santa!!! i know him!!!

i love this picture more than words can express.

bahahahaha!

3 days:)

waiting creation.

this morning...

when i was in college i loved to bake after i finished all of my finals.
it was a release of sorts.
enjoying the creation of something that had nothing to do with everyday.
i loved it.
i've been waiting for that feeling this year.
waiting for our routine to be found.
for the kids to get comfortable in the house.
for us to get comfortable in the house.
to find our new niche.
to find all of my stuff.
ok, that's going a little far.
i have definitely not found all of my stuff.
to feel at home.
in a groove.
a release of sorts.
the release where the stress disappears.
so the relax can begin.
it's here.
i think this means we're finally settled.
i love it.
the baking too.

2 christmas's

i grew up with two christmases.
divorced family.
and lots of different traditions.
christmas afternoon was always the same b/c we usually ended up at dad and sandie's by then (with a few years that fell under an exception with the other parents).
some years i spent christmas eve with my mom.
other years were with dad and sandie.
with dad and sandie,
everything started with paul mccarntey's "simply having."
we couldn't enter the christmas room until it playing.
we all complained about how annoying it was,
but secretly i always loved it.
baked bri cheese and shrimp.
martinelli's in champagne flutes.
waiting for adam and kelsey to get to our house so i could see what santa had left us.
imagine having to wait until 1pm to see what santa had brought you.
maybe it was 11am.
all i know is that it felt like forever.
trust me.
it wasn't easy.
but i never peeked!
really, i never did.
i'm still good at waiting patiently for surprises.
then there was the 4 hour present opening spectacle.
i still love it that way.
everyone watches while each person opens each gift, not including stockings.
those were all at once.
it makes christmas last the entire day.
one year dad taped christmas sideways.
that was fun to watch.
another year sandie put an iron candle holder bowl thing on her head b/c no one could figure out what it was.
and then there was the year that grandpa dick got only books.
books have now been a banned gift for him.
we've moved onto movie tickets.
dinner followed.
prime rib.
sweet potatoes.
green beans.
mashed potatoes.
skins on b/c that's where all of the vitamins are.
and they taste better that way.
at least,
we think so:)
but no gravy.
b/c grandma joi and i gave it up.
we could never get it right.
although dad conquered it this year at thanksgiving,
and we were all glad to have it back.
then there's grandma's jello salad.
and poppers.
the kind that come with a toy and a paper crown.
we have the same menu at thanksgiving too, with the exception of the meat being turkey instead of prime rib.
obviously.
oh, and the lotto scratchers.
sandie buys them.
then cashes them in.
i never win.
or i just win a ticket.
but we've been doing them since forever.
passing around grandpa's knife or coins from someones pocket.
...
sean's family reenacts the nativity story.
after meat and cheese fondue.
dress up clothes and all.
i'm rooting for baby max to be the baby jesus this year.
maybe that means i'm finally a shoe in for mary.
so sean can be joseph.
and bieber the donkey???
sean's mom plays the piano out of the famous christmas book, and we all sing along.
it's red fabric and white ruffles around the outside.
i want my own.
then it's off to smush in the car for the neighborhood christmas light tour.
christmas morning is dawned with egg casserole, chocolate croissants, and tom n jerry's (minus the rum) hot drinks.
...
the longest running tradition with my mom was the nutcracker ballet.
we went every year from 1st-5th grade, with stacie in tow.
i've gone several times since then, but nothing as consistent as when we were kids.
all dressed up in our fanciest dresses we would drive to the Capitol Theater.
if i could only find a picture in the basement.
with the sugar plum fairy party after.
i always wanted to be a ballerina on those nights.
with their tutus that stuck out in a circle around their waists.
pointy pink shoes.
perfect hair.
i think a part of me will always wish i would have been a ballerina.
a flower floating across a spotlit stage with big snowflakes falling from the sky.
magical.
just like christmas.

"juice" on the church floor.

max woke up from her nap.
nursed her.
fed her.
fed bieber.
fed grown ups.
threw everyone in the car.
went back twice for things we forgot.
made it to church on time.
kids playing in the pew.
picked max up from the floor.
this is where it gets exciting.
circle wet spot.
where max was sitting.
forgot to change the diaper after the nap.
dang it.
thank goodness it looked like juice.
good thing we're still new.
...
it has not been a good diaper weekend in general.
i accidentally put a dirty diaper in the washing machine with my darks yesterday.
not sure how "dirty" it was.
may or may not have been "dirty."
i did not want to know.
cleaned out the gel balls.
ran the machine twice.
washed the clothes again.
looked like snow.
gross.

caved...twice.

we put up our christmas ornaments.
despite the grinch on my shoulder.
the grinch that was whispering into my ear,
"take them out, put them up, wrap them, put them away. too much work!"
i whispered back,
"once a year, you little devil. get lost!"
it worked.

and brennan walked into our room this morning to wake us up.
no big deal you say,
normal you say.
not when it's the first time he's ever done it.
b/c he's still in a crib.
what am i saying?
this is what i'm saying.
he climbed out of his crib for the first time this morning.
man, it's been a nice ride.
bieber fever can finally hoist his own weight.
ta-da!
time to turn the crib into a toddler bed.
we've finally caved:)
it feels really good.
the ornaments too.

7.

i'm dreaming of a white christmas.

7 days and counting:)

EXTRAVAGANZA!!! {april, may, june}

APRIL, MAY, JUNE 2010

max slept.

for the entire 3 months.

it was amazing.

who knew babies really can "sleep like a baby."

such a gem she is.

i was somehow still not with it, despite getting good sleep.

so i forgot my groceries at harmon's.

in their drive and load.

went to costco.

got another load of groceries.

and couldn't figure out why there was so much room for them.

then halfway home, and singing my heart out to prince,

i realized why there was so much room...

but harmon's still had them for me sitting in the cart.

it was embarrassing.

and funny.

"2000-zero-zero-party's over..."

then spring came.

and the family yard perked up.

man, i miss living by them!

the popcorn blossoms were "popping right before my eyes!"

sean and i celebrated 6 years of marriage in april.

i took him to the batting cages.

and go carting.

may was a huge month.

the big kahuna right in the middle of april, may, and june.

we blessed max.

sean became dr. gibson

said his dr. oath.

was "doctored," so TA speak.

then we had a rough patch.

it snowed in may.

big huge flakes.

i loved it.

and sean PASSED the boards!!!

we celebrated at COWABUNGA.

and he started working.

just in the knick of time.

to cap it all off,

we finished the month by meeting

hot shot magna cum laude.

boy was he a piece of work!

see her elbow?

pilomatricoma.

remember?

with his incorrect diagnosis.

click here.

btw, it was junvenile xanthrogranuloma.

that goes away.

and doesn't need to be removed.

good thing i didn't let him carve it out of max's arm.

you know, 'cause i'm "one of those moms" who couldn't handle it anyway.

jerk.

...

don't forget to link up below with the fancy button at the top like i did.

the code for it is on my sidebar.

also, just a reminder,

for an extra bonus entry, follow all of the 6 lovely ladies in this post.

my rod works prize is waiting for YOU to win!!!

but you can't win unless you review and link up!

so link up!

and WIN!!!

missile crisis

i am in denial about baby gates.
i think the denial is on its way out b/c i did in fact purchase one yesterday.
and was in fact planning on borrowing one from bree,
but in our mad dash out the door forgot them.
i hope she'll bring them tomorrow??
i don't know why i fight it.
yes i do.
i don't want to climb over them myself.
i don't want holes in walls.
i wish i had a piano bench.
i've seen those work before.
i will spend the weekend deciding if i want to ignore the gates some more,
or if i want to save myself the headache and enjoy the carefree life of gates.
if we had quintuplets or something i'm sure we'd put them up and be happier for it.
but that would be the least of our problems!
also,
this morning i thought that if there were ever another cuban missile crisis,
bieber fever and i would be taking peanut butter down into the bunker with us.

that is all.
the end.
...
don't forget to write up your review for the extravaganza.
and LINK UP!
so you WILL WIN!!!
my gift from rod works:)
but you won't win, unless you review, and LINK UP!
tomorrow.
with the little extravaganza button in your post.
that's on my sidebar.
so LINK UP tomorrow!
or tonight around 10:30pm b/c that's when i'm posting mine.
but tomorrow is good too.

fancy bubbles

doing the dishes just got a lot more exciting:)

the dealer.

my friend got me this for christmas.
we laughed for 10 minutes about how perfect it was.