So much to blog about....

I was hoping I can get most of our exciting life from the last week and a half crammed into this one post but that would have to mean it would officially be the longest post ever so I'll just plan on breaking it up for you.  You can thank me later. :)

Christmas Tree Decorating!

So we actually did get around to putting up a Christmas tree this year.  It was kind of late with James being gone on the weekends and us being gone on the weekends but it got up before Christmas and that's all that counts!  You know how sometimes you think you have a Christmas tradition and then you start to second guess yourself... is that really something we did or is it something I wish we did/would do??  Well, maybe my half-gone-mommy-brain only thinks like that.  Anyway, I wanted to start a tradition(even if I thought we did it before and we didn't) of making Christmas cookies and then eating them, drinking eggnog, and decorating our Christmas tree.  Now my children are 2.5 years and 15 months old and I realize that not everything in that Christmas tradition wish can come true right now but we can start.  So here's our start.... I cheated and bought Christmas cookies that were already made and O helped me put them on the pan... hey, to some people that's baking Christmas cookies!

J didn't help with the "cooking" because I was pretty sure he would eat the uncooked cookie but he did dig into the finished project...

             

(look at me being all creative with the side by side pictures... just keep reading for more!)

Now on to the tree.  We decided to have at least one more year of only none breakable ornaments.  We will see what next year looks like.  Here are some decorating pictures.

It's a blurry picture but I like it because you can almost see the panic in his eyes... "I'm not suppose to be touching the tree!"

Here's the mandatory after decorating the tree picture...

And the mandatory family picture... seriously... this was the best one we got.

The next part of this blog is a mini photo gallery of sorts.  I thought I would show all the pictures I took trying to get a good picture of the kids in front of the tree.  Enjoy. :) 

 

At this point I gave up the dream of getting them both together by the tree and thought of a new dream, individual Christmas tree pictures.  Here's the results

   
     

Feeding Possum Lotion

Three posts in one!

Feeding
So my picky eater son has decided that he wants to feed himself.  However, he is still limited on what he will actually put in is mouth.  We try everything and he is getting a little better, he ate a hard boiled egg this week!  So basically what he wants to feed himself is his baby food.  There is a part of me that thinks it's somehow wrong to let your 15 month old feed himself baby food but what can I do?!?  This is how he wants to eat!  Those of you with children know the learning to feed self part of life is a super messy one.  I think it's extra messy since it's baby food!  So I thought I would share some of my favorite pictures. :)

Yes, his hands are in his hair and no, they are not the clean.

O likes me to take pictures of her when I take pictures of J.  Normally her eyes are closed.  I told her she needed to open her eyes if I was going to take another picture of her.  That was what I got. :)

Possum

Last week I needed to take the trash out.  So I got on my coat(it's was like 19 degrees out!) and James' shoes(I can slip those on so I don't have to tie mine) and told O I would be right back.  So I braved the cold and walk to the side of my house where our trash cans are.  I was standing by the trash can, had the trash bag raised and was 1 second from dropping it in the can when I happened to look down and saw this:

Now some of you may think this little rodent is cute but let me tell you, when he is at the bottom of your trash can, hissing at you, he is anything but cute!  Needless to say, I dropped the trash bag(not in the can) and ran in the house(as fast as I could in James shoes!).  I'm not sure why I ran, it's not like the nasty rodent was going to jump out of his...err.. our "warm" trash can and start chasing me, but I ran anyway.  I called my neighbor- 1. to tell my horror story and 2. tell her why there was a random trash bag between our two houses. She actually said she had heard something outside last night so apparently the ugly thing has decided to make himself at home in our trash can.  James actually touched one last fall/winter but he haven't seen it since.  I was hoping the over grown rat went elsewhere but I guess not.  Oh, and I made James put the trash bag in the can when he came home and take out the recycling the next day.  We need a trash can with a lid!

Lotion
I promise this isn't going to become a blog about products I use but I need to tell everyone about this lotion I found.  Well, I didn't really find it.  One of our MOPS meetings was a "MOPS favorite things" and one mom told us about this lotion she uses in the winter and she doesn't have dry skin.  I have to admit that I had my doubts because I feel like I've tried a million lotions and I still have dry, cracked, bleeding hands all winter.  But I tried it anyway.  Wow, this stuff works!!  It's called Curel ultra healing for extra dry skin.  I love it.  I've been using it for a few days now and no dry, cracked, bleeding skin!!  So, if you have this problem, I suggest going and getting a big bottle today!

Shutterfly

It’s Christmas card time again.  Or so I’m told.  Yes, I’m one of those people who say they are going to send out Christmas cards but don’t.  I actually just found a whole bunch of Christmas cards in my basement that I had collected throughout the years but never got around to getting out.  Well this year will be different.  I promise.  You are thinking “Sure, whatever”  I know you are.  Well this year I have help.  Shutterfly to the rescue!  I found this amazing deal(Thanks Amy!) where you can get 50 free Christmas cards from Shutterfly.  And I know they will be good cards because Shutterfly does great work. I’ve already got my brother and sister-in-law’s Christmas card and it turned out cute. And  I got J’s 1^st birthday party invites from Shutterfly.  They have a great section of birthday invites(and other greeting cards) it was hard to choose one!  I’m also thinking about making a calendar of the kids for my frig.  It will be neat to look back at the calendar and see how much they changed in just a year.  Anyway, back to the Christmas cards.  Here are some I think I might use.  I don’t want to tell you which one I’m going to use… that would spoil the surprise! J 

      

Oh, and once you use Shutterfly, you can get other great deals from them too.  Like right now you can get 50 free 4x6 prints.  Yea!  Looks like I can get some pictures printed that have just been hanging around in my computer.  Anyway, hope everyone’s day is great and I know you will be looking to see if you got one of my 50 Christmas cards! J

two year olds verses teenagers

There's something I've been wanting to blog about for a while now but wasn't quite sure I should... or could without sounding like a meany.  So after this long week I'm breaking down and doing it.  Please let me know what you think...
Oh, a couple disclaimers....
1. I love my children.  I mean it.  I love them. 
2. This is just my theory now since I don't have a teenager.  I reserve the right to change my mind in 11 years.

Ok, here it goes.  I think two year olds are just as bad as teenagers.  Everyone you talk to says the teen years are the worst but I think not.  Do teenagers potty all over the floor and/or poop in their pants?  Do teenagers look you right in the eye and push/hit/kick their brother.. err... sibling right after you just said "please don't push/hit/kick your sibling again"?(this also can be applied in different areas such as the dinner table- "please don't band your fork on the table again" or sharing- "please don't take that toy away from him again") Do teenagers run screaming from you in public, crawl on the floor crying in public, or potty all over the floor in public?(I did borrowed some examples from other parents who have been blessed with 2 year olds so not all of these are mine... but just give it time) Again, I'm sure there are a ton of things that teenagers do that are just as bad as 2 year olds(or worse) but here's my theory.  Everyone forgets the 2 year old stage.  So when you have a 2 year old and you talk to someone who has/had a teenager all they can tell you is "wait until they are a teenager."  Well I just want to tell them, "I think you forgot how lovely your kid was when they were 2."  So enough with my rantings.  I do love my children and won't trade them for anything.  So I'll show them off with some family photo's I promised I would share, oh, a few months back. :)  I wanted to post all 55 but I didn't think anyone would look at them all(well, my mom would but she may be the only one!) so here are the best of my favorites.  It was hard to chose.  If you need awesome family photos, make sure you call Jami at twiceover productions.

Christmas tree decorating with Gaga and other random things

I should be unloading and loading the dishwasher again(how come there are always dirty dishes?!?!) but I've already done a load of laundry, folded another load, swiffered the floors and scrubbed all the dinning room chairs and table(isn't having a child learning how to use a spoon lovely?) so I think I'm going to blog. :)
There will be a few random things before we get to our weekend adventure at Gaga(that's what O calls my mom)'s house.
First, this is one of J's favorite activities.  Unfortunately, I'm bad about making sure the box is put where he can't get it. :)

I go to a knitting class every week at a neighborhood church and the kidos go to childcare there.  They love it.  O made this last week.  She was so proud of herself!  It's still hanging on our door.

 On Thursday I was busy getting lunch ready when I look behind me and O had gotten out the broom for her and the Swiffer for J.  Too bad in a few years they won't be so happy when they are doing this!

Now on to Gaga's house.... My mom decided that she wanted to start a tradition where all the grandkids come to her house and help her decorate her Christmas tree and have a "Happy Birthday Jesus" party.  So that's what we did this weekend.  It was a fun time!  Here are some pictures.
The first one is just J looking at the undecorated tree.  He can say "tree"(well, I know he is saying "tree") and was excited there was one in Gaga's front room.

Here is Gaga and the grandkids before the decorating started.  I had a feeling it would take us a while to get three kids under the age of 3 to cooperate with getting their picture taken so we did "before" and "after" shots.  I didn't get any "after" shots with my camera but this is the best "before" shot.

Decorating the tree.

J loves balls and I know right now he is thinking"why are we putting this ball on a tree when I could be throwing it?!?!?"

 I know Miss O's eyes are shut in this picture but I wanted to post it because I think this is a cute picture of my niece.  Don't you agree?? 

 I have to post one more picture.  When we were there O brought out two chairs and had J sit on one with her.  Then she said "Picture Mommy!"  so I got my camera out.  This picture pretty much sums up the "photo shoot."  Half of the other ones O is getting up or putting her head down.  The other half J is just all over the place.  It was a fun time. :)

Well, I've procrastinated the dishes for as long as I should.  The kids will wake up soon and then cleaning opportunities will be over.