Christmas Day 2008

Christmas morning arrived and I was up early! I lit the fire, made coffee, and even cleaned a few things. I did anything to keep busy and to keep myself from waking up the kids. You have to understand the kid in me is still bright eyed and wide awake at 6am on Christmas morning. My kids, however, have not gotten that gene. They have to be woke up on Christmas morning!! It takes Scarlett a few minutes to accept the fact that she was woke up. She was not a happy camper when first being woke up, but she quickly remembered that Santa came during the night and was all smiles.
Every year we film the kids coming down the hallway to the tree. Do you know how hard it is to keep two excited children at the end of the hallway when all they wanted to do is RUN!
They were so excited with all their gifts and were having so much fun.. and then there was a knock on the door. Uncle Matt, Aunt Dana, Nana and Papa came to visit, but they found a gift Santa had dropped at the door. You should have seen the kids faces when they opened this present!! Scarlett was SO EXCITED! She took off running with the dog. I think this poor little puppy has barely put down since arrived on our doorstep December 25th.
Needless to say, "Gizmo" , as he has been named, has been a welcome addition to our family . He is SO CUTE!!! It is hard to get mad at him when he looks up at you with those big brown eyes, and cute little face.

Christmas Eve

Finally Christmas Eve had arrived and the kids were so excited! They were a little worried that we didn't go visit Santa this year, but I assured them that "Flellie" could report to Santa what they wanted and it would be okay.

We had a great Christmas meal and family time at Nana and Papa's house. It gets a little crazy around there with all the kids. We were a little sad this year that Matt and Dana would not be back in town in time to celebrate with us, but we would see them Christmas morning. Ethan got a new basketball that he loved and Scarlett got some money, which mad her VERY happy! She did the "money, money, money" dance! Definitely a girl after he mother's heart. Our Christmas Eve service is at 10pm, which is a little wait when you have two little kids that need to get in bed, but we wouldn't miss it for anything. It is the nicest time to hear the story, sing the songs and celebrate the birth of our savior.

After we got home from church we had to make our reindeer food, which is oats and LOTS of "magic dust" AKA glitter of all colors; and sprinkle it in the backyard for the reindeer to get a reboost when they stop at our house. We put out our cookies and milk and left notes for Santa and then daddy read "The Night Before Christmas" to the kids while they were snugged in their bed. All the perfect traditions for our family Christmas Eve.
All that was left was a visit from Santa. Scarlett slept with her little pink bible so that Santa would see that she knew the real meaning of Christmas. They are both so sweet and have so much understanding that it makes me so proud to be their mom.

Catching up week to week December 14-20

This week was busy as usual. :) We finished moving most of our things and I got the house in order. We left for Tennessee on Thursday morning, and then on Friday went to my sister in laws house and had the best time. The trip this year was shorter than our usual trip due to all we had going on , but we still had the best time. The kids LOVE seeing their cousins. Jacob and Ethan are two kids from the same sports mold! Here they are both sporting and supporting their Tennessee Titans and of course showing off their Heisman poses.

We had ICE BOWL 2008 at Leslie and Todd's house. It was so cold, but the boys got out there and played flag football even though it was FREEZING!!!! While the boys played outside the girls played inside. Lillie and Scarlett are only one month apart in age and they have so much fun together. Little Lauren is three years old, and she tags along and tries to play with them, occasionall they were not all that nice to her but she stayed right there with them. We had our Tennessee Christmas, which is always a lot of fun. We all look forward to Nannie D's dressing all year long! It is THE BEST! YUM!!! After our time at "Auntie Lolo's house" we went back to Nannie D's and we had our Fantasy Football winter meetings. This is where I was given the trophy for winning the season. :) This is my third time to win! It is nice to look on the trophy and see River City Riveters (my team name) more than any of the boys! :) There is a lot of teasing that goes on in my house. We placed the trophy in Ethan's football room, which looks great, but I had to remind him that it was MINE! ha! :)

On our way home from Tennessee on the 23rd, we made our usual stops. "Shoney's" in Memphis for dinner and then off to Graceland to look at the lights. We were a little disappointed this year that it was not as decorated as it normally is but the kids still love getting out and walking around. This year they signed the big wall! :) The both took their turn getting up there and marking their name on Graceland's wall. We just happened to have a red sharpie pen in our car and it worked perfectly.

Once we arrived home it was time to get ready for Santa and celebrate the real meaning of Christmas, the birth of Jesus.

My Christmas Faves...

I saw this on Megan and Leigh Ann's blog and thought it was cute so I decided to list my Christmas "meme", too. :)



1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? I am a horrible wrapper. I love the look of wrapped Christmas gifts, I love ripping paper off of gifts, but I must admit I use gift bags because they are easier. If every place would wrap my presents for me, them all my gifts would be wrapped.



2. Real tree or Artificial? This was the first year I had even thought of getting a real tree and I really wanted a real tree.. but the answer to the next question is the reason we always have an artificial tree...

3. When do you put up the tree? The week before or the week of Thanksgiving. I love having my house decorated for Christmas.

4. When do you take the tree down? Usually the weekend after New Years. Must have the tree still up for New Years Eve, makes me feel more festive! ha!

5. Do you like eggnog? Never tried it, but the name and the thought of it makes me a little queezy so I don't think I will try it.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? I think I had the most fun with my Merlin. Do you remember those? I thought that was the coolest handheld game. My how electronics have changed!

7. Hardest person to buy for? I don't like buying for adults. Most of them have everything they need and want so it is hard for me to come up with a good gift.

8. Easiest person to buy for? Ethan and Scarlett are easy, I hear everyday what they want.

9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, we have one on our fireplace mantle and we also have a Little People nativity scene. I love it!

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail, definitely.. speaking of.. I better get busy!

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I actually can not remember anything that just made me laugh out loud.. oh wait.. yeah, I can.. but like Megan, I am not going to call that person out. :) Hubby and I had a great laugh over it!

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Hands down, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? If I find "the gift" and I can afford it I get it no matter what time of the year it is.. but if not I definitely start shopping the day after Thanksgiving.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? I have regifted duplicates, or things that were good for a laugh playing Dirty Santa. :)

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? What is not to like??? I love appetizer type foods.

16. Lights on the tree? Of course! This year we have blue lights on our tree.

17. Favorite Christmas song?I love The First Noel, and Silent Night.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay at home? Travel, but always home for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixon, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, Rudolph

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? I have a Santa Claus this year, usually nothing.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or Christmas morning? Christmas Eve at my mom's (which is SO WRONG!), Christmas morning we open gifts, then we spend the day running to all the other places. We have a very busy few days.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? The stress that is so unneccesary, when the important thing is remembering the true reason and being with family and loved ones.

23. What theme or color are you using? Blue and Lime Green with Silver

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? anything.

25.What do you want for Christmas this year? Just to spend another year with my family.

TGIF and other fun things!

Have you gotten out your Christmas music yet?? I get made fun of every year by hubby about my favorite Christmas CD. I listen to this CD from the beginning to end every year all through December. Traditional? Definitely not. It is the Mariah Carey Merry Christmas CD. I LOVE IT!

I am normally not a big Mariah fan, but I fell in love with this CD many years ago. I have had to buy many copies, as they have been lost or broken, or just simply quit playing. Now with ITUNES it was so easy to just put the CD on my IPOD and I am set for many years to come. :) Another one of my favorite Christmas songs is "Last Christmas" by Wham. Something about that song when it comes on the radio, I can't change the station! I sing it out loud! and yes I am more than made fun of for that song. I also like some traditional songs. I love to hear "O Holy Night" being sung. That song is amazing and you can get lost in the song. I just love Christmas music! I have a whole new playlist on my IPOD just for Christmas tunes. What about you? What are you favorite Christmas songs, or CD's?

Now about the real life every day sort of things....

Ethan had his first basketball practice last night and he had a great time! He is so looking forward to adding one more sport to his list of things to do. The coach seemed really laid back and "chill" as Ethan put it, so I think that will be good. We had five boys at practice and they all listened and practiced really hard.

After practice we ran by Kroger to pick up something for dinner and we ran in to Santa Claus! Yes, Santa and his elf were wandering around Kroger passing out candy canes and talking to all the kids. My first thought was "EWW!" but the kids really believed it was Santa! They were so excited. Leaving Kroger they had me drive all around the store to see if we could see his sleigh. I finally had to convince them that it was on the rooftop. After we left Kroger we went to the house and Scarlett helped me peel off that old blue painters tape! YUCK! We were quickly relieved of our duties when hubby came in and told us HE Planned on doing that and WE were not doing it right. Okay, fine with me! I didn't like peeling the ol'yucky tape off anyway! Scarlett on the other hand was upset that she didn't get to "help". Let me tell you I have PLENTY of things to do at the old house that will need her help. So, today, I am putting these kids to work.

Hope you all have a great weekend! We will be busy moving! Yeah! We are hoping to move the big things in on Monday/Tuesday. I can't wait!

Moving forward and Upward...

The kids started their Upward Basketball and Cheerleading this week. Scarlett was SO excited! Of course once we walked in the doors that was a whole other story. She cried or just a minute but once she realized I was going to be sitting right there and watching her the whole time she relaxed and practiced with the girls. They were so cute and Scarlett actually had quite a loud voice! Imagine that.. my child with a loud voice, hmm, I don't know where she gets it. Ethan has his first basketball practice tonight and he is excited. At least I have had a whole month off from Taxi duty. I am so glad my kids are able to and want to play sports but occasionally it gets a little crazy around here.
Last night Scarlett got out of the bathtub and came into the kitchen like this:
You think maybe she has seen her mommy does this just a few times! We curled up on the couch in our warm comfy robes and watched Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. What fun on a cold night! There is so much fun stuff to do here in December. I was just flipping through the family magazine trying to figure out what we had time to do or at least what I could squeeze in between everything else going on.

You know I mentioned we are getting the kids a puppy for Christmas. On Thanksgiving day when the Dog Show came on TV, I find Scarlett in her daddy's arms crying that she just wants a puppy so bad! I, of course, tell her to ask Santa for a puppy and that seemed to pacify her at that time. Yesterday she came to me and was again almost in tears. She told me that if she just told Santa she wanted a puppy he wouldn't bring it and I asked "Why" she thought that. She told me she knew Santa couldn't make a puppy since it wasn't a toy so she knew he wouldn't bring it to her! I had to do some quick thinking and come up with a way that Santa could bring her a puppy!

"Flellie" our elf is doing good. He landed in the bathroom yesterday and Ethan came to me and said that "he was sorry to tell me.. but the elf was going to have to watch me pee!". Ha! I guess I should have thought that one through better! But "Flellie" is doing a great job at watching over our kids. Scarlett even made up a song called "No whining, Its Christmas". It goes on and on about how she has to be thankful and can't whine about not getting something. Great song! Hopefully I can use it in January, February, March...

That is it for our exciting week! We are off to Home Depot for one of the last times this year! YEAH!!! Not that 2009 won't be filled with many more trips, but I will be done for this year.

Have a great day!

Just another Manic Monday...

...I wish it was Sunday, that' s my fun day, my "I don't have to run day"... Okay, so maybe The Bangles said it first, but I feel like I am living it! I looked up the definition of manic. and it said in a state of MANIA! Ha! Like the State Farm commercial says, "That is SOOO where I am."

Our floors are almost finished! Yeah, I am so excited! So, do you think I can get moved, finish Christmas shopping, work way too much the next two weeks, attend Christmas parties, go to Nashville, AND do all the other day to day activities between now and December 25th????? Not to mention get a house decorated for Christmas and all the boxes unpacked??? Sounds easy, huh? Now I understand why I am in a state of mania!!! I do not like being stressed, I do not like feeling anxious or in a state of panic constantly and that is definitely where I am at. What to you do to unwind? What do you do to help you relax? I will try anything, so far nothing is working and I literally feel like I am on the verge of a panic attack every second lately. It is a very bad feeling, and a new one to me! I don't generally feel stress, so this is getting to me.

On a good note, our floors are looking great. Going from the very dark house we purchased to the nice vibrant house it is becoming, I am excited. Here is the first post I did about the "Angry Old House" and here are a few pictures from our currently "happy, newly facelifted, almost there" house.

This is where we started and sometimes when I feel down about how much more we want to do I just take a look around at all that we have done and feel really good. :) I need to go take another picture from this angle. The room looks totally different with those cabinets down and that wall removed; not to mention all the painting that was done.

This is our entry way, and a new light fixture and new door at on our list of things to get in the near future as soon as we "the rest of the things" in place. Yes, that is a basketball goal hanging from the front door. The kids had to have something to entertain themselves while we have been there working. While hubby and I have been busy working, Ethan and Scarlett have been the real troopers. They have been up there for countless hours, with nothing much to do and NEVER complained! They deserve an extra special treat.

This is looking down the hallway to the bedrooms. The blue tape will be removed. :) Everything was taped off to paint the trim. We were buying KILZ in the 5 gallon buckets! and we bought a lot of the 5 gallons buckets!

I feel like the Mastercard commerical:

Over 60 gallons of paint: $1000

New floors: $5000

Being in your "new" house for Christmas: PRICELESS!!!

SO, the next couple of weeks will be busy, busy for us, but we are working as a team and I am sure we can get it all done if we work REALLY hard! I just hope in the meantime my stress level, or panic level lowers. I wish I had a EASY button right now! or a big red panic button! :)

Hope you all have a great week! Wishing you a wonderful holiday season!