In A Holiday Whirlwind And Loving It

That it's been a busy few weeks is an understatement. You know when you take an exciting trip someplace and do a ton of fun things, and come home exhausted and then need a vacation from your vacation? The holidays are kind of like that for me. All the excitement, the anticipation, the preparation. Then WHAM! It's here and amazing, then gone and you're left in an exhausted pile on the floor next to the dirty clothes, needing a good wash and press. Kinda like that.

So why am I already looking forward to next year??? I must be some kind of crazy, that's why.

Princess Rachael came home from college. We get her for six weeks, yay! Which will be good, because the munchkin's favorite person, Auntie Robyn, aka "Wobyn" is leaving us for 3 months to go to China and study. How the little one is going to live without her I am scared to find out. It's not going to be pretty, that I do know.

Then we had a very important birthday to celebrate, as the munchkin turned 2 years old last week. We had a huge bowling party, and since he's only two and has no friends, we invited all of ours! How many more years can I pull that one off ya think?

He did alright though, and he got to blow out his candles no less than 4 times. It is the best part you know.

That and he got to eat all the pizza he could consume. Which is surprisingly a LOT for such a little punk.

Then of course there was the usual shopping and wrapping from Christmas. Which takes oh so much longer than you ever expect it to.

And then there were the cookies.

Ah, the cookies.

Every year at Christmastime I make cookies, lots and lots of cookies. It actually doesn't really feel like Christmas is really coming for me until the cookies are well underway, and this year with the help of the Sink Girl, we knocked them out in record time. There was only one mishap, as I for years have made hundreds of gingerbread snowflakes. The cookie cutter collection of snowflakes in all shapes and sizes is a Christmas mainstay. And currently in storage. Great foresight on that one, eh?

So I had to improvise a bit and make due with stars. Hopefully they did not cause too much grumbling.

Not bad I think.

OK, now it feels like the holidays. Cookies just do the trick for me and get me in the perfect holiday mood.

Santa brought him a drum set. He (Santa) thought he would enjoy the Wii Rockband. He (we!!) did, and played it for hours on Christmas morning. The best part? He doesn't care if it's actually hooked up or not. Not plugged in= no actual noisy, banging drums. It may be the perfect gift.

The rest of us may or may not have spent even more time playing with his gift. Good job Santa, and look for me on tour soon, I sang so much yesterday my throat hurts!

Notice the matching PJ's. Cheesy, but adorable nonetheless.

This might be my favorite Christmas photo. My mother unwrapping my little bro's framed Olympic jersey. A very moving moment, only improved by the kiddo mining for boogers. That's my boy!

We spent the rest of the afternoon (well, what was left of it after all the rocking out) sleeping, eating, and playing toys among the wrapping paper. And I can honestly say I can't wait to do it all again next year. Happy Holiday's everyone!

Broken Hearts and Frosty the Killer, It's Just Been That Kind Of Morning

So I am ready for work and starting to head out the door. The two redheads are at the kitchen island eating breakfast, just enjoying their time in the morning before the little one heads off to Grandma Penny's for the day. I kiss them both goodbye, and start to walk to the door.

"Mama, no going. Come bat. Mama, come bat."

Ouch. Ouch, ouch, ouchie. I think my heart is still on a puddle on the floor in the entryway. This working mom stuff sucks. Seriously. Sucks.

On a lighter note, the guys building our house sent my husband this photo this morning.

They are good 'ol boys and I lov'em. They are also avid hunters, and my big redhead has never shot anything in his life, San Diego boy that he is. They keep trying to convince him to go "shoot shit" with them. Ducks, deer, whatever. When I drove out there the other day after work, they had a friend who had stopped by and they were all ogling a bow of some sort. Some contraption to shoot lots of shit I imagine. So my question is, did they build this or did their kids? Scary either way I think.

And How Do You Know This?

We were all in the kitchen cleaning up the other night (Read: I was cleaning, hubby was surfing the internet and munchkin was splashing water everywhere in and around the sink, his way of helping me do the dishes. Oh so very helpful) --and we decided we would all snuggle up and watch some T.V. before the munchkin went to bed.

Me: Maybe there's a movie we can find that the little guy would like?

Hubby: Hanna Montana is on at 8:30.

Me: And you know this how?????

I am afraid. Very afraid. You should be too.

All Wrapped Up For Christmas

It's getting there, slowly but surely. The house is wrapped and there are big strong men out there right now puting on shake and siding and rock. Oh my.


Oh so much better than my 2 front teeth.

Planes, Trains And An Apple Tree

A long weekend at the beach.

I just love how that rolls off my tongue. Or maybe I just love it because I'm sitting here after an exhausting day at work wishing I was about to embark on another long weekend at the beach rather than having just returned from a long weekend at the beach. It could also be because I spent the better part of my workday tied up in corporate meetings. And I work in finance, so I bet you can just imagine how riviting and exciting my day has been. Yeah, a weekend at the beach sounds pretty good right about now. Did you know they still make us gals wear panty hose? Who still wears panty hose anyway? I do I guess. Against my will.

Very much against my will.

I wish I was here instead, making birthday cake sand castles.

Or back at our aunt and uncle's beach house, where they have an apple tree in their yard. Apple trees don't grow at 9,000 feet. I don't think I will ever get to have one in my yard.

Do you think they would notice if we just moved there and pitched a tent?

And that's just the fenced in part. This is their real backyard. I'd hate them if I didn't love them.

I might even be having sentimental thoughts about visiting at Legoland, and it wasn't even that great. The munchkin thought it was pretty fantastic though, and that's all that really matters.

I mean, he got to drive for goodness sake. You know how boys are about their cars.

And planes. We did this ride over and over again. And by we I mean them.

It was a great long weekend. We have the swords to prove it.

And now that the blasted panty hose is off and I am relaxed and sitting in front of a fire with a fabulous glass of red, I'm pretty sure I like this place quite a bit too. Yeah, I think right where I am is just exactly where I'm supposed to be.