't called when I did, I probably would have had to go to instacare and pay a bigger copay. Her left ear is fine, her right ear definitely has an infection, so I felt justfied in taking her in. Cole's picking up her amoxicillin as we speak...

This was supposed to be MY day...I planned to stay in my jammies all day, let my hair air dry, no makeup, and while Talia was napping I was going to play with my new Cricut Expression...and scrapbook a bit. Unfortunately, none of that happened. Hopefully, though, she will feel better tomorrow. And thank heaven for Motrin.

Give Away!

If you're wondering why there's a whole bunch of fish "flying" above my kitchen table, I'll give you the scoop. I'm giving away this "mobile". It's from Pottery Barn Kids, and has never been used. I originally intended to hang it in Alec's room when we moved him downstairs, but even with adjusting the strings it's just too big...the ceiling in his basement bedroom is just too low. So, it's up for grabs.
Leave me a comment if you're interested, and I'll do a drawing this weekend.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!!!!

I started a 3 day stretch of days off yesterday, so I was thrilled to start putting up Christmas yesterday. First thing after the boys left for school, I put up my Autumn decor, and got out my favorite thing...my Willow Tree Nativity.

From December 2008

It never ceases to peacefully remind me of the Spiritual implications of the season. I can't even describe the emotions that go through me every time I look at it...Talia was so cute, she asked me "What's is it?", and when I told her "Jesus", she just kept looking at it and saying "Jesus" over and over. She's talking a lot right now, parroting everything we say. I do think she's learning a lot of it though....

I started the morning by making homemade Turkey noodle soup. Well, I started the process, it really took me most of the day, after boiling the bones, letting them cool, separating the meat, cooking the noodles, and then letting it simmer for awhile. As I was boiling the bones, I got out my mini tree, and decorated it. Then I fought with the garland for the banister. It was a huge pain, and my hands are covered with little micro cuts, but the effect of it is worth it.

Last night, after a yummy dinner of soup and grilled cheese sandwiches (for me, Talia, and Cole anyway...the boys had regular sandwiches and no soup) we decorated the tree. The boys really are getting very good at putting ornaments on so that everything looks balanced. Talia loved her job of sitting on Daddys' lap and handing everyone the ornaments. Cosette was her typical self...came to monitor the progress occasionally. Indy was a stinker, of course, jumping at the ornaments, trying to "bat" at them, and knocking them off the tree at times. He got squirted with the spray bottle, and seems to be leaving the tree alone...for now. There were no broken ornaments this morning, anyway.

From December 2008

From December 2008

From December 2008

From December 2008

From December 2008

From December 2008

I have a few more decorations to get out, and I need to organize the front room now that we've moved furniture all over. Christmas is on the way...now we just need SNOW!!!!

'Tis the Season!!!!