Merry Christmas...

...from our house to yours! 

Here's an out take that I couldn't resist posting.  We tried getting our beloved Curtis and Macy in the picture too...Curtis wasn't having it.

Postponed

My princess was up this morning at quarter to three with an earache.  I took her temp and she wasn't running one.  She's been dealing with one sickness after another.  I went back and forth with myself in my head about calling the hospital and telling them she wouldn't be in today.  I ended up deciding to go ahead and take her in just in case.  The end result: We are home, my princess is still sleeping, and she still has those pesky tonsils of hers.  Yep, surgery was a no go today.  They sent us home with instructions for her to get better and reschedule.  I am all for the get better part.  Not too thrilled about the whole reschedule...preparation and waiting.  I had a good cry when we got back out to the parking lot and then again after I got my princess resting comfortably in her bed.  I know it's God's perfect timing...and today just wasn't the day.  This Mommy just wants her baby to finally feel good again.

"Sergaree"

My princess is a planner, list maker just like myself.  So, when I came across this bag sitting by her bedroom door, it made me proud.  Tomorrow is her big day...she is saying "good-bye" forever to her tonsils.  Little by little, I have been giving her a heads up on what to expect and what is going to happen so she is a bit more comfortable and not so nervous that day.  Well, I told her on Tuesday, after talking to the surgery department, about a list of things she could bring.  She was very excited to find that she can come in her pj's, bring a stuffed animal, and pack her own special blanket...anything to help her through.  She found a gift bag, labeled it, and began to check things off her list.  She seems to be doing a lot better with the idea....and Mommy just can't wait until it's all over.

Gifts in a Jar

This year, the kids decided they wanted to make their teachers something for Christmas.  Last year we made Kait's teacher a gift in a mug.  This year, we went bigger and used a jar.  It was a lot of fun and made me wonder why we don't give these more often to more people.  I got the quart jars on clearance at Walmart and then just had to buy the M&M's and ribbon...we had the rest on hand.  Fun, fun!

Wordless Wednesday - Our Tree

Sweet Traditions

The older the kids get, the more fun it is to make our own Christmas traditions.  Here are a few of the "sweet" ones:

Countdown Kisses: I got this idea two years ago.  All you need is saran wrap, curling ribbon, and kisses (we, I mean I, decided on the mint Hershey's kisses this year...more on that further down).  We take three kisses (one for each kid) tie it off on both ends to make a little pouch and continue on down 24 more times.  Then we hang it up in our living room and each day the kids take turn cutting a pouch off...a sweet reminder of what is coming up.  This year, the last two days (for Christmas Eve and Christmas) we put six kisses in each pouch to share with cousins we will be spending time with in Michigan!

Christmas Cookie:  We love baking rolled sugar cookies and a few other festive cookies around this time of year.  We have already make and decorated cookies in the shapes of stars, Christmas trees, and gingerbread men.  In years past, we have also made peanut butter blossoms...but with my guilty obsession this year with the mint kisses I decided to incorporate those instead of the regular chocolate kisses.  This time I used a sugar cookie type dough, baked that, and then pressed the mint kiss in to each cookie.  I think next time, I will use a chocolate cookie dough for the ultimate guilty pleasure!

Lifesaver Christmas Story Book: Every single one of my childhood Christmas memories includes a Lifesaver Christmas Story Book...and I have passed down the tradition to my kids.  I don't know what it is about them...maybe purely just because I had one in my stocking every year as a kid...but they are very special to me...and my kids will get one every year.  This year, thanks to my parents, one will be waiting in their stockings Christmas morning at Gammy and Poppy's house!

Fruit snacks...

I was quite humored the other night while talking to my princess.  She began to inform me about a very close friend she has at school.  His name is Eric.  I began asking questions about her friend and her answers cracked me up.  I first asked her what he looked like.  She said that he has black hair and brown eyes...and big nostrils that he can fit a fruit snack in.  She was pretty impressed by this and began trying to show me with her own nose just how big his nostrils are (and yes, she used the word nostrils).  You have to go big to impress my little girl.  You can be the fastest, smartest kid in the class...but if you can't fit a fruit snack in your nostril you are out of the running.  Way to go, Eric, in my little girl's book you are number one for that fruit snack trick of yours.