springdellgirl

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas!!

We have snow on the ground and snow has been falling off and on all day. Things are looking good for a white Christmas. Yay! Santa's little helper is taking a break from all the holiday preparations to get in a little blogging before we are out of here for the next few days. Things have been CRAZY! I finally have everything wrapped and boxed and ready to be loaded into the car tomorrow. It's quite a feat...and my mom just called to remind us to brings sleds, snowshoes, and ice skates!

Earlier this week I went with the YW to go caroling to a retirement home and to have our Christmas party on Wednesday. It was wild and out of control most of the time.

I finally put the last coat of paint on Ailey's christmas gifts...aren't they cute! The cradle I got when I was two. My grandpa E. made it for me. The dish cupboard I found in Kamas, Utah for $5. It's been sitting around for about 8 years now...It was a pain in the butt to sand and redo. Someone had glued some linoleum on the little counter and it was really hard to get off. I was going to sell it at our last Sisters Creed sale but it was just too cute and went really well with the cradle I was redoing so decided to keep it for Ailey. Then as we were unloading all our cars at our sale I saw the little doll high chair in Stacey's things...I bought it from her right then and there. I think Ailey will flip out. She is such a little girly-girl.

Reading the kids' letters to Santa this year was hilarious. They were pretty much grocery lists. On both Reilly and Kameron's lists they had pomegranates, juice boxes, sugar cereal. Yes...I am that mean mom that only buys NON-sugar cereal. I also don't buy juice boxes very often due to the lectures I've had to endure from the Dentist. "Ahh... It appears Reilly has a cavity...she's a juice drinker isn't she...do you know how much sugar there is in juice...take a look at this chart...there is really no reason for a child to drink juice...consider it the same as soda...blah blah"). Poor kids...they have to ask Santa for Captain Crunch and Capri Suns!! But at least they were easy to buy for...I wasn't tracking down any elusive toy. There really wasn't anything "big" on any of their lists. Kameron wanted his own Nutcracker (we collect them)...Reilly wanted clothes, and Ailey wanted a doll. That was about it. I was talking to this woman who has a daughter Reilly's age and she was complaining that she couldn't believe what was on her 10 year old daughter's list: Ipod, laptop, cell-phone etc. I can't relate. Reilly knows not even to bother asking us for those kinds of things. I guess it's good that they are satisfied with pomegranates...but I'm sure they will all be in therapy because of mom the food nazi. But I did find pomegranates for all!

Tyler and I got a great idea from our friends, the Shirleys (they do this); we gave each of our kids a few bucks and let them pick out gifts for us from the Dollar Store. They felt like they were really "Christmas Shopping" and it has been hilarious seeing what they have picked out. I took the kids to get Tyler 's gifts this week and Tyler took the kids to get mine tonight. I'll tell you what they picked out for Ty since I know he won't read this before Christmas...Kameron deliberated for about 20 minutes over whether to get Tyler a green whoopee cushion or a red one...the green won out as Tyler's favorite color is green. Reilly was all in angst about whether she should get him a vibrating tooth brush or two cans of Vienna Sausages. Ha Ha! Luckily good dental hygiene won out. Ailey actually picked out a nice jig saw puzzle for Ty (Tyler is a "puzzler". I loathe them!) I can't wait to see what they all picked out for me!

I really love this time of year because of all the cards and letters we receive. Today was a gold-star mail day...all cards. My favorite was the card/family letter from Tiffany (my bestfriend from college). I was laughing like crazy reading it. Her three kids sound as wild as mine! I was laughing about her daughter, Ava's dolls and their names: Mr. Patty, Coco Chanel, and Porkey. Ailey also has three favorite "babies" and their names are: Naughty Girl, Baby Jesus (now shortened to Jesus) and Sister Holland (My personal fave...although I don't think Valynn would find it flattering...as poor "Sister Holland" is seriously incontinent...Ailey spent most of yesterday trying to "potty train" Sister Holland). :) It was hilarious listening to her say: "You need to pee in the potty Sister Holland!!!"

My other favorite part of Tiff's letter was: "Mojo-JoJo remains our small and unattractive shih-zu". We have our own version of Mojo Jojo...only ours is a small and unattractive pug named "Mrs. Beasley". I have always wanted a pug...now I truly have to question why!! But this September a breeder in the town my mom lives in was having a difficult time selling her last two puppies. One was a faun colored one and one was a brindle colored one. I wanted the faun colored one...the normal pug coloring. But by the time we talked to the breeder the faun one was gone and only the brindle colored one remained...and she was being sold at a considerable discount and that is how we acquired Mrs. Beasley.

Yes...I named her...much to the humiliation of my children. I find the name Mrs. Beasley hilarious. When we picked her up the breeder was calling her "Emma" and asked us if we had a name picked out. The kids refused to answer and finally said..."Yes...it's Mrs....mumble...mumble...Beasley...Our MOM named her!!" I'm sorry but it makes me laugh to hear them yell..."Mrs. Beasley...Mrs. Beasley...get out here and do your business". Mrs. Beasley, of course, is a perfect nightmare most of the time. But she has her "few and far between" cute moments...and she looks good in her pink rhinestone collar!!