Dave's (and Audrey's) School Break

Two weeks. Two fabulous weeks. Two weeks filled with staying up really late and taking turns sleeping in, watching season five of Lost (can't wait for Feb 2!), lots of movies, lots of relaxing cuddle time, spending time with friends, getting a babysitter to go Christmas shopping together, drive through for dinner (it was my break too), and lots of quality time together that made me fall in love with my husband all over again. For the 2,232,5928th time.

We did have a list of things to accomplish.

1) Turn guest bedroom into toy room (sorry guests, you will now be sleeping next to the toys, but it makes the kids happy) and play for hours with Joshua in the princess tent. Check. Yes, that is Dave's foot coming out. Dave was Joshua's favorite guest. And yes, that is an outta control jumbo sized Audrey on our wall. The people from Pottery Barn Kids were so nice to give her poster to us. Hope it doesn't scare our guests when they roll over in the middle of the night and see a daring, ginormous bumble bee.

2. Go on bike rides. Check.

 

3. Take Dave to the Arboretum. Check.

They had over 500 different nativities from all over the world set up. I loved this one.

4. Go to the zoo. Check.

Audrey did not like the noises that were played in the "cave section"...bats and rattle snakes.

5. Get a little teary on that dreaded Monday morning when I woke up at 7 am and Dave was long gone back to school. Check.

New Years Eve

***I feel loved. Thank you for leaving your comment. It was fun to live in the past for a minute when people I knew from when I was a little girl, high school and college left a comment and it was fun to meet new people and new blogging friends. Thanks for reading!***

New Years Eve Day, 2009:
Went to the Temple.
Went to lunch at an Italian place with the kids.
Stuffed our faces with lots of yummy, rich, high fat content kinda food. Starting 2010 we are going to (try to) eat more healthy. Blah.

That night we went to Chris and Megan's who were so nice to host a really fun New Years Eve party. At 9:00 we did a practice run with the kids. I asked them, "What comes after 2009?" To which Audrey responded, "Easter!" Close.

All these lovely kids were so good to lay here and watch a movie while the adults played an intense game of Mafia (I do not have very good poker face!). Not one of them fell asleep, but who cares!? They had a great time and so did the mommies and daddies.

Happy New Year! May 2010 be a year full of love, laughs, new adventures and more debt!

Just Curious

It was delurking day last week, and I am very curious who reads this little blog of ours.  My SiteMeter lists places where I don't know anybody, but I would love to know who found our blog through somebody else, or just through blog hopping. If you read, please leave a comment, even if I know you. Be brave! I am guilty of reading lots of blogs of people I don't necessarily know. Happy delurking!
Thanks Jocelyn for the idea. 

Christmas Morning

Everything about the day was absolutely perfect.

The first glance.

Her princess snowglobe from Santa. "This is exactly what I wanted!"

Audrey's gift to me, a darling book called "Along Came You". The Mom in the book has brown hair, and the daughter has blonde. "Just like us," said Audrey. Dave helped her write notes and draw pictures for me in the front of the book. Audrey drew a picture of me and then said, "Whoops. Mom looks like a witch." Ha!

The kids were spoiled by our families this year (well, every year).

This picture makes me realize how quickly Audrey is growing up. When I was teaching, student teaching, and helping in classrooms when I was in college, I always loved helping the kids make Christmas gifts for their parents. I can't believe I am now getting a gift my child made me at school.

Our very dramatic response to her lovely Christmas tree ornament she made. We should be actors.

We opened our gifts from Santa, then had a big yummy breakfast. Again, I need to write down the menu. Sausage, monkey bread, fruit soup (a new delicious recipe), scrambled eggs and juice. After breakfast we opened a few presents, played for hours, took snoozes, and then went to see Alvin and the Chimpmunks, the Squeakquel with Colby & Mandy (and kids), Chris & Megan (and kids) and Clay & Amy (and kids). (Which, by the way, I felt like we had come full circle. I took Audrey to see the first Alvin and the Chipmunks when I was pregnant with Joshua 2 years ago over Christmas break. Dave had to study a ton for his boards so we could get into specialty school. Well, here we are.) We came home and had junk food for dinner, and went to bed with presents still under our tree. We opened presents for four days. Monday night the kids opened their last gift. It was a great four day Christmas.

Christmas Eve

This was our first Christmas away from our families.
I am very glad I have these people to be my new Texas family.
It was a great night of delicious food, fun people, sweet kids, darling "Marys" and "Josephs" and I had my very own first white Christmas. I never thought it would be when I was living deep in the heart of Texas.

The girls getting ready for the Christmas play.

My very own Mary and Joseph.

Megan had a great program put together that included singing songs, the Christmas story, and of course all our little actresses. They took their roles very seriously.

Our handsome little wise men riding in on their very own camel.

Job well done ladies.

I need to write down our menu so I will remember it for next year. I have the worst memory and how can something become a tradition if it is not the same every year.
Ham, mustard sauce, jello salad with two hidden almonds (who ever finds the almonds gets a surprise. Chris and Megan found them...cheaters.), green salad, green beans, homemade rolls, homemade eggnog, and for dessert, french silk pie. Yummmmm.

After a fun night it was time to go home, write Santa a note, put out a carrot for Rudolph, and candy cane joejoes (brought all the way from Trader Joe's in California...I miss that place) for Santa and hurry to bed. Audrey was so excited and it made me feel like a kid again as well. Dave and I stayed up late putting together toys and being Santa's helpers. It made me feel like an official parent. For the first time, we was on our own. It was up to Dave and me to make this night something to remember. Thanks to the help of our great friends and some Christmas snow, I think we were successful.

My All Time Favorite Santa

We saw lots of Santas this year, but this Santa was my all time favorite. He sat and read the kids a book and then asked if anyone had any questions. Audrey asked him a question and he answered and then said, "Who is this girl's mom?" I raised my hand and he said to me, "Has anyone ever told you she looks like a mini Reese Witherspoon?" Ha! But that is not why he is my favorite. This is:
One of the kids asked him if he was magic, and he responded, "No. I am not magic. I am very good at what I do, but I am not magic. The only person who can work real magic is Jesus Christ. He is why we celebrate this season and He is the only one who can really change your life."
And then, as if it couldn't get better, he said to everyone, "I want to talk about Mrs. Clause for a minute. She does so much and hardly gets any recognition. I could not do what I do without her. She is like all your moms in a way, doing so much and hardly getting recognized. I want each of you to tell your moms how much you love them."

Audrey asked Santa what he wanted for Christmas, and he said, "I want you to tell your mom everyday how much you love her." I am obsessed with this Santa.

Saw this in the bathroom and only had one thought: brillant. Why didn't someone think of this sooner?

San Francisco Visits

While we were in California for Thanksgiving, I managed to make it back to San Francisco three times.
The first time, Dave and I met up with our dear friends, Rocia and Emerson (and angel baby, Baine). We met at Mama's and of course had the Monte Cristo. Divine. Then we went and saw New Moon, visited with friends who still live there (and got to meet baby Jude and baby Iris), and then went to dinner at Umami. It was a fun day, and it was so fun to see this cute family again. It felt like we never left (especially when we were driving around looking for a parking space!).

The second time was on Thanksgiving when we were able to bike all around the beautiful city by the bay. The third time, sweet Rocia came to pick me up and we went and had a sleepover with Kathy. It was also Enrichment night, and all star Addi had planned the coolest activity ever-she rented a trolley car and we got to go caroling around San Francisco. It was so fun to see so many familiar faces.

Addi, Juli, and me

We had a sleepover with Kathy and it was a riot. We stayed up late eating yummy food, listening to hilarious stories and spending time with good 'ol Roger and Kathy.

In the wee hours of the morning.

We had to leave early the next morning so I could make my flight back to Texas, and we discovered Rocia had a flat tire! I quickly did what I knew how to do (called AAA), and Rocia proceeded to quickly nurse Baine, and then she went out and changed that tire before AAA could even get there. This girl...jack of all trades, master of ALL.

I now know how to change a tire. My Dad taught me in high school, but of course I forgot. This is very valuable information.

San Francisco, thank you for giving me so many wonderful friends.