The Day After

Yesterday was a treat!  Normally, it's just the four of us for holidays and Christmas is always a little boring in my opinion.  Once the presents are opened, there's a lull the rest of the day.  Our neighbor friends spent the day with us this year, from the opening of presents all the way through almost 8 p.m.!  That was definitely a change from our normal routine and we had a blast!  After presents, we convinced the guys to play Pictionary with us on the Wii (bullied them is more like it, but they had fun) and that is definitely a keeper!! Daughter #2 got the Wii UDraw Tablet and Pictionary for Christmas, and we all had fun playing it.  I haven't played Pictionary since we've been married, but this one will definitely get some us and it's a cinch to get out and put away unlike the traditional game.  The girls also got the guys involved in some Monster Buck hunting again on the Wii...for two guys that didn't want to play games, they sure didn't act like it! 

When the guys took over the tv again, Amy brought out the sugar cookie dough she had pre-made and the girls enjoyed cutting out and decorating sugar cookies.  Momma's enjoyed eating them! 

As in past years, the day after Christmas brings thoughts of cleaning out and getting reorganized.  I really enjoyed my days off last week and am not looking forward to going back to work tomorrow.  The one great thing is that it's just a four day work week!! 

Thought I'd share one of my favorite gifts from my mother.  She's had it for a while, and I've known I've been getting it for a while.  It's nothing big, but definitely brings out the inner-child in me!

My husband thinks (knows) I'm a certifiable nut now for sure, as do my neighbors!  I wore this thing off and on, more on, all day!  Thanks, Mother!!!

Mandy

Photo Blankets

After last year's success with the Snapfish calendars, I got a little adventurous this year.  In addition to ordering the calendars again, I put together a photo blanket for my mother and Bob's mother.  My mother got her box today, so I made her open it while I was on the phone with her tonight because I knew she was going to love it and I wanted to her her reaction to it.  I might have children of my own, but I'm still a spoiled brat when it comes to my mother and I like it that way!  One of the many downsides of living so far from my parents is not getting to share holidays and open gifts in person, and seeing the reactions are the best parts.  Now that I think about it, we should have done the whole web cam thing, but I just thought about it...darn! 

So anyways, here's what she just opened.  Bob's mother's is the second one...she's not online so there's no worry of her seeing it early.

They were super simple to order, just pick out the pictures you want on there and how many and then choose the color and you're done!  You can also choose to have a title, but I wasn't too sure about that.  The fleece fabric was a little thinner than what I was expecting, but after handling them several times to show different people, I was happy with them.  They'll be a great year round blanket with my little people always close by!

Merry Christmas!
Mandy

Outdoor Decorations and Birthday Celebrations

For years, I've been looking for these trees that look like bare limbed trees with white lights for my front yard.  The only problem is that I see them in other people's yards, but never in the stores.  I thought I hit pay dirt this year when they were in the Sears ad, but when I got to the store they were sold out.  I made the decision the next year as soon as the Christmas decorations come out that I would just pay full price...that's obviously the only way I'm going to get them.  Monday night, we took the girls to the mall to shop for each other and I found a similar tree, only with multicolored lights that was 50% off at Sears.  They had two, and at one point both were in my cart, but I was nice and put one back so Daughter #2 could get the presents she'd been eyeing.  I'm so much happier with my little 5' tree that's all colorful!!

I adore the little presents too!  Now, the little tree...well, that one's most likely going to disappear when I pack things up this year.  My husband is a little grinchish when it comes to decorating the outside, hence the lack of decorations.  Daughter #2 found this little tree last year and was determined to put it out with my new one.  She's happy, so I'm happy. 

Daughter #1's birthday is on Friday, my little girl will be 14 years old...not so little anymore!  Having a birthday on Christmas Eve can be a little tricky.  We usually do something right after school lets out for the winter break with her friends and then it's just the four of us for her big day.  This year, I took her and two friends to play Laser Quest and then to her favorite place to eat, Alamo Cafe. Daughter #2 had played before, so it was cute to see her giving the big girls tips on how to play the game.  She beat them all too on the first game! 

 

This was Round 2 and Daughter #2 was serious this time around!  They were playing with 4 boys and needless to say, they got their tushes beat, but they had a great time running around in attack mode! 

Mandy

Pickles and Pig Trees



I've read that people hide a pickle ornament in their tree, and then the first child that finds the pickle wins a price.  Not on my tree!  My pickle ornament reminds me of the year that my mother and I were on a pickle kick and separated two 5-gallon buckets of dill pickles into bags for each of us to enjoy over the next couple of months.  My favorite pizza joint, Pizza Italia, used to have the most delicious pickles.  You know, the ones that have the huge seeds in them and are perfectly tart.  We had this brilliant idea this one year to see if they'd sell me the entire 5-gallon bucket, and they did!  When she came in to get the girls that year, we spent an evening in the kitchen chatting and separating pickles.  So, when I found the pickles, I had no idea about any hide-and-seek tradition, just that I remembered our pickle adventure!

Mother and Me..Pickle Adventure June 2003

Pardon the awful wallpaper, shade!  This was back in 2003 (skinny us) and prior to the red taking over the kitchen.  Also pre-digital camera for me, so this was scanned.  I love it though, we had a blast!

Piggy Time!!  Always one to cater to my pig obsession, my mother bought me the cutest little glass pig ornaments one year.  Not sure what to do with them because they were smaller than most of my ornaments, I went in search of a little tree.  I found the perfect one on clearance at Hobby Lobby, and hence the Pig Tree was born!

For years, this has had a special spot in the living room.  The big tree is in my library near the front window.  However, my living room has been invaded by a number of house plants, so I decided to share with my co-workers this year.  One was a little concerned, when I said, "I'll bring my pig tree," when she mentioned we needed a tree.  Once I got it out and lit though, she was hooked.  Another sings, "Oh Piggy Tree, Oh Piggy Tree," every time she passes by.  Add to that my favorite Hippo song and it's bound to be a good day!

Merry Christmas!
Mandy

Christmas Tree and Ornament Memories

I'm a few days behind schedule, but the tree is up and decorated!  I forgot to ask my husband to get it down from the attic before he left to go hunting last weekend.  Not wanting to wait until the weekend, Daughter #2 offered to help me this year and we got it up in record time.  Last night we put it up and tonight we added the lights and ornaments.  I have to say that I'm rather proud of myself this year.  Not for how lovely she looks, but that I relaxed enough to let Daughter #2 help me.  Typically I try to to let the girls help, but I really like it just so and it stresses me out.  This year I had a more laid back approach and I think it came out great!  This is our 13th year with this tree and it's still going strong.  I'd love to get another one that's not so fat, but as Daughter #2 pointed out, "where would we put all our ornaments?"!

A new pig that was added for me this year along with my hippo in honor of  "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas" song.  Daughter #2s new sock monkey is peeking out from below.

My only gardening ornament that I absolutely adore given to me by an old friend.

My little girl, we brought these home from when my dad was stationed in Turkey.  Lots of memories come with her and she always gets a spot, front and center. 

I think my favorite part of putting up the tree is finding the perfect place for each of the special memories.  We have old mixed with new in an eclectic combination.  There are the favorites from Bob's childhood that his mother has passed down to him and the homemade ones that the girls have brought home over the years that we handle with care.  Each year, I add new ones for the girls and I'm always on the lookout for new pigs or anything else that catches my attention.  My mother always finds one for the girls that has significance for something they enjoyed that year as well.  This year, Daughter #1 is all about cupcakes and the Texas Longhorns.  Daughter #2 is still loving sock monkeys.  It's too much for one post, so I think over the next couple of weeks I'll share some of our favorite memories with you. 

Merry Christmas!

Mandy