Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Help?
Anywho, it has scabbed now, and she has a scab the size of a wonky quarter on her cheek, and I am so so so scared that it is going to leave a huge scar! How do I keep it from scarring? Any ideas? Will a rug burn even scar? I have never seen one this bad before. If it was her elbow I wouldn't care, but it is her precious little face! So far we are putting neosporin on it, and when it heals if is leaves a mark I will get some mederma for kids, but are there any other good ideas?
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Making Handmade
Getting Handmade!
It has a curtain rod so you can put it up in a doorway. The little blue curtains slide back so you can't see the puppeteer (Nat hasn't mastered that yet) and put on a show!
The Princess puppet.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Other catching up
The day after Christmas Keith had to work so the kids and I ventured out to Target to hit up the Christmas clearance. I actually saved some money aside specifically for this purpose and I am so glad I did! I got a bunch of pretty silver ornaments I had been eyeing, but wasn't going to pay full price for. I also got all of our wrapping paper for next year, and some other cute bits and bobs. I L-O-V-E getting things 50% off! I love 75% off even better, but I have to wait a few days for the prices to go that low!
Then Saturday was our last free Saturday before Keith starts the BAR BRI class (he has class 6 days a week starting the 2nd) so we headed out to Braum's for lunch. We have been wanting to try it for a long time, and it was so good! We went to the new one in Pantego and it was very nice. The burgers are delicious! The ice cream was fantastic too! After that we headed out to our favorite park for some exercise to burn off that lunch!
Now the weekend is over and class and work are looming in the near future. The next 2 months are going to be hard, but SO worth it!
The last of the Pecan Caramel Fudge sundae from Braum's. Soooooo good!
Potty Training, for realsies
Christmas Day
I was able to get one picture of the Christmas morning tree before my memory card filled up and I set my camera aside and forgot to unload the card until later in the morning. So no pictures of the unwrapping of the presents, video, but no pictures. Looks like Santa delivered! I see a Cinderella computer and a Thomas train under there!
Mom got some movies, gift cards, kitchen things (tiny ramekins to make pot pies or molten lava cake), some great storage containers for my scrapbook stuff, and the best gift? An MP3 player! Yay! We can't afford anything too fancy, but Keith found this great Phillips one that is TINY, it fits in the palm of my hand and I love it! It has video capacity and can store pictures, and is probably the most high tech thing we own, other than the wii! He totally surprised me with that one.
Brady got lots and lots of Cars Megabloks. I like them because they are Cars and he has to create with them! Lots of building going on over here!
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Monday, December 22, 2008
Seven Years

But after all that, even though we look so different, and ARE so different. We love each other still. I am happy to have been through so many fun and trying times with Keith. I couldn't have picked a better partner in crime than Keith. Happy anniversary honey, here's to 70 x 7 more wild and crazy years. I love you!
Giving Handmade
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Letters to Santa
Here are the kids letters as dictated to Keith. He wrote them down and they illustrated them too. The letters are priceless treasures! Love them!
Dear Santa,
Can you please get me a Cinderella computer? I will like a pony that's grey. I will like a Barbie, please. Will you also bring a car for Brady, and a blue slinky for Brady? That's it. Oh, and a mystery for Mommy.
Love,
Natalie
Dear Santa,
Um, I want a garbage truck. I want a big giant truck. A Thomas train. A Thomas coloring book. A Percy toy.
Love,
Brady
Luckily I am on the ball, and the kids are actually going to get what they asked for (mostly)! I think that is the best, too bad Santa gets all the credit for the really cool gifts! I am most excited for the Cinderella laptop, Natalie has been asking for one for the last 2 years, and this is finally the year. She is going to be THRILLED! Oh, and the grey pony she asked for is a stuffed one we saw at the holiday toy section in Target, I got that too. :D
Tonights nick names
Brady: Super Stinky Pants
Daddy: King Tootin-kamen
I love when my family wrestles in the living room. Those sounds of laughter are probably one of the best sounds in the whole world.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Things...
1. Got a haircut.
2. Gathered supplies for gifts for local friends.
3. Made burp rags for and attended a baby shower.
4. Finished wrapping all wrapable gifts.
5. Cleaned my sun room. Smells MUCH better.
6. Kissed Keith for cleaning the kitchen and putting new weather stripping on the front door and cleaning the kitchen and vacuuming the whole dang house and cleaning the kitchen and well, just being great! (Cheesy, I know, but he deserves some cheese for his feats this week!)
...I need to do before Christmas:
1. Go grocery shopping. Ugg. I got so excited about having only 4 mouths to feed again, that I forgot to buy more food for those mouths. So unless we want ramen for Christmas I need to brave the grocery stores.
2. Put together and deliver presents for local friends.
3. Find something CHEAP for Keith and my stockings so the kids don't think Santa forgot us! Whoops, kinda missed the ball on that one.
4. Make cookies to set out for Santa and figure out how Santa is going to get in our house. Natalie asked me about both of those things today, and since we have the fireplace all blocked off it wasn't an easy answer. I could take down the sheet, but I really really don't want to know what is back there. Anyone have any ideas on what to say that doesn't involve the uncovering of one years worth of dust and grime in our fireplace?
5. Work every night until after Christmas day. Kinda sucks, but the pay is good. :)
...I am not even trying to do before Christmas:
1. Mail faraway friends and family gifts before Christmas.
2. Mail Christmas cards. Ain't gonna happen.
3. Plan a huge, messy Christmas Eve dinner. We are thinking tortellini, zucchini, and french bread. Something yummy and easy to eat so we can all eat together in my bedroom while I work!
4. Scrub down the second bathroom. I just don't want too, and any mess will still be there after Christmas.
Oh how I love Christmastime! I really miss all my family, but the tension is starting to mount, and we are all getting so excited! Merry almost Christmas everyone!
Friday, December 19, 2008
Ouch!
Christmas things that make me happy...
1. Singing along to Christmas songs in the car anytime we go anywhere, and more specifically having the kids ask me to turn it up when "Feliz Navidad" comes on the radio, and then having both of them continue to sing along. I am pretty sure Brady singing "Fleece Nadidad" is pretty much one of the cutest things ever.
2. Drinking lots and lots of hot cocoa. Yummy.
3. Taking one night to bundle up in jammies and drive around to see Christmas lights. We went to Interlochen (drive west on Randol Mill and you run right into it) on Wednesday night and it was way better than last year. The kids love love LOVED it and it's free! Woot!
4. Lots of fun mail, from Christmas cards to packages.
5. Pretty packages all wrapped up under the tree.
6. Watching the kids pick out presents for each other. They did so good this year, I can't wait for them to give them on Christmas morning. I hope they can keep them a secret that long!
7. Christmas crafting. I have so many pictures and things that the kids and I have made or Natalie has come home with from school. It's fun and we haven't even done anything really elaborate, just lots of foam sticker art and drawing, but they love it so much, and it really makes me happy!
8. Sleeping in. Not really a Christmas thing, but DANG! The kids have been sleeping in till at least 8 every morning, and it is really, really nice!
I am sure I will think of many more once I post this, too many good things right now! Not the worst thing in the world, that is for sure. Here's to wishing you all some happy, fun Christmas activities!
Thursday, December 18, 2008
What the heck?
I am just not sure how December slipped through my grasp. Maybe it has something to do with all the boarders and visitors we have had. Yeah, I think I will take the easy way out and blame those boys, lol, since they can't defend themselves. It WAS pretty crowded/uninhabitable out in my craft room what with all the boxes and laundry and stinky socks (yet we still miss them, I have no idea why!). So anywho. Needless to say I am NOT ready for Christmas to be in less than a week. I have some serious work to do, but I gotta say there are worse things to be doing than making presents for people. I do so love Christmastime!
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Breakfast for 2
Catching up: part 2
Catching up: part 1
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
In other news
Date night
We saw Twilight, and I have to say I really liked it. It was nice to go with someone who hasn't read the books because he was totally unbiased on the movie. Keith agreed with me that it was semi-cheesy, but he liked it. And I have to say that even after watching the movie, I am still not a fan of Edward, I am more of a Jacob girl! Even though he was only in the movie for a few minutes, I like him better! And we also got a kick out of all the crazy eyes people kept giving to each other. And MAN were Jacob's teeth white or what? And WOW Jessica was annoying!
After that we were going to walk around Arlington Highlands and window shop, but um...it was FREEZING! So we headed over to Target and we are now officially done with the Christmas shopping. How nice to have that finished!
I love date nights because after such a hectic and crazy 2 weeks it was so nice to have time to reconnect, even if we thought we were going to die driving home on the ice with all the inexperienced we-think-we-can-still-drive-fast drivers braving the icy roads!
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Gingerbread Houses!
One of Keith's childhood Christmas memories was making real gingerbread houses every single year. Lorraine makes the gingerbread and everything! I have never (at least to my knowledge) made a real gingerbread house. Ours always consisted of graham crackers and frosting, and were just as fun, just not authentic. Needless to say I was pretty dang excited to make my very own this year! Lorraine brought all the pieces and candy with her stored safely in her bag and every single bit made it here in one piece! We had a lot of fun, and they turned out so cute. The kids loved the candy part of course, and sneaking the treats was a big hit.
Getting set up and eying the candy.
Super sweet, when she wants to be. She is my Sassy Pants these last few days, but she is still our lovey girl!
Man, I love this little monkey man.
You don't even want to know how awesome Lorraine's house was. It doesn't hurt that she has been making them every year for the last 30+ years! I don't have a picture of hers though because our apartment was too hot, it was melting!
Natalie went to town with the candy! Keith said that is what he did as a child because you got to eat your house, so whatever you could fit on it was all yours!
Mine! My very first! I like my Golden Graham roof.
Such a fun time, and I hope we can start doing it every year, as long as Grandma Lorraine comes out and brings the supplies! LOL! But it was very nice, and I loved seeing Keith do something that he has been doing for years. He is a pro!