Christmas Tour of Homes

Isn't it funny how things go unnoticed until you see them in pictures. Here's our front door with the droopy garland. I could have fixed it and posted a new picture, but that wouldn't be keepin it real so I'll just fix it as soon as the tree is centered with the window. HA!



Go here to see the fabulous homes in the Nestor tour of homes. I've so enjoyed seeing all of the decorations. I love to decorate for the holidays and this year we added a few new things around the house. We don't have a chimney so the stockings have always been on the entertainment center. This year they were hung with care on the wall. I picked up this stocking holder after Christmas last year.

My MIL got me these presents a few years ago and I love them. They sit on an end table in the living room with this little sign.


I painted these Naughty/Nice canvases last year when I was into arts and crafts.

Here's a quick glance of a few more things from the kitchen and living room.

The Commander's grandmother gave each of us these 14K gold personalized ornaments and I LOVE them.

She's hosted a Christmas Eve party at her house for as long as I've known the Commander. Friends of the family always stop by after having Christmas with their own families so it gets BIG. It has always been one of the holiday highlights. It will be bitter/sweet this year. She passed away this week and we will miss her dearly.

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6

Dear Santa,

I've been a good mom all year.

I've fed, cleaned, and cuddled my three children on demand, visited the doctor's office more than my doctor, sold sixty-two cases of candy bars to raise money to plant a shade tree in the school playground, and figured out how to attach nine patches onto my daughter's girl scout sash with staples and a glue gun.

I was hoping you could spread my list out over several Christmas', since I had to write this one with my son's red crayon, on the back of a receipt in the laundry room between cycles, and who knows when I'll find anymore free time in the next eighteen years.

Here are my Christmas wishes:

I'd like a pair of legs that don't ache after a day of chasing kids (in any color, except purple, which I already have) and arms that don't flap in the breeze, but are strong enough to carry a screaming toddler out of the candy aisle in the grocery store. I'd also like a waist, since I lost mine somewhere in the seventh month of my last pregnancy.

If you're hauling big ticket items this year, I'd like a car with fingerprint resistant windows and a radio that only plays adult music; a television that doesn't broadcast any programs containing talking animals; and a refrigerator with a secret compartment behind the crisper where I can hide to talk on the phone.

On the practical side, I could use a talking daughter doll that says, "Yes, Mommy" to boost my parental confidence, along with one potty-trained toddler, two kids who don't fight, and three pairs of jeans that zip all the way up without the use of power tools.

I could also use a recording of Tibetan monks chanting, "Don't eat in the living room" and "Take your hands off your sister", because my voice seems to be out of my children's hearing range and can only be heard by the dog.

And please, don't forget the Play-Doh Travel Pack, the hottest stocking stuffer this year for mothers of preschoolers. It comes in three fluorescent colors guaranteed to crumble on any carpet and make the In-laws' house seem just like home.

If it's too late to find any of these products, I'd settle for enough time to brush my teeth and comb my hair in the same morning, or the luxury of eating food warmer than room temperature without it being served in a Styrofoam container.

If you don't mind, I could also use a few Christmas miracles to brighten the holiday season. Would it be too much trouble to declare ketchup a vegetable? It will clear my conscience immensely. It would be helpful if you could coerce my children to help around the house without demanding payment as if they were the bosses of an organized crime family; or if my toddler didn't look so cute sneaking downstairs to eat contraband ice-cream in his pajamas at midnight.

Well, Santa, the buzzer on the dryer is ringing and my son saw my feet under the laundry room door and wants his crayon back. Have a safe trip and remember to leave your wet boots by the chimney and come in and dry off by the fire so you don't catch cold.
Help yourself to cookies on the table, but don't eat too many or leave crumbs on the carpet.

Oh, and one more thing Santa; you can cancel all my requests if you can keep my children young enough to believe in you.

(by Debbie Farmer)

I'm going to participate in the tour of homes soon.
Must.Take.Pictures! In the mean time, I had to pass this along from The Little Ladies. Thanks for the laughs.

Loads of Fun.

We had a wagon themed party yesterday for the Wild Thing. To say he likes cake is an understatement. Video to come soon.
Everything was going swell until I went to pick up the cake. I ordered red and white presents with black accents to go in the back of the wagon. I think my jaw dropped when I saw this. Cute yes, but it matched NOTHING!

The cake decorator originally said she misunderstood and had 9 cakes for that day so she wouldn't be able to fix it.
I brought it home and decided to to call the manager. He pulled the order and told me to bring it back and they would fix me another one. At least they came through for me, my blood pressure lowered, and we were able to celebrate with this.

We stayed inside because it was cold and rainy, but the kids still enjoyed wagon rides through the kitchen and around the living room.

The preschooler helped open the presents and he LOVED it!

My baby turned ONE! How did that happen so fast?

Letters to Santa

Dear Santa,
I've been really good this year. I have a laundry list of items for you to bring me. I even want the truck that advertises shipping on the back of the Bed, Bath, and Beyond ad. Please be sure to bring a fire station with a pole, a blue robot, a transformer, an ice cream maker and a girl gift to give to Emmalyn.
Can I sit right here all day? We have lots to discuss and I want to hear all about the North Pole. You're my best friend, Santa.



Love,
The Preschooler


Dear Santa,
I don't like you. I would prefer that you NOT come to my house, but if you insist could I have some hair, my four top teeth, and maybe a toy or two? There must be some magic to you because I can't quit staring at you.


Sincerely,
Wild Thing.

Elfira.

Blog world, meet Elfira. Elfira, meet the blog world.

This introduction calls for a celebration. Now put your hands together for an 80s classic.

Elfira has done some mischievous things since he flew into our lives this Christmas season.
*He wadded up the Sunday paper and left it in the kitchen floor.
*He poured flour on the kitchen cabinets
*He eats cheerios from our Christmas dishes.
*He hides and hangs upside down in all sorts of places.
*He confiscated the Wild Thing's pacifier.
*He reports to the big guy every night on the acts of the Preschooler so the preschooler is acting angelic as a result.
We don't know what else he has in store for us, but we kind of like him anyway.

Christmas Goods.

There are a few more things I do indeed like about Christmas so I couldn't keep the grump post up any longer.
The preschooler makes a pretty tasty Rice Krispy treat.

If you come over then I'll serve one up on my Grandmother's Christmas dishes that were passed on to me.


Now bring on the Christmas cards.

BAH HUMBUG...to the retail side of Christmas.

If you have your Christmas music playing in the background and are feeling extra special this morning, then let me take this moment to proclaim my Debbie Downer Disclosure that you should stop reading now.
There are many things about this holiday season that I love.
* I enjoy the decorations. I like decorations in my house and enjoy seeing them everywhere else. The Commander might tell you this is not in fact true. He over heard a few words that are not appropriate for a preschooler's innocent ears. Those words typically only come out around this time of year when garland is involved. Once it is up, I enjoy admiring it until Jan 2 when it all comes down which brings me to my second point.
* All this work is put into rushing around for the perfect gift, hanging ornaments so the tree is evenly dispersed, and wrapping presents like a mad woman to get them under the tree and then in a split second it's over. Every year it is stated that we will open gifts one person at a time, but then the madness begins and it seems as though paper is flying then it's over. I leave never knowing who got what and because this is my blog, right now, I can make it about me.
* I'm good with the Jesus side of Christmas. My good friend, Self taught Stylist, and I were always in the church's living Christmas tree and it was fun. I can't sing a note in tune, but the people were always nice and the music uplifting so I enjoyed being a part of it. (Self Taught Stylist refuses to blog, but you would love her). I never joined the Living Christmas Tree from my college church, but they had flying angels and all. It was a big production.
*People get all crazy this time of year. The Commander and I overheard two ladies yelling at each other from their vehicles over a parking spot. Really? I wanted to yell "You are fighting over a parking spot!". "In the big scheme of life, is it really that important?" I thought they both might attack me so thought it best to keep walking.
**(I have to talk myself down from these types of situations all the time when it comes to driving and remind myself about the insignificance of the issue at hand.)
I had to go to the mall yesterday for ONE item that was left out of my bag. The store was kind enough to replace it for me, but it was absolute MADNESS. The kiosk workers in the mall are just trying to pay their bills like any of us, but I really don't want them asking me to straighten my hair every time I walk by. I also don't want to try the lotion or put on a pony tail extension. Gross. They seem to go out of their way to get your attention especially if you are intentionally not making eye contact or talking on your phone. NO THANK YOU.
* I do like the "magic" of Christmas for kids. We have an Elf on the Shelf, Elfira, who does mischievous things. I'm OK with taking the kids to sit on Santa's lap in hopes they will not be traumatized by it. I enjoy having the yearly Santa pictures displayed. However, the germophobe that I am always hopes that Santa sanitizes his hands between visits.
I don't like the expensive packages required if you want Santa pictures. Our fancy outdoor mall allows you to use your own camera so we usually venture up there to see him. I haven't done that this year due to my lingering bah humbug spirit.
*I shop early to avoid the chaos of the stores, but this year I had a few gifts left to purchase after the arrival of evil Friday. I lose things when I'm rushing around like a chicken. I inadvertently threw away two gifts. That's right..in the trash! That's the only explanation since I have searched high and low for them. I have been known to find missing things in the trash, but these got away. Did you see the red food processor and hand mixer in the Wal Mart ad for $4 each? Well, I wanted them for me and now they are gone! Thankfully it wasn't an elaborate purchase, but it's frustrating all the same.
So there are my annual Scroogy holiday issues...I promise to put on the Christmas music this week and participate in some of the holiday cheer. Anyone still here? If so, thanks for indulging me in my moment.