On the 5th day of Christmas

`On the fifth day of Christmas...my stupid self gave me....

A lesson that my hitting a snowbank AINT free.

it was 8am...I had someone managed to get all 5 of us dressed...and scurrying out the door to the beloved dentist.

I was my usual 5 minutes behind schedule...but feeling good that no one was still in jammies or skipping breakfast to get out the door.

The dentist is only a stones throw and I knew if I hurried I could make it before the "You are LATE LOOK" from the doctor.

the closest parking spot had a big snowbank in front of it.

So I rammed my infant SUV (I call it an infant b/c it is just barely 1 year old...pretty soon she will be a toddler) into the snow so that my tail end wouldn't be sticking obnoxiously out.

Snow is suppose to be soft...Right???

Well not after the heaviest slushiest snowfall of the decade...and it has 2 warmer days to thaw and refreeze each night.

I thought I was on the Titanic and hit an ice berg...it didn't budge...but my fender did...it moved inward. 

Boy hubby loved hearing that news. 

Well now this warm weather Texas girl knows...not all snowbanks are created equal.

Not only do I have to watch out for YELLOW snow...Now I can't just run over any snow pile I see.

EAT MY SNOW!!!

On the Fourth Day of Christmas

On the fourth day of Christmas my girls gave me...

A chance to come, watch, hear and see.

Who doesn't love a Christmas concert sung by a 4 year old...or a play put on by a 7 year old...or an symphony number put on by an 11 year old viola player.

But who loves it all crammed in the last few days before Christmas break???

Only a MOM.

One the 3rd day of Christmas

On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me.....

A house full of 18 youth to feed.

It was Etiquette Night at the Vance House.

BUT I had to teach hubby some manners first.

1st- don't plan a HUGE event for your wife to host the week before Christmas.

2nd- don't over step your guidelines of a 3 course meal and make it into an 11 course meal.

3rd-K.I.S.S (Keep it simple Stupid)

4th- Quit trying to show off your candelabras. Yes they are big and Fantastic...but no one likes a show off.

But overall it was a fun night.

The girls looked FABULOUS. I couldn't believe they went all out and wore ball gowns.

I was lucky to throw on a clean shirt.

I was underdressed at my own party.

On the 2nd day of Christmas

On the second day of Christmas, my 3 youngest gave me...

A house full of white fluffy white stuff to clean. 

Why is a box of packing peanuts so fun??  I will never know.  But the bigger question is why are they more fun if they tear them up into a thousand little pieces??

Have you ever tried vaccuming that stuff up?  I clogged my poor Dyson 3 times.  And how about it in every fat roll of my cute baby.. it sticks like glue.

But the funny part is if you just look out the window...and put on your snowpants, snowboots, your gloves, your coat, your hat...you can go outside and enjoy real fluffy white stuff. 

Go mess up mother nature and leave my Dyson out of this.

12 Pictures of Christmas

One the first day of Christmas...my darling kids whined to me...

Lets open a sock and what gift there be.

Now every day since...they wake up..run for the socks to see what their trinket is today.

Who started this sock advent thing anyway.  It was way simpler in my head...than actually thinking of cheap (yes I said cheap) things to fill the footwear with.  Today it was old fashioned candy sticks.  Tommorrow it will be a note from dear old Mom.  Boy will they be disappointed.  Up this week will be chapstick, pencils, toothbrushes(after they get their cavaties filled on Thursday) and whistle pops.

Some days I walk by and see the bottom rung of socks torn down...the littlest scavenger must be looking for treats.  I have learned not to fill them until the day of the unveiling.   

Holiday Whirl

How are we just 11 days out from Christmas.  I thought I was so a head.  I had my house decorated by Dec 1st.  I had pre-shopped in late Oct and early November.  I made my list and checked it twice and it looked like I was going to coast through the holidays.

But here I am making my list and crying over what is still left to be done.  And they are all fun things...

• going to kids Christmas concerts and plays.  Even if I have to drag all the kids out on a terrible snowy night, and then proceed to stand up through 6 grades of signing and bell ringing, only to realize my kid is so far in the back I can't even photgraph her.
• making and delivering neighbor gifts to the people I share part of my daily life with.  Who wave to the blur of a white SUV who flies and sometimes slides up and down our mountain road.
• designing and addressing 125+ Christmas cards to the people who have touched my life over the years and I want to stay connected with. And I get to use all my new digiscrapping skills.
• preparing teacher gifts to the 18 teachers who teach, influence, uplift, and nourish my children. Why do people think once a child gets in junior high their teachers become less important and don't deserve a gift.  My child may be the only one carrying gifts to school this week...but it I want to say Thank You with some small token for touching my childrens hearts and minds.
• Hosting, cooking and decorating for a youth ettiqutte dinner at my house this week.  Which my husband so thoughtfully blew out of proportion and turned it from a 3 course meal to a 10 course meal.  He thought he was doing me a favor by helping me feel like I was back in Texas throwing big blow out parties.  Hello not at this time of year.
• Hosting my hubbys family for the annual Vance Christmas dinner.  It's always a joy to fill my house with people we love who love us back. And to institute a new tradition a white elephant gift exchange.  I am a little worried about this crowd...but fun none the less. 

I absolutely love the holidays and I promise to smile all the way through the next 10 days becuase I know at he end it will be all worth the efforts and then as a bonus I get to board a plane to travel back to the people that shaped me, my beliefs, my world. 

JOYFUL..that is my theme next week.

MonSteR MasH

Our littlest babe has turned into a Monster right before our eyes..

First it was her birthday cake.

Look...I am TWO.

Then it was her pinata

That is quite a monster smile...if I have ever seen one.

Then it was her Halloween costume.

I think the little monster is here to stay and chased away our sweet baby.