So, here is the deal. I just figured out that I can blog via Microsoft Word. Isn’t that crazy? And why I haven’t I realized this eons ago.

Last night DD1’s soccer association had their end of season banquet. Dh had to work, so I wrangled the kiddos and we went out to enjoy the evening with DD1’s soccer team. Her coach gave each of the kids a framed picture of the team, as well as a few images of each kid on their own. In fact she had a whole goody bag filled with neat little “thank you for being such a great team player” type gifts. DD1 was blown away.

She was even more excited once she realized that she was getting a trophy. She’s been obsessed about the idea of getting a trophy since she started dance and noticed all the Dance trophies on display. She already has cleared out a spot on her shelf for the trophy. She won’t stop talking about it and desperately can’t wait until she can show it to her Grandma P.

Last night on the way home from the Banquet I overheard her in the backseat talking to herself:

“I’m going to call Grandma to tell her about the trophy. She’s going to be sooo excited! She’s going to say, ‘Oh my! A trophy. How wonderful. That is sooo special.’ Then I’m gong to say to Grandma, ‘I know. Thank you very much.”

Hee hee.

This year, 2008, the first day of Advent is Sunday, November 30th. Just a little over a week away! I’m intending to re-use the scriptures I set up last year. So, thankfully, I’m almost ready. I just need to sit down and make a list of family activities. I’d like to come up with one activity per day. Whether it’s a Christmas movie, a family craft, a special reading… I’m really excited about it.

My intention is to use this entry to update ideas and links.

~Homemade Advent Calendar - Using toilet paper rolls and tissue paper.

~Advent Themed Coloring Pages

~A Paper Advent Wreath - Perfect for Sunday School and for explaining Advent traditions.

~Make some Christmas Potpourri.

~A “This Day In History” to correspond with each day leading up to Christmas.

~A list of discussion starters. This list is Catholic in tone, but translates easily for Protestants. Plus, it includes a great list of fun activities to do together as a family.

~A list of books and movies that are Christmas/Christian themed.

~Create Cinnamon Ornaments.

~Make a Tin Can Luminary.

~Gingerbread House Decorating

~Pasta Wreath Ornament.

~Create a Prayer Chain. (source)

Activity: Create a prayer chain out of construction paper. Using red and green paper, cut strips 8 inches long for each day of advent. Using a dark marker, write names on each of the strips for people that you would like to pray for during advent. You can also pray for groups of people or missions. Staple the first strip end to end. Looping the next strip through the first ring, staple it’s ends together. Repeat until all strips are linked and your prayer chain is complete. Some families like to make the last strip a prayer of thankfulness to Jesus.

Closing Prayer: Close by thanking God for giving us this wonderful season surrounding the birth of Jesus. Thank Him for your family and all the blessings in your life. Ask him to help you keep your focus on HIM for the next 25 days.

~Candy Cane Reindeer.

~Snowman Soup

~Reindeer Food (from the same source as Snowman Soup. I couldn’t resist.)

~Snow-globe Craft from babyfood jars and miniature ornaments.

~Homemade Carmel Corn.

~Use a decorative hole punches to create luminaries out of white paper sacks. Additional supplies needed: Sand and votive candles.

~Personalize Ornaments.

~Homemade Garland:

Using Fruitloops

Using Paper Chains.

Using Popcorn.

~A 3-D Manger Scene.

~Angel Tree Ornaments.

There are moments of brilliance that shine through my mothering. Moments where I can look back with satisfaction and know with absolute certainty that, “I did that exactly right.”

Giving my 14 month old baby a bath before feeding her lasagna for lunch, is not one of those moments.

Three weeks ago I left my purse (my new beautiful messenger bag) in the back seat of a car we were test driving. We called the dealership to have them locate our bag and was told they had lost their car. (!!) Two days later they found the car that we’d been test driving, but did not find my purse. I lost all my make up, I lost a $40.00 gift certificate to Circuit City, a $100 gift certificate for a full body massage, my “The Out Of Sync Child” (Newly purchased!) and obviously my wallet with my debit card, my health savings card, my library card, my Nature and Science museum card, a coupon for child care, and my driver’s license.

To say I am bummed would be an understatement.

So, after three weeks of not having a purse, I decided to dig through my hall closet and found a backpack. I stuffed some diapers in it, grabbed my new debit card and my car keys and was getting ready to shut the bag when I noticed a brand new pack of gum at the bottom of the bag.

Score!

I grabbed a piece for myself and one for DD1 and another for DD2. I handed the gum to my eldest as we were heading out the door. She stopped, looked into her hand to see the gum, and then gave me the most brilliant smile. “Oh my goodness, Mom! You are soooo AWESOME!”

It makes me giggle every time I think about it.

It rained all night long last night. Lots of thunder and lighting. My two eldest girls had a hard time going to sleep, for fear that the thunder would “get them.” As a result, DD1 slept on the floor in my room and Dh camped out on the floor in DD2’s room. (Dh also had a cough and was keeping me up. That’s part of why he volunteered to sleep elsewhere.)

Anyway, early this morning it was still storming a little. My middle child came tiptoeing into my room and stood at the edge of my bed. Silently begging to be let in. I asked her if she needed to go potty and she nodded her head. Watching her from my bed I saw her walk into our master-bath. Sit down on the toilet and no sooner did she get situated when thee loudest crack of thunder rocked the house.

In a split second DD2 clapped her hands over her ears, flew off the toilet, and SCREAMED at the top of her lungs.

Needless to say, we’ve all had an early morning. Because nobody slept through that commotion.

On a side note: I’m not sure if DD2 will ever trust the toilet again. Because I’m positive she’s convinced the toilet hollered at her.

Last night a few windows were left cracked open and the outside air has lowered the temperature inside. Consequently it is super chilly in our house today. The girls and I were sitting downstairs, huddled under a blanket and trying to warm up, when DD2 slipped away, only to return with two sets of keys. The metal on the keys was ultra cold, they literally felt like they had been stored in a freezer.

DD1, asked my middle child, “DD2, did you put these in the freezer? These are freezing!”

DD2 shook her head and replied in her limited vocabulary, “No peezing. Melting.”

I tried to clarify, “You mean freezing right? These keys are freezing, they aren’t melting.”

Frustrated with the correction DD2 declared. “Melt, melt, melt. Keys melting.”

Then she touched the keys, shivered, gave us a look of satisfaction and stated again for good measure. “See melting.”

*** *** ***
Later I walked in on the girls sitting on the floor of the living room, watching cartoons. As I asked them what they were watching I realized, on my own, that they were watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

DD2, however, confidently answered my question with, “Teeny turtles.”

LOL.

I had it on my calendar to call a local Pecan Orchard and set up a time to come out with the girls and pick Pecans. I had the reminder set for November 3rd, and decided that instead I’d call and set up a time next week to come out. (This week we’ve just been too busy.) Plus, the Pecan Orchard is right next to where DD1 goes for her OT. I figured why make the trip twice.

Soo, I called. Turns out Pecan season opened on November 1st. And Pecan season closes on the tenth. In fact, the man I just spoke to told me that there isn’t much out there.

Who knew Pecan season was so short! Next year I’m putting the reminder down for the first of November. I’m also going to have to include a reminder to myself to NOT procrastinate this away.

George W. Bush In Pictures

We’ve had a busy last week. Dh’s folks came into town and we were able to spend some time hanging out with family and enjoying each other’s company. They were here only over the weekend, so we made a point to get out and do a few things. Including taking the girl’s trunk or treating over at a local church festival.

My two eldest daughters dressed up as princesses. DD1 wore a pink formal princess dress she’d gotten to go to a Sleeping Beauty play with me. DD2 dressed up as Cinderella. Complete with silver shoes. My youngest daughter was supposed to go as a princess, as well. But earlier in October I attended a costume exchange party and found this incredibly adorable little puppy costume. One fitting and I was sold. So, instead of a princess, DD3 went as a puppy. She really made a cute little puppy at that. Complete with imitation “ruffs!” and puppy panting.

One of the evening highlights was that we were able to go trunk or treating with both sets of grandparents, and my sisters and their kiddos. So much fun. Plus, Dh’s mom won her own birthday cake on the cakewalk. What a hoot.

Saturday we went to the Japanese Gardens in Fort Worth. The girls enjoyed feeding the koi and watching the turtles. We brought along some food and had a picnic down near the rose gardens and the pond area over there.

Then later that afternoon Dh’s dad helped him fix our garage door. Really it was such a great weekend. It was hard saying good-bye on Sunday to his folks. As much as we love Texas, it is hard to be so far away from all of Dh’s family.

Anyway, today my middle child has speech, my eldest has OT, and sometime today the country will pick it’s next president. Needless to say, it just never slows down. lol.