Speaking of Christmas Cards

I was serious in that last post, in case you were wondering. I really am not sending out cards this year. It's for no other reason than the fact that I just plain ran out of time. Oh well. There's always next year.

I was over hearing a conversation today about people who send out Christmas letters and if the recipient really cares about them. I personally do not send out a letter, but I love getting them. I totally understand why people do it. It's a good way to let loved ones know what's going on in your life when you don't really have the time to update them throughout the year.
I guess the only thing that bugs me (and it really bugs me) is when there are typos or poor grammer or wierd wording. Now, I get that I probably have quite a few issues with this blog - but I'm also not sending it out to over 100 people to read and I write in it all the time. If you're going to send out one letter all year - please have someone proof read it. Just saying.
Another thing that bugs people is when the letter is a brag fest about their life. For example: "and little Johnny is the smartest kid on the planet - we're so proud!"
Like I said, I love getting the letters and I don't really look in to them too much in that way.

What are your thoughts on this topic?

My Christmas Card

What you're looking at is my 2009 Christmas card.

I'm sorry.

We took the girls to see the 8th floor at Macy's on Saturday. It didn't take as long as we thought it would so we walked almost every skyway there is downtown. We went through the Target Center, looked at the new Twins stadium (that's Bill's company is building) and ended up at Block E at Gameworks.

The girls LOVED the 8th floor - even though it was the same as last year (lame, Macy's, totally lame) and, of course, were very excited to see Santa and give their requests.

We ate at the Oak Grill with my aunt, uncle and cousins and had our annual popovers and holiday cocktail with dinner. It's a tradition.

Hope you all had a fun weekend too!

I Hate the Cold

I hate the cold, I hate the cold, I hate the cold, I hate the cold, I hate the cold.

I will, somehow, get through this winter, but if it's my last MN winter you won't hear me complain.

I hate the cold.

Pretty Blog

I tried as much as I could do decorate my blog - and this is as far as free would get me.

Guess who's in the picture in the header?

Who's in my belly?

Can't We All Get Along?

Oh sure, they look like friends here, but I assure you that the love is fleeting. I swear I do not remember fighting with my brother the way Cecelia and Delaney fight with eachother. It is pretty much non-stop. Most the time Cecelia is trying to help and Delaney is freaking out about it. Cecelia doesn't know when to leave well enough alone - and Delaney hits her. Or, Delaney is bugging Cecelia and Cecelia asks her to stop and then she doesn't and then Cecelia hits her.

And the best part is when I go to reprimand one child I have to talk through the defense that it was her sister's fault. I am so sick of them fighting.

Where is Laila through all of this, you ask? Oh, just climbing to the top bunk of Cecelia's bed, or climbing on the chairs to get to the top of the kitchen table, or standing on the top of the dollhouse or standing in the kid's plastic shopping cart. Basically, making her best attempt to end her life as we know it.

What's the deal, man?

Giving Thanks

I don't ever want to give the message that my children are an inconvenience to me. In fact, it's quite the opposite. I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have them to care for. They are my life.

People always say that they'd die for their children. The more important question is are you living for them.

To my 3 beautiful, smart and funny girls:
I love you.
I love you more.
I love you to the moon and back.
I love you to infinity.
You are my everything.

Love,
Mom

Re-Acclimating

It's funny how being gone for as little as two nights can create such a shift in the house. Children are such creatures of habit and structure that it makes it hard to even want to go away sometimes.

It's hard for me too because every day I'm home there is a string of usual to-do's like picking up all the rooms, going through the mail, organizing school stuff, checking voicemails, returning phone calls, laundry, dishes, etc, etc. And even though everything looks pretty much exactly the same from day to day there's actually quite a bit that goes on that's under the radar.

And even though Bill does a great job of keeping things as orderly as possible, there's still an extra amount of organizing once I get home.

I wish I could snap my fingers and all this stuff would be done for me so I could spend more time just hanging out with my kids.

I feel like it's such a struggle to balance quality time - or being present as I like to say - with "getting stuff done." I mean, someone has to keep things in some semblance of order.

The kids don't get it either. I'm trying to hurry up and do 50 million things so that we can do something fun together and 3 little people are constantly under foot asking for help with this and how do you spell that and can I put this on and crying because the big toy doesn't fit in the little toy and I need a wipe and is it snack time and I'm thirsty and she's hitting me and that's not her's it's mine and on and on and on.......

All I need is a block of time with no interruption and things would go so much faster!

One thing that helps is the fact that the girls totally crack me up during the day. Cecelia is now old enough to have a sense of humor that is actually funny. Delaney simply never stops talking and it's just funny to hear her ramble on and on about this or that. Laila will come up and just shove her head in to me and hang on to my leg as I try and walk around.

I really do think that they're the ones who keep me on track and balance out the work and the play.

The day to day grind can get tough, but then I get a little break, come home, re-acclimate and try and focus on how amazing my kids are.