Oh, Christmas tree...

There seems to be some concern (clears throat) about Bode Wm's need for Christmas decorations. I won't name any names (clears throat) (AUNT DAWNIE) but everyone can rest assured that Bode Wm knows that we are celebrating Christmas in Portland.  And we are doing Christmas-y things in our spare time (viewing Christmas lights, listening to Christmas music, reading Christmas stories (thank you Aunt Melinda!).

Yes, he's excited, and yes, he probably would feel better if  our whole house was a-blaze in lights a la Clark Griswold's house in Christmas Vacation. 

But that is not going to happen.

Remember his little "tree" that he brought home from school? We decorated it with scraps (really) around the house.  I removed a small strand of star garland from one of Gianna's school art projects and put it on the tree. I drew some stars and Christmas "lights" for Bode to color. Being the selfless and devoted mother I am, I even sacrificed my very latest issue of Bazaar, and cut it up (the tinsel portrait of Karl Lagerfeld's design team, a gold star necklace, a diamond bangle, etc.). (If RWF happens to look at the tree, he might think that I've done lost my mind and am dropping some really expensive hints.)  I actually taped the cut-outs to the tree using a roll of packing tape left by the movers. (Crafty! Martha's got nothing on me!)

We have a Charlie Brown tree in place.  It stands by its lonely self, mostly ignored by everyone, against the living room wall. It's not perfect, but it will do for now. 

Now everybody sing it with me: "Oh, Christmas tree. Oh, Christmas tree...."

xo

Christmas time is near

High five, everyone! It is Friday!  It is almost Christmas!  It is a beautiful, sunny day! It's time to don your holiday garb and jingle those bells! Eat those cookies! Fa la la la...LA!

Did you do anything special on December 12, 2012? You know, 12/12/12?  We put the tree up in the living room. We have lost (?) one big box of ornaments and decorations. So the tree is kind of sparsely decorated this year.  But that doesn't stop these monkeys from rearranging the ornaments, taking the ornaments down, and asking to eat the candy canes (the answer is always: No).

And, because we are low on ornaments, I went to the store for a quick ornament dash.  And  not only that, but I took all 3 (One. Two.Three.) kiddos with me! Oh, yes I did.  HIGH FIVE! And now I will always remember what I did on 12/12/12: I took all 3 babies - for the very first time- into a store. And, I survived.

Last night, Bode wanted a ponytail in his hair.  And then Gianna wanted one, too.  The result being this:

My little twinkies then sat and read Christmas stories with me before bed.  I am always forgetting that there is 2 years between them.  These two are so close, and do everything together.  Whatever Bode does, Gianna does...and she does it just fine, as if she were the 4 year old, not  her brother. It's got to be tough sometimes trying to hang with with a 4 year old when you are just 2. Gianna was absolutely exhausted last night, as evidenced by these photos.

And that must mean that Nico is going to be working double-time just to keep up with his sibs!  This morning, I witnessed him peering up at the mobile attached to his swing. And then he reached up, trying to touch a little birdy on the mobile!  I wanted to scream, "STOP!"  He needs to slow down on the developments. I want to enjoy his little baby self for as long as possible.

Looking wise beyond his years months

Today is about sunshine, some last-minute online shopping (ugh) and hopefully...just maybe...baking cookies or a holiday craft. This means that I need to take my "sanity shower" and get moving.  Bode and Gianna like to chant, "I like to move it, move it." (This is the chant that Bode learned in ski school and it comes in handy during those slooow times.)

Happy Friday, friends.

xo

Kickin' it old school

This week, the weather has been...meh.  Cold, rainy and windy.  We have spent the afternoons indoors. And that means that this mommy has got two crazy, cooped up toddlers on her hands.  

Tuesday afternoon, I made paper snowflakes with Bode while Nico and Gianna napped. Bode loved it.  He thought it was the neatest thing ever.  I had a lot of fun with him. It was a great way to spend a (quiet) hour with my firstborn.

There are a ton of tutorials online for different holiday crafts. But this was easy and convenient because we had the tools right here (white paper, scissors).  Please do not call or email me to warn me of the hazards of a child with scissors. I did all the cutting myself, and was very cautious about keeping the scissors out of his reach.

Speaking of hazards, on Wednesday, my firstborn came home from school looking like this:

It looked a lot more red and angry when I first saw him.  In fact, when I first saw him, my heart skipped a beat because I thought it was blood.  I think he took off  the first layer of skin falling down on the playground. I think. His details are sketchy.  

And speaking of old school crafts, this is what he did at school that day:

He was very proud of his popcorn garland.  His teacher said that he is a whiz with a needle and thread. Her exact word was "meticulous."  So I guess despite being kind of klutzy on the playground, Bode Wm has a possible future in textiles. Or maybe Christmas decor? Or bird feeding?

On Thursday, we put up the Charlie Brown tree in the playroom. There are currently 212 ornaments lying about in various places in the playroom, mixed in with cars, Legos and crayons. And maybe 3 ornaments actually on the Christmas tree. I'm trying hard to not let it get to me.  I'm trying really hard to be all, "Fa la la la...laaaa" about the whole thing and not yell about taking the tree down if the ornaments don't stay on it. 

And that was the biggies of our week.   

Happy weekend.

xo

On the last week before Christmas, my true loves...

Whee! We are almost to Christmas! Are you ready?!?!?!

This morning Bode and I mixed up gingerbread cookie dough.  He seems to be especially interested in the gingerbread men mentioned in some Christmas stories. So I decided that we need to make some so that he knows what he's seeing in the books.  While I was measuring out the ground cinnamon, Bode had the mixer all to himself.  Can you guess what happened?   Bode shouted, "Whoah!" and I looked up to see the mixers out of the bowl and cookie dough mix flying through the air!  We laughed (even though, I wasn't really laughing at first...it took me a minute to get over the initial, "Oh, no! My kitchen! What a mess!" reaction).   My t-shirt is covered in cookie dough and I'm sure there are parts of my kitchen that I missed.  

While the cookie dough is firming in the refrigerator, here are a few things we have done this week:

- Sunday I decided that we needed a bigger tree.  So after dropping RWF off at the airport in the early morning, we went Christmas tree shopping.  I picked out a 9 ft tree.  After checking out, I realized my tree wasn't going to fit in our car! (I wasn't driving the QEII.)  So we had to leave the tree behind and go exchange cars.  We returned to pick up our tree in the QEII.  I got the 9 ft tree into the house, and built it while the babies played in the Christmas tree box.  It fit, but only in the spots where our ceiling arched high. I wanted the Christmas tree in the window. I just love seeing Christmas trees in windows, don't you?   So...I took the tree down.  I put it back in the box (after convincing the babies to leave the box).  We went back to the store after naps.  I picked up a 7 ft tree.  We took it home, built it, and it fits perfectly in our front window. Hooray!  I love having my own grown-up tree (in addition to our lovely homemade Charlie Brown tree).  The babies are enjoying both trees as well.

-Cookie making in full force. Bode understands that Santa gets cookies and milk when he leaves toys for good girls and boys. So we are busy in the cookie department. I am a sneaky mommy though. I only make half the dough.  So the cookies disappear quickly.  Bode usually eats one or two cookies.  I eat a bunch while he naps.  Don't worry, Santa, we'll have cookies for you!

-Bode and I wrapped the rest of our presents while Gianna napped yesterday.  I enjoy asking him to put his finger on the ribbon to hold it in place while I make a bow. My mom used to let me "help" her wrap presents the same way. I remember feeling Very Important holding the ribbon down while she made a bow. 

-Bode and Gianna are both wearing Christmas pajamas every night. Bode seems to feel that this is a "requirement" as he won't wear anything else.  They both look so festive and huggable.  This is another Christmas tradition that I want my children to enjoy every year. (Okay, so it's really for me to enjoy.)

-Bode doesn't want to wear anything that isn't Christmas-y.  In fact, he insists on wearing one of his Christmas pajama shirts during the day.  The other night after RWF returned home from work, I ran out to Target and bought Bode some Christmas t-shirts to wear for the next couple of days.  Problem solved. 

-Yesterday both babies got haircuts.  Gianna got her bangs whacked off and she now has a 1/4 inch fringe above her eyes.  Seriously, it looks bad.  The stylist blamed Gianna, stating that she moved her head. I blame the stylist, of course. It looks like I did the job myself.  After seeing Gianna's fringe, I was not in the Christmas spirit, as  I gave the stylist a (small) tip.  Bode has a big boy haircut again. I really enjoy his hair on the longer side but I don't think I can handle the growing out phase to get it long again.  The short cut looks nice on him, but I miss the curls and longer, shaggy 'do that my boy used to wear.

And last, I have no pictures to share.  Gianna ran off with my camera the other day, and I have no idea where she "hid" it. I have turned the house upside down looking for my camera.  We need this camera to take pictures of Christmas, so please send some good little elves over to help me find it.

Happy Wednesday. 

xo

Oh Christmas tree

My little Christmas elf is almost as big as this tree!

After a lot (and I mean, a lot) of thought, I decided to just put up our Charlie Brown tree in the play room. This way (I reason), the babies can destroy enjoy it.  Last year, I bought a bunch of fabric ornaments for this very purpose. 

My favorite part is on top, Bode's and Gianna's first ornaments

The Santa hat was in our Christmas box. He put it on immediately and has not taken it off.

This year, I bought Bode two special ornaments that are not fabric.  I warned him that they will break if he plays with them.  I am OK if that happens, believe me. I wouldn't have given them to him if I had my heart set on keeping a red fire truck and a red truck with a Christmas tree in its pickup.  It was enough for me to see him smile when he unwrapped them.  Maybe we'll be able to keep these ornaments forever, or maybe just a few years.  Whatever happens, it will be alright, because we'll just keep buying more.

I am craving a beautiful Christmas tree and a beautiful home.  I wanted everything a-sparkle, everything glowing in warm candle light.  But the reality is, I have two babies right now.  There will be time for the more sophisticated looking Christmas later (or not, depending on how we feel).

And that sparkle? I already know that it doesn't come from twinkling Christmas lights and jingling bells. It comes from the smiling faces of my little ones admiring a homemade looking tree. The joy that radiates from Bode's face when he finds old Christmas friends to play with, and the magic in turning on the Christmas lights.

A beautiful Christmas tree, personalized with our names. One of my favorite Christmas gifts!

Right now, the focus is on family, making our memories and enjoying the holidays together.  What are your favorite holiday memories?  Do you have special holiday rituals and objects?  I hope that you are already having a happy holiday! 

Enjoy.

xo