Traveling Wise Men

We haven't taken our Christmas decorations down yet.  We will, probably this weekend, but for now they are still up, including our nativity set.  The kids, especially Firecracker, know they are not supposed to mess with the nativity set, even though it's on a shelf they can reach.

We all know that just because a kid, even a good kid, knows they're not supposed to mess with something doesn't mean they leave it alone.  Well, this is the case of my nativity set.  And for some reason or another my children (I think it's Firecracker, but I haven't caught them in the act so it could be Sweet Pea) are more interested in moving the wise men around than the other figures.  I've noticed this several times and I took pictures.  Aren't you lucky ducks? ;)  Here are a few of the different positions of my figures compliments of my kiddos:

This is what it's supposed to look like by the way.

Mary's running away?

I'm not sure what they're doing here?

  I know there have been more positions, but I didn't have my camera handy for them.  The next trip the wise men make will be back into the attic.

Happy New Year!
Ms. T


* If you're having a problem commenting there is a way to fix it. If you have the "keep me signed in" box for your personal email checked it will not allow you to comment. Simply uncheck the box and then you should be allowed to comment.

5 Question Friday

Good morning, Friends!  It's Friday once again =).  I hope your week has been as good as mine has =).

Once again thanks to Mama M. for letting us link up to the 5 question fun.  Alrighty, buckle up, because here we go!
 
1. If you had to give 1 million dollars to just one person (not your spouse), who would it be and why?
      Hmmm... Could I give it to my Mom would would then turn around and split it between all of us siblings and a few other family members?  Or is that cheating?  We're gonna go with "that's cheating" and so my answer, Alex, is that I would give the million to a very good friend.  She and her husband are missionaries in Portugal.  Missionaries typically live on a very tight budget and they are no different.  I'd love to make their financial situation easier so that they could continue their work for the Lord without the constant stress of money.  

2. What bathroom stall do you typically go to FIRST? 
      I usually go to the middle stall.  So if there are 5 stalls I generally pick the 3rd.  Although I am OCD and anal and a lot of other things, I do not actually count the stalls.  I just guestimate.  I'm not entirely sure why it is that I choose this stall.  It's just something I've always done.  Well, as far back as I can remember.

3. How do you prefer to shop: In-store or online?

     Depends, do I have my children with me or not?  If I have no kiddos and I can take all the time I'd like to pondering my purchases then I'm totally going in store.  It's nice to actually be able to handle the items you're thinking about buying.  However, if the kiddos are with me it's a whole different ball game.  If you've ever been to a store with children in tow you totally understand my thought process.  I love my children, and they are reasonably well behaved, especially if the store gives out free cookies.  I bribe them with the promise of the cookie.  If they're good they get the cookie, if not, no cookie.  Most of the time it works like a charm.  However, department stores do not usually dole out free cookies to anyone so those are a whole other scenario.  Ok, back onto the main thought process.... Ok, kids in the store.  While they are reasonably well behaved they are still children that have the attention span of a gnat.  They want a cup, they are hungry, they don't "want" that item they just want to hold it for a few minutes (yeah, I don't fall for that one either).  It makes it very hard to concentrate on anything but them.  So if I need to have time to think I usually just buy online.  It's easier, although sometimes it's more of a pain, because you didn't get the right thing, and instead of being able to jump in the car and take it back you have to mail it and who remembers to do that?  Moving on.

4. What's the weather like in your neck of the woods?
      We have actually had a bit of a cold snap come through our area lately.  It's really nice to have a change in the weather.  It's warm here about 360 days of the year so I'm enjoying our 5 days of cool =).

5. Do you own a pair of Tom's and what do you think? Overrated, underrated or about right?
     Tom's, those are shoes right?  I'm going to go with no.  I'm so far behind the "fashion" world it's ridiculous.  I try to look nice most of the time, but most days of the week nice for me translates to 1. changed out of my jammies, 2. having had a shower, 3. blow dryed my hair rather than it be a wet mess, and finally 4. not having snot, some sort of mashed food or spilled drink on me.  I know that doesn't sound all that ambitious, but trust me to a Mama of 2 active kiddos it's plenty ambitious.

And that's the end of this weeks questions!  

I hope you have a Happy New Year!
Ms. T  


* If you're having a problem commenting there is a way to fix it. If you have the "keep me signed in" box for your personal email checked it will not allow you to comment. Simply uncheck the box and then you should be allowed to comment.

Unexpected

Yesterday I had a very unexpected kindness from an unlikely source.  Tuesdays and Saturdays are our garbage pick up days.  Since Christmas fell on Tuesday we obviously weren't going to have it picked up.  The only issue was that we had missed the 2 previous garbage pick up days for various reasons.  Basically we were swimming in garbage.  (I know sick nasty)  We were fully expecting to have to wait til Saturday to have our mountain of garbage taken away.

Yesterday morning Sweet Pea and I were sitting in the living room when I heard the garbage truck approaching.  In my jammies (which by the way were just plaid jammie pants and one of the Hub's t shirts, so I was completely modest) sprinted out to the outside garbage bins holding Sweet Pea and started trying to haul one of the bins to the curb.  By the time this was occurring the garbage truck was at my neighbors.  The bin tipped over and I was trying to wrestle it back to a standing position.  Thankfully none of the garbage fell out.  While I was wrestling the bin the garbage man ran up to me and said, "just leave it there I'll get it."  He came right up grabbed the bin, dragged it to the curb and emptied it.

His act of generosity astounded me.  I was very appreciative.  Who said chivalry is dead?  And occasionally it comes from unexpected places.

Happy New Year!
Ms. T    


* If you're having a problem commenting there is a way to fix it. If you have the "keep me signed in" box for your personal email checked it will not allow you to comment. Simply uncheck the box and then you should be allowed to comment.

Ms. L and I

 Today, my friends, is Ms. L and My Birthday!!!!  We are pretty much brain twins so it's really perfect that we are birthday twins also =).  

In a perfect world my day would go something like this:  Sleep in til I decide to wake up, read books and be leisurely all day, have cake with the family and get to go to bed early.  Wouldn't that be a wonderful day?!  However, my day will be a normal, get up with the kids, clean (because with all the wonderful chaos of Christmas my house has been woefully neglected), do laundry (see previous excuse), have cake and fun with the family and go to bed.  All in all I'd say it's gonna be a great day!!  Happy birthday to me!

Ms. L, thank you for being such a fabulous friend.  I love you so much and I'm thankful that many moons ago we met through my crazy brother, Pickles.  We've shared many laughs, thoughts, tears and crazy moments and I am excited to see what this year brings us!  Happy birthday, Bestie!

Happy our birthday!
Ms. T  


* If you're having a problem commenting there is a way to fix it. If you have the "keep me signed in" box for your personal email checked it will not allow you to comment. Simply uncheck the box and then you should be allowed to comment.

Gift Bags

As a rule I tend to steer away from gift bags for Christmas.  Wrapping is just part of the celebration.  All those pretty packages sitting under the tree, holding anything your mind can imagine.  It's part of the fun.  

Wrapping paper is also more fun for the kiddos.  They'd much rather tear paper than gently pull tissue paper out of a bag.   The kids aren't usually allowed to tear things up, so when given the opportunity to tear as much as they want?!  Heck yes!  Fun stuff!

Well, after going through all 3 1/2 rolls of Christmas wrapping paper we had in the house all I had left was birthday wrapping paper.  And while I could get away with birthday paper, because it is Jesus' birthday after all...  I decided the last 5 gifts were going to be bagged.  There are still PLENTY of wrapped gifts, but today I say, "yay, bags!"  And then, "I'm done wrapping!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

The after Christmas sales will have my name all over them for wrapping paper! Who pays retail if you don't have to? ;)

Merry Christmas!
Ms. T  


* If you're having a problem commenting there is a way to fix it. If you have the "keep me signed in" box for your personal email checked it will not allow you to comment. Simply uncheck the box and then you should be allowed to comment.

Wrapping

I remember when I was a kid my poor Mama would be frazzled about this time every year.  My Daddy was (and still is) a Pastor and Christmas is a very busy time in the Church.  Staff parties, parishioner parties, Cantatas, Children's Christmas plays and the list could go on.  And all of this on top of the normal shopping, buying and wrapping.  

About the age of 9 I started volunteering to do wrapping for my Mama.  She gratefully took me up on it, even though it wasn't all that beautiful.  I would wrap until I was sick of wrapping.  Then she would take over and be thankful for my help.  The older I got the more wrapping I did for her.  By the time I was 16 I was wrapping everyone's presents except my own.  I was cool with that.  I enjoyed it.  It made me feel good to be able to take some of the load off of my parents.

Now I am a parent with loads of presents to be wrapped.  I am looking at them thinking how much I DON'T want to wrap them.  The Hubs has been super supportive and even volunteered his time to help me wrap.  His only condition is that I am not allowed to complain when his wrapping job doesn't look perfect.  I'm good with that!  Have I told you I love that man?!  Anyway, we have made a dent, but there is still so much that needs to be done.  

Alright, well, I'm going to stop complaining and instead be thankful that we've been blessed with so much!  

I hope you all have just as much wrapping to do as I do! (Ummm... that was meant to be a statement wishing you to have as many blessings as I do, but I think it came off more as a "I hope you have tons of work left to do" statement.  That's not what I meant really!  And please excuse me while I go extract my foot from my mouth)

Merry Christmas!
Ms. T        


* If you're having a problem commenting there is a way to fix it. If you have the "keep me signed in" box for your personal email checked it will not allow you to comment. Simply uncheck the box and then you should be allowed to comment.

Living Nativity

There is a Church not far from where we live that does a living nativity every year.  It is awesome.  The Hubs and I try to take the kids every year.  Ok rephrase, I like to take the kids every year and the Hubs goes because he loves me =).  It's not that he doesn't like it, but the Hubs is not a fan of crowds and there are always lots of people at this event.

Here is our evening in pictures, it's easier to explain this way ;).

A camel at the entrance

The Shepherd telling us about what the Angels told him. 

The Angels

Paying our "taxes".  The church asks each person to bring 1 canned food item.  They then give these things out in their food bank.  It's a win- win situation.

After paying our taxes the children were each given a "sheckle" (aka, a plastic gold coin).  At each shop/ station the kids were given some little trinket they could either take home or give to baby Jesus at the end.

The welcoming committee 

The market

The basket weaver's shop

The spice shop

The Temple

The jewelry maker's shop

The baker's shop

The potter's shop. (The kids got little clay colored balls of play doh to make into bowls)

There were animals being led around

The prisoner ;) (Sweet Pea wouldn't stand still long enough to get her pic taken here)

The little soldier. (This time it was Firecracker who didn't want his picture taken)

Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus, the Angel and a Shepherd

Sweet pea giving her "gifts" to Jesus

   As always we had a great time.  It's such an awesome experience and not just for the kids.  It's like stepping back in time.  If you can find something like this near you I urge you to go.  If nothing else it's something fun and nearly free to do. =)

Merry Christmas!
Ms. T

* If you're having a problem commenting there is a way to fix it. If you have the "keep me signed in" box for your personal email checked it will not allow you to comment. Simply uncheck the box and then you should be allowed to comment.

Cable

 About a month and a half ago the Hubs and I went over the budget looking for places we could cut.  The biggest money saver would have been the cable.  We knew it was expensive, but we LOVED our DVR (the Hubs constantly told people it had saved our marriage! haha!) and the Hubs loves to watch racing series.  Not NASCAR so much as the Australian V8 series and formula one etc. etc.  Those series are much more difficult to find anywhere but cable.  Needless to say cable was our guilty pleasure we still allowed ourselves.

Finally, the Hubs and I made the decision.  We had to cut somewhere so cable was out.  We were saving ourselves 60.00 a month!  That's a big deal.  Do we miss cable?  Sure we do, however, not nearly as much as I would have thought we would.  It turns out we can live without it! Imagine that ;).  We have indulged ourselves in Netflix streaming.  So instead of paying 60.00 for cable we pay 8.00 for Netflix.  It's not the same and the poor Hubs doesn't get his racing, but he does get like 4,000 episodes of America's Funniest Home Videos (which is one of his all time favorite shows).  

No cable is working well for our family right now.  Will we have cable again someday?  Probably, but not anytime soon.  We are content with what we have and still looking for places we can tighten the belt just a smidge more.  If we find any great ideas I will let you know =).

Merry Christmas! (Can you believe Christmas is only a week away?!  A WEEK!!!)
Ms. T 

* If you're having a problem commenting there is a way to fix it. If you have the "keep me signed in" box for your personal email checked it will not allow you to comment. Simply uncheck the box and then you should be allowed to comment.

Prayers and Guns

I've been sick to my stomach all weekend over what happened in Connecticut last Friday. I will never understand why people decide to take lives of others.  Especially lives of children.  I have read and heard about the other shootings that have happened and while they all disturb me this one hits me harder than the others.  I can't imagine kissing Firecracker and sending him into school and then never getting to hug and kiss him again.  I have been praying for the parents and families of the victims.  

This time of year has to be incredibly hard to lose a loved one.  Especially through events like this.  Imagining the families now having gifts under the tree for a recipient that will never be able to open them is heart breaking.  My heart and prayers go out to these families.

All of that being said, my thoughts on guns have not changed.  As a matter of fact my feelings about guns have gotten stronger.  I am a gun advocate.  I do realize that bad things happen when bad guys have guns.  However, bad things happen when bad guys have knives,  and fertilizer (it's in home made bombs).  There is no way legislators can make laws to keep bad guys from being bad.  In my opinion we have to learn to defend ourselves to help keep our families safe.  

And this my dear readers, is why I'm seriously considering getting my concealed weapons permit.  Do I relish the idea of carrying a gun around with me? No, I do not.  Do I have any visions of grandeur thinking that I will save my family one day weilding my gun against some crazed gunman? Negative.  I never even want to have to pull the gun unless it's to practice my aim.  At a shooting range of course.  A gun is not a toy.  A gun is a method to protect my family.  And I want to protect my babies with whatever means I have available to me.

Sorry to go all serious on you.  Tomorrow I should be back to my crazy self ;).

Merry Christmas!  Hug your babies a little longer and a little tighter today.
Ms. T  


* If you're having a problem commenting there is a way to fix it. If you have the "keep me signed in" box for your personal email checked it will not allow you to comment. Simply uncheck the box and then you should be allowed to comment.

5 Question Friday

Good Morning, Friends!  I hope you all are having a great day!  It's going to be a great weekend around our house.  My Bro., Ham, and his wife and babies are coming into town tomorrow!!!  And they'll be here all the way through Christmas.  And of course they'll be the Christmas shopping and Church going.  

Alrighty, let's get on with the 5 question fun!  Once again thanks to Mama M. for letting me link up!

1. If you bake during the holidays, what is your favorite thing to make?

     I do bake during the holidays.  We have a Christmas tradition of making my great grandmother's sugar cookie recipe.  They are seriously the best sugar cookies you will ever eat.  Maybe if you're good I'll share the recipe before long ;).

2. Present giving: Gift bag vs wrapped box?
      I love having actual wrapped presents under the tree.  However there are some very awkward shaped things that necessitate being wrapped in a gift bag.  Otherwise I might just want to poke my eye out with a pencil, because of all the paper that gets torn trying to wrap odd angles.  So for the sake of my eyes I use bags sometimes.

3. What do you keep your thermostat on during the winter/summer in your house?
     During the summer we keep the thermostat at 78 degrees.  I know that's not cool, but trust me when it's 90 outside 78 feels delightful.  Plus if we put the thermostat on 75 the Hubs and I would have a collective heart attack when the power bill came every month.  During the winter we keep our heat on to about 73ish.  However, this winter has been very warm so we've only had a handful of evenings we have even needed the heat on.  We have however, needed to turn the air on a few times.

4. When thinking of your "Christmas to-do list" what percentage "done" are you?
     I'd say I'm about 80% done.  I still have a few presents to buy for Sweet Pea and I still need to figure out what to get the Hubs.... Anyone have any ideas?  Men are so hard to buy for... Unless it's car parts and goodness those are expensive.

5. Do you do the "Elf on a Shelf"? If so, is your Elf naughty and what shenanigans has he gotten into?
     This may not make me very popular and if so sorry you feel that way.  Anywho, we do not teach our kids that Santa is real.  We don't boycott Santa either.  We read stories with Santa and Frosty etc. But  we make sure to tell the kids that Santa is a nice story, but the real reason for Christmas is Jesus.  So all that to say, no, we don't do the elf on a shelf thing.  Not to mention that would take lots of creativity and effort and I'm basically lazy ;).

Merry Christmas! 
Ms. T

* If you're having a problem commenting there is a way to fix it. If you have the "keep me signed in" box for your personal email checked it will not allow you to comment. Simply uncheck the box and then you should be allowed to comment.

Height

The Hubs is a very tall man (6' 6" to be exact).  There are not many people in this world that can make him look short.  However, he always complains that he is the shortest male in his family.  Yes, it's true.  And while we see his brother on a regular basis he isn't all that much taller than the Hubs, so it's easy to over look.  

While we were visiting Grandpop, the Hubs dad and my fabulous father in law, I realized once again just how much taller he is than the Hubs.  I asked them if I could take a picture of them.  Of course they complained and whined, but they did let me.  However, I don't think I got one where they were being serious ;).  Goofballs!  I love my family!!!

So for your edification here are a few pics of the Hubs and Grandpop just to show you how "short" the Hubs really is ;).  Oh and p.s. I didn't plan it this way, but yes, that is a normal sized doorway behind them, just to give you a bit of perspective.

I think I caught them slightly off guard here, because they're almost being serious... almost.

And here the Hubs is trying to pull Grandpop down to his own level, or he's trying to climb up and be as tall as Grandpop.  I'm not really sure.

   
It's just proof that when you're around something all the time you get used to it and don't really notice it.  But when a "new" ingredient is added it opens your eyes to all sorts of weird and wacky stuff that you accept as normal ;).

Merry Christmas!
Ms. T
* If you're having a problem commenting there is a way to fix it. If you have the "keep me signed in" box for your personal email checked it will not allow you to comment. Simply uncheck the box and then you should be allowed to comment.

Playing Around With The Camera

I have seen a few beautiful pictures of children standing in front of a Christmas tree with only the lights behind them.  I love these type of pictures.  I have wanted to take some of my kiddos but to this point I've been to chicken to try.  (Silly right?  It's not like it'll cost me anything but time.  However, I hate trying something if I am not sure I can do it well.... Thus photography has been a huge leap for me... I am doing better with it, but still not to the caliber I'd like to be.)  Anywho, last night I read about it online and finally decided to give it a whirl.  

Without further adieu I give you the pictures I took last night:

It definitely doesn't hurt that my subjects are so darn cute!

Merry Christmas!
Ms. T
  

* If you're having a problem commenting there is a way to fix it. If you have the "keep me signed in" box for your personal email checked it will not allow you to comment. Simply uncheck the box and then you should be allowed to comment.

Shark Steam Mop Review and Story

*This is not a sponsored review.  All thoughts, statements and ramblings are my own.*

Right before Firecracker was born I asked the Hubs to get me a Shark steam mop.  The mopping system I had been using had a chemical that recently had been shown to cause deaths in small animals.  I really didn't want that around my baby.  So the Hubs, being the wonderful, sweet man that he is got me one.  I loved it!  

However, about 6 months ago my mop kicked the bucket.  It gave up the ghost.  It was pushing up daisies. etc.  I was sad.  And so for the last 5 3/4 months I've been cleaning my floors by getting on my hands and knees scrubbing with bleach.  I do love bleach, but it wasn't super fun going back to this method.

So day after Thanksgiving Walmart had one for 40.00.  I was reluctant to spend 40.00 on myself (what penny pinching wife and mother feels guiltless when spending moola on themselves?).  But I did it anyway.  And boy oh boy am I happy I did! 

It cleans my floors very well and while I'm not sure I subscribe to the whole "kills 99% of bacteria" claim I'm cool with it.  It gets my floors clean and when I'm done my socks don't stick to parts of the floor anymore.  That makes it totally worth it!

Now if someone would just invent a self cleaning floor so that it doesn't look like I completely ignore cleaning my floors one day after I've swept and mopped them I'd be eternally grateful!  I think I'll ask Santa for that one ;).

Merry Christmas!
Ms. T

P.s. Walmart offered a 2 year warranty on the mop for 4.00.  I totally bought that! 


* If you're having a problem commenting there is a way to fix it. If you have the "keep me signed in" box for your personal email checked it will not allow you to comment. Simply uncheck the box and then you should be allowed to comment.

White Christmas

I love the great old Christmas songs like "Santa Baby", "I'll be home for Christmas", "Christmas in Kilarney" etc.  The other day I was singing along with "White Christmas" and I started paying close attention to the words.  All the sudden I started thinking, "this song sounds nice, but I really DON'T want a 'White Christmas'!  I want a normal, green and brown Christmas."  

No, I don't want a white Christmas.  I despise snow.  Sure it looks all pretty in pictures, but it creates so much work!  And it creates dangerous driving conditions and it melts leaving nasty slush in it's wake.  I'd much rather have my state's heat, brown and green than have a white Christmas.  Thankyouverymuch!  However, those of you that enjoy white Christmases I hope you have all the snow your heart desires.  As a matter of fact you can have my share, since I won't be needing it.  See how generous I am? ;)

Merry Christmas!
Ms. T  

* If you're having a problem commenting there is a way to fix it. If you have the "keep me signed in" box for your personal email checked it will not allow you to comment. Simply uncheck the box and then you should be allowed to comment.