A Thought

"And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before.

What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store? What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more. "

~Dr. Seuss

Today ...

I went shopping for ornaments to add to the tree to represent our 2008.

Baby Time

Wall E

Night Before Christmas Tradition

Caeden and Wayne are at the movies ...

Claire is sleeping ...

I am off to scrapbook ...

Yesterday ...

I stayed away from the hustle & bustle of shopping. Instead, I got our Christmas cards ordered ... sat by the fire ... watched the snow fall onto our awesome, old-school, outdoor lights (big, colored lights this year).

I watched Claire roll from her stomach to back to stomach again (the combo is a first), and laughed at just about everything Caeden said. When did he become so funny??? ... Or, old enough to have a sense of humor like that?

I listened to Christmas music (as now, Britney Spears' jingle is playing in the back ground! :)).

Surfed the web for clothing for Claire: Ruffle Butts

Ate leftovers.

That was about it.

Our Thanksgiving ...

...Was full of yumm-yumm-yumminess, laughter, LOVE, feel-good phototaking, and the spirit of thankfulness was overflowing in my heart. Everyday I am thankful and so grateful for my children and my husband. For my siblings, parents, my in-laws. For the simple (but important) fact that we have everything we need, that we are together (if only in spirit and cell phone calls), and thankful that we all have our health (so much more real and in the fore-front of my thoughts after my pregnancy with Claire).

Thankful. Happy. Content. Blessed.

My step-dad, Ken, made the most amazing turkey ever. Super moist and delicious! Look at those carving skills.

A friendly game of Candyland with Caeden.
(Have you watched "The Grinch" yet? We watched Ron Howard's version (it has edged out the traditional one in our house) and I can't help but remember what the Grinch said to the children after he won the potato sack race in Whoville. "I beat you! I beat you!"
{Of course, Caeden won. These are just thoughts in my head, people.}

Linz, Mom, Val

The Family.

We made the best cockail, too! Winter Sangria with apples, pears, and pomagranite seeds soaked in apple brandy. We will be serving this all winter long. If you are lucky enough to be invited to our house, you can try it. :)

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Let's Make a Deal (& in other news, Chili)

As much as I dislike waiting for things to arrive in the mail, I am going to shop cyber monday instead of braving the mall. I remember one year my sister in law and I braved the crowds on the Friday after Thanksgiving (years ago ... 5?) and it totally ruined me. People were so rude! I decided saving some money was not worth it because I came home grumpy, jaded, and exhausted.

I really admire all you brave souls that can handle it and score the good deals. You'll have to stop lurking and actually post a comment about what you found (anyone can post a comment - just do it under annonymous and post your name). Deal?

In other news, Wayne and I are trying very hard to eat healthy (this time of year is no big deal for him - he actually loses weight during the holidays because he doesn't like any of the food -- and it is the time of year that I have the hardest time. It's all my favorites!). I made this chili last night (which I found originally here) and it was delicious. I mean, really fabulous!


My friend Melissa turned me on to the tortilla strips (found in the fresh herb/produce section of the grocery store -- 35 calories for 2 TBSP.) that you garnish on top. I also added a scant bit of jack cheese and cilantro to the top. So pretty and yummy!

Thanksgiving Feast at Caeden's School

Caeden was chasing his friend (dark hair) for a hug when this other sweetie offered to hug Caeden ... not realizing it was all for fun. How cute is that?

Claire & I

Jordan (my sister's boyfriend), Papa, Caeden, Wayne

Caeden and his friend, T.

Papa and Caeden

Us.

This is the best. Caeden created a place mat and his teacher wrote what he was most thankful for. Click on picture for a closer view. It says, "Monster Trucks!"

Trying to make Claire smile for the camera...

Where was Wayne for this picture? Where was I?

My sweet boy. The chair says it all.

Aunt Lindsay and Claire Bear.

Today was so fun. We (Us, Papa, Lindsay and Jordan) all met at Caeden's school for a Thanksgiving lunch. The festivities started with us looking for a table for 11 (our family plus our friends). After some chair stealing and table rearranging, we sat down for prayer. The prayer reminded us all how much we have to be thankful for - how blessed we are - how fortunate. Caeden kept his hands together and eyes closed for most of it (I peeked). I was so proud of him.

We had turkey and all the fixings (apparently I am the only one in a 100 mile radius that likes sweet potatoes. What is wrong with all you people??). Caeden ate a ton of turkey and his entire cornbread muffin. He didn't like mashed potatoes (at which point I questioned whether he really was my son), corn (it was cold by the time he ate it), or sweet potatoes. He ate a piece of cake with his hands, and carefully wiped his hands on a napkin between each bite (...and a fork was too much to bother with, Caeden?).

I took pictures, only to realize I had no flash. I think I need to start bringing my camera bag with me (for the flash, and other lenses), as Claire, her diaper bag, and my purse are not nearly enough. My goal is to keep piling it on until I get another neck sprain. Push it to the limit, that's my motto.

Anyway, the pictures are dark and some a bit fuzzy (again, no flash with me), but the subjects are so adorable ...

I am truly thankful for everyone coming today. Caeden was on cloud nine - and it was a terrific way to kick start the holidays.

Claire

There have been some requests for more Claire (I'm not going to name names, Grandpa and Grandma!) So here are some random pictures of her yesterday. She was "sitting" on the sofa while I decorated the Christmas tree.

Still no teeth. Thought this toy-ma-jig would help her poor little gums. It's the only thing I can think of why she was up ALL NIGHT last night. We both got some sleep from 6am-7:30 am...and she is just the sweetest, most non-cranky baby ever - just not a sleeper, so I should count my blessings (since I am not counting sheep) that she is such a joy. And I do.

Friday by the Fire

Friday went by in a blur ... Wayne and Caeden were supposed to go to Rapid, but Wayne's flight (from Seattle) was late and the connection (to RC) would have been missed. So, they stayed home and played outside instead. The only thing missing was marshmallows. Oops. Gotta get that on the grocery list.

Late Night (8 pm ....)

Sooo...

Just got home from having a wonderful night over at our friends' house. Good food, great conversation, and both of us leaving their house saying, "There IS life outside of our 4 walls ..."
It was wonderful! The kids played together really well (Caeden wanted to know when we were going back. "Tonight?" "Tomorrow???") and Claire and B. (their son) were angels all night while we had as close to an adult night as possible with 4 children under the age of 4 can. It was great.
{Do I use italics too much?}

Anyway, just wanted to post a fun stocking stuffer for the kids. Bath and Body Works has a new shapeable foam that comes in 3 scents/colors. I got some for Caeden and just thought I would share since they are 5 for 25 bucks.

See you Monday!

The Weekend Is Here

Looking forward to a weekend of holiday decorating and scrapbooking. I am trying to complete a "31 Days of December" flip book before December so that I can add pictures as the month unfolds.

Caeden is in bed, content with a new Santa night light I found at Bath & Body Works. Poor fella has developed a fear of the dark. He walks around the house during the day and flips all the lights on. This little Santa light seems to be doing the trick.

Claire is on a sleep strike. We were up almost the entire night on Wednesday night, and multiple, multiple times last night...and is hardly napping at all. I think a tooth might make an appearance soon. It better, anyway.

Have a wonderful weekend!

P.S. Has anyone smelt the new perfume from Ralph Lauren, Notorious? It is divine.

Looky What I Won!

Remember that post about using old clocks to display children's exact birth times? Well, well, well. Look what 9.99 will buy you. :)

One for the moment we were married, one for Caeden, and one for Claire. And one extra. Cuz' you never know...

I am so excited to get them!

The North Pole

Last year I took Caeden to the North Pole with some friends of ours. It's a children's amusement park (Christmas themed, as you might guess). We drove down to Colorado Springs and spent a warm afternoon walking around and riding rides. It's amazing how fast time has gone by - this time last year all the kids were in strollers and had napping routines. This year, Caeden doesn't nap (oh how I miss those naps...) and wouldn't be caught in a stroller (otherwise, how would he run away and play hide and seek...?)

I've been meaning to take him back there before the cold weather sets in but just haven't been able to make it happen. I was looking through old pictures and came across these ... I think they are so special to me because this was the day I saw a new side of Caeden.

Caeden was always a very timid child and new situations scare him. He has been timid and somewhat sensory-sensitive since he was itty bitty. When things are loud (music, traffic, people talking ... anything) he shuts down. So, I was afraid we'd get there and he would want to go home (the zoo, the children's museum, and the aquarium are all examples of this happening).

Instead, he completely surprised me and came out of his shell to have the most amazing time. He rode rides by himself, ran to the next ride and stood in line, SQUEALED in delight at rides that were making me ill. He'd say, "Faster! Faster!"

Anyway, that day was such a wonderful day because he really enjoyed himself, and for one of the first times, I got to see him experience wonder and excitement at things that were completely foreign. In those moments, I began to stop worrying if something was wrong and began to relax. He was shy, not suffering from any of the spectrum disorders I could recite in my sleep...and secretly worried about.
It was such a fantastic day.
And now, a year later, I look back and remember him like that. How little he was, how unsure I was of how the day would go. How he came out of his shell and never went back.

Don't you love photos if only to be reminded of progress? (I have several hair styles that fit very well here.)

Enjoying it while it lasts ...

Can you believe they were in shorts and barefoot ... at the end of November?
It was 78 degrees yesterday.

Hi Daddy: Day Two

Playing Peek A Boo with the camera ...

Claire was laughing so hard as Caeden clapped her hands ...

She totally trusted him that he wouldn't let her go. And, he didn't.

Sweet boy tore himself away from his sandbox to let me take a picture.

How can she look so serious with that hair??

Awww, my sweet Claire.

The Dining Room is No More

The room we have never, ever used. The one we were going to re-do with ceiling tiles and wainscoting. The room we walked by every day without a thought while entering/exiting the house...is gone.

I gathered up furniture from my bedroom & the basement, and stuck them in the room. Instantly, our house feels bigger with the large table gone. When you walk in the front door, this is what you see:I know it would be cozier with a rug, and pictures on the walls, but the idea is to keep it simple so I can scoot the furniture out the way so I can take pictures of the kids against the bare walls.


Here is just a snap shot of the front door. I found this card hanger/iron wreath at a great little shop last weekend. It makes me happy to see all the cards and correspondence from people in one lil' spot.

Hi Dad

Wayne is in Redmond this week, so as tradition dictates, daily pictures of the kids, who miss him SO much. On the way home from the airport, Caeden must have asked me 10 times when we were going to go back and get him. "Do you think he is ready to come home, Mommy?"


I told Caeden we needed to take some pictures so Wayne could see him...and what does Caeden say? "That is a great idea! But first we need to take pictures of Tiny (his blanket) so Daddy doesn't get sad." Caeden knows that Tiny has powers to make everyone feel better. It even cures loneliness.

Talk about sweetness all wrapped up in a jean-wearing, sand digging little boy.

Weekend Update

{A sneak peek at our "Christmas" tree in our front yard. }

We hung Christmas lights ... & Wayne overheard a neighbor who nastily said, "Christmas lights already?!" We aren't turning them on, woman. Just avoiding the inevitable -20 degree weather that descends on us after Thanksgiving.

We washed more windows.

I attempted to take both kids clothing shopping. Without a stroller. Without a cart. Who knew Old Navy didn't have carts??! Just a bunch of navy mesh bags. Not cool, Old Navy. Not cool. No wonder I shop at the GAP for Caeden ... wait, they don't have carts either.
Anyway, before the strength of this story gets any weaker, let me proceed.
Caeden decides to play "hide and seek." Except no seeking. Just him hiding. And me, a screeching, scared/irrate mother frantically looking for him as I lug Claire's infant carrier and a 25 pound baby bag around the store.

When I realized that no stranger was going to want my over-hyper, non-listening, crazed child, I calmed down. I knew I was the only one who was going to want to bring this child home with me. So, when Caeden didn't hear me calling for him, he came out from behind a mass of coats...he ran full force into me and I lost my balance. I fell into a display of hats and mittens and we all crashed to the floor. I kid you not.

By the time I get home, I am almost rational. But I still tell Wayne that I will NEVER take both kids with me again by myself because the non-listening tends to get me upset. I have already been to Target with them this morning, so we all know who is a big, fat liar. But still, I had to be dramatic to get some sympathy from Wayne.

Except he really doesn't give me any because he believes he is worse off for hanging Christmas lights all day. It's tough work up on the roof. While this is true, I would give anything to be able to hide from the family all day on the roof. Maybe bring up a bottle of wine and order some take-out. Heck, I might not ever come down.

So that was our weekend. Today Caeden is back to his lovey, sweet self and I wonder if I hallucinated the entire shopping escapade. Plus, he got his school pictures back from school today. They turned out so good! I would share them, but when I entered his information into the photo website, they wanted my birthday - not his. Now the website won't let me in because I am age restricted. Nice.

With that I bid you ado with a picture taken at my Aunt Lyndee's house last year. (I have officially committed to Christmas!)

More on the Christmas Season

I ran across some nice ideas and thoughts about how to simplify this time of year & how to make it more meaningful. These suggestions from other people really resonated with me and I just wanted to share...

I am all about simplifying things so I can really enjoy them. We decided several years ago that each child will receive only 3 gifts under the Christmas tree. It symbolizes the gifts the 3 wise men brought to Jesus and paves the way for discussion about what the season is really about. Our kids have learned the value of things and appreciate what they have.

{For Your Children}
1. Something to read
2. Something they need
3. Something they want
4. Something to wear

I think the most simplifying tip I have is that I gather your shopping list before thanksgiving. Then on Black Friday I hop onto my computer and shop shop shop. Pretty much everyone and everything is on sale on that day AND most websites offer Free Shipping! So in about 1 1/2 hours I get all my shopping done and then just need to wait for it all to arrive. This leaves me plenty of time to create and enjoy the season.

I learned years ago that if I wanted to enjoy Christmas morning, I didn't want to be attempting to take all of the wires and ties off of my kids' new toys, installing batteries, etc. So now, as I wrap them, I take them out of the boxes, take off all the wires, install all of the batteries, and then put them back in the box before wrapping them. It is SO nice, when on Christmas morning, my kids toys are ready to be played with and my husband and I can enjoy our coffee and start getting ready for the rest of the day

Anyone between the ages of 11 and 22 gets a gift card so they can get exactly what they want. When I was that age, the "thoughtful" gift was completely unappreciated. Now, I see that the gift card IS appreciated if for nothing else than the teens to have an excuse to get out of the overcrowded house.

One of the best ways to make the holidays easy is by using USPS.com. You can take care of all of your mailing needs at your own computer. You can print your own photo stamps for Christmas cards, print your own labels and postage for practice and arrange a pick up by your mailman. You never have to stand in a single line.

My tip is to just make Christmas about the kids. My husband and I decided to do this about 2 years ago and it makes things so much easier and keeps the focus where it should be. We don't buy gifts for anyone 18 or over. We just make it all about the kids and making it magical for them. It makes Christmas really simple and fun.

We keep gift giving simple with only choosing three gifts for each child - to mimic the three gifts Jesus received from the magi. It works for us. And it helps us keep spending under control and little hearts from becoming too greedy or expecting too much at Christmastime.

To stay organized & pay for a cash Christmas, I am using a prepaid mastercard. When it's gone, it's gone.

One of the things I like to do is find a fabulous gift and give it to several people. For example, I love to give books to my nieces and nephews. Last year I attended a book signing by a great children's author and selected different titles for each of my nieces and nephews. The author then graciously inscribed the books to the individual child and I was done with a whole group on my list. The books were a huge hit so I'm repeating the idea with a different author this year!

Organized Christmas for holiday planning and organizing

I find by doing a lot of prep in November it saves me some sanity in December. I usually put out all my decorations in November, and buy most of my gifts then, too. That way in December I only have loose ends to tie up to be ready.

For me, the 'feeling' of Christmas is really important. So, as soon as Dec. 1st hits, our Christmas decor goes up. We always spend sooo much time trying to figure out where to put holiday lights, which extension cords to use & where to plug them in. Last year, I did a little organizing (although my husband and kids thought I was crazy)and created a 'map' of our entire set-up. Everything is labeled in neat containers and ready to go. Come this Dec. 1st everything will go up quick and easy, allowing us to spend a great evening together instead of wasting our family-time outside, frustrated and freezing cold. I know it will be well worth the time it took to organize the mess.

Here's my .02 ...

My childhood Christmas' were always filled with the most magical feeling. Even when my Mom struggled and there never seemed to be enough to go around, she made sure Christmas was special. I remember the yummy breakfasts she made (in fact, I am making baked french toast on Christmas morning, which is assembled the night before), the smell of the house, and the care she took to make our house a home. Everything was clean and pretty and well, Christmas-y. I remember we usually got new p.j.'s and most of our pictures have my brother, sister, and I in our new pajamas opening presents. It's the tradition in them that make it so special.

Something I plan on doing is saving my kids' Christmas p.j.'s and make a Christmas quilt with them when the kids are grown.

I just love this time of year. Please don't be surprised if posts from here on out are all about the season. I can't help myself.

Christmas Shopping Chaos

I ventured to the mall this morning to get some Christmas shopping done. Whoa - I think everyone else had the same idea. The mall was packed.

Since prying eyes would love to know what I bought, I can't go into specifics. But, let me just say it is so hard to stick to a budget! Wayne's family all agreed to stick to a certain dollar amount. I can appreciate that (with a little relief, too) but trying to find something thoughtful, personal, meaningful within x amount can be tough. Budgets always seem like a good idea until Christmas rolls around and you end up looking like a cheap skate.

"Oh, Val, I just love this sample-sized lipstick you obviously got as a gift with purchase. Thank you so much."

Budgets are a good idea! Just challenging...

Also, just to warn you merry shoppers out there - the people with road rage are alive and well. My local mall parking lot resembled a war zone as people cut each other off trying to get the parking space that is 3 steps closer to the entrance. The gesturing, eye rolling, honking were unreal! (No, I did not cause these things to happen (where is your benefit of the doubt, people?!) - just stuff I observed while packing and unpacking the SUV).

Ahhh, let the season begin.

Deco File

Here is a cool idea: A place online to save and store all your favorite decorating ideas. You can upload from other websites, your camera, your hard drive, anywhere! While I love my big ol' pile of torn out pages of magazines, this is a great online version without the mess!

Create your Deco File.

Speaking of decorating, today I deleted our formal dining room from the house. It is now an adorable living room that is going to get LOTS more use. Once everything is put away, I'll be posting pictures.

Good Night!

The Pink Elephant in the Room

Aunt Lindsay found this pink elephant at Anthropologie this weekend and thought Claire needed it (that, and she drooled all over it while we were shopping. You drool on it, you buy it.)

I was trying to take a picture of Claire on my love seat in the bedroom, but I couldn't get the angle, the light, or the background right (although I love them anyway!). Sooo, guess who is taking everything out of the dining room and converting it into a "cute" room that I can use to take pictures in...

Neutral walls, hardwood floors, and lots of light. It (dining room) has never been used, so why not re- purpose it. Camera equipment everywhere ... just in time for the holidays ...

A Problem?

I think I might be an addict. The UPS guy was here again today. He might be here tomorrow, too...