Holiday Decorating

This year the holiday decorating has taken a little bit longer then usual. The bout of the stomach flu derailed the tree trimming. AND every time, I go to hang the lights outside it is either raining or the kids just won't cooperate long enough to get more than one strand up. 

As for the tree, we had intended to get it on Sunday afternoon/evening and spend a lovely evening getting the tree, hanging the lights and ornaments, all while listening to Christmas music, sipping cocktails, and eating a delicious meal. 

Yeah so that didn't happen. 

We did go and get the tree on Monday afternoon after 22 hours into the flu. I insisted we go and get it since we all needed some fresh air. We walked around the Christmas tree lot (we aren't the people who cut down our own), in the rain, in a flu induced haze. That night I put up the lights. The following night I hauled out the ornaments and the kids "helped" put them up. Shockingly (and sadly) ONLY one  broke. 

Anyway, here are some photos from the last couple of days. I still need to hang the ribbon on the tree  and Pearson came home a little early to help with the lights outside so they are 98% done now. We are finally having some physical holiday cheer around here. 

Stomach Flu

I have never read Dante's Inferno but I can only assume that one of the nine circles involved being hit by the stomach flu while having to care for two young kids. If that is not one of the circles then there definitely needs to be a tenth circle added.  

On Sunday night, I was hit by the plague and barfed all night. Pearson fell to it on Monday morning (although he didn't have the good fortune to pray to porcelain gods). We cobbled together trying to care for the kids meaning Mae sat in front of the TV all day and didn't get out of her pajamas until she put on new ones at night. Whitaker, thankfully, took a three hour nap and we did our best to make sure he stayed alive.   

I felt a little bit more normal today and am trying to get a handle on holiday things and our upcoming trip to LA and Disneyland this weekend! 

We also put up our Christmas tree during the last couple of days. I will post pictures of the beauty later. 

Photo Shoot - Take One

A month ago we took family photos at Volunteer Park (another post about that later). Following the "official" photo shoot we headed to Volunteer Park Cafe for some breakfast and treats and the photographer joined us. Here are photos from the cafe. 

(I am waiting to post the other photos until our holiday cards go out since I used a few of the photos for them and I want them to be a surprise for anyone who might read this). 

This about sums up every dining experience we have. 

I hate you technology

Ok, I really don't hate technology because it has given me the ability to share all my families happenings with you all (whoever you might be), however, right now I am having a small technology hiccup. Even more cruddy because Pearson works for Microsoft. Anywho, the short of it is that I have reached my photo capacity with this blog. Blogger doesn't limit the number of photos you post, however, when I upload photos to the blog they get sent over to Picassa (google's photo site). I have hit my limit with them and it seems I need to buy more space in order to ever share another photo again. I don't know if I delete photos on Picassa whether I will lose the pictures in the post that I have already written (something I do not want to do). Although, I don't have any problem coughing up the $2 a month to increase my storage space, Pearson thinks that seems a little silly so I am trying to figure out another way to share photos with you. I thought I had figured it at by using Photobucket but after uploading a couple of hundred photos there, I have hit my limit there as well. I thought the internet was infinite!

In the meantime, Whitaker has decided to start taking off the rubber caps to the door stoppers with his teeth. Brilliantly idiotic is how we like to describe it. I have a video of it and will hopefully be able to one day post it if I can ever figure out how to share photos and videos with you again. 

My Little Helper

This is pretty terrible to admit but I didn't do laundry or even worse I didn't know how to use a washing machine or dryer until I went to college. I remember calling my mom to have her tell me exactly what to do before I went down to the basement in the dorms to do my first load. I remember asking her, "So I put the soap in before or after I put the clothes in?" Yes, I was naive in the world of laundering clothes. What I find even more shocking, then the fact I didn't know how to do laundry, was my mom did laundry for our ENTIRE family for all those years without ever once complaining about doing it or ever asking us to pitch in. God, she really is a saintly and selfless woman. That or she really, really enjoys folding clothes. 

Since I have stayed at home with the kids, I have started to do Peason's laundry and of course, both kids. I feel like I am always doing laundry. But I have FINALLY found myself a little helper in the one chore I loath. Awww, my sweet boy loves helping with this one chore. He especially loves throwing the stuff in the laundry, might be the throwing part he actually enjoys. Since we have a stackable at our house, he can't put the stuff from the washer to the dryer or actually reach the top so he just chucks it up there. He loves it so much he will throw about anything in there. Maybe that is why on more than one occasion, I have pulled shoes out of the washer. 

Now, I can only hope that his love of this one chore continues. You better believe my children will be doing laundry prior to college because I am neither saintly or selfless or refrain from complaining.  

These are photos from Grandma C's house from this past weekend. 

Happy (Belated) Thanksgiving

This post is a few days late in coming but didn't wanted anyone to think that I wasn't extremely thankful of the many blessings that I have been given this year. This past Thursday was Thanksgiving and it was yet another time to reflect on how truly grateful we are in our lives. In no particular order of importance. I am forever thankful for my Mae and Whitaker who have taught me to love so deeply, keep me on my toes and young every day, and have let me see the world through a child's eyes. Thanks to my husband who puts up with my neurosis on a day to day basis and has chosen to stand by me daily on this life adventure. Thanks to my parents for still taking care of me and ALWAYS being there for me even though I am 35 years old and have a husband and two children. Thanks to my sisters for being the two best friends that a girl to ask for. Thanks to all my family and friends who love me, support me, and care for me despite my faults. I am thankful for having a roof over my head and a warm place to sleep. I am thankful for having enough food that is healthy and nourishes my body and mind. I am thankful that I have my physical health to have been able to run a marathon this year and  that keeps up with my kids daily. I am thankful for coffee because it fuels me when I can't muster up enough energy to keep with all the stuff I need to do. Likewise, I am thankful for wine that allows me to chill out at the end of a long day. I am thankful for beautiful materialistic things that make me superficially happy for a moment (sorry I am not trying to be totally shallow but a girl has to be a girl). I am thankful for the kindness of strangers who have offered their assistance when I look like I can't handle my children because lord knows some times I seem like I can't. I am thankful for television because some days I just want to escape into the world of Gossip Girl. I have many many more thanks but those are the basics for tonight.

As for the holiday itself, we went to Portland to celebrate the holiday with Johanna/Grandma C. All in all it was a great weekend except for two things. First being, there were no mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving dinner. As I mentioned to Pearson, "Part of me inside died today." Ok not really but what is Thanksgiving without mashed potatoes?!?!? Second, Johanna fell down the stairs on Thanksgiving night. It was very scary. Thank goodness she is fine and both kids were asleep at the time.  (I was actually asleep at the time of the fall). It required a call to 911 and a night at the hospital. Again, we are so happy that she is ok. I will post a few pics from PDX when I download. 

Safe To Say

The kid already likes his TV. And yes, he is only 17 months old. The American Academy of Pediatrics who recommends no screen time before age 2 is lecturing me now but hey, if it gets him to sit still for 10 minutes I will take it. Also, it is impossible to not have him watch any TV when his older sister is always asking "to watch a show."