We didn't do a huge Christmas this year, by our standards. I mean, there was no "big" gift for either kid; no bike, no scooter, no expensive electronics. DH and I agreed to a no-gifts policy and mostly stuck to it (he grabbed a CD and stuck it in my stocking). But the kids LOVED their Christmas. I am so happy to say that we got them several things that were in their letters to Santa -- books, games, smallish toys -- and they were just as thrilled as any kid who got a "big" gift.
Kids don't notice things like being sick putting a damper on Mommy's general mood (or maybe my mood is the same whether I'm sick or not... don't answer that): but I was sick over Christmas. It started Friday night before we had packed. We were supposed to all go together, to buy a few more things for Gam and Pop and then have a nice dinner out, but I begged off and let them watch a Disney tween-com marathon while I fevered out under a blanket. I managed to help DH by wrapping those new gifts, and pulled clothes out for myself and the kids, for the suitcase, but otherwise I was worthless.
And the garage door broke that night, nearly preventing us from even going to south GA the next day.
So it started out auspiciously. There was a bit of, how shall we say... melancholy and distress over the health of a loved one. (It's not my story to tell here.) But there was some genuine laughter around our Christmas Eve dinner table. There was soft light from the tree, and three angelic kids -- my two, plus their new baby cousin -- sitting by the light, oblivious to anything but excitement over what was still to come.
When Santa hangs candy canes on the tree, that's how you know it's really and truly Christmas. At least that's how it is in my family.
It was Christmas, therefore, in Savannah. :)
-----
We had brunch with DH's brother and his wife, and their 4-month-old. Aside from the physical relief I felt when her mommy set her in her swing -- I remember so well that relief, of finally getting to put the baby DOWN -- I was so glad it wasn't me with a tiny baby anymore. I did change a diaper for them, and Gam joked that I hadn't forgotten how. Huh! How could I have? Feels like just yesterday in so many ways. BIL has grown so much. For the first time, he and I have something in common, and it's a revelation. I honestly feel for him in ways I never have, and I know that he understands something about me that he didn't before. We've never been able to really relate. But now we can. And we are, related. :) He said, both in person and on Facebook, that he really treasures time spent with family. I think it's the nicest thing he's ever said.
-----
The kids were excited, too, because we had "three Christmases." Santa, first thing in the morning; then BIL's house; then after our 4-hour drive home the same day, we opened the rest of the presents we'd left at our house. That was fun. It was weird driving on Christmas Day (night), on the back-end of a trip. And it's been kind-of a letdown of a week off, since I'm still somewhat sniffly and coughing a lot, and KT is too. (DH got it a day or 2 ago, so we start again.) Today we went to WalMart to let the kids spend some Christmas cash burning holes in their pockets, and I bought a 4-pack of tissues and some cough drops. That's about as exciting as it's gotten. But they've been playing with their new toys, and with their cardboard spaceship, and that's enough, you know? It's good.
Friday, December 28
Tuesday, December 18
Cookie solution, and acknowledging
You know what I did to solve the cookie problem? At DH's suggestion I bought a tube of Pillsbury sugar cookie dough, and some red and green sprinkles. Boom. Done. Kids loved sprinkling them, and eating them, and holiday cookies are a success. (No one but me liked the Oreo truffles (to which I forgot to link last time), -- and all the people at my choir's Christmas party! and my co-worker! Dumb kids.)
Anyway, that's done, and couldn't feel MORE frivolous or stupid in light of everything that has happened in the news since then. I'm not equipped to write about it, and certainly not to write well. All I can tell you is that my kids were bickering the last several days (with us, as well as with each other), but last night they played for more than an hour with a big cardboard box, decorating it to be their Spaceship, and having all kinds of happy adventures together, and it was the most wonderful and the most heartbreaking thing ever.
It's easy to pray right now. Easy. Even with doubt and anger and fear, it's not hard to know what to say.
Anyway, that's done, and couldn't feel MORE frivolous or stupid in light of everything that has happened in the news since then. I'm not equipped to write about it, and certainly not to write well. All I can tell you is that my kids were bickering the last several days (with us, as well as with each other), but last night they played for more than an hour with a big cardboard box, decorating it to be their Spaceship, and having all kinds of happy adventures together, and it was the most wonderful and the most heartbreaking thing ever.
It's easy to pray right now. Easy. Even with doubt and anger and fear, it's not hard to know what to say.
Thursday, December 13
First project: Stairs
Met with my friend the realtor. She was encouraging. I've been watching WAY too much "Buying and Selling," with the twin brothers, one who's a contractor and the other an agent, and clearly for drama's sake, they always suggest a basic tear-down and re-do of the seller's home before putting it on the market.
My friend wasn't as dramatic. She said she'd hate for us to spend too much money on, say, a full master bath re-do, if we're just going to leave the house. I agree. I like her.
So, she made several suggestions, many of which were definitely on my list, including the dishwasher, and I'm going to get some estimates from a contractor for the big/hard things.
One thing she suggested, though, that I think I can tackle myself, is our staircase banisters. They're the classic dark-wood (with the extra-shiny laminate (I guess?) finish), and white spindles. Much like the photo there, only without the lovely lighting and wall! "People want the Pottery Barn look on a beer budget," she told me. Especially the younger, first-time buyer, which the size of my house will attract. "So paint it black," she said. "It's one of the current trends. Look it up online." Supposedly it mimics wrought-iron. I don't know -- my spindles are kind-of thick; too thick to look like iron.
I'm no designer, but I'm thinking even better than black might be a dark charcoal grey on the handrail and bottom columns, and on the non-carpeted ends of the carpeted stairsteps (our wood steps currently match the banisters). Maybe after I do that I might want to take the plunge to black spindles (but I'm skeptical).
At any rate, it seems like a project I can do fairly simply. So I'm kinda excited.
(I also have an eensy desire to pull a Chevy Chase and chainsaw off the ball at the top of the column, to replace with something square and flat. But I'm not sure I'm brave enough.)
My friend wasn't as dramatic. She said she'd hate for us to spend too much money on, say, a full master bath re-do, if we're just going to leave the house. I agree. I like her.
So, she made several suggestions, many of which were definitely on my list, including the dishwasher, and I'm going to get some estimates from a contractor for the big/hard things.
I'm no designer, but I'm thinking even better than black might be a dark charcoal grey on the handrail and bottom columns, and on the non-carpeted ends of the carpeted stairsteps (our wood steps currently match the banisters). Maybe after I do that I might want to take the plunge to black spindles (but I'm skeptical).
At any rate, it seems like a project I can do fairly simply. So I'm kinda excited.
(I also have an eensy desire to pull a Chevy Chase and chainsaw off the ball at the top of the column, to replace with something square and flat. But I'm not sure I'm brave enough.)
Monday, December 10
Our Christmas cookies
I'm kinda bummed because I'm realizing that we -- my little nuclear family -- are sorely lacking in the "favorite Christmas cookies" department.
Over the weekend, we did make my favorite cookie -- Swistle's Mint-Chocolate. These definitely rule, and I am thrilled to report that both of my kiddos, like their mama, love the mint-chocolate combo in all of its forms. (Still a no-go for their Daddy, unfortch.... FOR HIM.) What could be more Christmas-y than pepperminty, chocolatey goodness? They're perfect. This year was the best batch I've ever made, due to DUH, making them smaller, and also DUH, letting them cool for 5 minutes before removing them from the cookie sheets. No crumbling! It was a thing of beauty! I foresee at least 2 additional batches being baked between now and December 25.
It has become my modus operandi to make few plain chocolate cookies before putting in the mint-chocolate chips, for DH. (They can't be any good, but I'm a giver.)
My childhood cookie traditions have gone by the wayside a little bit. Sniff! Number one for me was Sand Tarts, a version of Italian Wedding Cookies, and I have tried to make them each year but gotten nothing but flack from the current audience: They don't like nuts, they don't like powdered sugar, they don't like them Sam-I-Am. Babies. These cookies are an awful lot of trouble, so I have about decided they're not worth making if I, who shouldn't be forced to eat a whole batch, is going to have to enjoy all of them (or, okay, give them away).
Running a close second was Cathedral Cookies, (minus the coconut in that link) but those require colored mini-marshmallows, which I'll be darned if I can ever find anymore. So, sadly, that cookie might also be a thing of the past. I mean, they would still taste the same with white marshmallows, but they won't look like "cathedral windows." I guess we could call them "snowflake cookies" instead. They'd be dirty snowflakes, however, because of the chocolate, and my Grandmother definitely wouldn't like that.
We also had bourbon balls around when I was a kid. But DH doesn't do bourbon, and even I, who do do bourbon, don't particularly love alcoholic cookies. Meh.
Now back to the present-day issues:
SO! What to do?! I need your help! I am on the hunt for delicious Christmas cookie recipes that my whole family will love and embrace. I am going to try, tonight, these Oreo Truffles. Perhaps they will suit DH's fancy a little bit and perhaps the kids won't notice the [whole brick of] cream cheese. You KNOW I'll eat 'em.
If I remember correctly, we had Some Fun several years ago re: cookies. This, then, is that "homemade" post we talked about way back then. What's your fave? What're your traditions? Go! :)
Over the weekend, we did make my favorite cookie -- Swistle's Mint-Chocolate. These definitely rule, and I am thrilled to report that both of my kiddos, like their mama, love the mint-chocolate combo in all of its forms. (Still a no-go for their Daddy, unfortch.... FOR HIM.) What could be more Christmas-y than pepperminty, chocolatey goodness? They're perfect. This year was the best batch I've ever made, due to DUH, making them smaller, and also DUH, letting them cool for 5 minutes before removing them from the cookie sheets. No crumbling! It was a thing of beauty! I foresee at least 2 additional batches being baked between now and December 25.
It has become my modus operandi to make few plain chocolate cookies before putting in the mint-chocolate chips, for DH. (They can't be any good, but I'm a giver.)
My childhood cookie traditions have gone by the wayside a little bit. Sniff! Number one for me was Sand Tarts, a version of Italian Wedding Cookies, and I have tried to make them each year but gotten nothing but flack from the current audience: They don't like nuts, they don't like powdered sugar, they don't like them Sam-I-Am. Babies. These cookies are an awful lot of trouble, so I have about decided they're not worth making if I, who shouldn't be forced to eat a whole batch, is going to have to enjoy all of them (or, okay, give them away).
Running a close second was Cathedral Cookies, (minus the coconut in that link) but those require colored mini-marshmallows, which I'll be darned if I can ever find anymore. So, sadly, that cookie might also be a thing of the past. I mean, they would still taste the same with white marshmallows, but they won't look like "cathedral windows." I guess we could call them "snowflake cookies" instead. They'd be dirty snowflakes, however, because of the chocolate, and my Grandmother definitely wouldn't like that.
We also had bourbon balls around when I was a kid. But DH doesn't do bourbon, and even I, who do do bourbon, don't particularly love alcoholic cookies. Meh.
Now back to the present-day issues:
- I like thumbprint cookies with raspberry or strawberry jam, and not just for the way they look on a Christmas plate! Yummy! (My kids/DH don't love fruity desserts, though.)
- We made these reindeer cookies one year and they were super cute (we even "frosted" them with Nutella) but they didn't really get eaten.
- I'm not so much into the "rolling dough" and the "cookie cutting" and the "icing." Bah humbug.
SO! What to do?! I need your help! I am on the hunt for delicious Christmas cookie recipes that my whole family will love and embrace. I am going to try, tonight, these Oreo Truffles. Perhaps they will suit DH's fancy a little bit and perhaps the kids won't notice the [whole brick of] cream cheese. You KNOW I'll eat 'em.
If I remember correctly, we had Some Fun several years ago re: cookies. This, then, is that "homemade" post we talked about way back then. What's your fave? What're your traditions? Go! :)
Friday, December 7
Birthday party record keeping
I love office supplies, and this week I got two new notebooks to use at my desk at work. Spiral-bound. I use them for notes at meetings and phone calls and stuff.
Sometimes, however, I'll let my mind wander when I'm bored or frustrated, and I'll flip to a page in the back to write things down that I want to remember or keep. One of the things I wrote down this year was all the birthday parties that the kids have had, so I would remember them. I don't want to rewrite it in my new notebook (it's all clean and lovely in the back! Yay for new stuff!!), so I thought I would just put that information here.
AJ:
Age 1: party at home with friends ("rocketship" cake/theme)
2: party at home, with friends (Walt/Marti/Sienna; Ann/Paul; Matthew from church (what was his mom's name?); Jenny/Chris/Kelsey; Andy Faw; grandparents) (plain/confetti cake decoration)
3: party at home, just us (Dora [yes, really] cake)
4: party at BounceU with friends from KRK (Ninja Turtles theme)
5: party at the park w/friends (Spiderman cake/theme)
6: party at Chuck E Cheese (can't remember the cake... maybe Iron Man?)
7: party at Dac Kids (local place), cookie cake and no theme
8: brunch party after Camp Gmommy/Pjoe, in P'cola w/cousins (Krispy Kreme doughnut stack "cake") - before traveling back home
9: party at SkyZone Kennesaw (indoor trampoline park) with friends (cookie cake, no theme)
10: AJ spent his 10th birthday at camp WinShape! Without ME! And he had a sleepover when he got home, with his best friend Brandon. :)
11: Just Brandon spending the night, and dinner at the Japanese Hibachi restaurant (Volcano). Sadly we didn't get a funny chef.
12: Well, this year was a bummer. I left town on July 8th, for a work trip to Germany. The night before, we had dinner out and cake at home. He didn't get to have his friend sleep over until August 19.
13. For this birthday, we retrieved Alex and Kate from their summer week in Pensacola, but not before a Cousins' Party with Alex's fave meal, chili, made by me in my Mom's kitchen, and a cake from Publix.
14. I think Brandon spent the night and we had dinner out, somewhere. Maybe Mexican food?
Sometimes, however, I'll let my mind wander when I'm bored or frustrated, and I'll flip to a page in the back to write things down that I want to remember or keep. One of the things I wrote down this year was all the birthday parties that the kids have had, so I would remember them. I don't want to rewrite it in my new notebook (it's all clean and lovely in the back! Yay for new stuff!!), so I thought I would just put that information here.
AJ:
Age 1: party at home with friends ("rocketship" cake/theme)
2: party at home, with friends (Walt/Marti/Sienna; Ann/Paul; Matthew from church (what was his mom's name?); Jenny/Chris/Kelsey; Andy Faw; grandparents) (plain/confetti cake decoration)
3: party at home, just us (Dora [yes, really] cake)
4: party at BounceU with friends from KRK (Ninja Turtles theme)
5: party at the park w/friends (Spiderman cake/theme)
6: party at Chuck E Cheese (can't remember the cake... maybe Iron Man?)
7: party at Dac Kids (local place), cookie cake and no theme
8: brunch party after Camp Gmommy/Pjoe, in P'cola w/cousins (Krispy Kreme doughnut stack "cake") - before traveling back home
9: party at SkyZone Kennesaw (indoor trampoline park) with friends (cookie cake, no theme)
10: AJ spent his 10th birthday at camp WinShape! Without ME! And he had a sleepover when he got home, with his best friend Brandon. :)
11: Just Brandon spending the night, and dinner at the Japanese Hibachi restaurant (Volcano). Sadly we didn't get a funny chef.
12: Well, this year was a bummer. I left town on July 8th, for a work trip to Germany. The night before, we had dinner out and cake at home. He didn't get to have his friend sleep over until August 19.
13. For this birthday, we retrieved Alex and Kate from their summer week in Pensacola, but not before a Cousins' Party with Alex's fave meal, chili, made by me in my Mom's kitchen, and a cake from Publix.
14. I think Brandon spent the night and we had dinner out, somewhere. Maybe Mexican food?
15. Oof, I can't remember
16. Pandemic birthday! We had a parking lot/tailgate party at Culver's. It was supposed to be a surprise to Alex, but one of his friends told him. Oh well. Brandon, Anthony, Jack, and Will joined us.
17. He spent the night at Jack's, with Brandon and Anthony. We didn't see him until 3:00 the next day! We had homemade chocolate cake (made and decorated by Kate) at home.
18. Dinner at Okinawa (after much dithering and inability to decide on where), just us 4 + Ashling, on his birthday. Jack, Brandon, Anthony spent the night the next night but 2 had to leave early for work the next day! And that concludes AJ's childhood, OMG!
KT:
Age 1: family party - both sets of g'parents! - at Disney's Animal Kingdom! (Mickey Mouse cake)
2: party at home, just us w/Mom and Dad (pizza, and a SpongeBob cake)
3: party at Miss Lala's (local place) with KRK friends, Disney princesses cake
4: party at Gymboree with KRK friends (Rapunzel cake)
5: party at Catch Air with friends (Barbie cake)
6: party w/cousins in P'cola (cookie cake w/ill-advised black (and pink) icing, burgers/hot dogs, and a Tinkerbell pinata)
7: slumber party for Kate and 4 SJCS friends. Decorated water-bottles, watched Teen Beach Movie, ate pizza and popcorn and cake, slept in the guest room!
8: 'party' with just family, including my Mom and Dad, and hibachi dinner. Got a good waiter that time, and the drums serenade. The weekend prior, Calli slept over and we girls went to the painting studio to paint cupcakes.
9. Ady Grace spent the night, but before that we took her with us to Town Center mall. We spent money on BFF necklaces at Claire's, Build-a-Bears, I think, and smelly stuff at Bath and Body Works. Also snacked/lunched at the Food Court. Suuuuuper-fun girly day!
10. (I think, I'm documenting this a year and a half later:) Reese spent the night and we went shopping. Pretty much the same as last year!
11. Birthday girl asked Calli to join us for shopping and a sleepover. We went to Avalon in Alpharetta, a swanky uptown shopping area. Visited Vineyard Vines and the Apple Store. Dinner back in Kennesaw at Olive Garden. It was fun. Cake from Nothing Bundt cakes, I believe.
KT:
Age 1: family party - both sets of g'parents! - at Disney's Animal Kingdom! (Mickey Mouse cake)
2: party at home, just us w/Mom and Dad (pizza, and a SpongeBob cake)
3: party at Miss Lala's (local place) with KRK friends, Disney princesses cake
4: party at Gymboree with KRK friends (Rapunzel cake)
5: party at Catch Air with friends (Barbie cake)
6: party w/cousins in P'cola (cookie cake w/ill-advised black (and pink) icing, burgers/hot dogs, and a Tinkerbell pinata)
7: slumber party for Kate and 4 SJCS friends. Decorated water-bottles, watched Teen Beach Movie, ate pizza and popcorn and cake, slept in the guest room!
8: 'party' with just family, including my Mom and Dad, and hibachi dinner. Got a good waiter that time, and the drums serenade. The weekend prior, Calli slept over and we girls went to the painting studio to paint cupcakes.
9. Ady Grace spent the night, but before that we took her with us to Town Center mall. We spent money on BFF necklaces at Claire's, Build-a-Bears, I think, and smelly stuff at Bath and Body Works. Also snacked/lunched at the Food Court. Suuuuuper-fun girly day!
10. (I think, I'm documenting this a year and a half later:) Reese spent the night and we went shopping. Pretty much the same as last year!
11. Birthday girl asked Calli to join us for shopping and a sleepover. We went to Avalon in Alpharetta, a swanky uptown shopping area. Visited Vineyard Vines and the Apple Store. Dinner back in Kennesaw at Olive Garden. It was fun. Cake from Nothing Bundt cakes, I believe.
12. We had a slumber party at our house, with Maggie, Anna, and Kate. They did a mall scavenger hunt which I put together. They wanted me to walk around with them at the mall, but not WITH them. ;)
13. An evening party at our house with lots of girls, including Olivia C from camp. Kate planned the whole thing. Decor was balloons on the floor (used for a stomping game later), white and pink and rose gold if I remember correctly. They played outside on the trampoline, in the front yard (taking pictures for Instagram); they did sparklers. We had dinner (CFA nuggets, pigs in blankets, chips, fruit, veggies) and cake from Nothing Bundt Cake. Alex, Shawn and I stayed upstairs mostly all night at K's request.
14. We took Kate and about 6 friends from school out to dinner at Taqueria Tsunami. They had a blast. Cupcakes from Smallcakes.
Actually, it's about time to start planning KT's 5th party! Updated to add years 9 and 5, and now it's time to plan Kate's year 6!! Updated again for 2014! Updated for Kate's 7th! Alex's 11th! it keeps going...
Monday, December 3
A scale victory!
Guess what? My bathroom scale says AJ has gained either .5 or 1 pound since seeing the doctor on October 31st! Woo! Of course, I know from experience that That Scale sometimes lies, and you can tell by its 2 different readings at the same exact moment, point-five and one, that it enjoys messing with people who are brave enough to step on it... but I'll take it. Mac and cheese + Oreo milkshakes for the win!
(I have to just laugh.)
Today should be a pretty happy Monday, because my boss(es) are all away at a conference, and besides that, I'm leaving at 1:00. It's for a dentist appointment for me and the kiddos, true, but still, it's a half-day. Nevertheless, I'm feeling grumpy/moody about things. December stress creeping in, I guess. Trying to tame it with Christmas tunes (Pandora's playing Johnny Mathis at the moment) and... I don't know what else -- force-taming it. Go away, bad mood.
(I have to just laugh.)
Today should be a pretty happy Monday, because my boss(es) are all away at a conference, and besides that, I'm leaving at 1:00. It's for a dentist appointment for me and the kiddos, true, but still, it's a half-day. Nevertheless, I'm feeling grumpy/moody about things. December stress creeping in, I guess. Trying to tame it with Christmas tunes (Pandora's playing Johnny Mathis at the moment) and... I don't know what else -- force-taming it. Go away, bad mood.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)