Saturday evening we headed to Windsor for the Christmas service and then on to Chesterfield Mall. We visited Jeff's parents at their See's candy stand (not sure WHY I didn't get a pic of them in their cute outfits!) and then to a yummy dinner at The Cheesecake Factory. When we visit this mall, Ry always requests multiple rides on the carousel...tonight he got that wish!

Jeff supervising the ride...we were a little leary of Julia's tummy being upset (notice she has already been changed into jammies due to explosive diaper!), but when he tried to take her out of this spinning cup, she screamed to get back in!

And another video of our shy little boy. HA.

Oh, Christmas Tree!

We decided to allow Ryan to have a tree in his room this year. (This is actually the one I had in my room growing up..you know, the tree you get to put all your "crazy" ornaments on so that mom could have her "pretty" one?) I promise this started out in the shape of a tree. But Ry sometimes moves the ornaments and beads around, and it's morphed shape a bit. But he's having fun with it! (The ornaments were a craft project one afternoon).

Last night my GREAT friend Emily offered to babysit the kids so we could have a "date night." (THANK YOU, EMILY!!) We stopped in Borders and I found this tree, and just KNEW it belonged in Julia's room. Don't you think?

Preschool Christmas Parties

Julia enjoys her party -- and the sprinkle and chocolate covered rice crispies! What more could a girl want?

Hanging with her friends. Her "boyfriend" Asher is seated to the right of her.

Ryan is excited to open his present from the gift exchange.

Charlie runs over to show Ryan what he got, and Ry shares his goods with Charlie.

Frosty Day

It's a "Frosty" kind of day here..not enough snow on the ground to actually make a snowman. (Unless you are my friend Melissa). But enough to get Julia excited to say "nnoooww! Look, Mommy - nnoowww!"

We decide to make pancakes that look like Frosty the Snowman for breakfast. Julia is eager, as usual, to help!

Ry is most excited about the chocolate chip eyes, nose and mouth on his "Frosty pancake"! (That's my boy!!)

Yumm!

My Grandma Schuette makes the BEST pancakes. I have tried and tried to duplicate these, and just haven't been able to do so. Today's treat actually came close, but still not the "real deal." Grandma puts Crisco (which I refuse to bring myself to do) in the bottom of a skillet heated to 350 degrees, and uses a box mix that you simply add water..and add water she does! This depression-era lady actually adds over twice as much water as the box calls for, so the pancakes are a beautiful runny thin, and perfect crispy on the edges (thank you, Crisco!). Well, I recently noticed that Smart Balance Omega came out with a blend of canola, soy & olive oils, and I tried that this AM...I think we are getting closer to pancakes like grandma!

Irony

Today I found myself in the tax assessor's office to appeal our taxes yet again. (Actually, to appeal the fact that they denied our last appeal..Merry Christmas to us. Grr!). As I am standing at the counter at the mercy of the very nice, albeit uninformed clerk, I glance down to see a mug full of these nail files. I had to laugh (it was that or cry and I thought the latter might be too embarrassing) at the appropriateness. I am not personally a nail biter, although I can imagine anyone who has a tendency for this habit would surely cave in this office. No worries, you might be paying over $6,000 in property taxes each year, but your lovely assessor will be providing you with a file for the nail biting this will lead to when they tell you "tough luck" as they remind you this number will change yet again next year, when the multiplier goes into effect. (Whatever that is!)
So, I will try and not remind myself of the fantastic vacation we could take as I write out that check, or the fact if we threw it into the college fund in another 14 years when Ry is ready to attend it might actually pay for a nice chunk of tuition $$!

Time for a change

Friday night, I returned home from my tennis Christmas dinner to walk in the door and find my husband with the vacuum in his hand, the washing machine/dryer and dishwasher running. GASP! As soon as I lifted my jaw up off the floor and recovered from the awe, I asked "WHERE has my husband gone, and who are you?"

And you know what he said to that? "He ran away with his wife that used to clean!" More GASP! And, sadly, true!

We have been so busy around here with all the fun Christmas activities that I have admittedly, let things slip around here...ok, or more than a little. Here is a little list I have made of things gone awry around here...when they start happening around your house, make a note to get cleaning, or your husband might take off too! =)

You know it is time to really clean when:
10) It is necessary to do a load of laundry so that the children have clean socks for the day.
9) You couldn't host a dinner party if you wanted to; the dining room table is now home to Christmas platters without "homes" and children's clothing/shoes waiting to be listed on Ebay.
8) You have started buying more containers, because somehow it seems if the mess is "contained" it seems nicer...and then those containers overflow and you lay the extras next to them.
7) The fingerprints on the television screen are getting really annoying.
6) The lazy-susan won't turn anymore.
5) You can't squeeze even another paper towel into the trash can.
4) A Julia has visited your restroom. (See previous post).
3) When you tell the kids it's time to make the beds they respond, "Make the beds???" as if they don't have the slightest idea what that means.
2) You must call your cordless telephones from your cell phone to find them.
1) And lastly, when you do pull out the vacuum, your son asks, "Who is coming over, Mommy?"
0) And when you go to put the vacuum back in the closet, apparently "settling" has occurred because it just won't fit!

(Which, I might add, I was shocked by that last one...I seriously do have a love affair with my consumer reports award-winning vacuum and therefore use it crazy often. If you are in the market for a new one..check it out. You will be excited to tackle this chore..yes, that is possible!).

So, tomorrow...planning for a jammie day around here...and a cleaning/organizational overhaul! (Mondays are usually just laundry day...guess we'll get a little crazy around here..watch out. HA).

Breakfast With Santa

This morning we had breakfast, watched a puppet show (sort of..as best you can with a 1 and 3 yr old!) and had another opportunity to visit Santa this year. Ryan's list has stayed the same: "GeoTrax kinda like Jake, GeoTrax mountain, and Spiderman bike." Julia is warming up just a tiny bit- meaning she will stand close to him without screaming (it might have helped some he had candy!), which I am classifying as a large accomplishment!

Uhhoooo!

This is something you just don't want to see when a Julia lives in your house.

Because this is what it means.

Our guilty pretzel/cigar smoking convict (with her dolly accomplice)!

Gingerbread Houses

Aunt Krista shows the kids a photo of a gingerbread house on the computer, as it has occurred to us that they all probably aren't sure what this project is we are making today! =)

Julia shows us her full tooth grin!

Julia takes a break from diving in to eat a piece of candy.

Tyler joins in on chomping down some candy...the best part of this project, in his opinion!

Oh, this is more fun than painting!

Julia concentrates on placing an M&M on her roof.

Taaa Daaa!

"Can I eat it now?" Ryan asks.

Fun with wrapping paper rolls

A visit from the greats!

Julia is happy to see that Great-grandma Schuette is visiting when she wakes from her nap! Mmmm! (Kiss!)

And one for Great papa too!

The kids wear grandpa out with this game!

And taking a little "breather" before they leave. Ryan said he didn't want to be in any more photos. =)

After preschool play

There was another little "warm front" (if you can call weather in the 50's that!) that came through this afternoon. Of course, the kids (or Ryan, rather) use any excuse they can get to not have to take naps/quiet time, so I let them outside for about 10 minutes after school.

Ry has asked (a zillion times now) for a Spiderman bike kinda like this one (this is his friend Nicolas') for Christmas. He takes this one out for a spin to practice on something other than his tricycle (which Julia has claimed this afternoon!).

And the princess must try on her glass slipper when we come inside. The other one is missing...really! I can't figure out where it could be, but it doesn't seem to bother her to just have one shoe on.

I love sleep!

This morning around 5:30 Julia cried out. Jeff's alarm clock had gone off about 60 seconds (and he naturally hit the snooze button) prior to her cry. Being the common-sense driven wife I am, I kicked him. (I mean, he was going to have to get up anyways, right?). Everyone knows this is the sign for "your turn!" He acted like he'd fallen in a deep deep sleep in that minute time. Grrr! So I go in to find her soaked (leaking diaper, grrrr!!) and do a quick jammie and crib sheet and blanket change. On my way out the door, she says "Thank you, Mommy." I don't respond (trying not to stimulate her too much, God forid she not fall back asleep!!!), so she yells this same thing louder. When I get back to our room, Jeff rolls over and says, "Did she just say Thank you?" Augh..my FAKER is caught!

About 10 minutes later Jeff gets in the shower, and I have just fallen back asleep when Ryan cries out. (Don't these children understand I need my sleep!?!) I go running in to find him soaked as well. Grrr. I am not sure what was happening here (or what we drank last night!?!)...he usually doesn't even have an accident at night, let alone enough to go through an entire diaper!

So, by 6:15 am, I've got two complete bedding and jammie changes under my belt, not to mention a load already running in the washing machine. That's a feeling of, uh, accomplishment...I guess?!

Phone Conversation with Daddy

Daddy has been out of town all week for work. Last night, we were in the car (I had tennis league and the kids played at Aunt Krista's house -- thanks, Krista!) on the way home and we decided to call daddy. I was surprised at our nonverbal little guy how LONG he hogged the telephone! Here is about how the part I heard went:

Ry: Hi, Daddy! Where are you sleeping?
(At this moment, I decided I was very glad he wasn't having this conversation in public: I can only think of how I might have judged had I heard a child talking to his parent on the telephone asking that question!)

Oh, are you in York City?

Silly, Daddy! You are a silly goose!
(I later learned that Jeff told Ry that his hotel had a kitchen and stairs in his room...Ry thought this was outlandish, apparently, as he told me later "isn't that crazy, silly daddy said he has a kitchen by his bed!?")

Oh, I want you to come to my house.

You need to sleep at my house!

Oh. Ok. You bringing me home GeoTrax?
(Maybe it was a mistake his last trip Jeff caved and brought him home a train...this is apparently an expectation now.)

A GeoTrax, Daddy! Like Jake's. And track for Eric to drive on.
(I also learned this week that Eric is one of the Geo characters. I learned this when Ry kept insisting to me he wanted Eric to come play at our house and I was trying to figure out who Eric was..he finally told me he saw him on TV and he drives a Geo train.)

Oh. (in a letdown sort of tone).

Oh, yeah, I like candy, Daddy! Yea!

So, I am expecting Jeff to walk in the door any minute now...with some candy. =)

Until then, I need to work on finishing up dinner!

Playdate Wednesday

Julia had a blast with our art project today: painting. We have this book that is a "paint with water" book, which she loves, and I love since it is a very "clean" way for the kids to paint. Also, a thumbs up that it is non-toxic...want to know how I know? I looked over and she was drinking from the water cup she was dipping her brush in. YIKES! So we checked that out..sure hope she wakes up from her nap okay today! =)
Oh...and yes, she is still in jammies at noon. It's one of those days! Gotta love it!

Izzy came over again today for some playtime. I think it's almost easier with her here to play with him...I can sure get some stuff done since he has a playmate (Hello, laundry!)! And I must play "referee" so much less than when he and Julia play together! A fun day for all of us!

They played dinosaurs, painted, house (a new one for Ry!), construction vehicles and of course, trains. Here they are building the "longest track ever"...I think they still have a little ways to go. =)