There--look at my creative blog post title! We did the Christmas cards for the teachers Take Two. This time I decided to research ideas the night before so that I wouldn't go into full panic attack mode when it was time to make a craft from scratch. I found a Christmas tree card that was very simple yet super cute. Bill even made the template because it's Wednesday and I work so I get home after he does. Man I wish I had gotten a picture of that!

Liam, shocker, didn't want to do it. Are you getting a theme here with him? Somehow we convinced him to participate and he had fun gluing the parts together and then trimming the tree with stickers. He even wanted to write Merry Christmas all by himself! Rori wrote a long note to her teacher--I am so impressed with her writing this year, she loves it--maybe she'll have a blog someday!

After we did the cards, Brendan wanted to snuggle--poor kid has been left out of quite a bit of the Advent activities because he's too little :( Next year he will get to participate much more!

I wasn't going to say anything, but my vanity or lack of self esteem--you pick--got the better of me and the reason there is a glare off my face and my eyes are dark is because I am in my pajamas and had just taken a shower. So there you go. I am shallow and couldn't just let it go. I like to keep it real--about my inner and outer flaws :) 

11

Oh how I have been looking forward to Advent Day 11! This one required zero pre-planning and was super relaxing. We went to the movies! Rori was not terribly excited because we were going to see the Muppets. She has zero interest in them. I convinced her that it would be fun because Giselle was in it. She was sold!

Grandma Casey was willing to watch Brendan because the last time I took him to a movie he ran up and down the aisle. Fortunately the only people in the theater were us and my friend Leslie and her boys. Otherwise I would've felt like I needed to give everyone a refund. Well, I might actually still owe Leslie a refund. Anyway, Bill had been DYING to see this movie, so this was the perfect opportunity. 

I was a little worried that Liam would fall asleep, mostly because he has fallen asleep at just about every other movie we have gone to. However, he stayed awake, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Rori LOVED it and asked if we could buy it when it comes out on DVD. I have to say, I had not really cared either way if I ever saw it, but I found myself clapping at this cameo. 

Jim Parsons from Big Bang Theory

Rori, on the other hand, is still talking about this cameo--if you ask her, Selena Gomez was the main star.

I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, and highly recommend it!--even if Bill and I ended up with our yearly gut-rot from having movie popcorn as our dinner and then swearing we will NEVER do that again! A good time was had by all!

Day 10

I am seriously bored of my post titles. Soon they may just simply be the number--my creativity knows no bounds. Yesterday our advent activity was making a portion of our teacher gifts. My parents were coming over because Rori's ballet class was having a Christmas show (when my mom sends me the pictures, perhaps I will do a bonus blog) and we figured since they were going to be out here, we could work on the gifts. My mom ordered a bunch of different potpourri ingredients and the kids made their own potpourri. She had done this with Rori two years ago and it was a big hit with everyone.

I wasn't sure if Liam would want to help because he had gotten to spend  the entire time we were at the ballet show playing Mario Kart with Grandpa. I was only allowed 4 tickets to the show because it was held in the gym. The Spring recital will be held in an auditorium. So Grandpa Hoo Hoo stayed home with Liam while Bill, Grandma Casey, and Grandma Hoo Hoo came with us to the show. Anyway, he was enamored with Grandpa and I wasn't sure if he'd want to help, but he did. However, he is refusing to give them to the teachers because he's "scared." I told him that if he didn't give them to his teachers, he was going to have to sort our all of the ingredients and put them back in the bags they came from. I was sure that would be a deal breaker as there were 2 TB of cloves (tiny triangles) and 2 TB of allspice (tiny balls) mixed with other things. It would be a nightmare to separate them, but he started to do it. Dang, this boy is stubborn. So, I gave in and told him I would help him give them to the teachers.

carefully measuring

My mom made the tags--aren't they pretty? (Rori tied the red bow--she's pretty good considering she doesn't have tie shoes)

I had been looking forward to relaxing, but alas, guess who got to tie the bows? (I don't know why I look pregnant in this picture--I totally am not--normally I wouldn't post it, but I've been promising to have pictures of myself so that when I die, the kids know what I looked like :) happy thoughts )

Thank you Grandma Hoo Hoo for supplying the gifts for our Sunday School and AWANA leaders!

Day 9 of our Advent Calendar

Ah, thank goodness for flexibility. Yesterday our advent activity was to make Christmas cards for their teachers. However, I had a lot of things to get done during the day, so I didn't get any ideas or things cut out to be prepared to make the cards. I was feeling overwhelmed because after school Rori has ballet and we don't get home until 5:30. Being a non-crafter, the idea of having to "wing-it" completely un-prepared to make cards sounded terrifying. I did, however, have a Christmas craft stashed away for emergency switches on the calendar.

Good Lord, this is tricky--and it's for ages 5 and up!

The peanut gallery/photographer was heckling us

So, we got home from ballet and I asked the kids if they would rather do the Christmas craft instead. When they saw what it was they were ecstatic! It was 5:45 and I figured we could do the craft, it looked like it would take 15-20 minutes, and then we would have dinner. I helped the big kids and Bill and Brendan were banished to the family room. Over an hour later, we were finished, and I was exhausted! Lesson learned--when the option is folding some paper and maybe cutting some Christmas pictures to glue on, or a 70 piece craft nativity set, the easier option is the Christmas card. However, they turned out wonderfully and both kids did most of the work themselves, and most importantly, with zero whining! They really had an unbelievably good time making them--nobody got crabby--not even me! They love their Nativity scenes and were so proud to show them off to Grandma and Grandpa today.  Now I need to go back to the store and get another back-up Christmas craft!

Poor Brendan! He kept escaping from Papa who was probably sleeping on the couch!

Liam can't wait to play with them!

They turned out really cute--this is Rori's

Rori wanted to hold baby Jesus :)

Advent day 8

Today was a day I have been looking forward to! It was decorating Christmas cookies with Auntie Val! This is an especially special activity for me because every year, growing up, my aunt and uncle would take us overnight Sunday to Monday. On Sunday we would do something fun like drive around and look at Christmas lights, and go to dinner. We almost always went to Baskin Robbins and picked up ice cream to bring back to their house. Then, Jenna and I would skip school on Monday and bake Christmas cookies with my aunt. We would each go through her recipe books from the library and pick out a cookie we wanted to make. Then in the morning we would get up and go to the grocery store and get whatever ingredients we needed. Then we would each get to make out batch of cookies. Often times Jenna picked the peanut butter ones with the Hershey kisses and I would pick oatmeal scotchies. My aunt taught us most of what we have learned about baking--we called her the Master Baker and we were her apprentices. We have been so blessed to have an aunt and uncle that have been so involved in our lives and I am so happy to pass on this tradition to my kids. We have been able to do this at least for the last three years.

I am so happy that all three kids love to bake. As soon as they see me take out my mixer, they pull up a chair to help. Brendan and I made the dough this morning, so it would be nice and chilled when Auntie Val showed up. Auntie Val and the kids did the rolling, cutting and decorating. She showed Liam how to roll out the dough, and he really liked doing it--may have a future baker :) Unfortunately it went by way too fast--maybe if I had a Professional 6 quart series Kitchen Aid, I could've made a double batch, thus doubling our fun... hint hint. Anyway, thank you Auntie Val and Uncle Randy for all of the memories that you made for us, and are continuing to make for my children!

Me, "say cheese." Brendan, "no!" Me, "pick up the measuring spoon for the picture." Brendan, "no!"

caught him turning on the mixer when he didn't think I was ready with the camera!  I knew I could outsmart a 2 year old!

Auntie Val and Rori

Auntie Val and Liam

Seriously couldn't get all three people to look at the camera and smile at the same time :) But I love you all!

Masterpieces.

Day 7

Yesterday was like Monday, as far as time to do something fun for an activity. I work on Wednesday and we also have AWANA. I get home around 5:00 pm and then we need to leave by 6:30 to get to AWANA and we need to get dinner made, eaten, and cleaned up by then. So, today I chose a Christmas craft for them to do. They painted Grinch ornaments. I picked these ornaments because we had taken to calling Papa the Grinch, before Thanksgiving. He insists upon waiting until after Thanksgiving to listen to Christmas music or watch Christmas movies. I, on the other hand, am in the instant gratification camp. I love Christmas music and could only wait until about the second week of November before I started listening to it. Bill and I are very different in this area. I want it now, and he can wait patiently. If I pick up dinner, I am going to sample the fries on the way home--Bill is going to wait until the table is set and his plate is arranged. If I make cookies, I need to try one hot out of the oven--I may burn my mouth. Bill waits until after dinner and the kids have gone to bed. Instant gratification versus ridiculous willpower. We make a lovely pair. Anywhoo, back to the Grinch ornaments. Of course, poor Brendan was left out once again. But if someone else would like to supervise him with non-washable paints, give me a call.

 Of course, both kids wanted to paint their ornaments when Rori got home from school, so my mom got to help them. I hadn't set out paint clothes, so she found some. Liam would prefer to live life au natural, so he just needed pants, and Rori, is a slightly messy child, so she definitely needed old clothes--note the paint all over her shirt :) I really thought they would wait until Bill got home, but I guess they're on my side of the instant gratification line. Thanks for helping them, Mom, I know it wasn't in your plan for the day--but they had a blast and were so proud of their ornaments!

I swear he has pants on.

As we learned previously, she looks lovely with spaghetti lipstick, and now with Grinch green paint on her shirt!

Here's a picture that Bill took the day before, eating  waffles for his advent activity, with Papa!

Day 6 of our Advent Calendar

Alas, it is true, you cannot believe everything you read on the internet. That includes my statement that I would blog each day of the Advent Calendar, but alas, 6 days in and I have failed already. Frankly, that's about 4 days longer than I thought it would take--so, yay me! The reason I am a day late, is because our activity was in the evening and when I got home we needed to get the kids to bed and I needed to visit with my husband. So really, I was just being a good wife, and those of you that know me, also know I would never be one of those bloggers who are blogging at 4 am in order to get their post up. Nope, nothing besides a crying child would have me up at 4 am. I have zero dedication to anything besides sleep at that hour. Seriously, how do people have that kind of energy? I really wish I didn't need sleep as much as I do. On a typical night, I try to stay awake, but I end up sound asleep half way through whatever show we're watching, wake up, mumble to Bill not to delete the episode, and stagger up to bed. And it's only 10:00. Let's blame my allergy medication, shall we?

Anyway, now that I have ruined any illusion that you may have of my glamorous life, I will move on. So today's Advent Activity was to go to McDonald's Playland with my friend Heidi and her three boys, Trenton, Calvin, and Max. We were meeting for dinner, and I, selfishly, wanted to visit with Heidi instead of helping Brendan climb down from the giant tunnels, so he stayed home with Papa and was in bed before we got home. Papa told me they had a lovely evening eating waffles and watching Mickey Mouse.

Now that Heidi and my kids are getting older, it's harder to get together for playdates because of school schedules. Heidi lives about 40 minutes away, so this was perfect to meet halfway and in the evening. The kids had a BLAST and I loved catching up with her. She and I met at work. I will never forget the day that I met her. I hadn't officially started, but my new boss invited me to the company's quarterly lunch. My boss left me at the table by myself while she checked on the lunch setup. Again, if you know me, you know that I am a total introvert that works at being an extrovert. So I was absolutely terrified inside, but tried not to show it. Later, my boss told me, she left me by myself in order to see how I interacted with employees, because I was going to be in HR. Heidi came up to me and introduced herself and told me she used to work for United Airlines, which is where I had recently worked as well. I was beyond thrilled that she saved me from looking completely pathetic and alone. I took this opportunity to latch onto her and probably didn't let her leave until lunch was served and mingling time was over. I do that, just so you know, if we are ever at a function and I don't know anyone--the first person that is nice to me will not be able to get rid of me.

Heidi and I really bonded, though, during our pregnancies. She was pregnant with Trenton while I was pregnant with Faith. We even went to an ultrasound together. We both volunteered at the local community college ultrasound program. I was about 10 weeks, I think, and she was about 20 and was on the fence about finding out the gender :) She was there for me when we lost Faith, and was incredibly excited for me when we became pregnant with Rori. We have celebrated each other's babies and encouraged each other through motherhood, weightloss, and life in general. So, thank you, Heidi, for coming up to me and talking to me that first day! I will never forget it!

Max, Liam, Calvin, Trenton, and Rori

Please excuse the quality of the picture. Halfway to McDonald's, I realized that I forgot my camera, so I had to take a picture with my phone. I don't have a very good phone--it cost a penny and doesn't have internet so I had to text the picture to my dad, who emailed it to me--we have not yet joined this century as far as cellphone technology  :) Thanks Dad!