Next Year

I've been trying for a couple days now to upload pics of Christmas and of the kids' Christmas program. But the computer is running slowly, and I'm not sure what the deal is.

So, I'm not fussing with it tonight. Instead, I'll deal with it next year.

LOL

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve - waiting to open their "one" present.

And it's.... JAMMIES!

Someone is not happy with new pajamas.

But he came around.

They opened their 2009 ornaments.

He got a John Deere tractor w/a bucket, and she got a ballerina.

And then they begged to open "just one mooooore."

So we let them open their gifts to each other.

And then it was time for a bedtime story:

Christmas Ballet is done!

Little Mice in the Nutcracker Ballet

Little Bo Peep and her Sheep

After the first show, and after the second show. She loves her flowers!

The sheep with her Daddy!

And with Mommy.

This was taken at the Tea before the Sunday performance. Proves we are still a napping family.

Christmas Card pic

We thought about using this picture...

but we chose this one instead.

A Very Nice Christmas

I was very content with our Christmas this year. I didn't over-buy for the kids. I got nice gifts. The kids were basically well-behaved. And I got nice gifts.

How immature is that? LOL

But after being depressed last year, this year was just right.

I wanted a 4 track digital recorder to record songs, and my husband bought me an 8 track recorder. It has special effects you can add, and I'm looking forward to playing with it. I also got a Wii Fit Plus. But I won't be entering any of my body stats while anyone is home. LOL It asks for your height and your age. It measures your weight and your BMI, and then it estimates your virtual age. If my husband was 6 years older in Wii age, I'll be like, 90 years old.

I got my husband a coat for work - it's made of fire hose material. And I got him a new set of jersey sheets. LOL. And three games for the Wii - two of which are just for him b/c of the rating.

My kids were happy with their gifts, and I think they would have liked to open more. That, for some odd reason, made me sure I hadn't given them too much. Next door at the in-laws' house... different story. They didn't have as much as in years past, but they still were in overload.

And then DH and I got our gift from his parents - a new 40" flat screen TV and $100. DH's sister and her husband got one, too. What a generous gift, but now we have a small dilemma. What to do with our old TV. It's a 40" TV, and it still works fine. Oh well. I'm letting my husband worry about that.

The kids are in bed, and when they wake up, we'll go back next door for supper. And to pack up the rest of the loot, I mean. stuff.

Our Tree

I took a picture of our tree this morning. Last night DH and I stayed up quite late wrapping presents. I think kids enjoy seeing the presents under the tree and seeing their names and wondering what could be in the packages.

I also found this picture on my camera, and got a good laugh.

Colossal Fits

Why is it that my son chooses to throw his most extreme fits before we are supposed to go to church? Tonight we had to wake him up from his late nap to go to our Candlelight service at church. He woke up horrible. He threw a fit about eating supper. He threw a fit about wearing ... clothes. And CHURCH clothes, at that. And how dare I imagine that he would wear a belt? and a TIE?!!! and his new DRESS SHOES???!!!

OH MY WORD!

Part of me wanted to just forget it and stay home. But that stubborn, gotta-be-right part of me decided WE WERE GOING.

I finally walked into his room where Daddy was valiantly trying to dress him and stay calm at the same time. I told him he needed to listen very carefully. I told him that if he didn't stop throwing a fit immediately, I was unwrapping his presents and taking them back to the store first thing in the morning. I told him naughty little children in this house do NOT get presents. And Daddy added that he was going to have a horrible Christmas if he had to sit and watch us all open gifts while he would have NONE.

Needless to say, we were late, but he was fully clothed.

I WON.

Barfing Baby

Baby wasn't feeling too well yesterday. And as the day progressed, her fever went higher. It was 103.1 by evening. I gave her Tylenol and put her in the tub. The fever came down.

I checked on her at midnight when I was on my way to bed. Her fever was 100, so I gave her some chewable Motrin. This morning, she woke us up crying and when I got in there, she had barfed in her bed. I grabbed the trash can, but she was trying to not barf. I kept telling her to just go ahead, but she wouldn't.

So now she's camped on the couch. She was laying there when she started crying. Daddy and Mommy asked her what was wrong. "A bug just flew in my nose!" There aren't too many bugs this time of year, but you never know, right? I asked her to blow it out into a kleenex. She blew very hard, but no bug. She said she saw it on the window, and then it flew in her nose. I think she's a little delusional. She also told her Daddy not to tease her, or he would get coal for Christmas.

Who knew she could be so funny when she was feeling so sick?

Snow Snow Snow

Big Soft Ginger Cookies

Big Soft Ginger Cookies
From "Amy1028" on allrecipes.com

Ingredients
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup margarine, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
1/4 cup molasses
2 tablespoons white sugar

Directions
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
2.In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the water and molasses. Gradually stir the sifted ingredients into the molasses mixture. Chill the dough until firm. Shape dough into walnut sized balls, and roll them in the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet, and flatten slightly.
3.Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

I like to add a tsp of cinnamon and the large sugar sprinkles to roll the cookies in.

Where is my brain?

I ran to the store last night; it was blustery, raining, and getting colder. But we needed milk, eggs, cheese, snacks, ice cream, and a couple other things. I got home, and wondered if I was going to get help unloading groceries. I made 3 trips back and forth from the vehicle to the basement. Hmm. "I'm home." No help. I put things in the freezer and fridge downstairs and trudged up the stairs with both hands full of plastic bag handles. I set things down in the doorway, and went back downstairs for more. Maybe someone would move the things from the doorway for me. Nope. I struggled past the pile I left in the doorway. I moved things around and fit almost all of it in the cabinets; put things in the fridge. Had my son check his sugar, and got him a snack.

And this morning I opened the fridge. No eggs. WHAT!!!??? I knew I bought 2 dozen eggs! And there they were, in the bag, by the basement door, on top of a box of stuff that's been sitting there for months.

At this point, I just feel like everything in my life is just being shuffled from one pile in the corner to a box to the basement to the garage. And somewhere in one of those boxes is my brain.

Little Boy made this

Saturday Snow Storm

What can I say?

Busy Day

It's a busy day, so I don't know why I'm posting, except I had a thought.

I write things I never say. Like, I never say, "Yay!" but I post it often. And "woo-hoo". I never say that.

Back to making cookies! And I have a counseling session this afternoon. And our church ladies' Christmas party. OH - I need to wrap my jingle gift.

Gotta run!