Christmas ramblings!

The holiday season is in full swing and boy is it busy! I love it though! I love Christmas so much! I love the decorating, the baking, the lights on the tree, the music. I guess I really am just a big child! I am excited to have 2 children and an awesome husband to celebrate with this year! I can't wait to see the kids on Christmas day tear into their gifts! Emma doesn't get that excited about gifts, she acts all embarrassed, but Ethan has already opened on on Thanksgiving from his Auntie Lanna and he tore right into it! I can't wait to see him that day!

Ethan is 8 months today! Boy did that go by fast! He crawls everywhere and eats "people food" as Emma calls it! LOL! He is so big! He is a healthy 19 lbs at this point, and I am hoping that will slow down for him a bit! He goes through clothing like diapers!

Today we have school and dance class, and on Friday the Elementary school has a Santa's workshop where they sell items at the school and allow the children to purchase inexpensive gifts like pads of paper, and a snow scraper (our gifts from last yr.) for their parents! Emma asked me to chaperone and walk with the teachers and 20 pre-schoolers over to the Elementary school. Luckily it's just across the street from the pre-school and though it seems like alot of work to bring the baby and help out with all of those 4 yr olds I think I will do it 1. because she wants me to, and 2. because that's why I am a stay at home mother. I can participate in these things and I want my children to look back and know that mom was always there for them!

For those of you who don't know, I don't exactly get along with my mother. We have a rocky relationship, and it's sad. But my mom has many issues that she hasn't dealt with from her past and it affects her relationship with us now. With that said, I have learned to take the relationship for what it is. I have actually learned alot from my mom, and as bad as she was she was always at school helping out. I am not sure what the motives were, and at times it was highly embarrassing but looking back I am glad that in her little way she was there fro us though at the time it was hard to see.

There is so much that becomes clearer to you when you are grown. We used to think my mom was so mean because she would drop us off at school and make us walk almost a mile home after school got out. My mom was a stay at hom mom and I never understood why she couldn't just come and get us. Looking back it's all clear. 1. perhaps she needed a break from kids....don't we all sometimes? 2. She had 2 little kids at home with her. My brother and sister are only 17 months apart and they are 10 and 11 years younger then me. They needed naps, but that never once dawned on me when I was younger! Not until I became a mom of 2 did it all make sense!

I am thankful for wisdom with age. It's helped me understand my mom and forgive her. And though our relationship is still not great, she does alot for my children (buys their clothes etc) and in a way it's her way of making it up to me. Yes there are times I wish we had a good relationship, but there is great freedom in accepting things and moving on. i know it will never be like that, but I love her regardless. She's my mom. And though it wasn't and still isn't easy at times, I have learned alot from her. She hated Christmas! When she was young Christmas was always awful for her. He parents were awful to her. But though she was always grouchy when we were kids I know how that feels, and I have used that to appreciate the little things and when that grouchiness creeps in with the normal hustle and bustle and I can step back and make things better!

So thanks mom, for volunteering at school, for being grouchy so I could be better and make Christmas more special for my kids. Though not always done with the right attitude on your part, you did teach me some valuable lessons for raising my children. You did impart some good things in us, and you broke half the cycle that ran in your family. Thankfully I can completely eliminate that with my family.

Thank God for forgiveness, wisdom, and healing. And truly with forgiveness comes an amazing perspective and freedom for your own life.

Elf yourself

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=9556857648

Too funny!

What would you be doing?

Lately I have been thinking, and trying to improve myself and my habits. One of which is cleaning. I struggle with this so much. I can cook anyone under the table...I love it, but cleaning and maintaining a house that's another story. I have been doing some thing faithfully thanks to the help of fly lady such as making sure the sink is empty at night and cleaning the bathroom daily. I still struggle to keep up with little messes though. I was reading someone else's blog and something I read really made sense to me. She asked "What would you be doing if your husband were home watching?" Would I be sitting her on the computer? Cleaning? Playing with the kids? It was a really interesting question and made alot of sense to me. I think alot of times I give myself permission to slack off since Phil is gone alot. I can justify the mess because it's only me and the kids here. Then when I know Phil is coming home I stress out trying to tidy up and make things perfect! What a pain! I am attempting to live by that statement now...."What would you be doing if your hubby were home?" Hopefully it will motivate me to be better and do better since I know I am not up to par in this area. Thinking that he could walk in any minute can be big motivation! Hopefully I can stick to it!

Exhaustion

I don't know what my deal, but for the past 2 days I am EXHAUSTED! I mean can hardly keep my eyes open. I have fallen asleep by 9 o'clock each night and was still tired when I woke up! I hope I am not getting sick. Thanksgiving is a week away and I so don't want to be sick! Last year I had laryngitis for Thanksgiving! It was the first time in my life that I ever had it and it was awful! It hurt more than I expected, and I could not take anything cause I was pregnant with Ethan. I don't know why I just told you all that......but anyway! LOL!

Here is a picture from today. I am not the only one who is tired! Ethan was in his jumperoo eating a Zwieback toast and he passed out! haha! Too cute!

Veterans Day

First of all I want to say thank you to all the military and former military out there. Hopefully most of you are all enjoying a day off because these men and women are willing to defend this great country! As a former Navy wife I know how often these men's sacrifices go unnoticed. We take for granted the freedoms we have because of what these men and women are out there doing! Thank you all!!!

There is no school today because it is Veterans Day. It's cold and dreary out so I think today is just going to be a pj day! Although no matter what the baby always seems to get dressed in clothing other than pajamas since he is quite messy! Speaking of the baby, I can tell he is going through a growth spurt! Just a couple weeks ago he was down to 20 ounces of formula a day along with 5 jars of baby food and whatever "people food" (as Emma calls it) he could manage. This morning however, he ate 2 baby bowls of banana oatmeal, and has already drank20 ounces of formula and it's only 10 o'clock! I am afraid to see what he will be eating when he is a teenager! YIKES! He will eat us out of house and home!

Other than that we are getting excited for Thanksgiving next week! I can't believe it's already here! The past few months have just flown by. I have Christmas gifts to wrap for my nieces and nephews (we see them every Thanksgiving and do gift exchange then). I just ordered my nieces gift last week and I am really hoping it arrives here on time!

Tomorrow is MOPS! YIPEE! Last time they had it the kids were sick and I could not attend. The baby has a runny nose but it's clear so I think we are ok to go tomorrow. I really love my kids, but I SO look forward to that 2 hours alone with other adult women! I never do anything without my kids, even when Phil is here I rarely go out by myself so its a nice treat to get away without the kiddos.

So that's about all that's going on here. We have a busy week this week but that's good because it makes the time fly by!

Snow Day

Today is our first snowfall and Emma is so excited! She woke us all up this morning screeming "It's snowing, can I go outside?" She loves playing in the snow. So I dug out all the snow clothes and out she went! She has been out there for at least an hour now. She is not like me when I was a kid. I would come in every 5 seconds cause i was cold. Emma on the other hand needs to be bribed to come back into the house! Her and all the dogs love snow!

Here are some pics of her outside!

What a blessing!

My husband just called. He is working with his boss today out on the road and he called to say that his boss wants to take our whole family out to dinner! How awesome! I don't have to cook and we get a meal we don't have to pay for! Thank God! What a nice treat for us tonight!