Merry Christmas

I'm going to try really hard to get more pictures this Christmas. In years past I just get too caught up in the moment and only snap a few photos, then come "slideshow" time for the kids' birthday, I don't have much to chose from. Plus it's nice to have the memories. So far I've documented a full out session of dress up this morning (including "cowboys and indians" and "Cinderella") and a bit of an awesome battle of Axis and Allies where the opponents were 600 miles apart (they played on skype- that's just about as nerdy as you can get I'm pretty sure)This Christmas is going to be BIG for our kids. I got some extra photo shoots than I normally have this season and so we splurged and bought something for the kids that's one of those things that you always wanted as a kid, but your parents would never get. I told Craig no at first, but then later succumbed when I saw how excited he was getting about it...anyway, Santa is going all out this year. That's all I have to say about that.
Hope you all have a wonderful holiday and remember our Savior and his humble birth this Christmas season. The spirit of Christmas is the spirit of Christ.

The Highland Lady

Is a new blog. For my crocheting. Check it out! :-)
http://thehighlandlady.blogspot.com/
...and if you want to laugh (or cry, like I felt like doing), read my last blog post about Chloe this evening that will now be shadowed by this one.
Lubs

Duh-RAMA!!!

Christmas time...

A time of joy. A time of laughter. A time for decorating Christmas cookies. Oh wait- that is unless you have a daughter who decided that instead of decorating her cookie nicely at Grandma's house with friends over for dinner she was going to throw a fit at me for not being able to do the sprinkles by herself. Which then turned into a bigger fit when I pulled her off the table to go sit in time out. Which then turned into a monsterous fit when the last fit didn't cease and I decided to bring her to her room at our house so I could talk to her calmly. Which then turned into a mega-ginormous screaming at the top of her lungs and kicking and scratching and hitting fit when I had to pause to get my shoes on and she realized we were leaving the house to go home. I walked out the door with her slung on my hips trying to hold her flailing, slapping hands away from my face as everyone watched in silence since her screaming had stopped all conversation in the room. I then had the joy of cleaning up her icing puke that landed all over her bed when her monsterous screaming induced a monsterous coughing fit and vomit ensued.
So instead of joyfully laughing at Craig who I'm sure right now is trying to hork down one of his world famous ten-inches-of-frosting-on-a-cookie cookie, I'm listening to Chloe scream at the top of her lungs in her pajamas in bed (she's so mad she's clapping her hands as hard as she can. Have't seen a fit like this for a LONG time, I thought we were through with them....) and blogging about it. Chloe, I hope when you have a four year old drama queen yourself that you read back on this and your appreciation for your mother will increase...at least more so than it is now. Love you forever. :-)

Spending

Way too much money. Yeesh.
At least it's sometimes stuff that I've used a coupon for or got at a good deal or got on sale.

Things that I got at a good deal:

• Linus two shirts for $1 a piece from Wal-Mart, one of which I will use in their Christmas photo
• A $10 throw blanket that I will use for newborn shots because of it's color and texture that I would have spent a lot of money on fabric for.
• A $15 dollar crocheting book for $7 with my 50% off coupon that didn't work at Joann's, but then the lady took off the discount anyway.
• A $500 85 mm 1.8 lens that I got for $350 (more than that with shipping, but still)
• A pretty corduroy dress for $3 for Chloe...at Wal-Mart
  

Things that I didn't get a good deal on:

...Um, I'd rather not talk about it. Shame is filling my soul as I look at these non-discounted items that I couldn't pass up.

Some other news: Chloe went to the eye doctor last week to get her eyes checked again to see how her glasses were working. Yes, they are working, but not well enough. I haven't noticed it, but the doctor said that even with her glasses on she's still crossing her eyes just a little, especially the right eye, so he perscribed a patch. She has to wear this band-aid looking patch over her eye, under her glasses still, for two hours a day until January when they check her again. If that doesn't work, they may need to adjust the perscription again, and if that doesn't work, they are going to look at surgery for her eyes. Have no idea what that entails or how it would help, but he warned me when I first brought her in that that might be an option.
Thanksgiving was fun- we stayed at home and ate LOTS of food. I feel so fat all the time now, but I'm not getting on the scale until after Christmas because it will just make me depressed- now begins the "gaining-back-all-my-lost-baby-weight-over-the-holidays" routine. Woot.
Linus is also maturing a little. Just a little, but we'll take what we can get! I took the kids to Wal-Mart this morning and he didn't throw one fit. In fact he even climbed in his seat when I asked him to, he didn't touch anything he wasn't supposed to, and he was pleasant and giggly the whole time! It was like I had normal children or something, weird. We've definitely noticed a change in his behaviour in the last month or so and I think it's just a combination of finally getting used to the baby and getting all his 2 year old molars to break through, but it's like I have a cute little boy to play with instead of a monster again- I love it. He's still two and yells a lot, but at least he's reasoning a little better, demanding a little less, and listening a little more. Yay Linus!
Odell is getting SO big. Her 4 month checkup is in two weeks, I'm anxious to see how much she's grown. She's very ticklish, giggles this funny giggle that sounds sort of like she's irritated at you, but just laughing to be nice, she smiles at everyone, poops through everything (and I mean everything), and is just this little butterball of joy. I love her to itty bitty pieces! Did I just say that? Yes I did, she's adorable and I don't care who knows it. :-)
Sorry no pictures, next time...