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Thursday, December 30, 2010

Nutcracker montage

Keep your eyes open at the 1:23 mark, you'll see my little mouse on the left!!

365 - Day 112

1.  Finally being home and turning work email OFF.

2.  Having friends at work I can bitch and laugh with.

3.  Kisses from my 3 favorite people when I got home (even though the littlest one was asleep!)

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

365 - Day 111

1. After much frustration, cursing, and patience I finally got my laptop back up and running.

2.  Mint Crumble cookie from Panera.

3.  A wonderful night's rest.

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

365 - Day 110

1.  My husband does a great job of taking care of our little burritos when I have to work long hours during my Quarter End at work.  So glad I can rest assured that he's holding down the fort!

2.  Very thankful for a nice warm house.  It's pouring rain with crazy wind outside right now.  Glad to be inside snug as a bug.

3.  Watching Bridalplasty and very thankful that I am happy with who I am.

Monday, December 27, 2010

365 - Day 109

1.  A decent day that could have been very stressful.

2.  My girl and I had a nice long chat before she fell asleep.  It was very nice to hear what a thoughtful, intelligent girl she's growing up to be.

3.  The most comfortable shoes in the whole world.

365 - Day 108

1. Day after Christmas sales!  I am now the proud owner of a light up family of reindeer.  Gonna be a Griswold Christmas in 2011!

2.  Front spot parking space at the mall the day after Christmas.  Score!

3.  Kids that behaved extremely well being dragged out shopping since Daddy was at the Raiders' game.

Sunday, December 26, 2010

365 - Day 107

1. Beautiful Christmas Mass. As the kids said numerous times yesterday, "Happy Birthday Baby Jesus!"

2.  Enjoyable Christmas day with the In-laws.

3.  The look of pure elation on the kids faces as they opened their presents. Doesn't get better than that!

365 - Day 106

1.  Baking with my kids. They may have eaten way too many cookies straight out of the oven in the process, but we made a lot of fun memories!

2.  Christmas Eve at my parent's.  Love spending time with my fam!

3. Delicious food! Yum, yum, yum!!

Thursday, December 23, 2010

365 - Day 105

1.  I can stop thinking about work for a few days, and start thinking about what's most important!

2.  Belle saying, "OH.MY.GOSH.THESE.ARE.THE.BEST.CINNAMON.ROLLS.I'VE.EVER.TASTED!!"

3.  Christmas movies as the background to my baking madness.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Nutcracker in pictures





365 - Day 104

1.  The smell of cinnamon rolls baking.

2.  One day closer to the holidays and a 3 day weekend.

3.  Time together as a family.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

To ooh and ahh over

They aren't mine, but I wish they were!  Introducing the cutest, sweetest puppies ever!  Bella & Kobe.  Don't those faces make you want to run out and buy one?! I'm so happy for my lovely friend who is the proud Mama of these two.  Thanks for letting me get some snuggles from your two babies!  Love them!



The 1st Grade World Program

The first graders have been learning about the different continents and had an evening program a week ago for all of the families to attend.  A few of the kids had speaking parts, and they all sang songs for each continent.  Belle was picked to welcome everyone to the show.  Here's a few little videos from that evening.


The Quiet One Strikes Again

Sunday night we had Omar's cousin, his wife, and their daughter over.  Five minutes before they were to arrive we found the boy COVERED head to toe in Vaseline.  Turns out he figured how to scale his dresser to reach a shelf that is up high.  I had a jar of Vaseline I use on his eczema up there thinking I was smart to put it so high that he couldn't reach.  Not so smart.  I threw him into the bath and shampooed his hair 3 times before our guests arrived.  He had wet hair, and I assumed the Vaseline was out.  The next morning when he woke up I found him looking like a greaser.  Think Grease John Travolta.  His hair was slicked.  It was too late in the morning to do anything about it since I had to get to work.  Off to Grammy's he went with a greasy faux hawk, no pomade required. 

As I often do when searching for tips from other Mommies that have been in a predicament that I'm in, I turned to Google and Facebook.  One home remedy suggested Peanut Butter.  Monday night I locked Elias up in his high chair as I wasn't sure how much he'd cooperate with such nonsense and bribed him with a cookie.  I peanut buttered up his head as instructed.  It took 3 baths but it did the trick!  No more Vaseline!  I'm writing this tip down for future reference.

I love the pictures Belle took while I was getting his head lathered up in peanut butter.  His face says it all!

365 - Day 103

1. Baby kisses.

2.  Puppy kisses...times two.

3.  Pictures that have captured memories in time.

Monday, December 20, 2010

365 - Day 102

1.  I'm able to check off a lot of items on my Christmas shopping list.  The list is getting smaller!  Thank God!!

2.  My Mom.  Poor thing had to deal with the boy today (which I'll explain later).  She's got the patience of a saint!  Thanks Mom!

3.  Google and Facebook for providing me answers on how to remove vaseline from hair.

365 - Day 101

1.  So thankful for our grocery delivery guy, Andy!  Never have I been so glad to have him deliver our groceries.  I didn't have to go grocery shopping in a monsoon!

2.  The Hub's cousin, his wife, and their daughter came over for a little Christmas exchange and visit.  Love them!  Always so nice to get together.

3.  Moms night out with some of my fellow dance Mommies.  We had to go celebrate our dear friend Bev who is sadly moving to Virginia.  We'll miss her terribly!

365 - Day 100

1.  The awesome opportunities my daughter has with her dance company.

2.  My friend Bev.  I couldn't have been a backstage mom manning 16 little mice without her!

3.  My family and the Hub's came to support the girl and watch her perform in the Nutcracker.  It meant the world to her to have them all there.

Friday, December 17, 2010

Sneak preview of my mouse!
















365 - Day 99

1. As I previously mentioned, the girl is a mouse in the Nutcracker.  This requires crawling, which results in ripped tights!  I located the last 2 pairs of tights required for her show in the nick of time!

2.  I survived the week and made it to the weekend.  I didn't know if that was possible.

3.  I have...wait for it....NOTHING TO DO TONIGHT!  Well, just packing up stuff for the girls to do behind the stage for the show tomorrow, but that's nothin' compared to all of the busy nights I've had this week.  I can't wait to sit on my butt and do nada!

365 - Day 98

A day late since yesterday was INSANE!  There's a little theme here...
1.  Little mice.  The girl had Nutcracker dress rehearsal last night (which was late, and LONG).  She and her fellow mice were adorable!  Can't wait for the show!

2.  Dinner!  I think I ate it around 9:30 or so, and was STARVING!

3.  A bed to collapse into.  Which is exactly what I did around 1:30am.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Happy 1st Birthday Sailor Mae!

Auntie loves you! xoxo


365 - Day 97

1. The day after accomplishing putting up (most of) the lights I was asked how many I had plugged into each other.  Apparently connecting all of the lights isn't necessarily the wise thing to do and there's a limit on those things!  Whoulda thunk it!  I went back are read the boxes, and darnit if I didn't have 3+ times the limit!  For fear that I was going to short out my lights I didn't plug them again again.  I'm proud to say I finally adjusted them and added more outlets and they are on!

2.  Chicken pot pie.  It's what was for dinner. Yum.

3.  Isabelle's 1st Grade World Program was tonight.  The kids did a great job!  Very cute!

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Monday, December 13, 2010

365 - Day 95

1.  I'm thankful for my husband who works his butt off to provide for our family.

2.  Twinkling Christmas lights.

3.  Christmas Music Specials.

Sunday, December 12, 2010

365 - Day 94

1.  I finally have Christmas lights up!

2.  The sense of accomplishment I felt getting our lights up, and talk I was able to have with Belle afterwards about how she can do anything she sets her mind to! 

3.  Looking at my girl and all of her little friends in their Nutcracker costumes put a huge smile on my face.  They looked so cute!

Saturday, December 11, 2010

365 - Day 93

1. Watching my sweet niece dive into her 1st Birthday cake.

2.  My house is FINALLY decorated for Christmas!

3.  It's a Wonderful Life.  One of my top two favorites.

Friday, December 10, 2010

Flashback Friday

365 - Day 92

1.  Hearing both of my kids singing Feliz Navidad on the car ride home.

2.  My adorable niece Sailor Mae.  It's her 1st birthday party tomorrow and I can hardly wait!

3.  A quiet evening in.

Thursday, December 09, 2010

For you Gramps

My Gramps was a Fire Chief.  I'm thinking he was smiling in heaven when my little guy was in his fireman jammies and put on a fireman's hat to brush his teeth....in bed!  Here's for you Gramps!

I miss you most at Christmas time























Dear Max,
Every Christmas tears fill my eyes as I unwrap this ornament and hang it on the tree.  Every year the same thoughts flood my mind as I stare at it.  I remember when your Nino and I sat in a parking lot of a school as we excitedly talked about how your Mommy and Daddy asked us to be your godparents.  I remember your Nino getting teary and so did I at what a huge honor and responsibility it would be to be your Ninos.  We dreamed of the years ahead and how we would spoil you rotten, how we truly wanted to embrace being your second set of parents to the fullest.  We were thrilled for the future.

I remember the last time I held you.  I stopped by your house to borrow a shampooer from your parents.  Your Nino and I were getting married and had just bought our first couch, which was used and needed to be cleaned.  I got to spend a little time with you before I left.  As I held you, you were a flirt, batting your gorgeous blue eyes and smiling at me.  I kissed your cheeks over and over and left.  I remember bragging to your Nino how adorable you were and how I could have eaten you up.  I didn't know that was the last time I'd hold you.

You'd be over 8 1/2 years old now.  I wonder if you would have kept your blue eyes, or how tall you would be.  I wonder how different our families lives would be if you were still here.  I wonder how our Christmases would be different.  I imagine your Nino and I searching for the perfect present to put a huge smile on your face. Your Nino and I have 2 little cousins for you now. We've told them all about you and taken them to visit you. Your cousin Belle has asked many questions about you being in Heaven.  She wonders if you still look as you do in the pictures she's seen.

We think about you often.  Somehow Christmas makes thoughts of you even stronger.  As I walk by the tree I catch a glimpse of your ornament and think of you.  I think of your parents, your little brother, and your little sister.  I'm sure they are missing you.  I pray God blesses them this Christmas and always.

We love you angel baby, you will forever and always be in our hearts. I wish you were here.  Love, Nina

365 - Day 91

1.  I actually got Elias down to my Mom's and back to work by 8:20 this morning! 

2.  Bacon.

3.  Betty White and her SNL muffin skit.  Hilarious.

Wednesday, December 08, 2010

365 - Day 90

1.  I survived the day without screaming at my kids.  I call that a triumph considering the kind of day we've had.

2.  I survived without screaming at ANYONE, I also call that a triumph.

3.  The ottoman my feet are finally up on.

365 - Day 89

1.  We received a stack of Christmas cards today!  The solo one we received prior is not so lonely now!  I LOVE decorating with cards we receive.

2.  Going to sleep to the sound of rain.

3.  I finished a scarf I was making, and I think it looks pretty cute!

Monday, December 06, 2010

365 - Day 88

1.  Memories of loved ones no longer with us.

2.  My daughter has managed to keep her room clean since we organized it.  I'm amazed!

3.  I mailed our Christmas cards! (Well, the first half, the second half hasn't arrived yet for me to address)

Sunday, December 05, 2010

365 - Day 87

1.  Our Christmas tree is decorated and looks beautiful!

2.  Yummy chili for dinner.

3.  My girl was picked to welcome the audience for her 1st grade program.

Saturday, December 04, 2010

365 - Day 86

1.  I survived today!  I had SO much to do, and I actually accomplished most of it!

2. I saved $125 grocery shopping today.

3.  We have a Christmas tree!  It's not decorated, but we have one!

Friday, December 03, 2010

365 - Day 85

1. I'm 1/2 way through addressing my Christmas cards. 

2.  My house is CLEAN.

3.  Thrilled for a wonderful woman I know who is finally becoming a mother through adoption.

Thursday, December 02, 2010

365 - Day 84

1.  My kids are safe and sound in their beds tonight, and still have their innocence.

2.  Tonight I'm happy for my friends who are going to be starting a new adventure.  Sad for me that they are moving, but I'll focus on being happy for them.

3.  When I opened the door tonight Elias was standing right inside and said "Oh, hewhoa Mommy! Gimme a hug!"  Great way to come home!

Wednesday, December 01, 2010

365 - Day 83

1.  Chicken Chowder.  Head on over to Grubbin Goodness for the recipe.

2.  Nantucket Cranberry Pie.  Thanks Pioneer Woman!  I made this one on Thanksgiving and heard it was a hit in both houses I brought it to.  I made it again tonight and am ready to cut into it.

3.  The show Hoarders.  It inspires me to CLEAN!