Yep

It really was perfect

In saying goodbye to this long-awaited day, I wanted to write down my favorite parts to make it less bitter and more sweet.  :)

My son got his DS.  He's wanted one for years.  Literally.  Santa rocks.

My daughter gave of herself, one of the very best things I love about that girl.  Love her!

My tiniest got to open a "blue present" and then some and loved every minute of it!

Baby Jesus was found under our tree before any other gifts were passed out. 

My daughter said her favorite tradition was the advent train - something I worked very hard to make special.  That made it all worth it!

I got new socks!

I was able to stay happy in spite of the severe lack of sleep I got last night.  My rockin' husband helped me get TWO naps, today!

I didn't have to cook!

What a special day.  Thanksgiving was perfect, today was perfect, and the New Year will be perfect, too!

Bring on 2012 and all it has to teach me!

Meet my neighbor, Harry

Our ward Christmas party was fun, this year - free food, a live Nativity, carols, and Santa!

Getting Quin to look at me was a chore... the other one I took, he was looking down: 

Natalie used to be terrified of Santa, not so much, anymore:

How big is too big? :)

Merry Christmas!!

New year, new you!

It's that time of year, again.  No, not Christmas.... resolution making time.  ;) 

I wasn't going to do one this time around, but I can't help myself.  ;) I have an idea of what I'm going to do, but I need to fine-tune it. 

Here's a link to something that may help those who are doing the same... but here's a snippet that I personally liked best:

"Summing it up: make sure your goals are clear and specific, do them in some kind of measurable time so you can actually measure progress, but the big thing is you’re either going to be master of yourself or a slave to your impulses. You’ll either have discipline and commitment or you won’t and that’s a quality of character. I know people don’t like to hear the word “character” – they want to hear the word “addiction” because that takes out any issue of character; that means there’s nothing in your control. We all know that’s bull. Your character is what is measured by you following through on what you put your word to." (italics added)
-Dr. Laura

All I want for Christmas...

Me:  What do you want for Christmas?

Quin (whispers):  Presents!

Me:  What kind of presents?

Quin:  Um, blue ones.  And green.  The big kind.

The kid's easy to please.

Watch this:

M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E

All of October, Quin wanted to watch this show, every. single. day.  He called it "the Halloween show".

Now that we've moved on to Christmas movies (since we don't have cable/TV channels of any sort), he's found a new favorite.  Well, three new favorites.

All involve Mickey Mouse. 

"Wanna watch a Mickey Mouse show?" is what I hear every day.  We watch a show a day (sometimes more, depending on the state of my well-being), and these three Mickey movies are the ones he chooses every single time.  (1, 2, 3)

Yeterday, I asked him if we could watch something different.  He said, "Ok, something different."  Then he proceeded to pull out the three Mickey movies and asked, "Which one you wanna watch?"

Today, he picked two of the Mickey movies and asked me which one I wanted to watch, and I picked one.  He kept asking me until I chose the other one.  *sigh*

I use his movie time as my computer time, so I'm able to tune out the movies he insists on watching over and over again.

What's funny is he watches them like he's never seen them before, every single time. 

Silly boy.

Guess what we're watching this very minute? ;)

Highlights

I'm feeling pretty pregnant, today, but wanted to jot some things down before I forgot them.

• Our furnace is broken.  But we have the money to fix it.  I give credit for this blessing to tithing.
• My toddler is quite the talker.  Today I said, "Quin, you're a chatter-box!"  He says, "I'm not a chatter-box!"  I say, "Yes, you are!"  He says, "Ok, I'm a chatter-box."  He's so sweet!
• I've only gained 8-10 lbs. so far, this pregnancy.  I'm happy about this.
• For my son's birthday, my daughter wanted to give him something.  She didn't have anything, so she gave him what she had.  $.22.  I love that girl.  :)
• My son is ten.  T E N.  He's such a good boy.  I took a couple pictures, but don't feel like getting up to get the camera to upload them, yet.  I will, though.  It sickens me (quite literally) to think about getting up to make lunch for me and the munchkin. 
• 46 more days!!! It's unbelievable how fast this pregnancy has gone, but looking back on how long I've been with child seems like forever. 
• My bathrooms need a good cleaning. 

How blessed we are

Our furnace is breaking.  Or something.  Either way, we woke up to no heat, this morning.

This got me thinking - I am so incredibly grateful for a husband who's a mechanic, the one day he had left of vacation time, the mandatory overtime he's had at work, and our house that keeps us from totally freezing to death (literally).  Not to mention the space heater my in-laws gave to us a few years ago.  :)

We can handle a broken furnace.  Someone knew what we'd have to face and has been watching over us for years.  :)

Macareeny

This is one of those "I deserve Mother of the Year" posts.  haha

Quin wanted to go outside, today.  Insisted, rather.  So, after some stalling, I caved.  We bundled as best we could - afterall, it's a whopping 14 degrees out there (feels like 1).  He wanted to bring a scooper out - so I parted with my smallest of wooden spoons.  (The shovels to the pails left out are buried in bitterly cold white stuff, at the moment.)  He went out, and started to have much fun.

He even mowed the lawn:

I was just sitting at the kitchen table, checking on him occasionally.

Then I realized it had been a few minutes since I had seen him or checked on him... and I thought I heard his high-pitched scream. 

So, I went to check on him. 

He was on the side of the house, out of my sight, and I couldn't decipher what he was saying, but he was crying.  So, I ran and grabbed my fasted shoes - my crocs - and ran to save my boy from whatever was making him so sad.   I found him sitting on the ground, sans one boot and half a sock, foot "getting all snowy". 

"It's all burny out!", he says.  I grab him and his boot and we tromps back into the house. 

"Can you warm me up?"  "My boot came off!" "My foot got all snowy!"  "My bus doesn't work!"

All were said amidst teared-soaked, rosie red cheekies, and a river of cold weather-induced snot.

We got new sockies, warmed him efficiently, and he requested nappy time.

I said we have to have lunch, first. 

"Macareeny?"

He used to call it mac and cheese. 

How could I but make it for the poor, sweet, little half-froze lad?

So, I am.

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My wooden spoon has met the same fate of the other "scoopers" in my backyard.