Seeing Santa

We finally got the chance to visit Santa today. After the YMCA twice cancelled the "Breakfast with Santa" we were so looking forward to we decided just to go toBridgeport Village first thing this morning. We stood in line for about 15minutes. Nathan stayed outside and the kids and I waited in the coffee shop next door.

They had a lot of fun and Santa was very kind to Evelyne who of course brought a list with her. On it was written: kickstand, tie shoes, webkinz, coal (for eyes for the snowman), a snowman hat, and an Indian Book (meaning native american which has fascinated her since our visit to Kah-nee-tah last summer.

Afterwards we grabbed a few gifts and had lunch at McCormick and Schmicks; pasta for the kids and French Onion soup for mom and dad plus....a bloody mary for mom...what a treat!

1 angel + 1 rock star = christmas sanity

In the throes of the days before christmas when all through the house all the creatures are stirring! Trying to finish gifts, get them wrapped, get those last minute gifts, and re evaluate your quickly diminishing budget. It's nice to have a break; a positive cute little break. Kids dressing up, singing, playing their part totally oblivious to the daily mayhem of the holidays.

Gilbert and Evelyne gave us that break last weekend at their Christmas Programs at our church . It was great to hear the songs and sing along, made me think of Christmas when I was a kid.

My favorite thing was singing songs, listening to my parents records...yes records...and baking with my mom. Our favorite thing to make as kids were christmas ornament cookies; you know the ones you cut out with cookie cutters and decorate with frosting and sprinkles.  Ours always turned out totally ugly with masses of frosting for hair and giant globules for eyes...they were scary. Oh but were they tasty. Not too sweet, buttery creamy yumminess.
So as I enter the final countdown, as my mother did before me, I'll try to remember my everyday madness is part of my children's memories; the baking, the music, the movies, the general mood and feel of the holidays. Thanks Gilbert, my little angel, and Evelyne, my little rock star, for giving mama a reminder of what Christmas is really about.

Oh Christmas Tree

This year our tree came from my good friend Danelle's Aunt and Uncle who live atop Mt. Home Road. All of their trees are Nobles and ALL cost $15 any size...what a deal! The farm is called Mt. Home Hillside Farm. We cut our tree a couple of weeks ago (Thanksgiving weekend) when it was nice and sunny, thank goodness.

 

This was Evelyne's favorite tree...just her size!

My first attempt at Bloodying a Bean Bag

Oh shipping woes. After completing the two lovely chairs to be shipped to Texas I realized, crap; now I have to figure out shipping.  I kind of ball parked it on my Etsy site based on what other people had done; yes I copied. I really didn't think I'd get any orders on chairs; too expensive and costly to ship. I was wrong. So, learning from this experience.

Being the eco - green-environmentally sensitive...wait, really just cheap...people we are we confiscated the following to use in shipping mayhem: **1-5 large boxes from old equipment at A-dec that Nathan stole from work. **scraps of packaging material from other packages that I had lying around **one old bean bag that my mom had that I tore open and spilled it's guts out**a bunch of newspapers we crumpled til our hands looked like coal miners' hands**duct tape**more duct tape**and the usual swearing

My shipping department (nathan) is making about $.50/hour. Boy do I owe him...wait, I bore his children...naturally...he owes me. I will say I am thankful for my shipping department who skillfully created two boxes out of nothing, measured to the EXACT size and duct tape to hell.

Let's all have a silent moment and PRAY they make it to Texas in tact.

Ignoring my child

Lately, Gilbert has used a certain phrase to get my attention...don't know how he figured it out but it does, and gives me a laugh.  When he is trying to show me something, wants me to look at his latest jumping feat, his truck with out the wheels, or just wants acknowledgement he says " Mom....mom..............mom, turn your neck around." Forget "look at me" or "mirame" (as Evelyne now says).  Gilbert is much more specific in his demand "TURN YOUR NECK AROUND!"

Poor kid, I must be ignoring him too much lately....

Thanksgiving Dinner and a Recipe

So, here are few shots of Thanksgiving at Uncle Phil's house. The final headcount was around 54 according to reputable sources.

We took over the living room....

...and the dining room

...and the hallway

6 of everything for every table

getting ready to dig in!

games afterward

and the recipe that a couple of people were asking for

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving. As you can see by the state of my kitchen preparations began yesterday.  This year we're celebrating with the Knight Clan and expect around 60!  I have therefore made SIX corn cheese and chile pies. Today I'm planning on doing the cranberries and (maybe) some carrot pineapple salad...whew. 

Here is what the pies look like (before they're cooked)

Here's my messy kitchen...recipe in foreground.

Farm Fresh Eggs! We're ordering them through a guy Nathan works with...only $2.00/dozen!

!

My little artist, busy making thanksgiving cards for friends and family while mama cooks.

Art Wednesdays

Doesn't that sound just like a perfect organized 'mom' thing to declare..."Art Wednesdays?"  Sorry to disappoint this was an on-the-fly project to get the kids busy doing SOMETHING (though it required much clean up afterwards) while I got my own tasks completed. Yes, I'd already used the TV card and couldn't have them watch any more so had to do something else.

Evelyne and Gilbert LOVE to paint and it really keeps them going for quite a long time. They even share paint pots with each other and swap paints off an on which does unfortunately result in many floor drips.
The end results are always fun. Gilbert said he made his for grandma and evelyne made hers for grandpa. If they don't declare an owner I sometimes use the paper to wrap kid gifts in for friends (now see, that's a good organized mom thing to do, right).

So, thankfully, we don't always have "Art Wednesdays" here at the Good Knight Castle but it is fun to do it once in a while.

Gilbert goes to Build-a-Bear

I never knew that Build-A-Bear could be such a sweet and special thing.  Grandma Gigi took Gilbert for his birthday to the Build-A-Bear shop last Wednesday.  He got to select a bear, name it, give it a heart, select clothes and give it a hug. So sweet.

He picked the black bear right away; didn't even look around much.  He decided to call him 'dimples' and picked out an 'explorer' outfit and fishing pole. Amazing at age 3 he is so decisive.

So, our newest family member, dimples now giggles and sits with us at the dinner table.  He even goes potty with Gilbert when he needs to.

A great memory for grandma and gilbert both....