Merry Christmas - guess what - Baby Jesus is here!

Well, just about Happy New Year!

This year I feel successful ... my son walked up to the church ready to put on his shepherd's costume and saw Baby Jesus in the outside nativity. He just took off, running wildly up to the scene, calling out "Mommy baby Jesus us here! Baby Jesus is here!" His voice was the joyous peel of the bells celebrating that miraculous birth! And although he is still quite excited about Santa, I am overjoyed that he is also aware that the tiny Christ child is so important.

Also, I must apologize to the other people at church. I was one of those awful mothers that took sick children to church that evening - two of my children were in the Christmas program. Well, it turned out to be a wonderful gift to me, I hope it didn't impact anyone else.

We did no crafts, although we certainly made some food! After going to a Christmas Cultures around the World Celebration, we were thrilled to hear about some Scilian traditions we tried to incorporate into our own Christmas Eve. We ended up having way too much food.

Merry Christmas

Well, I have arrived in that classic position of mother frantic the day before Christmas. I finally finished my son's shepherd costume. Very simple, but made with much fanfare to show how proud we are of him and how special his role is. My daughter's angel costume was repaired from a year's use as dress up clothing. And now, I am attempting to finish a dress for her for tongiht's Christmas mass. We'll see.

We have relatives visiting, the kids are all thrilled, they were counting minutes, looking out the front window waiting for their Grandma and Aunt to arrive! Their idea of a long time involves many trips to the clock counting minutes.

I lost the box meant to send to my neice and nefew, so they will have a belated Christmas box coming in the mail. I remember that happening to us and just being overjoyed to hear there was one more gift!

I hear little feet! Have a wonderful Christmas - a joyous celebration and a miraculous Love that spans time.

All my Love,
Nicole

Happy Birthday Bro!

Today is my brother's birthday! Yeah. Instead of Birthday Cake, we will be having birthday Pie! (Apple Pie). Only an adult would be so crazy as to give up cake for anything, according to the kids. So, we celebrate in a crazy way! Who wants ice cream with their pie?

My brother is a great guy who loves and plays with the kids, is fun to be around and we all love him! Happy Birthday!

Thanksgiving Day

I am of the opinion that turkey guidelines exist soley to make a fool out of the guided. My turkey was a good hour after I had said dinner was to be. Hmmph. I guess that pop up button really was correct.

The kids had a blast. We made the day a memory day. They started out watching us put in the turkey (24 pounds). They traced each others hands on paper (while I did kitchen things), then both helped to trace mine. They wrote cards on what everyone was thankful for. As this was phonetic spelling, it was hilarious reading among the adults. They played outside with Grandpa, running and yelling for tag, swings and kick ball. Back inside they set up the children's Christmas tree with their uncle (Grandpa had some time off) and hung toys as ornaments on the tree. With a hour or so before dinner, the older two sat down and made place cards for each person with folded index cards and clip art they colored. They loved deciding who sat where. My daughter had a special prayer from school that she read and we said grace as well. After dinner and a walk down the street with the Grandparents, we wrote our letters to Santa Claus. We looked at last year's Christmas book and built snowmen with white & black felt pieces.

Only now I think I didn't get pictures.

Where the Dinosaurs Went

This morning, we have two down with sneezing and coughing. So oatmeal is on the menu. My son LOVES the dinosaur outmeal. I caught my husband explaining that there aren't any dinasaurs because we eat all their eggs in cereal. Poor kid - he is already used to that humor and told him that the eggs weren't dinosaurs they were food.

Love it! Dover Publications Free Sample

Before you think I am advertising for Dover, finish this post.

At the Dover Publications website (the little books at Cracker Barrel), they have a link to sign up for Free sample emails. I did that thinking I was going to get out of it the first email they sent, but I have found that I love them! I have printed out appropriate holiday coloring sheets and event little ones for welcome bags for hotel visitors. I am not comitting to a whole booklet of activities and the kids are so excited by the surprise. And of course, it is free. Yeah.

Thanksgiving Cards Today

I found some clipart that made good coloring items. The two older kids colored and cut them out and glued them to folded paper. We didn't have to do any more than 2 as there isn't the expectation like Christmas for cards for everyone. They finished their one card each and practiced cutting as well. On the back were the requisite Hand outline turkeys I remember from my school days. Their cousins will get a kick out of seeing the cards and comparing handprint sizes.

My mom and I are thinking about what to make for Thanksgiving. We had a menu from the Entrees Made Easy store, which all sounded great, but my husband cringes at the thought of anything less than a whole big turkey. And what do they do with the rest of the turkey anyway? Hot dogs?

Brr! 60F

Today is so cold - high in the 60's - that I had to send out my daughter with heavy tights. Do we live in Florida or what? She had a sweater and still was shivering on her way to school. My relatives in Minnesota should be laughing at us about now.

With my mother come to visit, I will be able to accomplish a little more with a lot less stress. Although it does serve to show me where my shortfalls are. (and there are many shortfalls).
We are looking forward to a busy week of setting plans for the holidays together, cooking lists, events, presents. It seems to me that things just seem more fun with soemone else here.

Spelling Test

Wow, just when I thought it was going to be a long night of drudgery, my girl comes home with a great spelling test. Thank goodness! Now we can work on new words. Yeah!

They are all running outside to play, it is just warm, perfect weather for swinging and running around on the grass.

Pulling up Pictures

We spent some time at Walt Disney World for a weekend. Talk about a busy place! With the slower mindset, we did all right. We also had the benefit of borrowing my friend's stroller. Instead of our way old one, we road tripped with the new Phil & Ted's double stroller. That was awesome! The second seat is removeable and it looks just like a great stroller. I noticed that we weren't the only ones toting the trendy trekker. I would be paranoid that someone would steal our stroller. Next time (if there is one) I think I would rent the ones they have there for $20 per day for the double stroller. It is molded plastic, but is serviceable and generous in size. You can also retain your receipt and get a new one if you misplace yours, or go to another park.

Oh, to note, we wiped off food from that Phil & Ted stroller! Fabulous!

Off to pickup at school!

Crisis Averted

Well, that was happy crying. If that makes any sense. Sometimes I have a hard time determining whether his cry is a cry or a laugh. This time a laugh.


The baby loves to slide down the little slides in our yard. With his big sister watching it went from fun to really funny. So he spent some time just laughing instead of sliding.

Starting Christmas Preparation

We had some crafts that I got on sale last year at Michaels, so the kids used watercolors to paint them. They were very happy and with the watercolors we didn't have the muddy black pianted ornaments that we gave out last Christmas. (Yeah!)

I know it seems early, but we won't be doing the present pile Christmas morning. We will be enjoying the season for the things that we do together. Sounds a little smug, I am sure, but we're giving it a shot now.

I'm listening to my seven year old, eating a chocolate covered cupcake. Perfect little chatty girl.

Hmm. I hear crying now.

How did this happen?

Hi there. Yikes, I am suddenly in charge of little ones. Suddenly made have been over 7 years, but if you remember how fast those first three days of 24 hour care for you and baby went, you know what you're in for!

Today I went outside with all three to push them on the swings. Only to find two swings needed to be reattached. So we pushed the littlest one together, then kicked a soccer ball around.

I know there are a lot of things to do inside the house, but it seemed urgent to share such a beautiful day with them.

Ultimately I think I spent 20 minutes, but they really enjoyed it. And so did I. They are all precious - from my mom, my daughter was the first one, there is nothing like the first, my son is the sweet one, just smiles from early on so sweet that one, and the third is our one that almost wasn't and will be special always for that.