PROJECT 365 - Day 365!!! - New Year's Eve!
I can hardly believe that 2011 is about to come to an end. What a year it has been - I wouldn't trade a single moment. We spent the day at Hershey Park and came home to ring in the new year in jammies. The Princess went off to bed about an hour ago. The Boy just gave up and went to bed about 10 minutes ago. My Wonderful Husband has been dozing on and off but is up now. The Bear is still awake and thrilled to be able to ring in the new year at midnight. I am certain that this is the first year in quite some time that I have actually been awake at this time - the things I will do for my kids... ;-) Well 2011 - you have been a pretty good year and as we bid you farewell we welcome in 2012 with hopes for continued happiness, health, love, laughter, and time spent together! Happy New Year!
PROJECT 365 - Day 364 - SR4ever
These two have created a band. They spent the better part of the day writing songs for said band. I'm thinking this would make a great CD cover - introducing.... SR4ever!!
PROJECT 365 - Day 363 - Our first baby
The Puppy was our first baby. We got married in August 1997 and it was mere weeks before I begged My Wonderful Husband to get a dog. I grew up with a dog and was having a hard time living without one. We had gotten married, moved to a new state, started a new job, and I wanted a puppy!!! My Wonderful Husband relented and we found an ad in the paper for puppies for sale in Wilmington, DE. Off we went to Wilmington where we found a few puppies left and picked out this sweet baby as soon as we walked in. We drove home with her in a box on my lap and quickly ran out to the store to get all of the accessories that a sweet little puppy needs.... a crate, food, bowls, and tons of toys including, but not limited to, her Tiger Baby. She quickly claimed My Wonderful Husband's Redskins blanket as her own and went on to chew it to bits but still slept with it every night. She has been with us from the beginning - through 5 moves, 3 states, 3 children, and countless other life events. She is not feeling too well these days and a visit to the vet today left us with some hard choices. I don't know what the next few days might bring, but today she is here and she will always be our first baby.
PROJECT 365 - Day 362 - Trading
You know what's better than getting cool football cards in your Christmas stocking? Laying them all out and trading them!! The boys are having so much fun with their football cards. (The Princess has a few too.... :-))
PROJECT 365 - Day 361 - A Sleeping Princess
Have I mentioned how much The Princess LOVES the sleep mask she got in her stocking this Christmas? Just a weeee bit ;-) When I went in to her room tonight this is what I found - a sleeping princess.
PROJECT 365 - Day 360 - Some favorites....
We spent the day relaxing after all of the holiday craziness of the past month. The kids spent the day playing their new DS's and their new games for Wii. But in between all of their video gaming, they also played with some other favorites that they got for Christmas this year. The Bear built his new Star Wars lego set and was very proud of the finished product. The Princess played with her new squinkies and squinkie dispenser. The Boy played with his new Imaginext ninja castle that he thought was pretty cool! And me? Well....My Wonderful Husband surprised me this Christmas with a new pretty Coach bag and there is nothing better than filling up a new purse;-)
PROJECT 365 - Day 359 - Just Dance
Merry Christmas! While I have tons of great "Christmasy" pictures from today - piles of presents, kids coming down the stairs, huge smiles while opening the perfect gift, yummy food, delicious cookies, etc....the last picture I took today was an overwhelming choice for the picture of the day. The day was winding down, jerseys were off, DS's put aside after a long day of play, piles of loot littering the floor, couch, tables, you name it, and a spontaneous dance party erupted - proving that you do indeed need to "just dance". ;-) I could not love this dance crew any more....and we could not have had a better Christmas day!
PROJECT 365 - Day 358 - Waiting for Santa
I love Christmas Eve. I love the stillness of the day. Even with three kids who are bouncing off the walls excited waiting for Santa to come, there is still a stillness about the day. I love that the day ends in new jammies, putting cookies and beer out for Santa (yes beer...don't you think he gets enough milk? ) and fruit for the reindeer. We said goodbye to the elves tonight too since they will be heading back to the North Pole with Santa tonight. Now, I need to get to bed myself, so that Santa can come... :-)
PROJECT 365 - Day 357 - My Elf Posse
My little elves helped me decorate the tree at the beach house today. My Wonderful Husband was out catching some Christmas surf and Poppy was finishing up some physical therapy before coming down for Christmas. So it was up to me and my elf posse to get this tree trimmed and they out - did themselves! They even tied the bows!
PROJECT 365 - Day 356 - Yo Ho Ho Ho!
The Leonard Christmas caravan (two cars, three kids, two dogs...etc etc) arrived on the island tonight ready to celebrate another salty Christmas. We made a little detour to check out some Christmas lights. Yo Ho Ho Ho - it's a pirate's Christmas for us! ;-)
PROJECT 365 - Day 355 - Parties #2 and #3
Today was The Bear and The Princess' holiday parties. They had so much fun!
PROJECT 365 - Day 354 -Party #1
Today was The Boy's holiday party at school. There were cool crafts and a fun game and enough yummy treats to feed all of the elves at the North Pole! He had a blast and was good and sugared up when he got home! :-)
PROJECT 365 - Day 353 - Visit with Santa
We took the kids to see Santa tonight. Everyone got a chance to talk to Santa and tell him what they are hoping to find under the tree.
PROJECT 365 - Day 352 - Cookie Tasters
I usually have a strict rule about dipping into the cookies before Christmas.... But My Wonderful Husband let our little cookie tasters test out some today with hot chocolate. "It's the Sunday before Christmas." he said. Then he took a picture for Project 365 and you know I couldn't argue with that. ;-)
PROJECT 365 - Day 351 - Food, Holidays, and Traditions
Food has played an important role in my holidays growing up and continues to play an important role in holidays with my own family. When it comes to Christmas, there are the cookies. When I was younger, my mom started them after Thanksgiving and I think I have mentioned how my role evolved over the years until they became my job. Christmas Eve is about the fish which I have never been a huge fan of, although for the sake of teaching my children to try new things, I have tried everything over the years (with the exception of calamari because...that is just gross ;-)) Whether I eat the fish or not, I do it because the traditions are what make the holiday for me. Christmas day has always been gravy with all of the meats and usually manicotti. I started helping my dad make the manicotti shells ....hmmm... a long time ago.... He taught me how to work the old heavy cast iron pans to move the batter around so it doesn't burn and how to make the shells pop right out of the pan. I was his apprentice for many years before the pans were passed as well as the torch. It then became my job and like the battles that I had with cookies when they became my job, there was sometimes un-Christmas like language involved in the process. But as the years went on, I got better and better and I am pretty proud of my manicotti. In recent years, in an effort to downsize some of the food while the kids were little, we substituted ravioli for manicotti. Although we would get the really good ravioli that you need to order ahead of time, I felt guilty for leaving behind a Christmas tradition that I love. So tonight after dinner I decided to first get the meatballs made and frozen for Christmas and then decided why not make the manicotti too while I am at it. I am not gonna lie, I sort of rock at making these. ;-) So 45 meatballs and 46 manicotti shells later....I am ready for Christmas.... (well sort of...there are still tons of other things to do.... :-)
PROJECT 365 - Day 350 - Gingerbread House 2011
Our annual gingerbread house came out pretty good... it might not look like the very professional looking one on the box.... but we worked pretty hard on it and I think it turned out great!
PROJECT 365 - Day 349 - Operation Cookies!
I am a bit behind this year and may not get as much done as usual, but today was all about Operation Cookies! It was cookie central over here and I am not even done yet tonight. I made the biscotti this afternoon and My Wonderful Husband made the chocolate chip cookies tonight. While the cookies were cooling we had some sneaky cookie tasters lurking in the kitchen.... Now that my biscotti are good and cool, I am off to go dip them in white chocolate and sprinkle them to make them look festive! :-)
PROJECT 365 - Day 348 - Squinky Soccer
While The Boy was waiting for his turn to get in the shower tonight, he set up a game of squinky soccer. It was some game..... :-)
PROJECT 365 - Day 347 - Decorative Mischief
When we woke up this morning, we found that the elves had gotten in to our wrapping paper and had done some decorative mischief! Our chairs look boring and un-festive no more! The kids were absolutely thrilled with our gift wrapped chairs! :-) Thanks Isabelle, Barnes, and Burke - job well done last night! ;-)
PROJECT 365 - Day 346 - Something about this time of year....
There is something about this time of year with all of the excitement and hustle and bustle..... For all of the fun things going on and the countless memories.... there are days when getting three kids ready for bed by 8pm is a really good thing.
PROJECT 365 - Day 345 - Cookie Fun!
I am not sure how it happened but it is already December 11th! I woke up this morning in full panic mode because I realized that I had one batch of cookies complete and not much else done in the way of Christmas prep. The Christmas chain that hangs in the kitchen was mocking me and stressing me out! Yeah, yeah, yeah... I KNOW how many days are left ok? Quit reminding me! So, that being said, I planned a day of Christmas prep today including making some more cookies. Luckily I had a little helper ready to make the thumbprint dough and then two additional helpers later willing to push their thumbs into some dough! The Princess was so excited to help and that reminded me that all of this prep is supposed to be fun....not work.... So, I averted my eyes from the mocking Christmas chain, set to work on the cookies trying to look at it through the excited eyes of my children, cranked the Christmas tunes, and had some cookie fun!
PROJECT 365 - Day 344 - Three guys, a soccer game, and an empty pizza box
Today was the first day of indoor soccer practice for all three kids. After the practices, we split up so I could get The Princess and a friend to another friend's birthday party. Meanwhile, Daddy and the boys got a pizza and went home to watch soccer. When I got back I found an empty pizza box and three guys hanging out watching soccer.
PROJECT 365 - Day 343 - A few hours....
It was so nice to have a few hours out tonight with My Wonderful Husband. Thanks to our neighbor for watching the kids and for taking a picture of me and my love :-).
PROJECT 365 - Day 342 -Magical Bedtime Routine
During the time that our elves are here with us, before our normal bedtime routines there is a magical bedtime routine. The kids sprinkle their elves with magic North Pole snowflakes (that magically brings them to life), feed them something crunchy (that reminds them of walking on the snow in the north pole) and leave them some water (that reminds them of melted North Pole snow). Once this task is done, the kids say goodnight to their elves wondering what magical escapades they will have that night.
PROJECT 365 - Day 341 - They must be calling for snow....
They must be calling for snow, because the grill is on! Let me explain. My Wonderful Husband and I have this strange tradition. It all started when The Bear and The Princess were infants and we had a blizzard in MD..... our neighbors came over and we had a BBQ - yes a BBQ. Since then, it seems that when snow is in the forecast we don't start thinking about soup and hot chocolate but instead we fire up the grill! Strange, I know....but yummy.... and oddly cozy.
PROJECT 365 - Day 340 - The Babysitter
So, Poppy's dog has been with us for over a week now and she has finally resigned herself to her current situation. I believe that she does not feel that she is here so that we can "dog sit" her but rather she is here so that she can "babysit" the children. That being said, she takes that job very seriously and can usually be found where ever you can find the kids. As you can see, it is an exhausting job to be the babysitter. ;-)
PROJECT 365- Day 339 - Burke, Isabelle, & Barnes
The elves arrived this weekend after we put up our Christmas tree. The kids woke up Sunday morning and found them waiting for them in their rooms. Then this morning when we woke up we found that Burke, Isabelle, and Barnes had taken my camera last night and had a little photo shoot! I guess they wanted to make sure that they made it into PROJECT 365! Those silly elves - what will they think of next? ;-)
PROJECT 365 - Day 338 - Let there be lights!
The Christmas decorations are complete now that the outside lights are up! I love the way our house looks with Christmas lights!
PROJECT 365 - Day 337 - The Christmas Tree Farm
Today was our annual trip to the Christmas tree farm. I can hardly believe that this is the 15th Christmas that My Wonderful Husband and I have gone to cut down our tree! It is even harder to believe that we have had "company" on these trips for 9 years now.... We have been going to this tree farm for the past 8 years with first two munchkins, then three. As I snapped this picture (a shot I try to get every year) it was one of those moments that I have been having a lot of lately... My goodness, they are getting so big! I remember carrying them in backpacks as we tromped around the farm. I remember not getting very far and pretty much picking the first tree that looked good.... I think this was the first year that no one rode on Daddy's shoulders. Instead, they set off together down the path and really helped us pick out the tree.
PROJECT 365 - Day 336 - Santa hats
There is just something about Santa hats that make these kids happy and that really makes me smile. It is truly the little things in life. :-)
PROJECT 365 - Day 335 - The Countdown Has Begun!
The countdown has begun! We took the first link off of the Christmas chain tonight and the kids made their own Christmas chains to hang in their rooms. There are now 23 days until Christmas!
PROJECT 365 - Day 334 - Lucky
I am one lucky wife and mommy. :-)
PROJECT 365 - Day 333 - Deck the halls!
These three elves worked very hard today helping me deck the halls! We started by trimming all of the bedroom trees. After decorating their own trees, they helped hang the ornaments on the tree in our bedroom. These ornaments are very special to me. My mom had a pin collection - she loved wearing pins.... A few years ago, I added ribbons to some of her pins and made them Christmas tree ornaments. The kids love helping hang these so they can look at all of GiGi's special pins.
PROJECT 365 - Day 332 - The Best Medicine
After getting Poppy settled in the rehab facility, I had to head back to PA where My Wonderful Husband had already gone with the kids and the dogs. It ended up being later than I expected, I hadn't eaten all day, the directions that My Wonderful Husband gave me from map quest got me lost, I was tired, worried about my dad, not looking forward to a 3/12 hour ride home that was now more like a 4 1/2 hour drive thanks to map quest, and was generally done with the day. Once I figured out where I was going (and a little pat on the back here - I FIGURED OUT WHERE I WAS GOING! - ok - maybe I had a break down first, but then I got it....) I turned on the radio and started flipping around. My Wonderful Husband has XM radio in the car and loves it and so far, I have not been impressed. I was getting tired of flipping around and hearing all of the same songs.... and then I found the comedy stations! Yeah! Laughter - the best medicine! The rest of the drove seemed to fly by.... :-)
PROJECT 365 - Day 331 - Just because....
Just because he hasn't been the only one in a picture of the day in a while....
Just because he looks so stinkin' cute in his "Hef" robe....
Just because he has been so good the past few days while I have been back and forth to the hospital to visit Poppy....
Just because when he saw me this morning, he gave me a big hug and patted my back and told me he missed me and loved me....
Just because he has that flippin' cough again and needed the inhaler and didn't complain about it...
Just because he was checking football scores and rankings on Daddy's computer....
Just because he will only be 6 1/2 once....
Just because he makes my heart smile.....
PROJECT 365 - Day 330 - Recovery
Here's to a speedy recovery Poppy! xoxo
PROJECT 365 - Day 329 - The Roommate
Today was Poppy's back surgery. We are dog-sitting "The White Shadow" while Poppy recovers. When I got back from the hospital tonight, she didn't even come downstairs when I came in the house - she was laying in her bed in Poppy's room in a depression. No joke. Until the kids went to bed. Then she found a spot next to The Princess' bed and made herself comfy. The Princess was thrilled with her new roommate (she is always trying to get The Puppy to do this but she never cooperates).
PROJECT 365 - Day 328 - Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving! We have much to be thankful for. xo
PROJECT 365 - Day 327 - Helper
The Princess was a great helper today. While My Wonderful Husband was out getting in some Thanksgiving surfing, The Princess helped me make the cranberry pear relish and supervised while I made the sweet potatoes. I really enjoyed the company and the help. :-)
PROJECT 365 - Day 326 - The cooking has begun!
The cooking has begun! My Wonderful Husband made his famous pumpkin pie this afternoon and together we made the stuffing. The house smells crazy delicious! Over the years we have discovered that making as many things as you can the day or two before Thanksgiving makes for a much more enjoyable Thanksgiving Day. Tomorrow I will make my traditional sweet potatoes with marshmallows and my fresh cranberry sauce. That will leave the turkey and the last minute things for Thursday allowing lots of time to sit with the kids and watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. :-)
PROJECT 365 - Day 325 - Meeting
The kids had a meeting tonight. The Princess will be doing her library biography project on Peyton Manning and was consulting with the resident self proclaimed football experts in the house.
PROJECT 365 - Day 324 - A nice start....
I may not be ready to decorate just yet but the kids are anxiously awaiting the start of the holiday season. I think the Princess' picture today is a nice start.....
PROJECT 365 - Day 323 - Parade
We went to the parade downtown tonight with friends. It was a great night for a parade and a fun time with friends.
PROJECT 365 - Day 322 - Crafty
I got a bit crafty tonight and I acquired an audience....The Bear was interested in what I was up to and even gave me some color suggestions. He went to bed before I finished everything so I am looking forward to showing him the finished signs in the morning. :-)
PROJECT 365 - Day 321 - New and Old
My "new" cookie press arrived today! Let me explain. My mother loved to bake and had a cookie press just like this one from when she was a kid. One of my earliest memories of Christmas is of my mom (and dad) using the cookie press to make butter cookies. As I got older, I helped make the butter cookies - first just adding the sprinkles, then helping with the dough, then helping with the press. Finally, when I got married, my mom handed the cookie press down to me and I took over the "labor of love" of making the butter cookies for Christmas. It soon became a job that My Wonderful Husband helped with and eventually the kids started getting involved in the sprinkling of the cookies. Then two years ago the UNTHINKABLE happened! The cookie press (which in all fairness at that point was probably about 50 years old) BROKE!! I, along with it, had a break down. Dough was made, some cookies were in the oven, the kids were waiting to sprinkle and the darn thing broke! When I was done having a nervous breakdown, My Wonderful Husband showed me that he had googled the cookie press and found a new replacement press that would be delivered in a few days - not soon enough to salvage the dough... But I pulled myself back together and came up with plan B - finished the cookies in the best way I could by hand and waited for my new press. When it arrived, I completed another batch of cookies and all was right with my Christmas world. UNTIL... last year when the new cookie press broke too! Seriously? So again, I rolled the cookies by hand and moved on....but for the past year I have been so sad wondering what I would do to salvage this tradition that means so very much to me. UNTIL... last week when My Wonderful Husband found a "new" old cookie press JUST LIKE MY MOTHER's! Today it arrived in the mail and all I could do was smile when I opened it. I hope that this press has another 50 years in it...... :-)
PROJECT 365 - Day 320 - Filling up....
Our thankful chart is filling up.... :-)
PROJECT 365 - Day 319 - Waiting for Daddy
We had finished showers and read a chapter in Harry Potter and Daddy wasn't home yet. So the kids found some things to do while they were waiting for Daddy to get back to say goodnight.
PROJECT 365 - Day 318 - Yes, there is a Santa Claus
Today, I am borrowing famous words that say it better than I possibly could.
"DEAR
EDITOR: I am 8 years old.
"Some of my little friends say there is no
Santa Claus.
"Papa says, 'If you see it in THE SUN it's
so.'
"Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa
Claus?
"VIRGINIA
O'HANLON.
"115 WEST NINETY-FIFTH STREET."
VIRGINIA,
your little friends are wrong. They have been
affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age.
They do not believe except [what] they see. They
think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible
by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether
they be men's or children's, are little. In this
great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an
ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless
world about him, as measured by the intelligence
capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.
Yes,
VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly
as love and generosity and devotion exist, and
you know that they abound and give to your life
its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would
be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It
would be as dreary as if there were no VIRGINIAS.
There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry,
no romance to make tolerable this existence. We
should have no enjoyment, except in sense and
sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills
the world would be extinguished.
Not
believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not
believe in fairies! You might get your papa to
hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas
Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did
not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that
prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no
sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real
things in the world are those that neither children
nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing
on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof
that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or
imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable
in the world.
You
may tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes
the noise inside, but there is a veil covering
the unseen world which not the strongest man,
nor even the united strength of all the strongest
men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith,
fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that
curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty
and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, VIRGINIA,
in all this world there is nothing else real and
abiding.
No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives,
and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia,
nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he
will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.
PROJECT 365 - Day 317 - Pinterest, Plans, and Projects
It's been a while since I did any house projects. I may have lulled My Wonderful Husband into a false sense of "being done" with the house. (silly man) To be fair, I have been rather content for awhile. Then I found Pinterest - or rather Pinterest found me. ;-) My Wonderful Husband already hates this website (possibly more that he hates Better Homes and Gardens magazine). I have just been fiddling around on the site looking at things that my creative friends have pinned.... Then I started walking around the house and moving things around a bit.... My Wonderful Husband saw that look in my eyes and started getting nervous. I have big plans for the playroom (which I almost always have big plans for because it is a space I never really finished and is always being changed) a long desk area and a chalkboard wall... new frames.... ooohhh what else? :-)
PROJECT 365 - Day 316 - Outside
The kids played outside with friends for most of the day today. They covered the driveway with chalk art, played cops and robbers, kickball, and soccer and enjoyed the weather. Even though they came inside tonight and tested the limits of my patience and love....they had a great day outside with their friends and for that time I am thankful. ;-)
