Christmas ROCKED!

Hi all-

Well as you can tell from the title of this post Christmas was awesome! Everyone had alot of fun...and got what they wanted (I hope) LOL.

We have some video of Christian opening what he wanted most (a Juke (a cell phone with MP3 player) we had him convinced he wasn't responsible enough for one just yet...so when he opened it up he was sooooo excited.

The other kids got stuff they wanted too...Bailey and Aiden got rip-sticks (I'll have to take pictures of them on 'em so you can see what they're like) Bailey's getting pretty good all ready! I'm impressesd

Aiden got a Nintendo DS (he now wants games for it for his b-day) and has hardly put it down, but better than that it's made Bailey start playing with his again. They've realized if they sit close enough together they can send messages from one DS to the Other...Bailey told me it was like having a Cell Phone with Text Messaging! LOL. He's cute.

They also go blendy pens, poke'mon cards, star wars guys, Poke'mon stadium, movies, games and just TOO MUCH! LOL...it was a great day!

Jay was a happy camper when he opened up his new Dyson Vacuum cleaner! He was like "really? this is what's in it?" hahaha..yeah!! now for some of you it may seem weird that my husband gets a vacuum cleaner but if you know him..you know that he's a cleaning fanatic..he loves to vacuum especially--so this was PERFECT..he even took my mom and dad's over the summer while they were in Minnesota and brought it to our house! hahaha, it was a great gift for him.

(I know it's sideways...I wasn't thinking straight, sorry)

As for Jillian she got a doll house (with furnishings and people) and babies and a shopping cart with boxes of food, a gymboree outfit that's adorable I can't wait until it warms up a tinch to put it on her! She had alot of fun opening her gifts and was really getting into it.

We made cookies for Santa and in the process got completely covered in frosting--Aiden did his on purpose but Jillian...that's just her little piggy self. :o)

As for me...I got exactly what I wanted: sewing items, a serger, an ipod docking station with a cd player/radio and clock in it. I also got a counter top mixer which I wanted and it comes with DOUGH hook attachements, which is PERFECT!! yeeeeeah!

The day was pretty much right on. The kids played nicely together, the meal was wonderful and the company...well I couldn't ask for better! So now that Christmas is over I'll wish you all a HAPPY NEW YEAR! I'll leave you with some pictures of our Christmas morning...

We weren't expecting company but when my father got sick and hand to cancel his trip to Colorado to visit my brother and his family we glady took them in and had a wonderful visit!

It's Beginning to feel alot like Christmas....exhausted!

Christmas Parties and undecorating the Kindergarten hall...that's my week in a nut shell.




Imagine this....270 glitter ornaments hanging from the ceiling, 30 beautifully wrapped presents, a twinkling christmas tree filled with oh-so-cute little apples, Letters proclaiming "santa's workshop" hanging at the enterance in adorable white string garland...what a sight to behold! it was so beautiful...I admired it one day as I was walking Aiden into class. That night, his teacher called and asked if I could come in the next morning and take it all down. Uh, sure, I can do my part, after all she educates my precious little one's mind every day. It's the least I could do.


I figure it'll take me an hour or so...how hard can it be??



THREE hours later, Jillian and I both COVERED in glitter (grrr curse you glitter happy people!) from scalp to socks the hall was undecorated. Thanks to one other volunteer who came for about an hour we managed to accomplish it. I had no feeling in my shoulder from taking down said 270 glittering ornaments from the paper clip hooks attached to the ceiling panels. Jillian discovered the water fountain in the class room (thankfully an empty classroom we had free reign of) but in the meantime she soaked :o) all in all it was actually not too bad...I'd probably even do it again next year.


Today I volunteered (the only one) to help with Bailey's classroom party. Mind you this is the gifted and talented class so why shouldn't there be a sliding race, and a bodily noise contest....really it was very...uh...well, Charming? hahaha. It was Pajama Day at school so all the kids have on their PJ's including teachers.

You'll see from the video below that it was pretty much controlled chaos. No injuries were reported (but that doesn't mean one kid didn't hit his head on the floor, get up and do it again...yeah "gifted" my foot, "special" maybe but gifted??) The party food was voted on by the third graders...who opted OUT of having pizza and opted FOR snacks instead...so the two-table spread consisted of:


Dr. Pepper
Mountain Dew
3 Bags of Candy (Sweet tart chews, nerds, skittles)
I counted 5 boxes of Cupcaks (bakery kind with extra sugar frosting)
Chips (4 kinds)
Queso dip (2 kinds)
Salsa
Cake (sugared frosting again)
Ham and cheese deli sandwiches
Sprite
oh and someone was health conscious and brought Granola bars with chocolate chips. There were fruit cups--unopened and barely glanced at.


Needless to say I'm exhaused from trying to keep up, Jillian's in a sugar induced coma in her room sleeping off her sugar rush and the little one's are outside moving at the speed of light.

We also had programs this week. These were cute...well Bailey's was kinda--not so much. LOL

So enough gibber jabber...enjoy the video's and pictures and I'll report back later!! Have a wonderful BLESSED CHRISTmas and a Happy new year!!! Be safe and thank you to everyone who sent a christmas card and/or photo.

Bailey's Performance--it's Silent Night--they were learning about sound relations to size and what-not...I don't know it was strange to say the least. I'm so proud of Bailey though, look how good he stands with his instrument...not banging it around like the crazy kid next to him (who by the way was the one who kept hitting his head at the party (in the gray outfit)) LOL

Aiden's Winter Performance...it's Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. To find Aiden locate the last row, he's the third from the left (the short one that you can't see) Sorry guys-it was the best I could do.

The parents you see in the background came for a picture and to drop off sugar..uh I mean treats and snacks then left. The man is the teachers hubby..he came to bring Queso Dip...then nearly RAN out of the room. LOL

Twister (it was the spanish verison which confused some kids as to which said "right hand" and "Left hand"...but they improvised...Jillian decided to jump in on the action here and in the background you'll see the sliding races (run, slide and see who goes the farthest) going on...they were "gifted" enough to go one at a time however..which was nice.

Can't say much about Christian this time around--he claims they sat at their empty desk and did nothing. My tax paying dollars hard at work! :o)

Christmas Letter...

I'm stumped on what to write. For those that actually care about what's going on with my family--you know what's going on. You know that Bailey's 8, Christian's 13, Aiden's 5 and Jillian's 2. You know they're smart, beautiful and always--uh..mostly--er uh, ok hardly ever listen to me! You know this stuff...why must I write a generic letter stating the obvious..."WE'RE NORMAL and NOTHING HAS CHANGED!!" I've been sitting at my computer for 3 hours trying to come up with something--anything to send out--but I'm still here, blank screen in front of me, thank goodness the cursor no longer blinks like it used to in the 80's I'd have a migraine by now!

Anyone have any suggestions I can steal from you? :o) Anyone wanna write it for me?

I guess you'll find out in a couple days when you open your mailbox if I scrapped the whole letter writing idea this year or if my muse came back to me! :o)

Well enjoy the pictures...just a couple for now :o) There's some of Christian playing basketball with his friends. One of Aiden and Jillian, and some of Jillian in a couple outfits I'm either working on or made. There is a bodice for a dress I'm making and then a pants and top set I'll be listing on ebay in hopes it sells...

ENJOY! :o)

P.O.W

MOTHER OF 4 LOST IN BATTLE!

Yes it's true, I've been M.I.A due to being a P.O.W. in my own home.

I've not updated in..oh...let me think.....ah, yes...FOREVER!! why? because apparently I'm a prisoner of war in my own home, sweet home. The war being that of my children. *cough*middle two*cough* and their constant fighting!! Oh did I mention I'm also working in a

Kathy Lee Griffin sweat shop? Making bows for pennies a day?

Want the stories? ok sit back and enjoy.

voice 1: *as if calling into a deep dark cave he dare not enter* Moooooom?

"Yes"

"Can I get more Poke'mon cards?"

"No you have some"

"But not as many as Bailey does"

"That's cuz you keep giving them to the kids at school"

"Only the one's who don't have poke'mon card, oh and the one's who don't have very many"
"Which you'll soon be if you keep giving them all away"

"It's only one or two"

"I know but one or two each day is 5 or 10 a week"

"But Bailey has alot of Poke'mon cards"
"That's cuz Bailey never shares anything"

"Can I get more"
"No" (Again)

*insert one foot stomp and whine* "But Bailey has more than I do!"

"We've all ready had this conversation"

"But that's not fair"

"But you started out with the same amount"

"Insert Bailey coming in with his Poke'mon cards* Voice 2: "hey Aiden look at all my cards"

*insert tears* "See he's got a whole bunch and I don't have any!" *insert running away crying*

"Bailey why do you do that?"
*Insert innocent look* "What?" *insert naughty grin "I was just showing him my cards"

"Is that really necessary?"
*insert another bigger grin with hands out palms up..." What? I was just---" (he can't continue cuz he's about to laugh. *insert background noise of wailing coming from Aiden*

"Do you have to upset him like that?"

"Yes...I mean No!" *insert laugh*

"do it again and you'll get your cards taken away"

"Ok sorry"

Voice 2 walks off.

Voice 1 reenters, tear streaked face *calling into the cave again* "Moooooom?"

"Yes?"

"Why can't I get more poke'mon cards?"
*mom thinking* because I'm gonna hunt down the inventor and suffocate him while he sleeps. "Didn't we have this converstation like five minutes ago?"

Voice 1: "But I really want some look I only have ....." *pauses to count* "10 cards, that's it and Bailey has like 17 hundred and sixty thousand."

Voice 2: "no I don't, Aiden, I have like 40!"

Voice 1: "FORTY!" *wailing begins again (like 4o is more than 17 hundred sixty thousand) *insert running off again*

"ok gimme the cards" *mom holds out hand*

Voice 2: "BUT MOM!" *mom's snapping fingers interrupt" "Ugh that's not fair, I didn't even do anything I just said I had like 40 cards, that's all!"

"I told you not to point stuff like that out to him, it just makes him upset and you know that!"

Voice 2: "UGH AIDEN!" *insert stomping off*

Now it gets good...both are upstairs ticked off... mom is in the kitchen trying to randomly throw stuff in a pan/pot/oven/microwave and hoping it turns into meal we can eat when I hear.

Voice 2: "SHUT UP AIDEN!"

Voice 1: "I'm telling mom you said Shut up!"

Voice 2: "then I'm telling her you said it too"
Voice 1: "but I didn't you did"
Voice 2: " Nu-uh you said it when you said "I'm telling mom you said SHUT UP!"

*tears.....again.*

Voice 1&2 in unison: *tattling voice* MOOOOOOOOOM

*Mom from kitchen* "I Heard, I don't care, just stay up there"

Voice 1: But Bailey said "Shut up!"

*hollering from the kitchen* "I said I don't care, just keep it up there"

Voice 1: "Bailey Mom said you are in trouble and you have to stay in your room"

Voice 2: "She did NOT!"

Voice 1: *dark cave voice* Moooom, did you say Bailey has to stay in his room?"
"Only if your fighting with each other"

voice 1: "See we're fighting. You have to"

and so it continues for about a half hour---then Jay comes home. I amazingly grow another ear so I can hear about his day---keep my ears tuned into Jillian (cuz if I don't she'll be off doing who knows what, you've read my past posts...the girl is dangerous on her own!) *see below*

Right now I think it's time for a picture break:

Voice 1 and 2 :o) *don't let the pictures fool you...they really do fight* LOL

So you wanna know what Jillian's been up to?? ooookay. *ready?* (every time I ask that I can actually feel you cringe)

As you know we've taken down her crib and put her in a toddler bed. It's going great...now. 2 months ago...not so much!! we had the repainting of the room with poop. And then about 2 days later she apparently was going to change and realized she had nothing good to wear....hence the photos below of her room after she emptied 2 drawers in her dresser! Clothes everywhere---you can see in the 1st pic she's pretty darn proud of herself....

But not for long...here she is getting into trouble...she's not fond of sitting in "time out" but she does sit there....bawling until I tell her it's ok to get out. Then the water works are turned off and playing begins again...really she'll be an oscar winner some day with those skills.

Oh last Friday she was out back playing around and she laid on an ant hill...she probably got bitten 100 times. Poor little thing...she's a train wreck...she had 33 of them on one hand alone!! She just was saying "Owww, Ouch, Owww" Bailey started yelling "ANTS! mom Ants are everywhere" they were in her clothes, diaper, hair...everywhere!!! I took her clothes off, tossed her in a bath and gave her tylenol---she wanted to go back out within the hour. When I finally let her go out again she went right back to the ant hill...HELLO!?!?! can you say "short bus"?? talk about a slow learner...sheeze. I had to bring her in for the night and then spray it the next day with ant killer while she slept.

Ahh my calm child...Christian. He finished footbal up and is currently trying out for the basketball team. The last day of tryouts is Wednesday (tomorrow) then they'll be posting the one's who made the cut late this week or early next week...stay tuned!!! In Football they came in 2nd in their division. They lost 2 times (to the same team...which is Sharyland South--when they get to highschool Sharyland (christian's school) and Shary south will merge and become one highschool) but it was a fun ride and Christian was really sad to see it end. It really brought him alot of joy to play every day and have games every week. I hope he makes the basketball team to give him some of that back.

Here he is...

Well for Halloween we had a pack 'o pirates :o) (I didn't make Jillian's outfit (or the boys') but friend of mine made her costume...it turned out sooo sooo cute!! I love it!!

Christian is "too cool" to dress up so he went to a friends house and played football with the "guys" and ate candy. Meanwhile the rest of us hit the streets to beg for candy...ahhh, gotta love halloween!! Jillian, Aiden and Bailey (below) in costume:

For Thanksgiving we went to Corpus Christi where it was FREEZING COLD!! LOL...high 40's low 50's but man alive it felt colder considering that the day before was mid 80's! My mom and I got up and went to the Black Friday sales...which was reallyquite enjoyable this year. We chatted with some people in Circut City and got some great deals in a number of stores...I got all my christmas shopping done, thankyouverymuch!

:o)

OH we made a ginger bread house too---here's some pictures of me and the kids and jay trying to get this thing to work! LOL. The roof kept slipping off...eventually the candy was picked off and we tossed it in the garbage...but it was a fun memory (hopefully) for the kids.

The weekend before Thanksgiving I had my very first craft fair...it was alot of fun!! my mom came down to help me but I worked my butt off all week tyring to get prepared and failed on teh business aspect of it...but I did get enough bows made. I didn't do as well as I would have liked but the traffic coming though was light and I did good overall I think. Here's some pictures of all the bows I made...I was pooped at the end of that week! LOL I've also been sewing which I've found alot of enjoyment out of lately....here's a top I made Jillian...

Finally my Christmas cards are being ordered...so I'll send some pictures when they come--not even a sneak preview for you guys--no no, I'm not--ok one sneak preview (I made Jillian's outift)...but that's it! no more!! (this is NOT the picture on the card) but Aiden looks 3 sheets to the wind and Jillian's well yes, she really does have that big of a mouth..hahaha!! ahhh love my babies!! all 4 of them...even though they've held me as a P.O.W. for the past 2 months!!

Have a great holiday season and I'll do better about updating I PROMISE! :o)

Till later

janelle