Merry Christmas to All!

Christmas Eve Eve

Just a few things before the magical chaos that is the Christmas weekend hits us.

(1) Today is my thirty-first birthday.

(2) Yes, I've been slow to blog the last couple of months, but I've been enjoying my time to myself. I'll try to be better in the new year.

(3) Guess who won the Ugly Sweater Contest at my school this week? (No, just because I'm in my thirties now doesn't mean I'm going to alter my style of dress...yet!)

Merry Christmas to all!

It's Beginning to Look a lot like Christmas!

Whew! Where has the time gone? It’s like I blinked my eyes, and suddenly they were glinting against the beautiful glare of Christmas lights everywhere. Now my birthday is less than a week away, and our family is elbow deep in holiday preparations.

Oh, how I love this time of year! So what have we been up to lately? I thought you’d never ask! ;)

First, armed with Black Friday fliers, both kiddos constructed their annual cut-and-paste lists. Ava actually invented these little beauties a few years ago (you know, before she could write down her wishes), and this time around Hudson became an expert gluer and plunged whole-heartedly into the project. How fun! Plus, they really help us shoppers find just the right thing!

Then it was time for decorating! Boy, I had a couple of eager helpers this year. Between the lights, the ornaments, the ribbon, and the bows, it was a pure Christmas fest. We started with the tree and worked out way through the house. We even played Christmas music and finished by watching a few holiday movies as well.

Last year, sadly, our usual Christmas tree train broke, leaving me worried about finding an affordable replacement. Luckily, I found something even better at Toys R Us this year. It’s a special train that attaches to your actual Christmas tree and becomes an interactive feature within the already decorated boughs. Cool, eh? We thought so. (And yes, I did consider writing a separate post about our attempts to install this wonder of Christmas trains, but decided against it. Let’s just say that three people in tears was well worth the end result..lol). Hopefully this one will last longer than its more traditional predecessor did.

Between singing Christmas carols, watching our favorite holiday flicks, and shopping for those special gifts, we also managed to add one more merry addition to our already Christmas-crazed home. Meet Happy:

Yes, we did it. We welcomed an Elf on the Shelf to our home. I’ve considered it for awhile now, but Ava finally put her foot down and demanded one. We found this little guy on a random day of shopping on Fourth Street, and haven’t regretted his purchase at all. Both kids try to behave so that Happy will have good things to report, and finding his new spot each morning has become a competition of epic proportions.

Of course, Happy’s first place of rest was a meaningful one: watching over Baby Jesus in our Nativity scene. Even among all the fun festivities that come with Christmas, we try to reinforce its true meaning. We read books about the first Christmas, play with our Little People Nativity set, and constantly reference the reason for the season. It’s not magical for nothing!

Well, there’s a none-too-brief recap of our December thus far. If you’re still reading, bravo—and have a delightful holiday season as well.

Favorite Things

Fall Edition!

Wait, is it December already? Seriously!?! Wow, this fall certainly seemed to fly by, and I'm still a bit in shock that my Christmas decorations are already displayed. Oh, well, for now I'll hold the holidays at bay and share what I recently enjoyed while the leaves turned so beautifully. Hopefully you'll find something you might like, too!

(1) I'm ashamed to say it had been years since I'd last had a pistachio, but for some reason I grabbed a bag off the shelf at Wal-Mart. After convincing both kids that it was perfectly okay to eat green nuts, we all became addicted! A perfect snack!

(2) As a high school teacher, I had a front-row seat for that recent feather-extension trend, and although I decided I was a bit too old to enjoy it, I was amused when Ava came home from kindergarten and announced that she wanted one. A turquoise feather in her sweet tresses? Adorable!

(3) Awhile back, I received a free sample of Revlon Crazy Shine nail buffer in one of my magazines. Since I rarely have polish on my fingernails (as a busy mom, it usually comes off immediately after doing dishes and giving baths), I decided to give it a try. The green side buffs, while the white side provides a professional-looking shine. Going into my first attempt, I didn't have much hope, but I was absolutely thrilled with the result. I've used the same buffer several times so far, and it still works like a charm!

(4) Okay, so I totally stole this Urban Outfitters beanie from another blog (can't remember which one!), but I like it because it has a cotton lining that keeps the head from being too warm or too scratchy. Perfect for both fall and winter temperatures.

(5) Since I gave my fingernails some love with the buffer, I didn't want to leave my tootsers out either. I found this Essie Turquoise and Caicos color at CVS, and I loved it. True, it's probably more of a summer color, but it paired perfectly with warm fall colors. Plus, it even goes with some of my Christmas outfits. Also? It's pretty.

(6) Nutcrackers are more of a winter item, but since I start thinking about the holidays during the fall, I decided to include this whimsical Shakespeare nutcracker. For years, I've collected nutcrackers, and he has to be one of my favorites. Plus, I can display him in my classroom after the holidays when we read Romeo and Juliet. (Insert clever Shakespearen quote here; I'm home sick with the kiddos and am running on little sleep, so my brain is a bit slow today.)

Giving Thanks

Today, as I celebrate with family and friends, I am simply.blessedly.thankful.

I may not have the fanciest house or the biggest bank account. But I have a home filled with love and a job that fills me with purpose and financial security.

I may not have the busiest social calendar filled with countless friends. But I can count on the ones I do have for anything, anytime.

I may not be as skinny or as beautiful as I once was. But I have a husband who loves me and my flaws.

I may never publish a novel, win an Academy Award, or make a million bucks. But when I became a mother, when I hold each of my children in my arms, I know that I have changed the world for the better.

Each day, I do make a conscious effort to acknowlege the myriad blessings in my life, but on Thanksgiving Day I want to reiterate how thankful I truly am. God has done wondrous things in my life, and I want to pause, pray, and appreciate everything.

Especially these guys:

For my life, my family, my blessings,

THANK.YOU.

Leaves

Over the weekend, a brisk wind stirred the leaves drifting around our backyard, and both kiddos stood enthralled at the French doors in our kitchen. Watching, giggling, and yearning to get outside and play among fall's most famous fallers. We only have a handful of deciduous trees on our property (most are evergreens), but luckily we had planned a Sunday visit to Mamaw and Papaw's house.

Leaves there? Everywhere!


First, we armed each child with a rake (and an adult supervisor, don't worry!) and let them create their own wonderful piles. Of course, we probably waited a bit too long, since most of the leaves had already turned brown, but there were enough pops of color to keep Ava and Hudson interested.

If you can't tell, there were smiles all around as we raked, jumped, laughed, threw leaves, and otherwise entertained ourselves.

It was leafy fun!

It was a good day.

Just in Time

Last night, the kids and I realized we hadn't yet carved pumpkins and Halloween was mere hours away! So we rolled up our sleeves, gathered our carving tools, and literally dug right into them. This year, Hudson was really able to help, even though he deemed the process "DISGUSTING!"

Both he and Ava enjoyed playing in the pumpkin guts. And our porch was spookily perfect, just in time for a Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

On Saturday, my parents hosted their annual Halloween party at their home, and as usual it was an absolute blast. Even though Erik was MIA (see previous post), I managed to get myself and both kids ready to rock. Once again, Ava suited up as Miss Ariel, the Little Mermaid, my adorable girl.

And Hudson? Well, first his official Mickey Mouse costume was lost in the mail, then went out of stock. So we created an adorable back-up Mickey costume, which he decided at the last minute was not going to work for him. At that moment, he was wearing the above shirt that said "Cool Dude," so he decided he wanted to dress in that outfit as a "Cool Dude." Seriously, ain't he the coolest?

Here's a family shot from the party. I threw together a home-made pirate costume. Dad was one of the Blue's Brothers. Mom was a domesticated housecat (ha!). And my brother was a Cowboys fan. Too bad I didn't get any shots of everyone else at the party. We had a lot of amazing costumes! Did I mention how much I love my family?

Happy Halloween, everyone!

A Lifetime Journey

This weekend, Erik fulfilled one of his lifelong dreams—a pilgrimage to Notre Dame campus in South Bend—so I felt that accomplishment at least deserved its own post on my blog. He traveled with his dad and met some friends up there for a tour of the campus, a visit to the bookstore, a little tailgating, and of course a game. We missed him back home for our Halloween festivities, but if anyone knows Erik at all, they know this rated at the top of his wish list.

A few photos from the big trip:

Legendary Irish coach Ara Parseghian

Hour-long hail storm before the game

Notre Dame stadium, Knute Rockne entrance

The Grotto

Notre Dame Marching Band

Hudson-isms

From the mouth of my second babe. What will he say next?

“Don’t worry!”
My sweet boy always notices when someone is upset, and he’s the first one with a gentle touch and soft words. Bless him and his positive attitude.

“You’re five years old, Sissy!”
I’m fairly certain he picked this one up from me, but it has become his go-to comment when he catches Ava doing something she’s not supposed to be doing. Since he often suffers from younger-child-syndrome, I usually let him get away with it. Especially when it comes with a tiny pointed finger in his sister’s direction. Too cute!

“I don’t kill this!”
This one’s an interesting combination that requires an explanation. Awhile ago, Ava had been frequently stating “I don’t care!” about this and that, and we wanted to put a stop to that particular response. So Hudson, being the observant two-year-old that he is, decided he should probably say it too. Except right around the same time I got mad about something and used the word “kill” (as in, "these bills are going to KILL!"), which he immediately recognized was not a good word. Thus, he combined my and Ava’s poor choice of words to create his own unique swear phrase. Yes, I should definitely break him of this one, but it’s too, too funny! He says it with such vim and vigor, and usually hits something on the word “kill” for effect, especially when he's feeling irritated or particularly saucy.

“Na-na-na-na-boobies!”
Does this creative take on a traditional taunt even require justification? Oh, boys!

Boo at the Zoo!

Last year, we fell in love with Mesker Park's Boo at the Zoo, so this year we were more than ready for its opening night 2011! After a quick family photo shoot at Portrait Innovations (which didn't go as well as hoped...more about that later) and a fun family dinner at Steak 'n Shake, we were first in line at the zoo. Ava wore her favorite Little Mermaid costume, while Hudson made do with a Mickey shirt (you know, since his official Disney Mickey Mouse costume was lost in the mail...thanks, USPS!).

Early on, Hudson snagged a big chocolate sucker, and let me tell you that piece of candy saved our night! He was so thrilled to be eating "big boy candy" that he was an angel all evening and we had no problems with him. He either sat in his stroller and enjoyed the views, or beautifully participated in the provided activities. Score one for the Bub!

As for Ava, she was much braver this year, not as afraid of some of the wild costumes we observed. In fact, she even ventured alone through the haystack maze behind a terrifyingly familiar mask. Go, Ava B! Luckily, since we arrived early, we were able to fit in more of the cool interactives this year as well.

Like digging for spiders!

Visiting with the local wildlife!

Indeed, fun was had by all. Thanks again to Mesker Park Zoo for allowing us to experience Boo at the Zoo!

Autumn Wish

"The woods are full of fairies;
the sea is full of fish;
the trees are full of golden leaves;
let's make an autumn wish."
~Anonymous

Today, our family took a moment to walk in the fresh fall air, to gather crinkled and colorful leaves, to pause beneath the great blue sky and honor our world. Today, we laughed together, raced along the springy grass, and let the wind ruffle our hair. It was a good day, even when we grew tired and headed home for a much-needed nap.

Today, my autumn wish came true. Happy fall, y'all!