Our House At Christmas

Every year I find myself drawn to a simpler Christmas all the way around.

My mind seems so full these days-I hate that little panic feeling that can creep up--it's creeping up right now. For me, it's not getting "it" all done...I know I can eventually.  It's getting it done and enjoying doing it, instead of feeling out of sorts and frazzled.  I think it's because last week was a complete wash around here-poor Janey wasn't feeling well, and I ended up taking her in to the doctor's office-what I thought was just teething was also an ear infection.  And then the medicine I have to give her makes her have an awful stomach ache.  EEEK!   It is funny how much things change from when I had a baby nineteen years ago.  I just wanted the plain pink amoxycillin!!!, none of this fancy new stomach-ache inducing antibiotic which just trades one problem for another.  Anyways, she is feeling so much better ear-wise and finally, finally, took a good nap today.

Here is our tree in the upright position.  The needles are pouring off of it already.  Not for lack of watering, just because it was probably cut down in October.  Everything is so plain but I love it.

Winner

The winner of the Third Day Naturals give away is #16 comment:

ValerieDecember 3, 2013 at 9:45 AM

I would love to try some of these products! The scents sound yummy!

ReplyDelete

Congratulations!

Ordinary Days

I only have three photos this week, and both of them crack me up.

Andrew made this Rudolph with his Rainbow Loom!  Yes, it's completely made out of rubber bands, and has a little paperclip inside it to make it stand up.  Andrew amazes me.  He asks me first if he can go on the computer for the tutorial, and then I see him working for awhile, and then he has some new crazy bracelet, or in this case, figurine.  I really wanted him to keep it and give it to me for the tree-what a cute ornament, but he is giving it to his teacher.  He promised he would make me something later.

Speaking of the tree...

About an hour into yesterday morning, I heard a crash.  Yes!  It happened.  I put the tree up, so it's my fault.  

All I could do was laugh.  I don't know why it is so funny to me, but it just is.

I told Jeff I was thinking about leaving it like this till December 26.

It has been a doozy of a week ... Janey is cutting quite a few teeth all at once-she has been sleeping awful, short restless little bits, and I can't put her down for a second.  It has to hurt like heck, but oh these teething weeks...they aren't easy ever.

It was a scrambly-type of morning with the kids, and then this happened.

OF COURSE it happened.

When it rains it pours.

I find since I've had Janey, that my "skating through life" days (those easy, everything goes right, I'm all caught up, ahead of the game days) usually fall one after another with much less frequency than they ever have before.  Some new surprise always bursts into the scene and can throw me off kilter.

I have also found that for that reason alone, I strive more than ever to keep my life as simple as possible.

I hiked this baby back up and used a screw driver to wedge it into the stand.  Nothing was broken, mostly because there is nothing breakable on the tree.  Or in that room.  Or in the entire house.   :)

"Lay It On Me Again, Will You?"

I posted this column three years ago and thought it was worth another post.  This month can be an overwhelming time for moms, especially those with many children.  I love this little reminder...oh boy, I need it this week!  It always makes me cry-and gain some new much needed perspective.

An Erma Bombeck Column:

A young mother writes: "I know you've written before about the empty-nest syndrome -- that lonely period after the children are grown and gone. Right now, I'm up to my eyeballs in laundry and muddy boots. The baby is teething; the boys are fighting. My husband just called and said to eat without him, and I fell off my diet. Lay it on me again, will you?"

OK.

One of these days, you'll shout, "Why don't you kids grow up and act your age!"

And they will.

Or, "You guys get outside and find yourselves something to do ... and don't slam the door!"

And they won't.

You'll straighten up the boys' bedroom neat and tidy -- bumper stickers discarded, bedspread tucked and smooth, toys displayed on the shelves. Hangers in the closet. Animals caged. And you'll say out loud, "Now I want it to stay this way."

And it will.

You'll prepare a perfect dinner with a salad that hasn't been picked to death and a cake with no finger traces in the icing, and you'll say, "Now, there's a meal for company."

And you'll eat it alone.

You'll say: "I want complete privacy on the phone. No dancing around. No demolition crews. Silence! Do you hear?" And you'll have it.

No more plastic tablecloths stained with spaghetti.

No more bedspreads to protect the sofa from damp bottoms.

No more gates to stumble over at the top of the basement steps.

No more clothespins under the sofa.

No more playpens to arrange a room around.

No more anxious nights under a vaporizer tent.

No more sand on the sheets or Popeye movies in the bathrooms.

No more iron-on patches, wet, knotted shoestrings, tight boots, or rubber bands for ponytails.

Imagine. A lipstick with a point on it. No baby sitter for New Year's Eve. Washing only once a week. Seeing a steak that isn't ground. Having your teeth cleaned without a baby on your lap.

No PTA meetings.

No car pools.

No blaring radios.

No one washing her hair at 11 o'clock at night.

Having your own roll of Scotch tape.

Think about it. No more Christmas presents out of toothpicks and library paste.

No more sloppy oatmeal kisses.

No more tooth fairy.

No giggles in the dark.

No knees to heal, no responsibility.

Only a voice crying, "Why don't you grow up?"

and the silence echoing, "I did."

Third Day Naturals Giveaway

I'm hosting another give away from a sweet little company that sells beautiful soaps, balms, and lotions.
The company is called Third Day Naturals and you can read about how it was started here.  (I love reading about how someone gets an idea and has the gumption and passion to start a business.)

All of their products are high quality, hand made, and natural.

I loved trying their body butter-it's not that light fluffy sort of body butter (aka cheap)-it's very thick, long-lasting, and silky, almost like a balm, and really moisturizes well.  This jar will last me forever, because just the tiniest bit works wonderfully.  It comes if four scents-Citrus Sunshine, Lavender, Mint-Rosemary, and Vanilla.

They'd like to give away a body butter, soap, and lip balm as a little giveaway package to 1 winner.  All would be the winner's choice of scents/flavors.



Enter by leaving a comment, I will draw a winner by Saturday.  Thank you!

(If you are in need of a few gifts, they have a special- a 15% off, free shipping deal good through December  31, visit here!)

Some of Our Favorite Books

It would be impossible to name every one of them, but if you are in for someChristmas ideas, these are a few of our tried and true, mucg loved books.  Quite a few of them are activity/drawing books...sometimes I think those are best for the stages kids go through when they don't really want to pick up a big old book at the end of a school day.

Guinness World Record Books 

 Someone always gets the new year's edition under the tree.

They are filled with amazing (and gross) things.

Scribbles

My mom got this for Andrew for his birthday and he loves it.  It's a super thick book that has pages with half drawn sketches that you can finish off.

The Art Of Cartooning 

 Matt and Andrew both love this book.  

A big book and very good with step by step easy to follow instructions for the 6-12 crowd.  

Klutz Book of Paper Airplanes
 All my boys love this.  I found it on Andrew's floor one morning with about 10 airplanes laying around everywhere.  Apparently, when I thought he was snug in the bed for the night, he was up working away at aircraft.

Life Picture Puzzles 

 When you just can't eek a book out at bedtime, these are easy and fun.

Manners Can Be Fun
 I love, love, love these books-there are three of them.  Manners Can Be Fun, How To Speak Politely and Why, How To Behave and Why.  

You all know about these I'm sure.  Andrew was excited to get the newest one.
 Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hard Luck, Book 8

Childhood Of Famous Americans 

These are all really well written.  My boys really like the sports guys.  

BOB Books 

 Do you know about BOB books?  They are great for teaching reading, and building confidence.  I learned about them with my first (got them from the library) and then eventually bought them all.   They really helped each of my kids learn to read.  They start out really really slowly, with very simple pictures and lots of repetition and progress up per set.

Pendragon Series 

 Matt had read and reread this series.  Abbey and Isaac have read them all also.

Matthew who is fourteen loved this series this year:

Beyonders The Complete Set: A World Without Heroes; Seeds of Rebellion; Chasing the Prophecy

Abbey LOVED the Beacon Street Girls.  Good wholesome tweenie reading.

The same with this collection-Catwings.

The Daring Book for Girls-filled with fun activities and facts.

Matthew, my science guy, loves this collection.

Basher Science: Core Science Library

(Maybe I should read them and relearn what I never learned in any of these classes because I was too busy passing notes.)

I love the National Geographic series for kids.  ALL the books are great but these are our favorite so far.

National Geographic Kids United States Atlas

National Geographic Kids National Parks Guide U.S.A.

Here are some more of our favorite National Geographic books:

Weird But True's

Myths Busted!: Just When You Thought You Knew What You Knew...

National Geographic Kids Quiz Whiz: 1,000 Super Fun, Mind-bending, Totally Awesome Trivia Questions

This Star Wars book is SO worn out-it's been taped up quite a few times.  Patrick and Andrew love it.

Star Wars Character Encyclopedia

They also love this one:

LEGO Star Wars: The Yoda Chronicles

This year I started buying one hardcover picture book a month to freshen up my collection.   (My favorite ever is old Harry the Dirty Dog.)  On my blog's sidebar is a link to more of our favorites.

I think Santa might bring a few of these this year for Janey:

Little Golden Book Classics