Obligatory Santa Pic

We have learned that going during the week, at night, is a great time to see Santa! We only waited about 20 minutes and after the pic we had dinner at the mall. It is a great date night for the whole family and a refreshing change in our routine. SD was all sorts of excited leading up to the event..and then, not so much. Linus of course had no idea what was going on! I love the picture because although they are not both smiling, or even looking at the camera, but it captures their experience with Santa at this time in their life.

Just for fun and comparison's sake, here is the Santa pic from last year too!

One thing, I totally don't get, is the dressed to the hilt to see Santa. While waiting in line, some people came up behind us, and I am not lying when I tell you that the 5 year old little girl not only had on a party dress, that I am pretty sure had a petticoat underneath it, but her hair was curled and piled on top of her head making a beautiful backdrop for her tiara!

Cleaning up Christmas

I so enjoy this part of the Holidays. Not that I love picking up everything necessarily, but it is a time of organization for me, actually for BG as well. We got on the ball this year and over the past two days, we have gotten all of our Christmas stuff packed away and actually put it in the attic already. The only thing left is the lights on the roof, which is BG's job. I am sure he will do it next week some time, not that it matters since we won't have them go on anymore. The main reason we are so on top of things is because we are going out of town and we have a real tree each year. This in and of itself is a fire hazard, add to it that we have had it since the first weekend in December, and it just reeks of FIRE! So, that was our motivation. Why do I like this activity? Well, we LOVE Christmas, so we have a boat load of decorations which means all of our everyday stuff has to be stored away. So, after Christmas, I collect all of the decorations and clean all of the now empty surfaces before I put the regular stuff back out. It is nice to be able to dust table tops without having to move a million things. And, furniture is moved, so I got to clean behind some couches, etc. It is nice to have a clean house, something I truly cherish. Now, when I come back from being out of town, I can just relax, not try and hurry to get Christmas put away.

On a side note, update on SD. She was up from 1-4 on Christmas night and then 12-2 last night. I decided to finally take her to the doctor, hoping that it was something going on instead of a new pattern she was starting. Last night I started thinking that it was probably an ear infection, sure enough, I was right! I am sorry that I waited so long to take her, but at least now we know what it is and have medicine that will hopefully take care of it all!

A Christmas Hangover?

Do you have a Christmas Hangover today? Not the kind caused from alcohol, the kind caused by a day full of activities. I sure do! I wanted to be home today, to watch SD play with all of her new toys, and to spend time with my hubby! We had a phenominal Christmas and to say we are blessed is an understatement. It was so much fun watching and helping SD open her gifts, she really enjoyed it. I guess it is probably good that I am not at home, I think SD had a total hangover as well! She did not sleep well (HUGE understatement) last night, she was pretty much up from 1:15 to 4:30. She is tired and was somewhat cranky when I left for work. Not to mention, work is actually soothing right now, the phone is not ringing, no one is really here, I am getting a lot of stuff done, etc. It will make me feel good to come back in the new year and have a somewhat clean plate. But, I do want to be at home!

So, what did I get, SD get, etc. for Christmas. Well....
I got some Heartwood Creek stuff, which you know I love, I also got some prayer journal refills, and an organization system from my hubby to put over my scrapbook table, to be filled with all sorts of goodies. He has even already put it up and the playroom looks so much nicer! I also got a broomvac, exercise stuff and scrapbook GC. And, we are not done yet, we still get to visit my family in SA this weekend!

SD, well she raked it in!!! She got so much stuff. From us and Santa she got a Cookie Monster doll, a learning puppy thing, clothes and books. At my inlaws she got a shopping cart with food, an Elmo vacuum, a broom, clothes, a music set, a firetruck, a see & say, a baby doll that she has yet to put down (didn't even want to let it go for bathtime), and a toolbench. She also got a table and chairs set and a bookcase/toybox from my mom that got delivered to our house. She is going to get even more toys when we go to SA, good thing I cleaned out her toys and moved some back in the nursery for the baby!

Santa Pics

We went and saw Santa Clause last night, it was actually a perfect night to do it. It was rainy and gross outside and a week night, so we were hoping that it wouldn't be crowded. The Santa was great and very realistic and we only had to wait about 15 minutes or so in line. The only problem was the idiot teenagers working the scene. They let SD sit there for 5 minutes or so before taking her picture. You do NOT do that with a toddler!!!! She did really well, we handed her off to Santa with only a little hesitation and she didn't cry. But, she didn't smile either! She just sat there very stoic! Here are the pics....

Telling Santa that she wants a new "Melmo"

Telling Santa how she loves "Mouse"

Official Picture with Santa

Christmas has Arrived

I like to use the term that Christmas has puked all over something when decorations have found their way into every nook and cranny! Well, that was this weekend for our house! We got down all of the boxes, weeded through the decorations and put everything up, inside and out! It was fun and challenging to decorate a different house, but pretty much everything found a place. It was kind of like Christmas, because I had gotten three new Heartwood Creek figures (I have started collecting these and I LOVE them!!!) since last Christmas, that I hadn't really opened to see exactly what they looked like. SD even has a mini tree in her bedroom and both the hall bath and her bath are decorated as well. Christmas did not make it into the master bedroom, I guess that means that we will just have to buy more stuff! Enjoy!

The mantle where all of my Heartwood Creek Figures live. The wiseman in the center were the start of the obsession and it has grown. BG gives me at least one a year and so does his mom. And of course I have them for other holidays!!

Christmas Tree

Our Sofa table with yearly Christmas Pictures

BG did a great job hanging the lights, and they are kind of hard to see, but we have cute mini-trees on either side of our door.

Our wood figures, we actually made these ourselves! We had a pattern, don't worry, we are not THAT creative!