quotables from the kiddos

Chase: Is Zoe Sad? Why does she have a frown?
Mom: She's a bulldog, so she just looks like that all the time.
Chase: Sometimes I get sad when I poop in the floor.

Chase: The yellow is smashing.
Mom:You mean the yellow light is flashing (at an intersection)? (realizing we thought it was cute Chase says smashlight instead of flashlight... now Chase has graduated to the gerund form of smashlight)

Chase: Yes that would be wonderful, mommy! (referring to chocolate milk)

Chase: Can we listen to huh-rise huh-rise please? (the "Arise, my soul, arise" song is his favorite car song)
Sophie: (copying Chase) "her-riiiise" "her-iiiiiise!"

Sophie: No! No! we-we! (telling Zoe she can't come through the gate as she sticks out her leg just as mommy does to block Zoe.)

Chase: Do you want to take a bath Sophie?
Sophie: Uh-uh (shaking her head)
Chase: I think she wants to stay stinky, mama.

Mom: Sophie. Look! Who is this ornament?
Sophie: We-we (referring to Zoe). Buh! (followed by 5 min of laughter. Apparently hanging a fat bulldog ornament on a Christmas tree is funny to a one year old.)

Mom: Do you know what these are for? (referring to Christmas stockings hanging over the fireplace)
Chase: For your shoes. (pretty clever kid. only there are 4 right feet.)

Love, love, love Christmas traditions

I love traditions more than I love the actual "stuff" of Christmas. In fact, sometimes the pure materialism of it all can be quite overwhelming and frustrating. Why are we celebrating CHRISTmas again? My mind doesn't need much to get distracted from why we celebrate Christmas. I think our human nature clings to what we know won't last, but in our hearts we know that the most meaningful gifts are those which you can't purchase. Thought. Time. Energy. Creativity. Giving of ourselves. Spiritual Encouragement. I think the simpler the better, so we can focus on what really matters. Thus far Brian and I have created some fun family traditions:

- Each year we buy a book to add to our collection (which we read to the kids in the days prior to Christmas). We always read one on Christmas day before the gift-opening begins. In years past, we've bought: The Tale of Three Trees (I cry every time as does someone else I know... wink. wink.), Dickens' A Christmas Carol, Lucado's You Are Special, Henry's The Gift of the Magi, and The Night Before Christmas. Any suggestions for this year?

- Each year Brian & I choose a Christmas CD. In years past, we bought: Andrew Peterson's "Behold the Lamb of God", Sufjan Steven's 5 CD Collection (prob our fave!), "Christmas with the Rat Pack", "Your King Has Come," and don't forget "The Jackson 5 Christmas album"! No clue what we'll choose this year. Maybe an Appalachian instrumental CD with the hammered duclimer. Wish there was a compilation of folksy eclectic artists with a Christmas CD. Regina Spektor or Ingrid Michaelson? If we can't be hipsters we might go for Muppets. I'm just saying....

-Each year we usually go to one Christmas event as a date: Scrooge, a local Christmas Pageant, a Christmas concert like Behold the Lamb of God, or our church's Christmas dinner. I think this year we may take the kids to a live nativity and let Sophie practice her sheep sounds.

- For two years, I've helped organize a cookie decorating party for the kiddos and done a cookie swap for the mamas! We'll see if I have enough energy this year.... No promises. :)

- For gifts, I usually make a smorgasbord of delectable treats including chocolate toffee grahams, peppermint bark, mocha fudge, cream cheese brownies, iced sugar cookies, preacher cookies, dipped pretzels, etc. I try to make tins for all of my family. Last year I even made some Kahlua cookies- my own creation!

- For cards, have ordered them from shutterfly (totally redeemed all of my PAMPERS rewards!) and they are on the way.... yep I dressed us in Christmas colors at Thanksgiving with that in mind.... though the photo doesn't do justice to Sophie's adorableness. I look foward to collecting Christmas cards from everyone and putting them on the back of my front door. I usually quiz Chase on who everyone is. I'm sure Sophie will rip them off and give them to me (READ: WARNING-send us your Christmas card early so that you don't get stuck at the bottom of my door where your card might be eaten/torn/crumpled by my one-year-old!!)

-I also hope to continue with my annual blurbbook where I capture the years best photos of my kids and make them into a photo book. (Check out blurb.com) Hoping Santa gets me a new camera this year so the quality of my photos won't be so bad! (READ: Brian, are you listening?)

-And my most recent tradition which is kid-friendly.... completed in the Nick of time (yep pun intended- get it? Saint Nick?) ..........Drumroll please.......

An Advent Calendar! Woohoo! I did it! I finally made the Christmas Countdown calendar I had been wanting to make for like 2 years. I saw the idea on a blog: http://tatertotsandjello.com/2009/11/cookie-sheet-advent-calendar.html and it looked to overwhelming and the perfectionistic part of me was like "there's no way I could produce something that I like because I don't even own that kind of crafty stuff." Well... shout out to my dear friend Liz V!!! Thanks for leaving me a ton of cool crafty paper! All in all, I think I only bought the Christmas-themed scrapbook paper (for the backdrop), two sheets of sequenced stickers (like the snowflake and present and stocking), one roll of green ribbon for the bow ($1 at dollarstore) and one cookie sheet (also $1 at the dollarstore). In fact don't get the expensive kind of cookie sheet b/c the non-stick kind won't allow magnets to stick.

It's hard to see from the photo, but each day is a magnet (25 in all since it's a countdown to Christmas day) and on Christmas there's a nativity ornament to remind us what it's all about.

So that's what's in store this year. Haven't tackled the tree yet or much decor... I think I'm in disbelief that tomorrow is December!

in need of a feel-good "awww" kinda moment?

I'm not sure what is funnier:
a) that B sent this to me b/c of my owl-obsession
b) that I have the same expression when hubby rubs my forehead after a long day!
c) or that I asked B if we could get an owl for a pet after watching the video at least 3 times in a row.

Halloween pretzel pops

Not big on Halloween, but any excuse to make something involving chocolate in the kitchen... now THAT'S another story.

My little helpers with their aprons on

Halloween Pretzel pops

• put large marshmallows on end of a pretzel rod
• dip in melted chocolate
• dip in sprinkles or whatever topping you wish

My Taste-testers


Sign of approval

Chase funnies

Chase: "Where's the cat?" (neighbor's cat)
Me: "I don't know."
Chase: "I think he went to get food. At the store. Yeah he went to Krogers."

Chase to Sophie: "You're beautiful Soap-ee. You are a gerber daisy!"

Chase to me: "Hey mama. I just love you so much sometimes."

Chase: "I want a BIG marshmallow. Can Sophie have a treat? She gets a little marshmallow because she's a little girl."

Chase: "Daddy I need to hold you." (meaning he wants to be picked up by daddy)

Me: "Sophie do you want your sleep sack on over your pjs?"
Sophie: "uhum" (Exaggerated nod)
Chase: "Can I get the camera? I want to take a picture of the penguin!" (referring to Sophie with her sleep sack on)

Chase (post-bath): "Look mama! We are 2 nakies!"

Me: "Chase, do you know what those are called?" (pointing to Sophie's tights)
Chase: "Those are her chunkies!" (which is what we affectionately term babylegs in our household)

First REAL big boy haircut

Chase got his first REAL haircut when I decided that chasing him around the tub while he screamed and was left with a less-than-professional haircut wasn't "cutting" it; plus mommy had a TON of hair to cleanup. This was worth every $!

Before:

During:

He looks terrified but he's actually just being silly.

After (with his treat):

So handsome! Looks like a little man!