Merry Christmas!!

Where does the time go? Lordy, I don't' know how my mom survived with a job, three toddlers and two teenagers back in the day. It's two days before Christmas and we have yet to wrap a single present OR even get our tree up!! It's so so sad. Between hospital visits, birthday parties, Christmas parties, and plays I've done very little to prepare for this wonderful holiday and it saddens me. I mean, I've only watched A Christmas Story once and haven't even touched It's a Wonderful Life! It's a crime!!

Here's what we have been doing lately:

Visiting Santa Claus!

Chuck did a painting for his dad for Christmas. It came out beautifully! Of course I forgot to take a photo of the finished product but here's the work in progress:

We celebrated Christmas a bit early with Chuck's dad since they are in Puerto Vallarta this week (lucky dogs!) Layla was actually happy that she got this Disney Princess Calendar but not that I wanted to take a picture of it.

Mia's class had a small holiday party at school. They sang Raffi's "Must Be Santa" which was awesome since when my siblings were much younger, we hear that song ad nauseum. I actually started singing along by reflex until Chuck elbowed me in the ribs. So I let the kids have the glory.

I love the snapping.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!!

I need a nap.

It's Christmas Ryan!

It's that time of year. The Christmas season is my favorite! I adore Christmas music and driving through neighborhoods looking at the lights and decorations people put up. Until recently, my favorite Christmas CD was Muppet Christmas with John Denver. It's nostalgic and wonderful. I used to put it in my walkman and fall asleep to it when I was a kid as I cuddled up to my stuffed Santa (which I still have and put out every year!) Now, my favorite, my mom's favorite, my sister Erin's favorite and my brother Ryan's least favorite in the whole world is the five CD set by Sufjan Stevens. Ryan might have liked it at first but since it has become the staple of mom's Christmas listening, he has been overwhelmed by the soothing sounds and they have become nails on a chalkboard to the poor boy. Me, I have it on repeat on my office computer and I never tire of it. How can you not love this?


Merry Christmas to all my friends, family, and internet readers!

Hi, remember me?

I'm the girl with the blog. I've been busy/lazy and not updating for - jeebus - one month! Sorry to my loyal 3 readers. Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I missed my VA family as I nommed on dry turkey and strange yellow gravy. It tasted right but looked off. However, yellow gravy does not top the myserious green potatoes of '89. I can eat yellow gravy, I could not find it within myself to sample Nana's potatoes.

In the time between now and my last blog. We've been busy! The girls enjoyed trick-or-treating very much!

We went to a neighborhood that goes all out for the holiday and though many houses scared the crap out of poor Layla, many were like this Hollywood home - very cool! There was a Wizard of Oz house that was handing out full tins of hot chocolate mix. It was a lot of fun. Although Layla still complains about the monsters to this day.

In other news, they are preparing for Santa's arrival by studying toy catalogues and asking for different things everyday. Chuck prepared by cashing in extra leave hours and buying a huge a$$ TV! I have to admit, it is an awesome television and we have enjoyed it immensly. Especially when LOTR came on this weekend and Aragon was in 42" of high def!

So, we are all still alive and well. I will leave you with a Mia-ism. Last night we were driving home from my father-in-law's and Mia asked, "Mommy & Daddy, can you get me & Layla some stock bonds?"

Anything Can Happen on Halloween!

Before Hogwarts, there was Miss Cackle's. Before Malfoy, there was Ethel. Before Snape there was Miss Hardbroom and before Harry Potter, there was Mildred Hubble - The Worst Witch. This was an HBO made for TV movie starring Fairuza Balk, Tim Curry, and the lady from Facts of Life who plays both the head mistress and her evil twin with a southern accent. See an 11 minute recap of the movie here (Megan, you must watch it!) My family watched this so many times when I was a kid and I had forgotten all about it until stumbling across a clip yesterday. It is that clip which I will post here for your viewing please and can be described only as Harry Potter on PCP.


HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Justice

When I was 5 or 6 years old my mother made us memorize If I Had A Hammer by Peter, Paul, and Mary. No, this was not as punishment. It was to be sung by us as we marched in the annual 4th of July Parade in my Grandma's neighborhood. We had sandwich board signs with lines of the chorus written on them. To this day I can sing the whole thing and I am not proud of that but it always brings me joy as the nostalgia comes rushing in.

Today Mia asked me what "justice" means. So I explained it and she was like, "how do you use it in a sentence because we sang a song about it today?" I asked what song and could she sing it and she said, "I don't remember but it's about a hammer. I hammer justice." And OH. MY. GOD. My daughter knows If I Had A Hammer.

We proceeded to belt that MFer out and as I just mentioned. I still know all of it. It was a moment very few can appreciate (hello Megan & Steve) but is the stuff of parental legend! As my cousin Shane would say, that is some justice!

P.S. I am developing quite the lyrical crush on her music teacher. She has come home singing Yellow Submarine and the theme to Happy Days. When I was a kid, I learned Hot Cross Buns on the recorder.

Foto Friday (a day late)

Happy 4th of July everyone! Hope whatever you did, you had a great time! I worked all day but I still got some awesome live music, dancing, and fireworks so I really can't complain too much. Double fun fotos today, see my girls all patriotic like.

Nostalgia

I'm sitting on the couch, watching last night's Project Runway, feeling sorry for myself for being home sick (see below.) I decided to be a bit more positive about the day and thought back to my first Valentine's Day with Chuck. I got him a first edition of a collection of short stories by Stephen King. Sounds totally unromantic but on a 15 hour drive to TX, he read the stories out loud to me as I drove. We made the entire trip without a single fight. We were young.

He got me a rocking chair. We bought it together after searching several stores. We got back to his house and unloaded it on the driveway. Then he pulled me next to him, started rocking and sang to me. I will never forget that moment, staring up at the stars with his arm around me and feeling so loved. Seven years later I still feel that loved. He sings to the girls now more than me and I hope they feel his love too. He is amazing and I so blessed to have him in my life.

Pink is the color of the day

Happy Valentine's Day! To celebrate, both girls and I are home with pink eye. Isn't that appropriate?

Someone come and chop my head off; I'm congested, coughing, and leaking from the eye. All I need is an ear infection and I'm all set.