Christ is Born!

Sorry for the long absense everyone; our internet has been having issues, and I took it as a sign that I had too much to do, and shouldn't be dinking around online anyway.

First and foremost, Christmas has been great! I'm at my sister's on her laptop, while the kids run around in their sugar/present-induced insanity. Marina is snuggling with Uncle Steve...at least she was, but she spotted me looking at her and is now wandering over to me fussing. She's super tired. I'll have to post pictures tomorrow before we head to South Carolina.

Merry Christmas to all! I planned to write more, but the baby needs me.

Snow

I really hope it's unusually warm in South Carolina, because my kids and I are turning into snowmen!! I need a break from the two feet of powder we got over the last couple of days.

Off to make 15 cakes at the bakery. We're catering the hospital Christmas party tomorrow...dinner for 600. Yikes!

Let it snow!

Actually, the title should read "Let it (stop) snow(ing)!" We've gotten close to two feet in the last 48 hours, and it's still coming down. Forecast predicts 5-8 more inches tonight. Enough already!! The roads are impassable, and I can't even walk on my front porch without my jeans getting wet up to the knee. And I'm TALL! It's crazy. I don't remember the last time we got this much snow at once.

Silver lining to the tons of snow: I got to take a "snow day" from work (I usually work Wednesdays at the bakery), so now we'll jet over this afternoon to see Megan's Godparents, who flew in last night (technically this morning). I think we'll all bundle up in snowpants, chuck one of the kids in the sled (they don't both fit at once) and trudge over. I'm estimating that the two minute walk will take us 15 (no joke) because of all the snow.

Helen and I made gobs of sugar cookies yesterday, now waiting to be decorated. I didn't get my pumpkin rolls done, because I was out of parchment paper. However, I made coffee cake instead (hear that Jess?), which needs to go in the freezer to wait for Christmas. I'm slowly crossing off my baking list, and Megan wants to wrap presents today. It seems like a good soup day, so maybe I'll chuck some on the stove for dinner. Despite the growing pile of frozen precipitation, it is going to be a great day!

Tuesday To-Do

Today's To-Do List:

Clean/Vacuum Living Room
Organize Entryway (I love love love our new entryway, but am slightly annoyed that I have another room to clean now. Oh well).
Make 2 Pumpkin Rolls and freeze them
Find cheaper car insurance

Okay, now I have posted my list for the world to see, and I am accountable!!

Monday Monday

I really have been making an effort to blog every day, since my brother-in-law comments when I don't (evidently, he's lost without me). Unfortunately, I have been a little too busy to make it every day, but I keep trying!

Megan had a great day in tumbling today--she finally managed to do a forward roll all by herself! For the last three months, her teacher has been having to help her, but she got it down today and now somersaults all over the place.

It occurred to me today that Christmas is next Friday. I have adopted a "whatever gets done, gets done, and whatever doesn't, doesn't" attitude about Christmas this year. It is providing me with much less stress. I think I'm doing some baking tomorrow, which will be fun. Our tree is up, and the shopping is done. Our Christmas cards are downstairs, waiting to be addressed and sent. So, I'll just ooze my way through the details at this point. I am hoping for a relaxed Christmas Eve, instead of the stressful madhouse that it usually is. Christmas Day, we'll do gifts at home, then head to my sister's for a family get-together and steak dinner. Seriously, you can't beat that!! The day after Christmas, we're off to sunny South Carolina! I can't wait. I think the break from the cold will be just what my kids need--in a very real way, because both of their faces are chapped from the cold and wind. Marina's is terrible--perils of drooling while living in Alaska in the winter.

I just heard a loud crash from Megan's room. I think I should investigate.

Cough Medicine is for the dogs

We were up late with a croupy little girl last night. I gave her some cough medicine, and it made things worse. Thankfully, she did eventually fall asleep, and slept late this morning. I hate listening to her hack and choke like that. Megan has been doing this for about three nights running now. I hope it's almost run its course.

On a happier note, Lost Season 5 was released the other day, and my husband and I are happily entrenched in evening marathons of one of our favorite shows. We don't watch it on Network TV, so once a year we play catch up with the whole season. Last night we snuggled up with a bag of peanut butter M&Ms and caught the first two episodes. Can't beat that!

Christmas is in two weeks, so I think we'll be putting our tree up soon, and I am going to start all the goody-baking on Monday. I can't do it any earlier, since I have nowhere to store things. I love all the spicy sweet smells that fill the house this time of year.

Wednesday Drama

So, my loving husband informed me that my post yesterday was a tad whiny. Sorry about that. There will be no whining in today's post.

I will say this though--there's nothing like a kid puking in your bed at 2 am to get the day started off right.

Okay, there will be no MORE whining in this post.

The silver lining to both my kids being sick is that I don't have to work at the bakery today, which means I have time to finish some things that have to get done before tomorrow. I've got phone calls to make, and a grocery list to work on for Luke and Kastle's wedding. Helen and I are heading to Costco tomorrow to price everything out, so we know what kind of a budget we're looking at. After that, we're off to the Natural Pantry to look for more Marina-safe foods.

Speaking of Marina-safe foods, I made gluten free bread for the first time yesterday. For one, the loaf weighs about thirty pounds, and makes a loud "thunk!" when you drop it on the counter. Neither are signs of good break-making. Also, it crumbles when you cut it, and smells weird. However, my little girl is so thankful to have bread again that she gobbles it up. I also made some gluten free pumpkin muffins, which turned out much better. I think I will stick to quick breads for Marina for the time being, and steer clear of yeast breads. They are gluten free; ergo, there is no gluten to form and I don't know how to knead it. I let it rise for three hours, and it didn't budge. Ah well, live and learn I suppose.

On top of the kids being sick, I went to the doctor yesterday for a persistent cough that I can't get rid of. I feel fine, but just figured I should get the cough checked out. Two chest x-rays later, and I'm diagnosed with bronchial pneumonia. Craziness! So, the girls and I are going to hack and puke our way through the day today. I wouldn't advise coming over.

Parenting

I have decided that I need to become the perfect parent. This decision was made at around 4 AM this morning, while Megan was climbing over me for the second time, trying to sleep with us, while Marina was already taking up all the good warm covers in between Dn. John and I. So, we chucked both kids back in their beds, and listened to them cry for a good long time.

As a result, I have come to the conclusion that the perfect parent would not have to deal with this problem night after night after night after night....

So, I would like all the perfect parents out there to raise their hands and tell me exactly how to raise my kids so they will 1) stop fighting and stealing toys from each other, 2) obey me when I tell them to do something (the first time, not the 11th), 3) love to clean up after themselves, and 4) sleep through the night in their own beds.

Is this really asking too much??

Marina's New Tricks

Us and the Colemans, all gussied up for the Alaska USA Christmas Party. It was lots of fun.
Okay, how it that not the cutest thing ever???


A video of Marina's new tricks...walking, talking and signing.

Dn. John is a good sport

I would like to dedicate this post to my husband, who puts up with a lot (a LOT) of crap from his very loving wife.

Case in point, the phone conversation we just had.

"Hey honey, don't look in the trunk."

"What??"

"Just stay out of the trunk of the car. Please." (There are Christmas presents in there that I was going to sneak into the house later, but he had to take the car for an emergency run to SBS).

"How in the world am I supposed to buy a five foot piece of trim without opening the trunk?"

The answer to that, is--of course--I haven't the foggiest clue. But, since he is a good sport, I know he will do his best to not look in the trunk, or at least chuck the trim in without taking a good look at the stuff lying in there. He rocks.

Also reason to remember that he is a good sport: Our friends Eric and Hannah got engaged yesterday, and Dn. John and Eric were discussing the perils of proposing. Hannah chimed in that she knew the proposal was coming soon, she just didn't know when. I then told the story of Dn. John and I, before we got engaged. This story stars me calling him crying just about every night, because he hadn't proposed yet. Now, this nightmare of sobbing femininity would probably send your average man screaming for the hills. Nope. He calmly told me (over and over again) that he would propose when he was good and ready, and I just had to be patient. And then--here's the kicker--HE STILL WANTED TO MARRY ME AFTER THAT. Wow. What a great guy.

On a side note, here is my parenting conundrum for the day: Neither of us drink Egg Nog. We both hate it, and never buy it. Why, then, does Megan smell like egg nog? I am slightly concerned.

Christmas Cookies

Just wanted to share this fabulous three ingredient cookie recipe (no baking, or anything!!) that I got from my friend Carla last year. Usually, they don't make it to the dipping stage, because I eat the filling in little spoonfuls. Oh well. They're easy, fabulous, and just fantastic!

Oreo Bon-Bons

1 package Oreos
8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 package white dipping chocolate

Grind the oreos into crumbs. Add softened cream cheese, and mix well. Refrigerate until easily rollable (is that a word?). Roll into balls, refrigerate again for 4 hours. Melt dipping chocolate. Dip each bon-bon into white chocolate. Refrigerate until hardened.

Yum!!

I'm back!

Wow, it's been a long time since I've posted a good update. Things have been wild, as always!

ENTRYWAY is almost done! It is painted a beautiful shade of blue (boudoir blue, to be exact), and we've moved all the coats and shoes and stuff in there. Dn. John plans to put up the closet doors tonight, and do the window trim this weekend. We are waiting for a friend of ours to do the flooring (we're putting in bamboo hardwood), and it sounds like he'll probably be doing it while we're in South Carolina after Christmas. So when that is done, we'll finish all the trim work and be finished! Because we moved the bench and other stuff into the entryway, we've been able to rearrange our dining room...it looks so great! Open and spacious and clean. Marina is loving all the new room to run!

MEGAN turned three a couple weeks ago. She had a super fun birthday, and the crowning glory gift was a princess tent from Grandma and Grandpa. It takes up virtually all the space in her bedroom, but she and Marina love it. Megan is still tumbling--it is the highlight of her week--and is just trucking along being her lovable--albeit feisty and sometimes cranky--self. Last night she had a screaming fit that lasted over an hour. When she's not screaming, she dances and sings and plays with baby dolls. She is all girl!

MARINA is now 15 months. She runs and climbs and gets into everything all the time. She says all kinds of words now...Mama, Dada, Mommy, Daddy, Megan, Up, Banana, Eat; she also knows the signs for More, All Done, Please, Thank You, and Book. She waves and plays peek-a-boo and pat-a-cake, loves to be read to, and is becoming seriously mischievous. I heard some odd noises coming from downstairs a few minutes ago, and there she was with the answering machine in hand, pressing all the buttons. I have to call the house from my cell phone sometime soon to see if the message still works. If you call and all you hear is heavy breathing, that's why. Also, her new diet (free of all the alergens) really seems to be helping her, for which I am very thankful.

DN. JOHN is working working working. When he's not working at work, he works at home! The entryway is nearing completion, but I have a honey-do list for him when he needs a new project. He is able to play basketball most Fridays right now with a bunch of friends, which is a highlight for him.

CHRISTINE (me). Well, I'm crazy busy as usual. The bazaar went off almost without a hitch, and was great. I am glad it's done though! I am gearing up for my next big projects...namely, Christmas (is that a project?), our South Carolina trip, and the wedding I am catering in January. I am loving loving loving my new sewing machine, although I don't get to use it nearly as often as I would like. I also love my new entryway...especially since shoes don't come into the house now. Makes it soooo much easier to keep the house clean!

We are really looking forward to Christmas, the return of the Howells (sounds like a movie), and our trip to see all our family in South Carolina, which is in less than a month! We are busy as always, but as Christmas nears, the twinkle lights will be up, the kitchen will be churning out goodies, and the presents will be wrapped. What a great time of year!

Megan's gem for the day

"Wow, Mommy. Our house is really messy. You should clean it."

Gee, thanks Megan. Merry Maids, at your service.