Prep for Christmas

Poor Little C :) -

in preparation for Christmas I begged him to try on a dress I had purchased for his female cousin; I was worried it would be too short.

So he grudgingly obliged...

and I, being a stinker - had to take advantage of this photo op.

Here he is walking around the corner, unaware I have a camera in hand.

 

Trying to get away once his eyes discover his traitorous mother's intentions.

Sorry Little C... My stinker-ism-ness is anchored deep within my core. :) I love you - and p.s. you looked adorable in the dress. Kidding. I'm Kidding.

 

Proof - that I am not a baker  -

I'm not even a NO - Baker.

I made no bake cookies for those we love and adore...

they're not fool proof.

Here's my failed attempt at being domestic -

they never hardened.

Grrrr....

I gave in and drove to the store to buy my favorite Betty Crocker chocolate chip mix.

Yea!

 

Kathy was about as photogenic as Little C in her holiday attire.

But, it really was calming to her....

I think she felt pretty.



Party 2012

I have posts to publish clear back from the beginning of November to Christmas but I've decided to post them in reverse order...

not sure why -

my brain just thought it made sense.

This year was our turn to spend Christmas with my Fam.

It's a little chaotic but I dig it.

I love the noise and the love.

Below my dad is directing the gift exchange celebration.

The Beloved's gift from the V Fam.

The Beloved and our brother-in-law have an inside joke about one of my Dad's golf clubs they've dubbed "sexy".

Lou received a tracing set from Buckabu and Papa... he has played with it endlessly since.

Says, "If Zombies attack....I'm totally tripping you."
Our brother-in-law has an affinity to  Zombies... or maybe it's the opposite.

Ruckus received a LEGO sticker book from the V Fam. Super Cool!

Little C LOVES his Angry Birds Pillow....
need I say more?

Not sure if Bro in law  is having as grand a time as Sister #1.... but I could be wrong.

Sister #3 with our Mama and baby A.R.

The Baby is thrilled with his Turtle Coaster he received from  Buckabu and Papa.

The eyes say it all!

Woo Woo!

GAG GIFTS!

When I was little my mom's siblings and spouses would give each other gag gifts.  This year our own little family decided to continue this tradition.

Family members could choose whether or not they wanted to participate...

The Beloved and Bro in Law F.V. declined...

BOO...

but we respect your agency. Mostly.

Sister #1 delivering her gift to Sister #2.

How to get organized tips magazine.

I think I was camera happy at first and then just enjoyed the displays of humorous love. (Pictures get fewer and fewer)

Below my brother-in-law J.J. is giving me a turn in the hot seat.

Scandalous! They gave me coke.... because I've stopped drinking Pepsi.... and now I consume their competitor - Shameful and pointless...I know.... hence the joke.
It's something I'd rather not talk about. :)

Sister #2 teasing Sister #3 about  being a germ-a-phobe. 

Bro - in law J.R. gave Sister #1 a very large over the should boulder holder.... we all tease her that she secretly got a boob job.
( she's pleads not guilty - we practically believe her.)
No, we do. :)

My mom gave this son-in-law a hard time about being a tight wad. Ha ha.

We had a joke going on that everybody needed to smile with their chin up because we were having a few double chin photos. 

.... somebody below is  rebel... :)

My Dad giving his gift of hilarious-ness to bro-in-law J.R.

The Beloved helped my dad out with his gift by busting out this funny caricature.

Sister #3 teasing our Dad about loving his treasures.. aka collectibles... aka ... junk. :(
Super funny!

And I had my Mamacita, who I serenaded with a song to be accompanied with a shirt stating,

"I spill things".

 

I changed the lyrics to the love song,

"When You Say Nothing at All".

(This is for all of our relatives who know my dear mother, and her klutz ridden daughters :).

 

(sing the tune in your head)

(Verse 1)

It's amazing how you are so very bright

Professor of Communications, grading homework all night

Try as I may it is hard to explain

Why you must be attached to a drain

(chorus)

That glass in your hand looks tight and secure

Then all of a sudden it spills on the floor

The contents spread vast

You spill things so very fast

She's not a putz

Just an intelligent klutz

(Verse 2)

Your whole life you developed talents galore

You can dance, cook, sing, teach, write, and so much more

Old Mister Webster can easily define

Dawn Craner and liquid means spill every time

(Chorus)

That glass in your hand look tight and secure

Then all of a sudden it spills on the floor

The contents spread vast

You spill things so very fast

She's not a putz

Just an intelligent klutz.

 

(and she can also take a joke - I love you Mom!)

 

 

A week before Christmas The Beloved's youngest brother blessed us with his company.

One of their family traditions is to serve Sparkling Cider with their candle light Christmas dinner.

See the little candle?

And of course they're toasting  -

Hurray!

Merry Christmas to my in-laws - we missed you this year!

Here is our actual Christmas dinner.

We have carried on The Beloved's family tradition of having a candle light dinner, serving ham, funeral potatoes, and of course sparkling cider.

Our friends, the Horton's, joined us for our Christmas Eve Celebration.

Merry Christmas 2012!

Holiday Feet

My Christmas Toes

Me with my pal Elise

I had forgotten how great a good pedicure with a  best bud could be!

All friends - Let's get out there and do this more!

Christmas in our PJs

Boys ages 1 - 10 all in matching Christmas jammies!

Makes my heart jump for joy.





Little C B-ball

Look at that great "boxing out"! Little C is quite the defender.

I love sports and I enjoy watching my children play all sports... but

I get a little crazy about basketball. Poor Little C. During his first game - The Beloved, his Papa, and Yours Truly - were yelling so many different "important" advice tips from the sidelines my mom had to remind us to sit back and relax... and just let him play. :)

I think we wisely obeyed and his game improved significantly. Little C has quite the shot and is pretty fierce competition during a game of HORSE. I cherish our little HORSE games. This was his first experience being on a real basketball team, which was a bit overwhelming at first but he really got the hang of it toward the end of the season.

Good job Little C!

Sorry about your crazed relatives admiring you from the side-lines - we'll try to be less helpful next season. :)

So, it's been over a month and I know a post is desperately needed.

Blogger won't let me upload photos...

I pay for extra space on my blog so I know that's not the issue.

When I click the picture button the upload feature is there for a moment and then disappears...?

Has anyone else had this issue?

I've erased my cookies -

added blogger.com to not be included on my pop-up blocker -

not sure what else to do.

Frustrating.

....on the news front....

we've all been sick, basically since Thanksgiving.

I don't handle being sick well. I struggle with sickly people.

A phrase my Grandpa used to say comes to my  mind regularly when people just lay around, being ill for days,

"Sometimes you gotta get outside and let the stink blow off".

We've gone outside - the "stink" (sickness) hasn't blown away.

It's like one random symptom after another and you finally think your ailments have passed and then you wake up with another crazy illness.

Currently I am surviving with the deep, congested cough that makes me pee my pants a bit regularly. It's a pretty sweet deal.

But, I think we're on the mend.

Shoving my kids full of vitamins to kick this thing.

The good news -

IT'S A SNOW DAY!

I'm not sure why it's a snow day, we barely have two inches in our driveway - but I support it.

The random news -

do you ever wonder about your neighbors?

I have the most curious neighbors.

Being holed up in the house with sickness abounding has made me a little too aware of the goings on across the street.

Here's a bothersome thing -

My neighbor never puts out his trash on garbage days.

Is this weird?

(Is it weirder that I notice?)

He must have trash. Right?

He drives a grayish truck which is never filled with garbage bags to drop off at the dump.

Here's what my being sick on the coach brain has come up with.

Maybe he's secretly a big "going green" supporter and therefore avoids any waste that would be thrown into a land fill.

OR

Maybe he's one of those garbage hoarders and is drowning away in his own filth.

I'm routing for A.

Odd thing #2.

When you come home for your daily routine do you usually park your car in the same space?

I am really not this OCD about parking -

but it's like my little neighbor has a plan to park his truck a different direction every other day.

He's a single man.

Usually there are NO other cars there.

But he won't park in his driveway or garage.

He parks at the side of his house down the road.

Or in the front of his house near the corner.

And the list could go on and on.

But it's never the same spot.

And for some reason this is truly odd to me.

But I'm realizing that I'm the creepy neighbor who is blogging about her poor single neighbor who probably just wants a little privacy in his life.

Wow.

Okay, I'm officially done worrying about my neighbor -

and I'm off to be productive.

It's just way easier to cough and have tinkle issues while being perfectly lazy. :)

 



Got Gas?

 

Three year old Ruckus' dreams are coming true with the discovery of making himself burp.

His true desire is to belch the ABC's but since he's a little unsure of his alphabet he is content to burp out random letters as well.

One of my proudest mom moments. Kind of. 

Vulnerability Hangover

First of all - Let's just get this out of the way -

In my brain the word vulnerable must be said in a Russian accent.

Seriously.

Try it.

VULLLNERRRABLLLE.

You like it don't you?

:)

I don't usually suffer from "in the moment" vulnerability.

It's the onslaught of the vulnerability hangover coming to visit after the moment is over that I suffer from.

Examples -

I love teaching. I enjoy speaking in church. I am confident while doing so...

but after a few hours go by the worry floods in.

Did I provide correct information? Was I preaching or teaching? Gosh, I hope I didn't offend anybody.

And most often this one appears - 

Maybe people just view me as a silly little blond girl with a lack of experience and education who has too many opinions?

Wow huh? :)

There's Satan working at his finest - thrusting the vulnerability hungover upon me.

And I fall for it. Almost everytime.

The next example -

being social. Grrrrrr.

This one's a killer.

Here's the truth.

I like you.

I want you to know it.

Few people bother me so I think we can just all be friends.

So we're friends -

we hang out.

Have a good time.

Go home.

Guess who comes to visit my mind?  Aghhh -Not again.

Did I say anything offensive?

I shared way too much about myself.

I shouldn't be so crude. - that doesn't represent me well.

Was I nice and did I include everyone?

Am I too happy? Maybe too negative?

Oh - for the love.

So, then The Beloved asks me if I had a good time and I almost always say this,

"It was fun but it's so much easier to just stay at home with you and the kids."

Why?

Because it's comfortable.

I know they love me - I love them - and there's no worry.

I don't have to wonder if they really like me. Don't have to guess what they're thinking. I know their communication styles, roles, and most of all -

it's easy.

Welcome the sweet peace.

So for the next 3 months girl time is the last thing from my mind. No post-anxiety to deal with-

and I can just get lost in my glorious day to day.

Until the 4th month hits and I break down to my spouse that I don't have many friends. I ask him if it's them or me and then he sits me down for our quarterly therapy session. :)

Our last session resulted in this selfish discovery -

I want to be liked.

I want my friends to know they rock!

(because I really feel they do)

I want to be invited...

 

so I can decline your invitation yet still feel included by it.

 

All to avoid the  -

vulnerability hangover.

Counseling may be needed by friends. :)

Here's the problem.

While I'm being consumed by worry and selfishness I overlook the fact that people do need me.

My friends need me.

Friends who I've felt prompted to call or text but avoided to do so because I didn't want to be annoying or stalker-ish... or dare I say,

vulnerable.

I found out about a few trials some of my friends are going through recently. It breaks my heart to see these strong, valiant, amazing women struggle.

They could have used a phone call earlier.

So all friends be prepared,

I probably am going to contact you.

I don't care (well I do but I'm going to pretend like I don't) if you think I'm annoying or over the top.

The Beloved's most recent therapy tip keeps playing around in my mind.

"When questioning about whether or not to call a friend or invite them to do something, don't over think it.

Just respond as you would like a friend to. I'ts okay to give them the opportunity to say no or yes.Would you want to be invited? Would you like a call? The answer is usually yes."

Boys are smart. :)

The vulnerability hangover is unfortunately part of life -

Satan's powerfully, smart, tricky way of encouraging us to think we're not good enough.

It helps us avoid developing our talents and blessing the lives of others.

SO - here's my coping mechanism -

If I feel unsure... insecure.... nervous...

I'm going to repeat -

I can handle the vulnerability hangover -

over and over again in my head -

in a Russian accent.

I know it will be empowering.

Genius.

:)

 

 P.S. Mom and Sisters - I am just venting. I am happy, content and in no way suffering from depression. In social situations I get anxiety a bit afterwards but mostly because I am lazy in the friend department. It is a lot of work and my brain is t.i.r.e.d.
Plus I really enjoy accents and the more opportunities I get to use them the happier I'll be. :)