Christmas Party

No place like the ward Christmas party to torture children. We were waiting for the big moment and the appearance of Santa. Ryan was pretty excited and did not mind looking at him from far away, but up close she was not too keen on the idea. Jake and Gavin were scared as well, so we kept chanting "candy! candy! candy!" because Santa was gonna give us candy if we sat on his lap. Ryan and Jake eventually warmed up to it, but it took some coaxing. Kate on the other hand hated the whole thing and may be traumatized for the rest of her life. Can't wait to get a chance to watch your kids again Laura! (sorry)

(I just noticed that Santa is getting a little fresh in one of the pictures. I'll let you try to figure out which one.)

Merry Christmas!!!!!

Callaway Gardens

Before Thanksgiving we decided to head down to Callaway Gardens after church one Sunday, for a picnic. They had the Christmas lights up and we did not have to pay extra if we went in before it got dark. The ever cheap (I mean frugal) parents that we are, Kelly and I drove the girls around the lake in the dimming sunlight. We stopped along the way and had a picnic behind the van. We are not super lazy, it was just very convenient not to go hiking around to find a spot to eat. We all had a blast, and the girls and I watched Christmas movies in the backseat as Kelly drove us home.

Delivering Cookies

We were off. The seven plates of cookies were loaded up in the golf cart, and we set out to make the once a year visit to most of our neighbors. It was eight o'clock so we went to the houses with kids first. Not wanting to wake anyone up I made the girls knock. With Jannica staring in the glass on the front door and knocking, the people's dog started barking like crazy. The neighbor did not answer the door, so we left the cookies on the porch. (We found out later that she didn't answer because she was trying to get her baby to sleep. Thank you Kartchners!) At the next house we let Ryan carry the plate of cookies, which she dropped. I employed the 10 second rule and placed them as prettily back on the plate as I could. If you read the last entry you will know why. The third house we had Jac carry the cookies to the door and then let Ryan hold them until the people answered. Well, in her effort to stand still, Ryan couldn't help but trip over the doormat and drop the stinking cookies. Again, I quickly scooped up the cookies, hoped I got them all, and was ready with the plate when the people answered the door. The next stop had a skeleton covered in lights and a Santa cap on sitting on their porch, and the next house had a giant dog that was bigger than Ryan and freaked her out.
At the last house, Ryan was the first one up the steps. The people have a beautiful glass door and you can see right into their house. Ryan looked like she was going to ring the doorbell, but then veered toward the center of the door. Kelly and I thought she was going to knock but apparently, she was going to walk right in. The kid never slowed down and ran right into the glass door. She bounced back fell on the floor and spent the rest of the time trying to figure out what happened, whispering to herself "that door not open," and "we can't go in". We, of course, complimented the neighbor on his exceptionally clean glass.
All in all another year of taking cookies proves to be worth all of the trouble. Kelly put the kids to bed and I am going to bed a happy girl.

Frustrated venting

Read with caution, or just skip this part and move to the next entry.
Jannica has been sick with her annual asthma/nasty cold. I would make any mother proud the way I dutifully commanded "go blow your nose, you wouldn't cough so much if you blew your nose." And..."I notice that your cough is bad now that you have to go to bed, but earlier when you were running around like a banshee you were not having any problems" and lastly "This medicine will make you feel lots better, now go to bed." All the while I was listening to her lungs and waiting for the wheezing to start. The wheezing did start, and we have had a long couple of nights doing breathing treatments, humidifier tents and triaminic (not effective and I always think that, but then I still use it. Pipe dream I guess.) Anyway, I decided to take her to the doctor today where we waited an hour, did another breathing treatment, and Jac got some Orapred that I should have just insisted we wait to get a prescription and take at home because of the outrageous cost of getting medicine at the doctor's office. Then we had to get lunch, drop off the prescriptions (3), get a book for the party at school, go to school and get homework and come home and get started finding out why there is a horrid smell coming from the laundry room. (the cause was found and will not be shared as I am too disgusted/embarrassed to share.) Then we had to go back to the store and get the stupid prescriptions that I forgot to pick up. (grrrr). By the time we got home I sent the kids outside to play while I stared at the computer screen for a while. I don't even remember what I looked at. After all of this I went over to the Ponzio's/Curlee's and chatted (yes, I had a million things to do, but I really just felt like crying so I went to be cheered up.)
I came home momentarily boosted and let the girls help me make cookies for the neighbors,
Jac's teachers and Jac's school party (like 15 thousand and the first 3 batches didn't work). Kelly came home about then and distracted the kids so I had like 10 minutes of peace, followed by, "hon, what is for dinner, when can we take the cookies, can I take them now while you finish baking the rest, I am going to check the TV schedule, can I take the cookies now, I am going to the bathroom, can I take the cookies now?" all of this was from Kelly and after about an hour I nearly killed the man! I was screaming at him, he couldn't figure out why I was so upset and the girls had looks on their faces like "Dad, this is the time to just shut up and wait" The little angels are brilliant, and totally know how to read me. (experience I guess)
Merry Christmas right?
Read the next blog for the happy ending to this story.

Merry Christmas!!!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Makeup

Ryan loves makeup. She is addicted to the stuff. If I am ever getting ready for work or something, she insists on joining me and doing her "makeup". She will usually put on eyeshadow and blush, but the other day I saw some lipstick for 19 cents and so I bought it, thinking, "cute". Not so cute now. The kid loves to put it on - all of the time! I left her in my bathroom sitting on the pot reading stories, because that is what she wanted to do, "like daddy." I left to work on the computer, lost track of time and looked up to find this standing in front of me. Super cute, I know.

Doesn't she look so repentant, don't be fooled. She looked for the slightest hint of a smile on my face and then that was it, she was giggling and thinking she was so clever!

I have a picture of Jac that is quite similar, I wonder if it is an age thing or a genetic thing? Hmmm?

My Wife: I was jealous and I wanted to do this too

What's your wife's name? Jaimee

How long have you been married? Seems like 30 years

How long did you date? 15 months

Who said I love you first? I did

Who asked who out first? I did

Who kissed who first? She did and she kept coming back for more

How old is she? 22

Who eats the sweets? That would be her, but I eat them when she's not looking (Don't tell her)

Who sings the best? Me (no other comments will be given at this time about her singing)

Who's smartest? She is (Don't let her know that I said that because it would go to her head)

Who cooks dinner and does laundry? I cooked dinner the other day.  (Mac n Cheese is more complicated than I thought)

Who mows the lawn? I do (I enjoy the excuse to leave the house for a little me time)

Who pays the bills? I do

Who drives? Let me put it this way, The dents in the back of the van from three different mailboxes were not made while I was driving

Who wears the pants? I have to agree with Jaimee and say Ryan

Our favorite couple thing to do? Fly in first class without the kids, even though we may not say a single word to each other

Her favorite pastimes? Travel, organizing, and bargaining

What I love most about her? She cares about other people.  She enjoys finding opportunities to help those around her.