Visit with Santa

Lily's last day of school before Christmas break was Friday, she only had to go for half the day. I picked her up at 11:00 and we changed clothes and headed to the mall to visit Santa. I have been very fortunate to have girls who are not terrified of the big old guy like so many I have seen in the past. Even though they may not look thrilled in some of these photos, they did like being there, and of course was smiling before and after the picture was shot.
Lily's first Christmas 2002



















2003



















Madilyn's first 2004



















2005



















2006



















And this year!!!



















Just for some laughs, I thought I'd share some funny Santa photos I got in an email the other day. Keep in mind that I do not know any of these people, so if you may be one of them please don't come after me!

Oh Christmas Tree!

I promised Catherine I would post pictures of my Christmas Tree, well here it (they) is!

I put it in the Den this year because we are about to start on our wood floors, and need the front room to put all of our crap! We had to move our love seat catiwompas, but It is growing on me that way! We are also fixin to get our new leather couches, one is already on it's way, but the other has not been shipped yet. I'm really so excited to start on the house remodeling, y'all don't even know!

The tree on my mantle was made by my Grandmother, and I have always loved it. She made it using jewelry, and it really sparkles. When my Grandaddy past away in January this was the first thing I told anyone I would like to have. I have promised my sister I will make her one, but sorry, have not done it yet, but I will!!!

Now for a little Christmas fun! I received this in an email, but thought I would like to do it this way instead! Anyone want to play along? Just leave me a comment and I will sneak a peak of your answers on your blog!

Christmas ?'s and answers!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Mostly wrapping paper, but occasionally bags if it is a hard item to wrap.

2. Tree-real or artificial? Fake! but next year when our house is finished, I would like to put the skinny fake one in the front room, for my fancy ornaments, and in the den, have a real one for the fun, family ornaments. The girls will love making some, I'm sure!

3. When do you put your Christmas tree up? I try to by the 1st of December.

4. When do you take the tree down? Depends, sometimes we go out of town right after Christmas, so in that case when ever we get back, and pretty much when I feel like it!

5. Like eggnog? NO

6. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, I have a really nice creche made by DH's Grandfather, and I have the Fontanini figures. I did not put it up this year though, do to lack of usable space.

Next year though!

7. Favorite gift received as a child? OMG we were really overloaded with toys and such when I was little, but I guess I would have to say anything put into our stockings. Me and my sister would sleep in the same room on Christmas Eve and whoever woke up first would wake up the other, it was usually 2:00 or so, and we would go out and get our stockings, go back and jump in bed, to keep warm, and dig everything out of them. Then we'd go back to sleep till morning (still dark probably around 5:00 or 6:00) then go see what else we got! Loved the stockings!!!

8. Hardest person to buy for? Any of the men in my family!!!

9. Easiest person to buy for? My girls, they love anything!

10. Worst Christmas gift? Can not think of anything!

11. Mail or email a Christmas card? Snail mail all the way.

12. Favorite Christmas movie? It's a wonderful life.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? A little all year long, just if I see something I'll go ahead and pick it up, the hard part is finding where I hid it!

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No!

15. Favortie food to eat on Christmas? Sausage balls, peanut butter balls, home made sugar cookies!

16. Clear or colored tree lights? a little of both, depends on the mood. When clear first came out in the 80's I loved them, but now when I see colored, it reminds me of when I was a kid.

17. Favorite Christmas song? Can not name just one, love them all!

18. Travel during Christmas or stay at home? Since we have young children, we do not go anywhere on Christmas Eve or Christmas day, that's our time! I don't mind if people come to our house, but I'm not going anywhere!

19. Can you name Santa's reindeer? Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comit, Cupid, Donder (No I did not spell it wrong! When the guy who first wrote the book "T'was the night before Christmas" wrote the original manuscript, it was suppose to be Donder, but over time it got changed to Donner!) and Blitzen, and of course Rudolph!

20. Angel or Star on top of the Tree? Star

21. Open presents on Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas Morning! My parents use to let us open one on Christmas Eve.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? Hectic schedules, and not enough time to relax! Oh, I almost forgot, the Bah Humbug that I married!!! Such a scrooge!

23. Do you have your Christmas dinner on the Eve or Christmas day? Christmas Day!

24. Did you get underwear as a present when you were a kid? No, I did get P.J.'s though! But my DH did and sometimes still does just as a joke.

25. What is the best Christmas present you have ever given anyone? It was a little late, but my DD Lily, she was born mid January! First Grandaughter on both sides! She was my best present that year too!

Now come on, you know you want to play!!!

Long Weekend trip up North!

Last weekend I got on a plane (all by myself) and went up North to visit DH's family. I was so excited to hear that they had a winter wonderland waiting for me!
Every year his Grandmother hosts an all girl ornament exchange. There is a different theme every year, and they draw names. I love getting into the spirit this way!
When my plane landed my DH's sisters were waiting to pick me up, then we stopped by a few stores on our way to the house.
It did not take long before we got on our snow suits and hit the hills! I thought I was gonna kill myself, but it was so much fun sledding down the big hills in the front yard. She lives on 10-12 acres, so we had many to choose from. I was a little worried about my diet, I've done really good, and have lost about 12 pounds, but well, you just can't diet while at Grandma's house! After sledding, my worries melted, as it is quite exhausting climbing back up, we took many little breaks!
I can't believe that these people have never made snow ice cream! I made some, and it was yummy! I stocked up on some good string cheese and cheese curds, had to get another carry on, but it's well worth it. Our plane was suppose to leave Tuesday, but there was a slushy storm coming through, so we got canceled, and then we left on Wednesday. Even though I missed my girls, and wished that they could have come to see so much snow, I was not too dissapointed to stay an extra day! Hee, hee!!!
Oh, I've also got some news of the mice, will have to post about that another day!

Little of this, little of that!

As I mentioned before Lily's tooth was loose, well we went out of town for Thanksgiving, and what do ya know it fell out. She was playing with Madilyn and her cousins and the adults were all in the kitchen, when I had just made my prediction, that she would probably loose the tooth before going back to school on Monday. It's funny too, cause she was eating a rice crispy treat that her daddy made, and her Mimi said she thought it would come out by getting stuck in this gooey treat. Well, not even two seconds later, we hear Lily screaming "My tooth fell out!" I go running in, and they were all running around in circles, so I said "knowbody move!"
I'll tell you those front baby teeth are just tiny! We finally found it. She was a little upset, but the water works started when she asked if it was bleeding, then she lost it. Of course the Tooth Fairy came! Man, she is quite generous these days! I only got coins when I was little. I was not prepared for her to loose it so soon, all I had was a $5 or a $50. Well, needless to say she WAS NOT gonna get $50!!!

Shortly before it fell out!















And shortly after, I had to wait for the tears to dry up!













Well, in the fall when the weather started to get cooler, I saw a little visitor in my garage one day. I had spotted him a few times, and was gonna get something to take care of it. Cute little creatures, but I DO NOT want them sharing the same roof as me! Well, life happens and time goes by very busily (word?) so I kept forgetting to get traps or those things to chase them away with some high frequency waves. Last week I had taken Jack for a walk, and came back, I was in the process of taking the garbage out for the next day's pick up, when I started to hear some major squeaking from across the garage. Of course I go to investigate, and this is what I found!














Cute little bugger huh? But as I said, I DO NOT want him in my garage! Way too close to my living space!!! He was down inside of a big garbage can that we don't really use, I don't know how he got in, but he could not jump out. There was lint in there from my dryer with a couple of pieces of paper, so I started to pull some of it out slowly with a broom stick. All of a sudden I saw two!

Then three!!!

OMG people! After freaking out (not really, I'm not scared of them, just don't want them around! I run in to get DH and the girls, of course they want to play with them, NOT DH, he feels the same as I do, well not exactly, he wants me to put traps down that smash their little heads in. Well that's just not me, as some of you already know! So what do I do?

I start to try to catch them in a smaller receptacle, a sand bucket. I will say they are smart too, two of them went right on in, the third one was a big fat pain in the ass! Stubborn little thing! would not budge! Anyhoo, I finally round them up into a small clear tote, but I did not have a lid that properly fit, so one squeezed out and got away, then another! I wasn't gonna loose them all, I put the tote back down in the big garbage can, I was gonna take them down the road and find an abandoned shack some where, so they could stay together, and keep warm, far away from me! Hubby was not happy as it took me over an hour trying to round them up in the first place. So, I put the garbage can back where it was, and put a ramp up to the top, hoping that the other two would climb in and then I can take them off. The next morning, I go out, and YES, there are two, just have to wait on the third. Well, it has now been almost a week, and that third one is still hiding out somewhere, we've seen him scooting around, so yesterday I went and bought a live trap, hopefully he will find it soon!

Two waiting for their stubborn brother (or sista)

Of course what does my DH say as soon as I lost the other two, after I tell him my plan? "Well, is there any water in there for him?" HA!!! Why yes there is, NOW, he got me thinking so I put a little dish in for him, and there was a snack bar of some sort, it had already been chewed into, I guess that's what attracted them in the first place, so I threw it back in!
Ah, this is my life!
Oh, and to all the chicks who refer to me as Snow White, Madilyn has watched Cinderella several times this week, and they have now named the mice after her friends in the movie!!!
Introducing Jaq and Gus gus!
Must be something about the Disney Princesses!!!
GO FIGURE!!!