Okay, so it's not. And with extreme heat advisories the last few days, it's not beginning to feel much like Christmas either! But that's not getting me down! I am bound and determined to mentally escape from the brutal summer heat one way or another.
Today is August 25th. That means there are only 4 short months until Christmas day. Can you believe it? (I'll give you a moment to recover from your mini-stroke...) So much to do and not nearly as much time as you think.
Join me as I launch my brand new blog Countdown To Christmas, and together we can make the most of our time and stretch those holiday dollars!
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Here We Go Again
Well, here we are. Two weeks into the new school year and life is already insanely busy. If we keep at this pace for the remainder of the year, I'm dreading the impending sickness that will fall on our house in the coming months. Last year the first illness manifested itself just before Thanksgiving and lasted until May. Yes, I said May. Someone in our home was sick consistently from November to MAY! I don't know about other families, but that's record sickness for us and it was extremely uncharacteristic.
Daniel has now been in school 11 days and has already brought home a stuffy, runny nose that he has graciously passed on to his brother and sister. As of yet, it seems to be minor and countless prayers are being offered up that it passes quickly. In the meantime, it's early to bed and extra Juice Plus+ for everyone.
Just in case, I'll be making a run to Target today to buy volumes of PediaCare, Motrin, Benedryl, Dimetapp, Triaminic, Robitussin, Little Noses, and anything else that might come in handy over the next few months!
Daniel has now been in school 11 days and has already brought home a stuffy, runny nose that he has graciously passed on to his brother and sister. As of yet, it seems to be minor and countless prayers are being offered up that it passes quickly. In the meantime, it's early to bed and extra Juice Plus+ for everyone.
Just in case, I'll be making a run to Target today to buy volumes of PediaCare, Motrin, Benedryl, Dimetapp, Triaminic, Robitussin, Little Noses, and anything else that might come in handy over the next few months!
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Things That Only Happen On the First Day of School
The first day of school is a strange phenomenon for parents. It is faced with a mix of excitement, relief, and dread as you realize that your children are embarking on another school year guaranteed to fly by as fast that those before it. Regardless of one's feelings about the first day of school. There are five things that occur this particular day that will not happen for the other 179 days of the school year.
1) Your children will be out of bed on time, and more surprisingly, so will you. There is something unusually easy about getting up before dawn to get your kids dressed and out the door as soon as possible on the first day of school. No need to hit the snooze button today. No chance of accidentally over-sleeping. It's back to school and you will be there at least 10 minutes before the bell rings.
2) Your child's clothes will be pressed and looking sharp. If you're like me, this is a rare occurrence for anyone in the household, including yourself. There are few things I detest as much as ironing and therefore, I purpose to do it as little as possible. But I realized this morning as I pressed a miniature polo shirt and navy cargo shorts, that I was definitely going above and beyond. Why? It's the first day of school.
3) You will provide a healthy and substantial breakfast for your children. On the first day of school, your child will partake of each of the four basic food groups from the veritable smorgasbord of food you will prepare. After all, they cannot possibly function and be sustained throughout the day without the proper nutrients on the first day of school. Every other day of the school year, a cold Pop Tart eaten in the car on the way to school is considered sufficient.
4) You will watch the clock religiously and wonder what your child is doing at each moment of the day. This is perhaps the most puzzling ritual of the day. This is largely due to the fact that, for most parents, it will be a matter of mere days before you lose track of time completely and nearly forget to pick up your children from school.
5) You will retire unusually early, exhausted from your extra efforts and knowing full well that the process will begin again in the morning. The good news is, you can hit the snooze button tomorrow. It's not the first day of school. :-)
1) Your children will be out of bed on time, and more surprisingly, so will you. There is something unusually easy about getting up before dawn to get your kids dressed and out the door as soon as possible on the first day of school. No need to hit the snooze button today. No chance of accidentally over-sleeping. It's back to school and you will be there at least 10 minutes before the bell rings.
2) Your child's clothes will be pressed and looking sharp. If you're like me, this is a rare occurrence for anyone in the household, including yourself. There are few things I detest as much as ironing and therefore, I purpose to do it as little as possible. But I realized this morning as I pressed a miniature polo shirt and navy cargo shorts, that I was definitely going above and beyond. Why? It's the first day of school.
3) You will provide a healthy and substantial breakfast for your children. On the first day of school, your child will partake of each of the four basic food groups from the veritable smorgasbord of food you will prepare. After all, they cannot possibly function and be sustained throughout the day without the proper nutrients on the first day of school. Every other day of the school year, a cold Pop Tart eaten in the car on the way to school is considered sufficient.
4) You will watch the clock religiously and wonder what your child is doing at each moment of the day. This is perhaps the most puzzling ritual of the day. This is largely due to the fact that, for most parents, it will be a matter of mere days before you lose track of time completely and nearly forget to pick up your children from school.
5) You will retire unusually early, exhausted from your extra efforts and knowing full well that the process will begin again in the morning. The good news is, you can hit the snooze button tomorrow. It's not the first day of school. :-)
Monday, August 1, 2011
Another School Year
I'm coming to terms with the fact that another school year is upon us. Yes, only two days until we get back into the "swing of things". It's a bittersweet time. On one hand this mother is wishing to see ALL three of her children headed out the door with backpacks on Wednesday morning, after what seems like an eternity of whining, fighting, and sweating buckets. But on the other hand, the perceived loss of freedom that comes with having to get up and out the door at what seems like an ungodly hour to start school, is disheartening. At the moment it is 7:30. My kids are happily munching on peanut butter toast, watching tv, and I am blogging in my pajamas while sipping my coffee. Aaah, the lazy days of summer. I'm not quite ready to let go...
Fourty-eight hours from now, I will be a giant ball of stress, throwing lunch and school supplies in a backpack, shouting orders for kids to get shoes on, and mercilessly brushing through a rat's nest of curls to get my three kids presentable enough to take just one to his first day of school.
How much enjoyment can I squeeze out of these two days before they're gone?
Fourty-eight hours from now, I will be a giant ball of stress, throwing lunch and school supplies in a backpack, shouting orders for kids to get shoes on, and mercilessly brushing through a rat's nest of curls to get my three kids presentable enough to take just one to his first day of school.
How much enjoyment can I squeeze out of these two days before they're gone?
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Santa's Birthday
We started a new tradition today and it's one that's going to stick! In the aftermath of yesterday's holiday shopping extravaganza, I decided to do something special with the kids on July 25th. They are still too young to understand the "Christmas In July" concept (as are some adults, evidently. I pity them) A couple weeks ago, completely out of the blue, my oldest posed the question, "Mom, when is Santa's birthday?" Please note that I am aware of the correlation between Santa and St. Nicholas, whose birthday is traditionally recognized on December 6th. However, seeing an opportunity for something fun to break up the monotony of the summer months, I decided that our family would celebrate Santa's birthday on July 25th.
The morning started with green and red scrambled eggs, a piece of fruitcake, and a knock on the door.
On the doorstep we found a gift and a letter from our mischievous Christmas elf, Alfie. Alfie was with us the entire month of December, sending reports to Santa on good behavior and finding his way into all kinds of trouble! Alfie's letter described Santa's birthday celebration at the North Pole and came attached to a wonderful gift the whole family could enjoy.
After breakfast, I lit my favorite Christmas candle and turned on the Christmas tunes. As we listened to Bing, Dean, Frank, and Nat, we made ornaments for our trees and colored holiday pictures. We also watched the first of our Christmas videos, which the kids were anxious to see- How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
Lunch time was uneventful, something I think will change next year, and afterward my own little elves headed to bed. D and I made some red and green popcorn and settled in on the couch for our Christmas movie- The Muppets Christmas Carol. It was brand new for him and became an instant favorite, which is great news for this Muppet fan!
When our movie ended, we broke out our new gift, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer for Wii. (Buying holiday items off of Amazon in the middle of the Summer can be very economical, by the way. Paid less than $5 for this brand-new game) It was a hit!
We're finishing supper and the kids are eagerly anticipating their reindeer cupcakes. We'll end the night with baths and Christmas books before bedtime.
Who knows how long we'll be able to celebrate Santa's birthday. Either way, July 25th will be a special day in our home. I can hardly wait for next year!
The morning started with green and red scrambled eggs, a piece of fruitcake, and a knock on the door.
On the doorstep we found a gift and a letter from our mischievous Christmas elf, Alfie. Alfie was with us the entire month of December, sending reports to Santa on good behavior and finding his way into all kinds of trouble! Alfie's letter described Santa's birthday celebration at the North Pole and came attached to a wonderful gift the whole family could enjoy.
After breakfast, I lit my favorite Christmas candle and turned on the Christmas tunes. As we listened to Bing, Dean, Frank, and Nat, we made ornaments for our trees and colored holiday pictures. We also watched the first of our Christmas videos, which the kids were anxious to see- How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
Lunch time was uneventful, something I think will change next year, and afterward my own little elves headed to bed. D and I made some red and green popcorn and settled in on the couch for our Christmas movie- The Muppets Christmas Carol. It was brand new for him and became an instant favorite, which is great news for this Muppet fan!
When our movie ended, we broke out our new gift, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer for Wii. (Buying holiday items off of Amazon in the middle of the Summer can be very economical, by the way. Paid less than $5 for this brand-new game) It was a hit!
We're finishing supper and the kids are eagerly anticipating their reindeer cupcakes. We'll end the night with baths and Christmas books before bedtime.
Who knows how long we'll be able to celebrate Santa's birthday. Either way, July 25th will be a special day in our home. I can hardly wait for next year!
Monday, July 25, 2011
Christmas In July
My mom and I celebrated our 5th annual Christmas In July over the weekend. It has quickly become one of my favorite days of the year and is in danger of pulling ahead of the day after Thanksgiving. What is Christmas in July you ask? In our world it consists of two grown women, plastered to the television ogling everything Christmas from decor to gift ideas on QVC. It includes wonderfully smelling candles, Christmas cookies, a pine cone (our family's favorite Christmas appetizer), pots of coffee, and piles of Christmas idea books. It's our day to get a jump start on our holiday shopping and planning and we love it!
We've been told on more than one occasion that we're crazy, but I think the word "crazy" is highly relative. To me, crazy are the people running around like headless chickens the month of December, stressed to the max and burning up their credit cards to buy gifts in a pinch.
What was accomplished this year amid lots of laughing and even more eating? Gifts for eight teachers and the school office staff, a present for my sister-in-law, and I managed to pick up a couple goodies for myself- all from the comfort of my parent's living room. All in all, I'd say it was a successful day!
We've been told on more than one occasion that we're crazy, but I think the word "crazy" is highly relative. To me, crazy are the people running around like headless chickens the month of December, stressed to the max and burning up their credit cards to buy gifts in a pinch.
What was accomplished this year amid lots of laughing and even more eating? Gifts for eight teachers and the school office staff, a present for my sister-in-law, and I managed to pick up a couple goodies for myself- all from the comfort of my parent's living room. All in all, I'd say it was a successful day!
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Birthday Boy!
Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear Daniel...Happy birthday to you!
Daniel, you are an incredibly gifted, talented, witty, charming, tender, and loving boy. You make us so proud! We couldn't possibly love you any more!!! Happy birthday, buddy.
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Today is our baby's birthday and the day can't pass without my thoughts turning to those events six years ago that brought him to us. I can scarcely believe that it has been so long. So many milestones have been passed and so many memories have been made. My baby is not a baby anymore. He looks more grown up. He acts more grown up. And more and more often, as I look at him, I see glimpses of the man he is going to be. Somehow, it manages to make me so happy and so miserable all at the same time.
Daniel, you are an incredibly gifted, talented, witty, charming, tender, and loving boy. You make us so proud! We couldn't possibly love you any more!!! Happy birthday, buddy.
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