Gingerbread Cookies

4th Annual Gingerbread House

Every year, since my son was 18 mths old we have made a Gingerbread house together. It's fun and we all look forward to it. We used a different brand this year and it just wouldn't stay together. We finally gave up and threw it away. We will look for our usual brand next year!!!

The Tea Party

Sadie & Molly

They love eachother. Molly wants to be like Sadie and Sadie treats Molly like a puppy. They play together all the time and Molly follows Sadie around. They can be seen sleeping together, too. Sadie "herds" Molly. Molly tries to chase the cat or bark at him...and Sadie steps b/t the cat and Molly and then uses her giant nose to steer Molly away from the cat. It is very sweet. I think Molly is good for Sadie.

Date night...shopping

Sunday, the 21st, Daddy took sweet flower shopping. They first played candyland, then they ate at Taco Bell (one of her favorite places) and then they went to Costco and Target. She had a lot of funny with her daddy. daddy learned a lesson. Never take a 4 yr old Christmas shopping if presents are supposed to be a secret ;-). She was SOOO excited about what she chose for me, that she came home and fixed up an envelope of doll clothes and accesories to give me for "my baby" she bought me. All week she kept telling me that I get to open my baby doll! So sweet. She also chose a cool Mega blocks castle for my sunshine. He LOVES it, although it will likely take us a year to build it. It was for 9-14 yrs of age.

While daddy was on his date. My sweet boy went to build an airplane with DeeDee while I went with my mom to find what she was getting for him. On the way home we stopped to choose a present for my sweet girl from him. He chose a jungle animals playset. They love to play with little animals...so it was a great choice!

Preschool Christmas Show

This was from Thursday the 18th...their preschool Christmas show. It was so sweet. I'm going to try to upload the performance...but I've never had luck doing it.

The trains at Northpark

My brother and his family came down from Nashville to visit the week of the 15th. The last day they were here we went to Northpark to see the trains. In the pictures, my 4 almost 5 yr old niece Cora, my 10 yr old nephew Ethan and my 11 yr old niece Zoe....who will soon be 6 ft tall :-).

Molly

I want a baby. I do, I have this strong feeling of wanting another baby. Well, it is no secret that the husband is against this idea. We do not have any maternity insurance, b/c we are self insured b/c his business is so small it is cheaper. We spent 5k each with maternity insurance to have each of our babies so far...so without insuance it would cost a ridiculous amount. I get it, I really do. I can't ehlp my feelings. So last Friday a lady at ballet had her little 2 mth old. I sent a text messgae to my hsuband's e-mail saying "I want a baby." His reply? "Get a doll." So Saturday comes around...aww yes. I got my doll. She breathes and eats and snuggles and thinks I'm her mommy. They even make little panties just her size...and her hair is long so she will be able to wear bows. Yes, I am crazy. We are hoping she will be a replacement for the need for a baby...and she is great entertainmet for our lab. She weighs an entire 1.4 lbs compared to Sadies 90 lbs. She is precious and already doing well potty training. Surprisingly my children are very gentle and maternal. They realize they can't play rough with her like they do Sadie. My kitty? He's a little mad, but he's let his guard down long enough to come and snuggle briefly. another week and he'll be all over me all the time again. He is a stubborn kitty.

My Girl

My sweet girl. She has an amazing sweetness about her...but not the kind that would make her a saint and seem really boring. She has quite the mischievous personality. She is in to hiding lately...use to when she would hide you could find her b/c of all the giggling. Now, when she hides she hides really well and doesn't make a sound. She won't come out when you call her frantically, either. Her little expressions and sweet little voice...you can't help but smile when she talks. She says things so matter of fact. She loves her big brother and smothers him with love. She has an amazing ability to look at something and know how many are there without counting. She's been able to do that since she could speak. Her math mind has no end...it just seems to make sense to her. She can add and retain numbers and answer math questions like it's no big deal. She is very maternal too. My Christmas present needs tons of Love and attention...and she just wraps it up gently and totes it around. She tells me that when I am old she will come to my house and brush my hair. Of course when she gets mad at me she tells me she's not going to do that anymore! She is a comic and lives to make my son laugh. She loves to make silly faces swing. She loves fruit and really isn't much of a sweets eater. She likes her share of candy and things...but typically won't finish it. I forot to add her dramatic side. The first time she threw a fit she wasn't even a year...and she was laying in the floor sobbing. I couldn't figure out what was wrong with her. I tried to pick her up and she was completely limp...I soon figured out she was having a tantrum! She screamed the 1st 3 mths of her life...just ask my friend Kelley. She was amazed I didn't lose my mind! Still, my sweet little angelc child who won;t utter a word outside of our home is a drama queen. When we get after her she cries as loud as she can like the world has ended. Some of this is my fault. She never really needed discipline...and so often I would answer her in vague terms, b/ she didn't rationalize the way my son always has. Now, I am paying for it. She is more sophisticated in her ways and so now I am havng to answer "no" more and I am having to deal with the fall out. Really she is sweet...she just knows that crying usally gets her hugs...and yes daddy is guilty of this, too. He would never brush her hair or anything, b/c it made her cry. She is a daddy's girl, although she has recently developed a HUGE attachment to mommy (finally). My sweet girl there is no end to the possibilities of what she may become...a doctor? A mother? A mathematician? I just don't know, but I know with her independent spirit, smart intellect, funny personality and kind heart she can be anything she wants to be!

My Boy

My son says he is going to be president one day and live in the White House. I honestly don't doubt it...he is an amazing child, very unusual (in a good way). He also says he's going to win a gold middle for swimming. He bought presents for orphans at church last week...and he was anxious to do it. He tells me all the time that he would rather give me a present than get one for himself. He gets tears in his eyes anytime there is a sad part in a movie or book...like a child not having parents or someone getting hurt...or not having enough to eat. He has a compassionate heart full of love already. He is a perfectionist and it shows. He is a rules follower, but not lacking in personality. He is mischevious and fun. He hangs on me ALL the time. He says he can't wait to be a teenager, b/c then he'll be big enough to start building his house right next door to me. I would like nothing better than to keep him forever! I realize when I want another baby...I want him again. We had such a blast that year before my sweet girl was born. My mom jokes that he was on my hip everytime I answered the door....he was. I vacuumed with him, I slept with him, I walked with him...He has always been attached to me and me to him. We were having full conversations by the time he was 18 mths old. He is a child God has placed here for some reason...All children have a special purpose, but he is unusual. I just want to hold on a little longer....don't grow up too quickly baby boy.

A Visit to Santa

He loves babies and babies love him. I just don't get why he cut me off at 2.

My too smart for his own good son said, "Those aren't really Santa's reindeer. You can't just go pulling Santa's reindeer out of the North Pole."

Every year we see the same Santa. We have a picture with him every year since Sunshine was born...and I LOVE that. Well, that Santa had moved to a new mall....and we HAD to check it out. Our friend's met us out there and the children had fun running and playing. We ended the evening by eating at a sport's grill where we saw Santa again! This Santa gave the children little treats...a matchbox car for the boys, a duckie for the baby, a purse and 2 books for my princess. SO sweet!

My sunshine and flower went to a Christmas Party at their preschool Saturday morning and mommy and daddy had a little date! We dropped them off at 9 am, early for a Saturday in this house. We headed to Corner Bakery for breakfast! I LOVED the oatmeal. It was YUMMY! I am anxious to return one morning. My brother and his family were in town, so we met them at a flea market...which may ahve been a huge mistake. My husband bought my Christmas present there...a picture will be up soon. At noon we picked up my sweet children from their party and headed home.

Christmas Survey I received via e-mail fom my old neighbor/friend Dawnelle

1. Real tree or Artificial? Fake...we're all allergic to real ones and fireplaces...even if it is not currently lit...if it's been lit recently I get an asthma attack...that stinks

2. When do you put up the tree? Thanksgiving...usually that Friday after

3. When do you take the tree down? New Yearsish...when I can bat my eyes and ask sweetly for my husband to...before he heads out of town again

4. Favorite gift received as a child? I don't know...probably a doll or something..I usually just wanted to play with my youngest older brother

5. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail...although they will likely be late, again. I am not hapy with the 1 photo we took.

6. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I am not at liberty to disclose that information in this e-mail;however it would involve a men's size small shirt (twice)...which was ugly and NOOOO way it would ever fit....and they had torn the tags off of one so it couldn't even be returned . Yes I should be greatful...I'm sorry :-(

7. Favorite Christmas Movie? IDK...We usually go see a movie at night on Christmas. It's fun

8. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Decemberish

9. Have you ever recycled/regifted a Christmas present? Nope...

10. Favorite Christmas song? Breath of Heaven & I am taking an extreme liking to my children's rendition of "No Room" (I don't actually know the title, that is what they call it)

11. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas Eve...Santa comes on Christmas morning

12. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Crowds

13. Favorite food for Christmas? My mother's cooking, cheese balls and spice tea, too.

14. What do you want for Christmas this year? eh...IDK. I do need a Nike chip for my running shoes. I'd also like to be able to run again soon (sick and asthma have kept me down for over a week :-( ). To slow time so I can enjoy my children longer...minus the whining ;-)

The Nativity Scene

My sweet little children set up our nativity scene. They look forward to it every year. This year they did it all...they put Jesus in the center and everyone gathered around Jesus. It's not esthetically pleasing, but it is precious. The Scene changes daily; however Jesus is always at the center. This morning I noticed something different....Jesus was wrapped in toilet tissue. I just love how sweet and Innocent their little hearts are. I will take a picture soon and post it!

Another Random Post

Our Christmas Pic we took a block from our house. It use to be a horse farm. Up until just a couple of weeks ago you could walk out there and feed the horses carrots (we never did...my neighbor did). We did walk out and see the horses, though. It will soon be yet another neighborhood and a shopping center containing a 'Super Kroger." Whatever that is. When we first moved out here the road by our house was 2 lanes. The speed limit was 60 and it felt like we lived far away from society. Now, we can hear tons of road noise (outside not when we're inside thankfully). The positive is we will soon be able to walk to get milk. We were very disappointed when we saw the farm sold. We thought we should have sold our house before that happened. I figure there will be plenty of people who want to be near shopping...and we have a large backyard which is hard to find around here...All is good.

I have made a decision. We are going to have to change our carpet. We will have to put in hardwoods or something. Why I saw hardwoods, is b/c we already have it in the first part of our house. It would look funny to sap down some laminate right next to that. With all 4 of us having asthma, we will have to make changes. I am also going to get back on the health nut kick. I need to do some research about diet. If we can cut out some of the asthma triggers it would be very helpful. We already buy as much organic as possible. We buy milk without hormones. I am vegetarian and so most of the time my family also eats vegetarian. frequently. I do try to make a point to put some meat in front of them sometimes...they do like it.

I am probably going to stop running for a bit, just until I can get the asthma under control. Without a rescue inhaler that works I am "hosed" to quote the doctor. My son still wants to be a swimmer and that will be good for his asthma symptoms. I am also going to ask their peditrician to switch them from Zyrtec to Singulair. Singulair can be an allergy medicine as well as a preventative medicine for asthma. I am encouraging my husband to do the same.

We haven't been diligent about taking our asthma medicine b/c it is insanely expensive. Last week I spent $147 on rescue inhalers for us. Advair, which my husband I are both supposed to take is $175 (times that by 2 every month). Singulair is expensive as well. The crazy thing is we spend $900 a month on insurance premiums and STILL have to pay that much per month just on prescriptions to keep us alive. I am thankful that we have the choice to go to the doctor when we need to go. I am thankful we can choose out doctors and insurance. I just wish medicines would be a little more reasonable priced. I DO NOT want universal healthcare. That would be a nightmare.

Anyway, I didn't mean this to turn into some random post about Asthma and medicine...That is what is on my mind these days. I am going to take action to try to prevent my children from having the same degree of symptoms I am experiencing now.

Frustration!!!!!!

So I am frustrated. I CAN NOT breathe!!!! I am taking Prednisone, Singulair and Advair. I am inhaling the c-r-a-p-py Pro Air inhaler and it is doing no good. Apparently alot of asthmatics are finding that Pro Air and the other CFC free inhalers do not work. My husband's asthma has also deteriorated since we had to switch. So they are killing people to save the Ozone...great. CFC's in inhalers can not be the main problem...I would assume the problem would be more likely cars....so get energy efficient cars and put the inhalers that work back on the market. I bet if the air were cleaned up then alot of people coudl breathe easier.

I am sitting up in bed right now. I have been unable to breathe now for about 7 hrs. I get a good breathe about every 5-10 min. I have kicked the dog out. I am determined to tear up all our carpet and get hardwood floors atleast in my room and family room..and eventually the rest of the house. I am considering heading to my mom's tomorrow. maybe I could breathe easier there. I don't know. I do know I am fed up. I am fed up with the weight I gained since I was sick 2 yrs ago and fed up that without being able to breathe I will be ale to do nothing about it. The prednisone will only increase the weight.

Yes I am in a bad mood. Being unable to breathe is miserable.

I feel REALLY c-r-a-p-p-y. Sorry...there is just no other way to describe it. I didn't realize how sick I was until I went to the doctor. Fortunately she told me and hooked me up. I am running a 100.2 fever WITH advil. I ache all over, my chest hurts, my back hurts, I am exhausted and FREEZING. Fortunately I have Singulair, antibiotics, Advair, prednisone, and it seems like something else. I lose track. I just take it. I am so glad I went. I thought it was just an asthma attack. I thought I would get a steroid shot (which I did) and some new meds and be all better. I didn't realize I am SICK!!!

So anyway...we will hopefully take family pics tomorrow if I can get the laundry done and everyone ready, Derek and I are going on a date, too...I hope :-). It's our last chance...my parents are booked the rest of the month.

My Son the cook

My Son's Pumpkin Pie Recipe:

1 pumpkin

1 apple

alot of orange juice

Pour into a pie crust and bake for 10 min. It will be ready when it burns.

Christmas

Christmas is my favorite holiday. The season is cool and crisp, the music is cheerful and happy. We celebrate our saviors birth. I have always dreamed of working in a soup kitchen or helping the poor in some way. I am trying very hard to instill a sense of giving into my children instead of receiving. We are not nearly as "well off" as we use to be...not that we were ever rich. We actually have to live on a budget now a days. My point is I am somewhat glad we live on a budget, b/c it makes our giving more meaningful...

This year we made Christmas boxes early in November for Franklin Graham's organization. We always give to our family whether we receive or not, because we WANT to give to others. We also get an angel off the Christmas tree. Usually we get 1 per child...1 boy and 1 girl. Then we shop for them. I remind our children just how fortunate they are. We talk about how some children don't have toys, food sometimes they don't even have a mom or dad.

Today's mission will be to go get an angel off the angel tree. I haven't decided if we will get 1 or 2. We'll see. I want 2, but it depends on what types of items they want....and how much I think we can afford.