Whew

December is a super busy month for us. At the end it always leaves you feeling like you just slid into first base and barely escaped getting tagged with the ball.

There are 2 birthdays with Christmas thrown in.

Our oldest daughter turned 5.

It's been a good year for our Buzz. She is doing so much better in her socialization and speech. We are still awaiting a formal diagnosis as she is testing within Aspergers and/or Sensory Integration Dysfunction. She is really thriving in "country life" and getting to have her own dog. I am so proud of how far she has come this year. Even when she gets mad at me and stomps her feet and says "I don't like you"; I have to cheer because she is articulating emotion. It hurts, but with 3 girls who are going to go through puberty; I better get used to it.

 

Next up I had a fun photo shoot with the best group of kids and Santa. Don't try to tell me that this Santa wasn't real because he just HAD to be! I had a blast watching all the kids sit on his lap and got the privilege of hearing a lot of their Christmas wishes. I loved watching their innocent belief in the magic of Santa. This is one of my favorite from the group of pictures. I am anticipating a good year in my studio for 2011...besides, Santa promised!

To top it all off with the magic of Christmas we got a White Christmas this year. Snow started falling Christmas Eve and fell all day Christmas. It was our first Christmas at our new house and we now know that when it snows, we are stuck on our hill. We were unable to go to my parents house for Christmas and it really threw a wrench in our plans. We ended up feasting on "Kitchen Sink burritos" since I had nothing cooked. It is not something that we want to become tradition, but we enjoyed each other and the magic of Christmas day. We had a Surprise Party for Baby Jesus (my 5yo idea) and opened presents.

 

After Christmas was Baby Bitsy's 1st birthday. I cant believe it has already been a year that she has been in the family. She has been our best baby yet. Always happy, never demanding and not too loud. (HAHA) She is often overlooked in the chaos of the house but has learned to get right in with the big girls and make herself known. She isn't walking yet, but that's because she is too smart to walk. She has her sisters trained to carry her wherever she wants to go. 

That's about all for now. I am still dusting myself off from the December chaos and looking forward to the new year. I am also super excited because I am going to get to go to Blissdom this year after all. Let's just say there IS a Santa! Hoping to get a "Year In Review" post knocked out in the next couple of days, until then....Toodles!

Blank 365

A full 365 days with nothing scheduled. I got my new calendar for 2011 yesterday and flipped through it. I guess cause I thought maybe a new month had been inserted or maybe just an extra week was added to the 52. I love my calendars and use them as a sort of diary. The days are filled with what was for dinner, if laundry got done, doctor's appointments, play dates, shopping trips and random things the kids have done. At the end of the year I love to review it before it goes in the trunk with all the calendars before it.

image courtesy of Google images

There is something about that new calendar though. You open it up and it smells of new print, new possibilities and the enticement of daily choices. There is nothing on the schedule; a blank 365.

365 days just waiting to be filled with what I choose to put on there. It can end up being as hectic or peaceful as I allow it to be. I go through the calendar and put the appropriate stickers on birthdays and anniversaries. Then I hang it on the fridge with a pen next to it. It's ready. Ready for the new year whether I am or not. I know that with these 3 kids, my husband's work, my photography business and everything else that fills our days that this moment of a blank 365 is fleeting; so I enjoy it. 365 days to make a choice for my family and myself. Will this be the year that my photography booms? Buzz will be starting school this year, is she going to enjoy it? Will we take a family vacation this year? So many blank little squares just waiting to be filled with all we accomplish, desire, overcome and want to do. 365 separate boxes that are giving us a choice with how we live out the year.

Keeping With Tradition

There is nothing like Christmas looming to bring out the "T" word. When I typed in "Christmas Tradition" into Google images this was one of the first images that it spit back at me.

image courtesy of Google images

Thanks to that image, I now have tradition envy. The family is gathered in the living room (or is that called a parlor?) Everyone is neatly dressed and smiling. The ornaments are hung neatly and the presents wrapped perfectly. The children are behaving and the dog is sitting calmly. The grandparents are posed in the appearance of probably heightening the sense of Christmas excitement inside the room. The father is balancing a child on his shoulders and has probably just allowed the small tot to place the tree topper on. Everyone is the ideal picture of Christmas joy....and then you see the mother lurking a little in the background.

The mother seems to be turned a little away from the festivities that are going on in the room and I think I know just why. 

She spent at least 4 hours getting those kids cleaned, dressed to perfection and threatened within an inch of their lives if they didn't look happy for the family Christmas scene. Her mother-in-law that is sitting there doing some kind of needlework has been telling her that she prepared the turkey all wrong and it is going to be dry. She also keeps looking at the table beside her and "tsk tsking" the almost invisible layer of dust that was somehow overlooked. The dog is only sitting calmly because it just got done eating the ham that was laid to cool on the counter and its too full to romp around in doggy bliss. The ornaments are hung so perfect because she has rehung those ornaments 5,698 times in the past few weeks due to the baby playing with the tree. After that much ornament hanging practice, of course they are perfectly hung (for another 10 minutes) She has also finally remembered that she never got the stamps put on the Christmas cards. She was supposed to send those out to family and friends two weeks ago with those generic cards she ended up picking up at WalMart because the family portrait card she had hoped to send never got taken due to each child being sick in separate turns.  She is trying to be patient while small talk is made before dinner, but knows they are keeping a tight schedule if they are ever going to make it to the next grandparents house in time for a big Christmas dinner in 4 hours. She is also tensed up because she knows that due to the economy that "Santa" was unable to fulfill the children's wish lists and is anticipating the look of disappointment when the children realize that they didn't get a pony, tricycle or merry-go-round. She has heard this type of let-down is the cause of adult therapy when her children will get older and worries that the whole reason they will never be President of the United States is because they didn't get the gift they wanted for Christmas thus resulting in low self-esteem. She casting a sideways glance at her husband to see if he is still upset about the fit she threw earlier when he suggested that he was just going to wear his sweatpants and college football t-shirt to dinner. She may have over reacted but it was just because she has spent the past 3 months trying to make this Christmas perfect by herself and he could at least act like he was in the Holiday spirit by wearing the clothes she laid out that perfectly coordinated with her outfit and the kids clothes.

Ah...Christmas Tradition. Doesn't it just fill you with cheer? Are you more like the mother I described above? I don't know about you, but as that mother above...I am tired of "Keeping With Tradition" and I believe it is time for some new ones that don't involve elaborate dinners, Christmas card sending, etc.

It's time for my family to enjoy a good ole traditional hot dog dinner and they better like it!

My Big Breasts

Today I heard a commotion outside and the dogs had finally caught and wounded some of the turkeys that are always in our yard. Being the responsible carnivore, I put them out of their misery and waited until the husband got home to clean them. I haven't gone all farm woman yet to actually clean a real turkey. I did however help with the plucking and it is decided that the girls will dress up like Indians for Halloween with authethic headresses. 'Cause that's how we roll.

Since I never could resist a good pun, even in the face of appearing crude....

Check out my big breasts.

Someone pass the cranberry sauce. We are feasting tonight.

Brace Yourself

Time to "Brace Yourself"!! It was probably the last really nice weekend we are going to have until March 2011, so the girls and I spent a lot of time outside enjoying the nice 80 degree weather!


We did some decorating for Fall.


















We looked at the subtle change of leaf colors in the back 40 and I tried to explain in 4yo and 2yo terms why the leaves change colors in the first place. I gave up on the scientific explanations as they looked at me like monkeys trying to solve a math problem and just settled for the "God made it that way" answer.

I taught them the correct way to roll down a hill.

This includes making sure the path of descent is free of thorns.

Free of twigs or roots.

...and most importantly free of dog or deer droppings.

We played many rounds of hide and go seek...

 I haven't explained yet that the bright pink shirt is a dead giveaway to a hiding place. They just assume that I am the Queen of Hide and Seek. I'll let them keep their illusions of my superiority a little longer...





It was a great weekend and I am sure going to miss the nice weather. Hope all of you had a wonderful weekend too!

Show Me Da Money!!!

I had an interesting email this morning. A company wanted me to review a product that I could offer to you. It was all about getting rich.



I did look at the website that was full of tricks, equations and thought provoking questions to guide you down this path of being filthy rich. It made it seem as though anyone could do it by following these few little steps and properly applying themselves. I'll be honest though, the equations gave me a headache.

First of all, I will not ever recommend a product to you if I don't 100% believe in the product or the company. So you will not receive a link to that company here or see a giveaway soon.

Secondly, let me give you some little tips to be rich (for free, of course)

• 1.) Rent a super long drill and find oil in your backyard.
• 2.) Invent a dryer that automatically folds your clothes and places them neatly in a basket when dry.
• 3.)Marry the only living heir to an overpriced, "Trump"ed up business.

If none of those tips seem to be possible for you, then how about we not focus on getting rich quick but rather being financially secure.

• 1.) If you don't have the cash in your pocket, then you don't get to buy it.
• 2.) Live on less than you make.
• 3.) Get rid of debt.
  

It's really that easy. You don't need super long scary equations to figure it out and you don't need a 24 week series with some guy yelling at you about investing in copper and green beans to make it big!

That's "My Opinion Monday!"

What's Up Wednesday

I stole a little bit of yesterday's post to tell you a little of "What's Up" today, but here are some other items that made headlines in my house.

The oldest child ddecided to bring out her inner pirate and got her leg stuck in a Pringles can. I am now writing a eHow article on chip container removal for those who may find themselves stuck in a can. It's easy to get off because once you pop, you can't stop.






The new stray that showed up at our house over a week ago has not been claimed by anyone and is now an official member of the family. Unfortunately, she has not been "fixed" and it seems she has come into that time, so I have spent outside bathroom breaks playing chaperon with a bucket of ice water to protect her from all the boys in the neighborhood. I have explained teenage pregnancy to her, told her that she has a long life ahead of her and not to have babies too young, but she is determined. She has an appointment at the end of the month to throw a wrench in the cogs of her biological clock.

I am currently writing a letter to Kool-Aid and to the makers of minivans. Both products are marketed towards child use and the creative geniuses behind them need to be schooled. The most popular and tasty flavor of Kool-Aid is loaded with red dye. This dye stains everything it touches from sweet little child lips to carpeting treated with a stain resistant chemicals. Can we please work on a dye-free formula that still preserves that fruity punch flavor? To the van makers, you promote your product to hold up to 6 kids and show how it makes a parent's life so much easier to have 24 cup holders inside the cabin. If you are going to include that many cup holders you are condoning the eating and drinking inside a van; so what is up with carpeted flooring and fabric seats. Can we work towards an attractive vinyl covering inside the cabin? That way after a road trip where all 24 cup holders were employed, I can take the van to the car wash and power spray the interior clean. OK creative product team, I expect you to get on this right away, mm'kay?

I guess the biggest news for you...the thing you care about the most....I received the gift cards from Williams Sonoma for my winning video/recipe in the Tasteful Selections contest. I am ready to throw the contest as promised for YOU to win, but I have a question. Should there be 1 winner of $500 or 2 winners of $250? So many of you voted and helped, I want to make this about YOU! Let me know either in the comments section or you can email me.

So that's "What's Up Wednesday"....What's up with you?

Clutter Be Gone

For the past two days The Man and I have been immersed in the beginning stages of packing. (Once again having faith that our house WILL SELL!) I do believe that this is the worse part of the moving process. Getting rid of the clutter and cleaning all the knick knacks (paddy wacks) Tomorrow morning the real estate agent is coming to take pictures of the house and (according to his minimalist mind) I had to get rid of most of the stuff that I have sitting around. OK, so I admit it, my house (although clean) has the decorating style of an antique store crossed with Cracker Barrel's dining rooms.

But now...it has the minimalist look he was wanting to see (because that is what will sell) and I have to say it is B.O.R.I.N.G!!!!

I will probably not be posting very much for a while, except for quick check in posts. There is something about packing, taking care of the 3 and 2 year old, maintaining a house fit for walk-thrus, continuing normal family operations and being pregnant that tells me my plate is pretty full.

Tuesday is BABY GENDER day and there will be a post letting you know pink or blue, so check in for that.

In closing....PRAY, PRAY, PRAY that this house sells quickly!!!!