Tree Drama!

We went out on Saturday and bought a really gorgeous Christmas tree.  It was basically the best tree ever, the perfect shape, color, height, width, smell.  We went with a plan, no Scotch pines.  I love them to pieces but the needles are so pointy and I'm allergic to them.  But we stood out in the cold for a long time and still ended up with a Scotch pine. :)  We get it home and the trunk is too big for our stand.  We tried everything we could but it just didn't work.  The tree was so top heavy that it kept falling over. 

So Sunday rolls along and we are back at the tree farm for tree number two.  At this point, my Christmas cheer quotient is low.  I'm annoyed with the first stupid tree, my back is bothering me from carrying the kids all over the train museum the night before, and I hate that we will now be spending way more on a Christmas tree(s) that I would ever do normally.  But we do it, we get a new tree.  We make sure the trunk is the right size, that it's not too tall, and bring it home.

Only we find out that this tree isn't working either.  No matter how hard we screw those bolts in, the tree is leaning over.  Maybe if no one touched it, it would be fine.  But I have Annabelle.  She keeps hugging the tree and telling me how precious it is.  This tree will not be standing much longer.

Mark runs to Lowes and buys a new tree stand.  It works!!!!!  Except now our tree is almost a foot away from the ceiling because the new stand is much lower than the old one.  But at least the tree is up and steady even with the hugging and playing.  We have now had two trees in our possession for more than 48 hours and it's still not decorated.  I don't know when we'll get around to it either but at least it's there right?

Here's our tree as it stands right now.  We can't decorate tonight because I put Elf on the Shelf in the tree.  What if we accidentally touched him and he lost his magic?

There's tree number one.  I'm pretty sure our neighbors think we're Scrooge's, throwing out our Christmas tree before we get to actually use it!  He looks so sad out there.

Christmas Cards

I have received my first Christmas card already this year!  That makes me so happy.  I hate the way all of my card holders look so empty right now.  Cards make me happy.  I love to see people's photo cards, especially since many of them I don't see very often.  It's crazy seeing people's kids growing up in pictures.

Every year, we go out and get family photos taken.  That way we have new pictures to hang on our walls and everyone gets a new picture of us as well.  I don't know if anyone really cares, but I do it anyways.  This year though, we didn't do that.  Last year, we felt very rushed.  I know it's a busy time of the year but Mark was so unhappy with the lack of customer service, that we decided that we will wait for our family portraits until sometime in January.  Then we will get the more personal attention that Mark wants out of the experience.

But I needed to come up with an idea for our Christmas cards.  I didn't want to just buy some cards and sign our names.  I like the thought process that I have when writing people's names on their cards, writing our own and putting their addresses on the envelopes.  It  makes the procedure longer when I'm personally thinking of each individual family as I do it, but it matters to me.  I usually watch Christmas movies while I do it.  It puts me in a good, Christmas-y mood.

This year, our card is simple.  It didn't take a lot of time but I think it came out too, too cute.

So what do you think?

Elf Magic

Last year, I started hearing about The Elf on a Shelf.  I wasn't really sure what it was all about.  So this year, I was talking to some of Mark's cousins on Thanksgiving, and they all had their very own Elves.  I just wasn't sure if Annabelle would get into it though.  I was going to just let it go until Mark went out on Black Friday and bought it.

It's pretty much the best thing ever. 

Annabelle talks to Elf on the Shelf (that is his name, nothing fun or cute) every day.  She tells him how she's been a good girl, what she wants from Santa.  She runs to check on him multiple times a day, just to make sure he hasn't moved.  Mark's parents stopped over and when Grandpa almost touched Elf on the Shelf, she freaked out!  She is very serious about keeping the magic fully intact.

Whenever she's misbehaving or not doing what she was told, I just mention the Elf.  Instant behavior modification!  She asked if he can see her at school, yes.  How about on the bus, yes.  If she cries does that mean she goes on the naughty list, no.  Does he see her naked bum, no he closes his eyes when she's nude.  The questions that my girl can think up!

She does seem slightly afraid of him though.  She was worried he would be in her room making scary shadows.  She wondered how he got in and out of our house.  I told her he shrinks with magic and goes through our key holes.  I never thought to tell her that he uses the chimney like Santa which would have been an easier idea, I think.  She wanted to know why he wears the same clothes everyday, because it's gross to be dirty.  I told her elves can only wear one kind of outfit and that Elf on the Shelf has multiple ones to change every night back at the North Pole. 

 

Christmas this year, is going to be so much fun!

Snow

It is November 29, and we here in Buffalo have not had any snow yet.  There has been some down in the southtowns, but only an inch or two and it melts away.  According to the news yesterday, we are 8 inches below normal for snowfall this season so far.  It's all good to me.  Well that is until we have a storm.

So yesterday we're in the car, heading over to Lowe's and Annabelle's asking where the snow is.  She is so beyond excited about Christmas this year.  It's all she can talk about.  And if there's no snow, then there can't be Christmas, right?  So we asked where she thought the snow was and this was her answer.

The clouds are holding onto the snow until Christmas.  Then it will be a extra special for us. 

I love this answer. :)

Thankful

With Thanksgiving upon us once again, I realize how much I have to be thankful for.  There are many days where I can't see the good, when my blinders are on, and the blackness looms large.  But I also have days when everything seems so sunshine-y bright that I need sunglasses.  I work hard to have more good days than bad.

I have so much to be thankful for that I thought I would just list them all.

1. My husband.  He loves me unconditionally.  He is my very best friend and even on the days when he drives me absolutely insane, I still love him like crazy.
2. Annabelle.  She is my heart, beating outside of my body.  I love her with a love that is so fierce that it hurts sometimes.  I had always known that I wanted to be a mom but never knew it would be like this.  It is the hardest but most rewarding job I will ever have.  I wouldn't trade it for the world.
3. Being a stay-at-home mom.  I have friends who think that term is a four letter word.  They act all insulted when people call them that.  I, on the other hand, see how lucky I am to be one.  I am proud to be able to stay home and care for my family.  Are there days when it is hard?  Heck yeah!  But I am so thankful that Mark works hard at his job so that I can be the person who takes care of everything else.
4. My family.  My parents are two of the most loving and wonderful people out there.  On the outside, I don't think anyone can see it, but I know that they raised both me and my sister with all the love, patience, and grace that they could muster.  They will always be there to catch me if I stumble and without complaint.  They are both so enamored with Annabelle.  They are super grandparents.
5. My in-laws.  They raised a sweet, generous, strong man who became my husband.  I could thank them every day for teaching Mark how to be a good man because not every parent out there does that.  I know without a doubt that they love and care for me, Mark and obviously Annabelle. 
6. My home.  When we bought our home almost nine years ago, we spent more than many of our friends did on their first homes.  We wanted our forever house, not a starter one.  It's not huge or super updated with the best things but it's all ours.  I will never regret our decision to buy our home, here in this neighborhood, with this school system.  There are many houses much bigger than our 1700 square feet but I don't need one that's bigger.  Ours fits us just right.
7. My friends.  I hear from people all the time how lucky I am to have such a strong group of women to call my friends.  We are all different but when we are together we are something special.
8. All the little things.  Big fluffy Christmas snow, singing loudly to songs on the radio, reading great books by great authors, doing crafts with Annabelle, FB to keep me connected to people far and wide, blogging for letting me get myself out of my own head most days, comfy fleece pants and hot chocolate when I'm chilly.  The list could go on and on.

I hope that you all have a few moments on Thanksgiving to remember all the good and wonderful pieces of your lives.  And a nice full tummy after your dinner. :)

Don't Be A Scrooge!

courtesy of:

We have two radio stations that play non-stop, 24 hours a day Christmas music every year here in Buffalo.  They usually start the week of Thanksgiving and it runs until Christmas day.  Except this year, they started playing music last week Tuesday, almost two weeks earlier than the norm.

You would think that they were clubbing baby seals on air the way people are reacting!  All over FB and on talk radio and on the news, in the stores and while I'm out with friends and everywhere, people are complaining.  But complaining seems like to mild of a word to me, they are just being nasty and rude about it. 

Now I can perfectly understand feeling like stores and retailers are out there, shoving Christmas down your throats.  They want to make money. Christmas isn't supposed to be about the money and the presents and all that jazz, but for many people, it is.  If Target can get you to think about buying a fake Christmas tree and ornamaents in October instead of waiting until December, why wouldn't they?  Obviuosly, there are people, out there buying them, or they wouldn't waste their time.

But... I love Christmas.  I love how it makes me feel.  I smile more.  I sing out loud to the carols playing at the stores.  I love buying gifts for my family and friends, knowing that I will be bringing a smile to their faces.  All of the chaos and craziness that I associate with Christmas is worth it for the way it makes me feel.  Happy. 

So could we all just take a chill pill right now?  Don't whine about the stuff that annoys you.  Please, please, please remember the good stuff.  Otherwise, you look like a Scrooge and nobody wants that.

Yum!

This is what I'll be having for lunch today because it's supposed to snow.  Technically, I won't see any of the snow because it will be in the southtowns but it's still cold!  Homemade chicken noodle soup and grilled cheese on freshly baked bread.  As Mr. Food would say, "Ooooh, it's so good!"