Merry Maid

Phoebe got tons of toys for Christmas. While she plays with them and seems to enjoy them all, she always goes back to this:





I got this little sweeper for Christmas. Phoebe loves it. She gets it out all the time. We'll be in the other room and hear the sweeper start up and we'll all kind of roll our eyes and say she's at it again.

Another Phoebe funny, today in the van she was fussing and I asked what was wrong and she said she couldn't get her leg sleeve up. When I looked back at her, she was trying to pull her leggings up.

Time with the kids

I've been with the kids a lot the last week or so since school has been out. I will hate it when school starts again on Friday. Danny will be off until next Wed. and that makes me happy. Having all this family time together, we often comment on how great the kids are. They say and do the funniest things. I love to be in the other room and hear them talking with each other. Owen got a whoopie cushion in his stocking and he and Chloe were playing with it and laughing so hard. I was in the bedroom and could hear them in Owen's room. There is nothing better than the sounds of their big, honest, belly laughs.

Owen is always funny. We went to Danny's parents yesterday to celebrate Christmas with them. They have a cat and Owen is allergic to cats. His eyes get red and itchy, his face gets red and blotchy, and he feels a mess. He kept saying "I need to get out of here" and when it was time to open gifts they handed him a present and he said "Please tell me it's not a cat!".

Phoebe is hilarious in her own quiet way. She's wearing her panties from Santa today and is doing great. I reminded her earlier to go to the potty and she said "Not today". After using the potty once I told her to pull up her pants and she said "Those are not pants. Those are panties." She is very literal. Danny will call her Petunia, his little nickname for her, and she always says "I'm Phoebe". Yesterday at Danny's parents, we were outside and standing in the front yard. Phoebe ran around the back of the house and then came around the corner to me and said "I found me!!!". I'm guessing she means I found YOU. If not, it's always good to find yourself. This morning she asked me for a cup of milk and a snuggle. I forgot about the laundry so we could snuggle while she drank her milk.

Chloe is getting older and growing up so quickly. She is into the Lemony Snickett books (The Series of Unfortunate Events), and she'll bring one to me and read parts of it so we can laugh about it together. She has proven to be very good at the Wii and it makes Owen mad when she beats him at lightsaber duels. She's all geared up for a sleepover for her friend's birthday tomorrow. In some ways she seems so grown up, and then I'll catch her playing with her Littlest Pet Shops and stuffed animals.

I'm grateful for this time with the kids and I am reminding myself when they start to fight, or make giant messes, or demand things every minute, or when I'm just tired, that it is a JOY to take care of these three little wild things.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, friends! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! I'm still recovering from the madness. I worked all day putting away the mountains of toys and gifts. The kids have had a blast. Phoebe was very sweet this year since she could really grasp what the excitement was all about now. She loved her stroller from Santa. Chloe's favorite gift has been her Nintendo DS. Owen liked his too, but not as much as Chloe. He had me putting Legos together all day yesterday. Mom and Dad got them a Wii and that's been fun. I like having everyone home from school and work. Our schedule has been out the window, but that's okay. Here are a bunch of pictures of the Wild Things opening presents.



















And because I never get tired of hearing the Christmas Story, and because Christmas isn't about all the presents, here is the story of the birth of Jesus from Luke 2:1-20.

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. This was the first enrollment made when Quirinius was governor of Syria.

All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he belonged to the house and lineage of David. He went to be enrolled with Mary, his espoused wife, who was expecting a child.

While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were very afraid.

But the angel said to them, "Do not fear; for behold, I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger."

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests!"

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us." So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them.

But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Behold the power of cheese

Baby, it's cold outside!

Visit with Santa

We got to see Santa this evening. All three told what they wanted for Christmas. Phoebe has said a stroller all along. Well, tonight she told Santa a stroller, a tea set, and Dora set. Santa does have a tea set, but the elves are going to have to get a tea set. I was surprised Phoebe sat on his lap, last year she wouldn't get near him. I was happy to get a picture that I liked. This Santa always listens nicely and then gives out a candy stick, then says "Don't forget the power of cheese".

My shepherds

We had our little Christmas play today at church. Chloe and Owen were shepherds. Chloe played a recorder for a flute and memorized all her lines perfectly, and Owen was the cutest shepherd ever.

Chloe's Letter to Santa

Chloe's class all wrote a letter to Santa. The teacher mailed them to the newspaper where they were published along with other letters to Santa in a special edition. I hadn't read Chloe's until yesterday when they came out in the paper. Hers reads:

Dear Santa Claus,
I want a Nintendo DS and the Littlest Pet Shop game to go with it. I also want any of the Dogs games for Nintendo DS. I live in Lxxxxx and since you have been coming to my house for 10 years, I'm sure you know where I live. I almost forgot that I want you to give gifts to people who don't have much. You should send them some gifts, too. Good luck going all over the world to give people gifts.
From,
Chloe Rxxxxxxxxx, 10

Ritz Delights

These are Danny's favorite Christmas "cookies". Everyone loves them, they are so yummy.

1 cup chopped dates
1 cup chopped pecans
1 can condensed milk
Boil until thick, stirring constantly. Spread on Ritz crackers. Bake at 350 for 6 minutes. Cool.

Topping:
3 oz cream cheese
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup butter (room temp.)
1 tsp vanilla
Blend with mixer. After cookies cool, put icing on them and top with a pecan half.

Prayer request

If you are reading this, please say a prayer for Dante. He's a boy who is Phoebe's age that is dying of cancer. Christmas is not a happy time for many. I give thanks to God for my healthy children and pray for those who are not. I ask that God gives Dante's parents, Joey and Tony, the strength they need, and pray that they have just this one more Christmas with Dante. I pray for Dante to be pain free and still able to experience some joy and feel the love around him.

My other beauty

The Santa threat

We've been using the Santa threat around here. Bad maybe, but it helps sometimes. First to explain, we fixed shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child, where you fill a shoebox with goodies for a child somewhere in the world that doesn't have much. We do it every year and I love it. I collect them at church too, and drop them off at a drop off site that delivers them to the headquarters. Then the boxes are distributed around the world to needy children. So when we did our boxes this year the kids helped and I told them we were sending the toys and things to kids who didn't get anything for Christmas. SO, tonight I went in Owen's room and it was a wreck. I told him if he didn't pick it up Santa wouldn't bring any more toys. He said "Well, I guess I'll be a shoebox boy". Then later I was in the kitchen and he came to get me to show me a surprise. He led me to his room that he had cleaned up. That Santa is so darn helpful.

Snow Day

School was cancelled today because of snow. We were happy and enjoyed the day. We played in the snow a couple times, made cookies, watched a movie, and just played. Three more days until Christmas break, then we can have snow days every day!

Making cookies:




Owen making a snow angel on the trampoline:




I think Phoebe has outgrown her baby sled:

All I want for Christmas

My beauty

Yesterday was Chloe's choir show at the local high school. She did great, and looked beautiful. My pictures from the show were dark and our seats were too far away to get a good picture. At least I got this pic before we left.

If you thought that was bad...

Okay, if you thought the last pictures of Phoebe wearing makeup were bad, here's one for you from this morning. She didn't limit it to her face either, her hair is streaked very nicely.




I have a few things to say about it:

1. Why the forehead???
2. I need to buy some more makeup remover.
3. I should really watch that child more closely.
4. I need to throw away Chloe's makeup seeing how she continues to put it where Phoebe can reach it.
5. Maybe she has a future as a make up artist. For the circus.
6. I can't wait until nap time.

Sweet heart

Here's an easy craft to use as an ornament, or to tie on a present or package. Just use a hot glue gun to glue two candy canes together to look like a heart. Glue a ribbon on the back, and tie into a bow.

Sometimes after Christmas when the candy canes are on clearance, I'll buy a bunch and make hearts for Valentine's Day.

Some kind of trouble

(Some kind of trouble, who sings that country song?)

Phoebe was helping me do laundry this morning. She was pushing the laundry basket to me and it got stuck on the rug. She couldn't push it any farther. She said, "I'm having some trouble here". That so cracked me up.

Speaking of trouble, here she is this morning. She got into Chloe's makeup. As soon as I noticed she was quiet and went to check on her, I opened the door (she shut it so I wouldn't see her) and she said "I wear makeup. I'm sorry.". Everytime she gets into makeup she always puts it on her forehead. In the pictures I took she kept closing her eyes, I guess to show off the awesome eyeshadow.

What's that smell?

While Phoebe took her nap yesterday, I made brownies. When she woke up I was wrapping presents in the bedroom. She came in with her sleepy look and said,
"I smell brownies. I want one."

Ice, Ice, Baby

Yesterday Chloe and I went into town to help decorate, and take food, for a party. On the way it started snowing. It got slick fast. I am terrified of driving in the snow. I had Chloe with me because she had piano lessons in the afternoon. Mom kept Owen and Phoebe while Danny hunted. We slid once on the way and couldn't get stopped. While we were at the party site, with my sister Betsy, it kept snowing. As we both tried to leave we realized it was nothing but ice. I slid once and went very slowly, and prayed a lot. Luckily, our aunt has a store in town and we all went there. Betsy tried three times to get home (but had to come back to the store). I, being the chicken that I am, called Danny. He came and picked us up in his four wheel drive. No way we could have made it home in my van. We had to leave it in town, and Betsy's car too. There were wrecks everywhere, roads and bridges closed, cars in ditches to drive around, and the roads completely covered in ice and snow. We went to Mom and Dad's to get the little ones and to drop off Betsy. She couldn't get home and had to stay there. We couldn't get back to the party. We did play a tiny bit outside before it got completely dark. It was so cold we didn't last long. I wasn't very prepared for the snow, Phoebe and Owen need snow boots. Chloe needs snow pants. Owen is wearing the same snowsuit he's had for three years. Phoebe's snowsuit is too short. They love the snow! Next trip to the store I'll get them some snow duds.

In this first pic, Phoebe is hugging Chloe as they go down on the sled. She isn't afraid, but I told Chloe to hold Phoebe as they went down, and Phoebe thought it meant to assume the hug position.





Church is cancelled today, so we're all in together for a cozy day. It snowed more last night. It's windy and cold. A good day to be stuck inside! And drink hot chocolate.

Naughty but nice

I heard water running in the kitchen this morning. I went in and found this:





I asked her what she was doing, and she said she was getting water for Molly (our puppy). Later when I found her on the counter again (she pushes the kitchen chair up to the counter and then climbs up) and told her she wasn't supposed to do that, she said, "I'm a baby". She uses that a lot now when she gets in trouble.

Cheese Ball

Here's a yummy, easy recipe for my favorite cheese ball. Great for holiday parties coming up.

Cheese Ball
2 (8oz each) cream cheese, softened
1 oz package of ranch dressing mix
2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Mix cream cheese, dressing mix, and cheese with your hands until completely blended together. Roll into a ball, and roll ball in pecans. Serve with crackers.

(Phoebe and I made the cheese ball this morning for a party tomorrow. When I was mixing it up with my hands she said "Mommy making a mess". )

Baby in a basket

Phoebe entertained herself with laundry baskets this evening. Maybe some day she'll actually help me with the laundry.