tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49189986283340254152024-02-06T21:56:37.274-08:00Making Art AgainArt Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06850692931877347905noreply@blogger.comBlogger851125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4918998628334025415.post-13269487921446156712016-12-08T21:08:00.000-08:002016-12-08T21:08:21.767-08:00Day 8: Christmas Cards OrdersBecause it's late and not all of our lovely new family photos made it on the front of our Christmas card, I'm just going to leave a couple for you right here!<br />
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I love these little girls heart and soul. <br />
They are precious to me.<br />
They're my favorite little girls in the whole world.<br />
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Grace and PeaceArt Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06850692931877347905noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4918998628334025415.post-25346419289758047832016-12-07T19:57:00.003-08:002016-12-07T19:57:29.683-08:00Day 7: Morning TimeLife. Is. Busy.<br />
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So busy that no good words are coming out tonight. I keep typing and back spacing. I'm trying to make space for all that I have going in my head, but not able to squeeze out any worthwhile thoughts.<br />
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This old blog used to be a space for me to pour out every feeling I had, but by the time I get around to tapping out these Christmas posts, it is late and all I can think is "I am so tired, take me to my bed." I actually think I wept when I finally laid down last night.<br />
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Since it is much the same tonight-late, I'll leave you with these pictures from morning time. Everyone woke up happy today. We played a round of Christmas memory, read a sweet story called "The Puppy Who Wanted a Boy for Christmas" and recited phonics and math flash cards....<br />
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Life is busy, but life is good and we are blessed. Please don't ever confusing my tired state of mind as complaining.<br />
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Yes! It's good.<br />
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Grace Peace and Rest<br />
<br />Art Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06850692931877347905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4918998628334025415.post-38821048687631756512016-12-06T20:33:00.005-08:002016-12-06T20:33:45.078-08:00Oh Christmas Tree Part 2I know that I already wrote about our Christmas Tree, but I thought it was worth mentioning again because the lead up excitement to decorating it was huge! Every kid in my house asked everyday, can we decorate now, can decorate now, can we decorate now? This went on right up until the moment of actually decorating, when one child ask why I never let her have play dates with so and so. I gently responded, BECAUSE WE ARE DECORATING THE TREE, REMEMBER THE THING YOU HAVE BEEN ASKING TO EVERY THREE MINUTES SINCE FRIDAY. There was one point that I looked up and realized that I was the only one in the room decorating. <div>
Ah family togetherness. </div>
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Tonight, I remembered that I had taken a few pictures of the joyous event. I think they'll paint the picture nicely of how we gathered as a family to make a beautiful Christmas memory. I don't know which picture is my favorite, the partially lit tree, or Cooper lying on the floor expressing himself. You pick!<div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">Holly jolly friends! I'll try to snap some better pictures tomorrow.</span></div>
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Art Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06850692931877347905noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4918998628334025415.post-21810176130621982612016-12-05T20:53:00.001-08:002016-12-05T20:53:47.069-08:00Just a Little Sadness: Day 5<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The very first time I ever watched White Christmas, was at my Gram's house in Florida. If I close my eyes I can picture it in mind, photos of every family member taped together in frames draped with palm fronds, knick-knacks on every shelf and red jello in the fridge. The candy dish on the coffee table properly stocked with Werther Originals and Coffee Nips and the neighborhood phone book stacked underneath. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I can hear the way my lovely Grams would say my name, "Hi Car," never my full name, which maybe is why I shorten just about everyone's name I know. I can hear her saying "you take care, ya here," at the end of every talk. Oh, I can hear her laugh!<div>
I got a Christmas card in the mail today from one of my aunts and just for a moment, I thought it was from Grams. Their handwriting so similar, I thought for second that even in her absence she was prepared to send me a Christmas card.</div>
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I do miss her. Sometimes I don't think it's possible that a woman with such energy and zest for life could be gone. I've reached for the phone just to chat with her because I forget that she's left this life for her forever home. She is at rest with in the loving arms of our Creator but she is so dearly missed. So just for today, I'll bring the Christmas hype down just a notch to say that losses are hard, goodbyes are sad, but Christmas is good. The promise of Christmas is that we do not mourn with those that do not have hope. We know that we will see her again.<br />
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She'll be the one on the dance floor, laughing and smiling and having the best time.<br />
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Art Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06850692931877347905noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4918998628334025415.post-50528792479831865932016-12-04T20:51:00.001-08:002016-12-04T20:51:15.375-08:00Christmas Photos: Day 4Dear Kids,<br />
<br />
Mama needs a good picture to mail to all of our friends and family this Christmas. <br />
<br />
Could you<br />
1. All smile at once<br />
2. Not run away from the camera<br />
3. Not cry while pictures are being taken<br />
<br />
<br />
Thanks.<br />
<br />
Love,<br />
<br />
Your Doting Mother<br />
<br />
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<br />Art Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06850692931877347905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4918998628334025415.post-28162604271385517832016-12-03T21:09:00.000-08:002016-12-03T21:09:07.846-08:00Oh Christmas Tree<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We have the most beautiful Christmas tree this year. It is sitting in our living room with no lights and only the bottom half decorated. We might get it decorated by December 24th. Maybe. We also have to demo the kitchen, do the laundry, close out my business for the year, educate children, go grocery shopping, and the list goes on and on.<br />
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We promised the kids on Wednesday night that we would take them to get a tree, but that fell through. Then we promised to take them on Thursday night which also fell through. Friday night we were really tired, but we sucked it up and took them anyway, and had a great time. The kids ran through the labyrinth of tress, too excited to actually help us pick one. <br />
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They hid behind the giants and claimed they wanted the small ones all for themselves. To make their night even more special, right before we finally picked our tree, our friends pulled up to pick their's! So what was already a fun night, turned into a Christmas Tree picking party!<br />
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Happy tree trimming folks...I hope that ours will get there eventually.<br />
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Grace and PeaceArt Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06850692931877347905noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4918998628334025415.post-24596810658740301242016-12-02T21:10:00.001-08:002016-12-02T21:19:00.699-08:00Any Excuse To Get Dressed Up: Day 2My sister told me that when we were little my Mom took us to see the Nutcracker. I might have a vague recollection of this but it's a fuzzy memory at best . Today, I took Libby and Maggie to see the Richmond Ballet and Virginia Symphony Orchestra perform their rendition of the Nutcracker. It was so beautiful. I wish I had a picture to show you because everything from the costumes, the set design, the dancers, everything was beautiful. By the end of the second act, Maggie was twisting in her chair and asking for a snack, but other than that, it was perfect. The girls favorite part was when the little brother in the beginning of the ballet gets a spanking for being naughty. My favorite part was the Snow Queen and King dance with the Snowflakes. Here are a couple pictures I snapped of the girls before we left this morning. They were excited to wear their Christmas dresses for this year.<br />
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December is off with a bang. We got a Christmas tree tonight and I'm happy to report, there was no repeat of last year. I'll save the Christmas tree story for another night.<br />
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Grace and PeaceArt Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06850692931877347905noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4918998628334025415.post-80973541630796823812016-12-01T21:05:00.001-08:002016-12-02T21:20:27.972-08:00Dear December: Day 1Dear December,<br />
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Welcome back! It's time to dust off this old blog and bring it back for another Christmas countdown. I know, I know, at this point I might as well just use some other form of social media since I've all but left this one behind. But the truth is that late at night, when everyone else is sleeping I visit this old thing and remember how charmed our lives have been for the last eight years. I just can't say goodbye yet.<br />
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Somehow, we are facing the end of another year, but first Christmas! December, on your first day you brought excitement to my children that only an idyllic picture on the front of a Christmas card could. The kind where snow gently kisses the branches of evergreen trees and the warm glow of a fire lights tiny houses. The kind where cookies don't cause you to gain pounds and children are always nestled snug in their beds never fighting bedtime one bit. <br />
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I'm glad your back. I have been trying to create traditions and memories for my darlings for years now, but this year I hear them taking ownership of our traditions. Ready to hang those stockings just where we do every year. Gently reminding each other that the handless wise man goes on the other side of the Nativity shepherd, and be careful with that that camel, remember what Coop did to the head last year.<br />
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No one ever told me how fast all this would go, a sentiment that I've said a million times before. Tonight my little girls sat together in bed and told stories of Santa and everything they loved about Christmas. When they weren't looking I wipe a tear from my eye and wished so hard that I could freeze time. <br />
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I'm happy you're back December, your memories are some of my favorites.<br />
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Grace and Peace<br />
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<br />Art Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06850692931877347905noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4918998628334025415.post-40073285280780435242015-12-31T18:23:00.000-08:002015-12-31T18:23:03.354-08:00Pictures Are Better Than Words<iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/A5vfx7xAOXg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Art Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06850692931877347905noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4918998628334025415.post-90607016732888542892015-12-23T22:02:00.000-08:002015-12-23T22:02:30.254-08:00December 23rd: Jones Family Christmas EveI think tonight I'll call it a wrap. Tomorrow will be our Jones family Christmas, and then all bets are off for me getting back to a computer to write. <div>
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We have listened to a lot of Christmas music these last few weeks. I have Pentatonix on repeat. I have caught myself daydreaming that my voice would blend perfectly with their stunning acapella tunes. Then I think this is what heaven is going to sound like, except like a million times better. Then I wonder if the thousands of people who sing these songs at Christmas have any idea of the magnitude of the words that they are singing. They so beautifully deliver the most powerful story in history. We casually walk through malls or grocery stores and hear these words and I wonder if I have become numb or immune to the power in their words. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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With all the fun, and all the red and green, the cookies, the hot chocolate and everything else, I hope that we can always remember why we take a whole month out of the year to celebrate. I hope that we can let the power of the Christmas story penetrate us right down to our souls.<br />
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Tonight when I tucked Cooper into bed, I asked him what Christmas was about and he answered Jesus. Why, yes, my little son, you are correct. May !</div>
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Happy Christmas friends! May yours be warm and cozy and all you hoped it would be.</div>
Art Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06850692931877347905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4918998628334025415.post-81466180240526842922015-12-22T18:30:00.003-08:002015-12-22T18:54:32.811-08:00December 22: The Big Santa FailWe go to see the big man every year. I love it. I love how I can feel their excitement surging out of their bodies on the drive there, walking the red carpet to his chair and then pulling back a little when they realize seeing Santa involves sitting on a stranger's lap. I wait for that magical moment when they see him and their eyes sparkle with all the hopes of what meeting this man could mean...<br />
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Well none of that happened this year.<br />
Some of it happened, I guess, but let me retell our Santa-tale for you. Obviously, we are kind of running out of time to see him. I mean, Thursday is a pretty big night for him. The kids had not asked to go see him, but of course I think that their childhood might fall to pieces if we miss sitting on Santa's lap one year. <br />
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I washed them and dressed them pretty, I even brushed their hair. We drove 45 minutes because a Santa that is say, 15 minutes away isn't good enough for my kids. Nothing but the over-commercialized best for my darlings. <br />
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Let me stop here and say that the reason I forgot my post yesterday was because I was wrapping presents into the wee hours of the morning. When I finally did go to sleep, I think I had to wake up for the day. To say that there was no coffee cup deep enough is an understatement, but I was determined to see Santa, not matter if I was kind of sleep walking all day.<br />
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When we walked in to the mecca of Santaland at 2 pm a cheery <strike>snotty</strike> little elf handed me a "Santa-Pass" that said come back at 6:30 pm. Four and a half hours wait to see Santa. Yep, you read that right, four and a half hours to see Santa. <br />
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So basically I shimmied the kids up to the edge of the red carpet and said "hey kids wave to Santa, from a distance, maybe just shout what you want" like "hey Santa, if you could just add a train, a robotic cat and every stuffed animal in the land to your list you'll have the Jones kids covered." I gave him a thumbs up and a wink as I was shouting and clicking my camera but I think he just gave me a dirty look. I could feel his sparkling eyes and his cheeks like cherries starring me down saying "hey lady, where's your Santa pass? Take a number and get in line with the rest of these crazy parents."<br />
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No worries Santa, my kids liked the train better.<br />
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So that was it, we missed Santa. While I might be crazy enough to drive 45 minutes to see him, I know better than to wait 4 1/2 hours in a crowded store when I'm running on no sleep and Starbucks.<br />
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I'm pretty sure that Babs and Grandma are much more attentive than Santa anyhow...<br />
Until next year.<br />
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Happy Christmas xoxo<br />
<br />Art Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06850692931877347905noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4918998628334025415.post-85774498929748850222015-12-22T17:35:00.000-08:002015-12-22T17:35:24.086-08:00December 21st: Cookies and VideosThe theme of my countdown this year is baking and videos. I won't make you watch another video, but yesterday was THE day of cookie making, again. This is time without the assistance of my husband. My children love to help in the kitchen and I love letting them. We are making memories. That is, until they have taste-tested cookie batter so many times that their heads start spinning and you find them all in a heap of tears on the kitchen floor. <br />
It was fun.<br />
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All of our treats were gluten free and delicious! We are not a gluten free family, but I like to pretend that if it doesn't have gluten in it it makes it healthier. Gluten free makes it perfectly acceptable for me to eat a cookie every time I walk through the kitchen. Burp!<br />
I kind of made up all of these recipes based on stuff I read on the internet. <br />
You can absolutely trust everything you read on the internet because the interwebs do not lie.<br />
First, we made White Chocolate Peppermint (gluten-free) Pretzel Sandwiches. Shew, that's a mouthful to say, they are the perfect bite -sized snack.<br />
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We also made Triple Chocolate Chewy Peppermint Cookies, which I have no pictures of, but they are my favorite, in fact, give me a minute while I go have another.</div>
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Yum, now that I have that out of the way...</div>
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Kev's favorite were what I like to call Vegan Salted Caramel Pretzel Thumbprint Cookies. You should say that again. Despite their long, hipster name they are really good too. Thank goodness I had all this help, I may have never finished them.</div>
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Alright, I'm going to pour myself a cup of milk while I eat my healthy cookies with a side a vegetables because then it will all be fine.</div>
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In January I'll start my healthy eating/fitness blog. Until then, bottoms up and cookies in!</div>
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Merry Christmas!</div>
Art Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06850692931877347905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4918998628334025415.post-22626298589683642122015-12-20T20:17:00.002-08:002015-12-20T20:17:32.129-08:00December 20: Decorating Cookies With Kids Or Herding Cats<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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On December 1st my darlings started to beg me to make Christmas cookies. I wanted to bake everyday, but making cookies with kids takes time and precision to execute it just right with minimal disasters.</div>
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Everything is all fine and dandy until you try to help them roll out their dough or line up the cookie cuts for optimal dough usage. I can actually hear my mother's voice in my head telling me that I wasn't spacing cut-outs correctly. Look at my girl trying to get her's as close to the edge as possible! Glory be, one of my children actually listens to me!</div>
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And please, for all that is good and right in the world please, oh please, don't try to micro manage their use of sprinkles...<br />
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It is the best part of Christmas cookie making and if you take this away from them you have basically ruined their childhood!<br />
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See, look what happened to Cooper by the end of the night! We had to cut him off after his sprinkling the cookies became just eating the sprinkles.<br />
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The cookies are gluten free and actually taste quite nice. How they look is a whole other story. Eat at your own risk!!!</div>
Happy Baking<br />
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xoxoArt Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06850692931877347905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4918998628334025415.post-51466197391724040912015-12-18T21:58:00.000-08:002015-12-18T21:58:43.244-08:00December 18: The Big Slow DownI have spent the entire month of December waiting for it to slow down enough so that I could really enjoy it. I just want to sit on the couch by my Christmas tree and enjoy the lights and a Christmas movie, pretty much all day every day. Kevin and I did that the other night and the kids and I did it tonight. Finally!!!!<br />
I still have quite a few presents to buy, I have packages that need to be dropped off and I have three baskets of laundry to be folded and put away. I can feel it coming though the big slow down! All the hype of Christmas and then the day after when everything is quiet! So if you need me on December 26th, I'll be sleeping all day and hoping that someone else is making sure the children are fed and happy.<br />
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Friday is my favorite day and not just because it is the end of a long week. Friday is the only day that we don't have to go anywhere. Friday is the only day that I don't have to pack a bag (bags) and hurry them along. Friday seems just right to me. Especially when they line up at the table each one with a project in hand, a mess to create, or just a question to ask. It just feels right when we are all here together.</div>
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So I savored every minute of today. We watched a whole lot of movies. We ate BIG gluten free sugar cookies that were drenched in frosting. We drank hot chocolate just because in December that is what you do.<br />
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By the end of the day I was sitting on the couch watching Harry Potter with Libby, Maggie was asleep on my shoulder and Coop was climbing on my head. We were buried under a mountain of blankets because it was finally cold today.</div>
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It was pretty much all that I have been waiting for.</div>
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Merry Christmas xoxo</div>
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Art Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06850692931877347905noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4918998628334025415.post-44459520653326473132015-12-17T22:50:00.000-08:002015-12-17T22:50:07.226-08:00December 17th: I Survived the Post Office<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It had to happen eventually. Now that I am the mother of three, it's true, that I avoid the Post Office at all costs. The Post Office at Christmas is an especially tricky place, today was no exception.</div>
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For starters, my packages were not ready upon arrival which means that I had to gather information while sitting on the parking lot. This gave my darlings an opportunity to open the windows and scream loudly, surprising the hosts of people walking into the PO in front of me. One woman in a black sweater stared over her shoulder like she wondered what was going on in our car.</div>
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On our first entry into the <strike>parental torture chamber</strike> post office, I carried my little son on my hip and gave the girls each one package to carry. This was detrimental to my son's life, as screamed loudly for a package to hold. While we approached the long line of folks mailing off Christmas goodies, he added thrashing and arching to the screaming, which was fun. Realizing that this was going to be a spirited trip, I took my brood and packages back to the car to retrieve the stroller (maybe I should have just gone home). He really liked being strapped down.</div>
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After we entered the PO for a second time, I was trying to ignore the screaming, when I asked a postal worker for assistance in finding the correct form to fill out. I was almost certain that he handed me the wrong form, but seeing that he was a postal worker I trusted his judgement. I found a quiet corner by the post office boxes to fill out my forms and to try to muffle the sound of my angry two year old. Bless his big sister's, they were trying so hard to help, but in those moments of panic and sweat and trying to look like I had it together, everything they did felt wrong. At this point the stroller almost flipped over from the screaming and thrashing but I somehow managed to catch it with my foot and continue filling in the form. Just like that, Maggie handed Coop a piece of plain paper and he stopped yelling. Had I known that all he needed was a piece of paper to soothe his soul, I'm sure the abyss of trash that is my purse had many of those lurking in it's depths.</div>
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Now we got to get in line with all the other people. One gracious man, who felt the need to comment, said "oh, look at all your little helpers." To which I just nodded and smiled and tried not to make eye contact with anyone else. Because they are in the Christmas spirit, Cooper and Maggie started to sing "Happy Birthday" to Jesus as loudly as possible, I tried to shush them just a bit, which just fueled Cooper's fire...Louder and louder he got! I was trying not to laugh as were most of the people in the line. Finally, we got up to counter and the nice man waiting on me says "Ma'am, you filled out the wrong form." Of course I did, because I am in the land of post office torture.</div>
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He hands me the new forms and Cooper starts to yell "get me out, get me out here!" Another passer by makes a "wow, your hands are full" comment to which I want to respond "why yes I do, would you like to fill this form out for me?"</div>
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The postal worker moves me to the side to finish my delivery and hands me over to his co-worker, a lady, who I am guessing felt my pain because when I looked up to move disheveled hair from my face, she was definitely laughing.</div>
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She took my packages, I curtsied to the crowd, they thanked me for the entertainment and we exited the building.</div>
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When we got to the car, I told the kids that we needed to snap a selfie because we made it in and out of the post office at Christmas-time. Then that same lady in the black sweater passed our car again and again looked at us like we were a spectacle. Which let's be honest, we kind of were!</div>
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Until next year...Happy post officing!</div>
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<br />Art Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06850692931877347905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4918998628334025415.post-17372399133947106292015-12-16T20:42:00.000-08:002015-12-16T20:42:02.329-08:00December 16: Over Use of VideosI can't help it, I think that we should watch this once a year, or in my case every night!
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Merry Christmas xxxArt Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06850692931877347905noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4918998628334025415.post-79137528015361386172015-12-15T22:39:00.001-08:002015-12-15T22:39:11.057-08:00December 15: Well Actually It's the 16thLet's subtitle this "Gingerbread"<br />
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Many, many years ago my Mom and I decided that it would be good to decorate gingerbread houses together.<br />
Libby declared that we were having gingerbread week at school, so naturally we had to make our own.<br />
But before I show you what we made today, let's take a walk down memory lane. I would say that these picture are from around 2004-2006.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkHYkleP4HSh243JpL9cd_QpRFZ37vai129HUYgkxYqiPPgnLbqkLosSHT_KjHP0Sh3eHrMPAN2GfR8kqc05JH1EZUrO7ZH5moZ39obZDYQTr6lAcjfRgiaYmvZ__ktxvKIA-u5i0lyww/s1600/IMG_3939.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkHYkleP4HSh243JpL9cd_QpRFZ37vai129HUYgkxYqiPPgnLbqkLosSHT_KjHP0Sh3eHrMPAN2GfR8kqc05JH1EZUrO7ZH5moZ39obZDYQTr6lAcjfRgiaYmvZ__ktxvKIA-u5i0lyww/s640/IMG_3939.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEJK-zb0QAKeuHVdZZ96u6UiH3W7vwzQYiH0WnYb5lUlLk-9zxfQfjOXzVyTQgcrQtydrRBc3YTEuNvx3yI0rHJAq_nPiBX4Ohw-9zh_MGGwL-i3fjm3DZqf4BKVA0LWw6aDYos7xYGFc/s1600/IMG_0305.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEJK-zb0QAKeuHVdZZ96u6UiH3W7vwzQYiH0WnYb5lUlLk-9zxfQfjOXzVyTQgcrQtydrRBc3YTEuNvx3yI0rHJAq_nPiBX4Ohw-9zh_MGGwL-i3fjm3DZqf4BKVA0LWw6aDYos7xYGFc/s640/IMG_0305.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMkZsjIMbI0RxukHOdlXB_g7Wh9v2w6v0vvEKaTTd-hknmiz-iC53IXoKrgKM0_EJ5uOQJoLFdlvX_XHMlZBzgwSev-uDaNUjKjZpS0OqBsVBx3X5WpudnS6ScqUGk2v0c6-A1TFcH58A/s1600/IMG_3944.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMkZsjIMbI0RxukHOdlXB_g7Wh9v2w6v0vvEKaTTd-hknmiz-iC53IXoKrgKM0_EJ5uOQJoLFdlvX_XHMlZBzgwSev-uDaNUjKjZpS0OqBsVBx3X5WpudnS6ScqUGk2v0c6-A1TFcH58A/s640/IMG_3944.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKTBeadzjkCzChxIcnSLQH84A7Au2k_gzhEZajRfyJ4SZfTfJ65DvvCyOrJK9r3qhtCNgZSkfWCzVGH5Sfcm8o7cfZtqwNG7dmXF6TkZV2_mH8J9zEv1N8e8WgMiC0xdOSbrjVSkJ9XCE/s1600/IMG_3960.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKTBeadzjkCzChxIcnSLQH84A7Au2k_gzhEZajRfyJ4SZfTfJ65DvvCyOrJK9r3qhtCNgZSkfWCzVGH5Sfcm8o7cfZtqwNG7dmXF6TkZV2_mH8J9zEv1N8e8WgMiC0xdOSbrjVSkJ9XCE/s640/IMG_3960.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at that roof!</td></tr>
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Here is ours from today...half the size but just as much fun as ever! </div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="243" id="vp1ZfBo8" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/embed.animoto.com/play.html?w=swf/production/vp1&e=1450246820&f=ZfBo829zFO0WMYugGGOiQQ&d=0&m=a&r=360p&volume=100&start_res=360p&i=m&asset_domain=s3-p.animoto.com&animoto_domain=animoto.com&options=" title="Video Player" width="432"></iframe>Art Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06850692931877347905noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4918998628334025415.post-24913435245090989982015-12-14T22:22:00.003-08:002015-12-14T22:22:36.713-08:00December 15th : Forgetting The problem with writing a countdown to Christmas blog after you haven't wrote on it in a year is that you forget to write. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKFbtCG9LWVRXRq6IIAYSx6aJjGFOEk6kMlDvGE250EWmGQQmHCobjP22CzramyYWvdJORuT5ndZWgVugh65q5X46gzHWuGl3jvw_oeDZfmCeXVg9D_u06KpcCXCMTTi2TN-jpc-iqvFw/s1600/DSC01771.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKFbtCG9LWVRXRq6IIAYSx6aJjGFOEk6kMlDvGE250EWmGQQmHCobjP22CzramyYWvdJORuT5ndZWgVugh65q5X46gzHWuGl3jvw_oeDZfmCeXVg9D_u06KpcCXCMTTi2TN-jpc-iqvFw/s640/DSC01771.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You also fail to take good picture</td></tr>
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This past weekend has happened every December since I had Libby 7 years ago. Mom and Dad come down to watch the kids so that Kev and I can go to his Christmas party. Every year Mom and I shop during the day, I rush home, get dressed for the party and feel sick the rest of the night because I've shopped all day and haven't eaten anything. It's tradition. <br />
On Friday night we went to Maggie's school Christmas performance and because she is the second child, we have no picture of her performing, bless her. I did manage to get a blurry picture of her exiting the stage. I love school performances because of that moment when they take the stage and look for you. Maggie's mission was to lock eyes with us and once she did, it was all smiles and full on waving through the rest of the show! It's the best.<br />
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I'm off to bed, I just sat up addressing Christmas cards. All that is left is put my Charlie Brown stamps on the front and they will officially be mailed before the 24th. <br />
I have no presents for anyone, but that is another story.<br />
Happy Christmas<br />
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Art Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06850692931877347905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4918998628334025415.post-35102030286844175122015-12-11T20:27:00.002-08:002015-12-11T20:27:59.553-08:00December 11It's the weekend!!!! <br />
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This end of the week mission is operation Christmas gifts.<br />
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I'm headed to bed so that I am ready to hit the stores tomorrow.<br />
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I was saving this picture for a day just like today. I love everything about it! It is just like him to look so thoughtfully at his food. Don't even get me started about his footie pajama feet tucked under his little stripped bum.<br />
I would really like it if he would stay small.<br />
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Happy Christmas xxx</div>
Art Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06850692931877347905noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4918998628334025415.post-17486153741022885112015-12-10T20:47:00.001-08:002015-12-10T20:47:27.238-08:00December 10th: A Recipe, Sort Of<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="243" id="vp1Xcqli" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/embed.animoto.com/play.html?w=swf/production/vp1&e=1449809099&f=Xcqli03nVyHVBku78ixTTw&d=0&m=a&r=360p&volume=100&start_res=360p&i=m&asset_domain=s3-p.animoto.com&animoto_domain=animoto.com&options=" title="Video Player" width="432"></iframe><br />
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A little video for your viewing pleasure! That girl cracks me right up!<br />
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Happy Christmas xoxoArt Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06850692931877347905noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4918998628334025415.post-59941691985660991012015-12-09T21:48:00.000-08:002015-12-10T20:48:02.337-08:00December 9: Four Minutes Before MidnightI wanted Libby to write this post. <br />
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You see, we made Peppermint Bark today because, just like White Christmas, it's a tradition at our house. The idea for her to write it came to me while she was talking non-stop through the making process. I still might have her type out the recipe for you. I'm sure that she would have no problem telling you very detailed step-by-step instructions.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuX9NqsFZABbl05ZdyWfIF-XOdmnHXBFo9fD1HJo_4d1MDB0SjRxTip9q0gW2woAUJHFBLGh_QTEutS8l7lDwBc5FTjCUW8BdXAL4biz4x-8jC83VgpcF93KKgqpsQp_6fS57p5_i25ME/s1600/LandM1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuX9NqsFZABbl05ZdyWfIF-XOdmnHXBFo9fD1HJo_4d1MDB0SjRxTip9q0gW2woAUJHFBLGh_QTEutS8l7lDwBc5FTjCUW8BdXAL4biz4x-8jC83VgpcF93KKgqpsQp_6fS57p5_i25ME/s640/LandM1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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So since I don't want to steal her thunder about the peppermint bark I'll just tell you these five things:<br />
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1. Libby's tooth fell out yesterday and the tooth fairy forgot to come. Gasp!!!!<br />
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2. Our second Beta fish died this week. Which caused Libby to make this statement "Why??? Are all these bad things happening to me, the Tooth Fairy forgot me and my fish only lasted 4 1/2 days!"<br />
We now have another Beta fish, creatively named Flip #3. I won't lie, he's not looking to good. I think that he was swimming sideways earlier.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIc6SWOYh7d8-dP2N5qIij369hnfwCLBF1Yo3Eh5eW8XNkn7noRtfZMChuK0K1eY7e4ydhtXsyu-0QodmefEX727_IlrOiCVcONI0JUjL2Ddrp6RRzdtO7EliptpK8di_Hkt2HZcK8fm4/s1600/DSC01722.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIc6SWOYh7d8-dP2N5qIij369hnfwCLBF1Yo3Eh5eW8XNkn7noRtfZMChuK0K1eY7e4ydhtXsyu-0QodmefEX727_IlrOiCVcONI0JUjL2Ddrp6RRzdtO7EliptpK8di_Hkt2HZcK8fm4/s640/DSC01722.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
3. She wrote a letter to the Tooth Fairy and invited her to a Jones Family Christmas (better known as Christmas Eve). When I asked her if she was going to mention her forgetting her tooth, she said "No, I don't want her to feel bad about it." <br />
What a girl that Liberty Jones.<br />
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4. She also made a make-shift bedroom for the fairy to sleep in when she comes because she doesn't want her to have to fly home late at night.<br />
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5. So now, the Tooth Fairy has to remember to take her tooth tonight (for the love, don't forget two nights in a row) and <strike>I</strike> she needs to remember to come back on Christmas Eve.<br />
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The Tooth Fairy has a lot going on right now. Maybe I can remind her to write it in her planner. I did try to tell Libby that the Tooth Fairy must be busy this time of year and that maybe a lot of children were losing their teeth. Which went against what I told her about all children having their own Tooth Fairy after the fairy across the street left her friend a $20 and our fairy only leaves a dollar.<br />
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And that is why you shouldn't lie to your kids, because before you know it Santa, the Great Pumpkin, the Elf on the Shelf and the Tooth Fairy will all be invited to dinner.<br />
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On that note, I need to go see if the Tooth Fairy did her job tonight!<br />
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Happy Christmas<br />
xxo<br />
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<br />Art Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06850692931877347905noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4918998628334025415.post-47251438457269788102015-12-08T22:03:00.000-08:002015-12-08T22:03:05.322-08:00December 8th: A Mention of White Christmas, Because I Think It's TraditionI don't like how busy we are.<br />
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I have told multiple people that all I want to do is sit by the Christmas tree with my family and watch Christmas movies. I have seized this opportunity several times recently. Obviously, I made them watch White Christmas! <br />
I was pretending to be Rosemary Clooney in the car yesterday and Maggie ask me to "stop because the songs made her feel sad because they were so beautiful."<br />
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Hahahahaha! Bless her sweet heart. It just made me sing it more.<br />
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She also told me that she "weally liked the dresses". I tried to get her to tell me which one and she said she just "weally loved all of dem." I get it Maggie, I would wear those dresses too if I had them. In that very moment I felt like I had a parenting win. Maggie loves White Christmas and now we can send her to college because our job is done.<br />
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So as I do every year, I will request that you please make it a point to watch White Christmas, if for no other reason than to pick your favorite dress!<br />
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Happy Christmas xoxo</div>
<br />Art Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06850692931877347905noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4918998628334025415.post-41265072080895918192015-12-07T20:13:00.000-08:002015-12-07T20:13:55.847-08:00Pinterest + Fail= Pinterest FailFail #1- I missed Sunday night's post. I was sitting right here getting school ready for today last night and completely forgot,<br />
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Because I was busy researching on Pinterest<br />
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Fail #2- Our afternoon craft for home school. Here is what it was supposed to look like.<br />
<img alt="Peppermint Candy Christmas Ornaments" src="http://hellohomebody.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/img_8932.jpg?w=620&h=620" /><br />
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Here is what ours looked like :) <br />
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The girls are all "Mom, these are supposed to be ornaments?" "Are you sure?"<br />
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Libby's trying to re-purpose them into something else. I'm not sure what. What do you do with slabs of melted starlight mints.<br />
You throw them in the trash and hope that tomorrow's <strike>crap</strike> craft time goes better...<br />
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It's all in the memory making.</div>
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Until tomorrow's blog I bid you good luck on your Christmas crafts and a goodnight!</div>
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Happy Christmas</div>
Art Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06850692931877347905noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4918998628334025415.post-38142497101797639112015-12-05T21:15:00.001-08:002015-12-05T21:25:32.932-08:00December 5th: Oh Christmas Tree Part 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Having a Christmas tree with little kids around is a tricky business. I feel like we are close to being done with the Christmas tree being a hazard for small people, but Cooper is a wee bit of a wild one. I would say that we are currently working with 75% broken ornaments. I still hang them broken and all. If someone robs us this Christmas we will be totally safe. All we have to do is threaten them with one of the many jagged edges from our many broken Christmas ornaments.</div>
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Tonight, among other things, I caught Cooper doing the following:</div>
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1. Hanging hooks on the tree with no ornaments attached. The whole bottom half of the tree is just metal hooks</div>
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2. Falling off the edge of the couch into tree. My "Meet Me Under the Mooseltoe" ornament took a direct hit and lost his antlers in the fall. </div>
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3. Throwing small glass baubles at the top of the tree to try to get them to stay. Nope, didn't stay. Just came falling to floor and shattered.</div>
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4. Eating my cinnamon gingerbread shaped ornaments (he regretted that choice)</div>
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So, basically in the battle of decorate the tree vs Cooper, Cooper won. And because I was trying to deflect his every move to save the 25% of good ornaments that we have, I am sleepy and plan on going to dream about sugarplums like my Maggie is doing here.<br />
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Tree is up. <br />
Mantle is decorated. <br />
Handless Baby Jesus and all the other handless people from the nativity are set up and we are ready to go!<br />
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It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!!!!<br />
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Happy Christmas xoxoArt Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06850692931877347905noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4918998628334025415.post-32263774816747932572015-12-04T21:15:00.001-08:002015-12-04T21:15:20.487-08:00December 4th: Oh, Christmas Tree!<br />
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I had visions of choosing our Christmas Tree. It was going to be special. There would be laughing and singing and everyone would get along. For the love of all things Christmassy, we would all wear something red and have mittens and hats on...<br />
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We went to a local restaurant that has a Christmas tree lot. The girls were so excited because they said it felt like a forest. We ate dinner in the restaurant first and secluded our wild bunch to a quiet section, which was easy because it was close to closing time. In fact, most of the staff was already cleaning up while we ate.</div>
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Before we went outside I thought a treat was in order since it was such a special night. I bought one cup of gelato and asked for 5 spoons. I'm not sure why I did this, except it was getting late, we ate a nice dinner and I didn't think we needed five cups of gelato.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She's looking a little pale here</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCrPrg2DEKrQogk7n29vS8Z3oHHO6i416zbHHQHXfNe2St-EUWlFiqQZJj0JGdErl-1qOPzzGGlM1w3uwDgxoW20VCeAhjehZZvwRBrX7cTGKvHMPEoTiY_F6RjhB0xeclIMszddDe9V8/s1600/DSC01657.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCrPrg2DEKrQogk7n29vS8Z3oHHO6i416zbHHQHXfNe2St-EUWlFiqQZJj0JGdErl-1qOPzzGGlM1w3uwDgxoW20VCeAhjehZZvwRBrX7cTGKvHMPEoTiY_F6RjhB0xeclIMszddDe9V8/s640/DSC01657.JPG" width="424" /></a></div>
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The girls couldn't wait to get outside and pick our tree. They were choosing from the window, looking for the perfect one. As soon as we got back down to the main part of the restaurant where more people were, one of my children looked at me in despair and then splat! vomited all over the floor of the restaurant, and then start crying loudly. <br />
I want to pause here and discuss this, since it is my first public throw-up experience. It is one of those moments where you're not sure what to first. I didn't want to make eye contact with anyone else, but when I did, I mouthed "I'm sorry," like somehow I had control over what happened. I didn't know if I should just grab a handful of dinner napkins and start cleaning or ask for a mop. Instead of doing any of those things I grabbed my sick and now wailing child and took her to the bathroom.<br />
This is a true story.<br />
I took her shirt off of her and put her coat on and zipped it up. There was nothing I could do about my shirt which had intercepted some of the mess...Enter my passionate about our Christmas tree daughter who starts to plea with me so that we could still get a tree, "Mommy, please, please, please please can we still get a tree," and repeat the sentence 20 times in one minute. At this point, my small son entered the bathroom and starts running in out of the stalls screaming "Maggie's sick" and "this one's clear." All of this is happening at once.<br />
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To make a long and gross story shorter, yes, we still got a Christmas tree. It was not the picture perfect moment I had hoped for, but nothing ever is I suppose. The picture below is me trying not to smell my shirt. <br />
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I told little Mags that I couldn't hold her because it made my arms to close to my face.<br />
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This is as good as it gets. Look at Maggie trying to be excited that we got one.<br />
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By the time we got home with our tree, she seemed to perk up a little. When I was playing with Coop before bed he licked my cheek and then threw up on me, so I'm feeling excited that we all shared an ice cream with Maggie before she got sick and then Coop licked me right before he got sick (I can't even believe I just typed the words "he licked me").<br />
It's not looking good for the Jones family. Fingers crossed it was nothing, but you know how that goes. There's buckets and towels by everybody's bed tonight!<br />
And that my friends is how you write a merry little Christmas post.<br />
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Happy Christmas.</div>
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xxx</div>
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Art Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06850692931877347905noreply@blogger.com4