Catching Up From the Holidays

It's been awhile since I posted so I figure it's time to get caught up again. Not that a whole heck of a lot has really happened between then and now, well I mean besides CHRISTMAS.



We had a nice Christmas, it was small, and quiet and that was very nice.  We're actually used to small Christmas's.  We don't travel for Christmas, that is ONE holiday I refuse to travel, we stay home.  I feel my kids deserve to be home and sleep in their own beds and open their presents around their own tree for Christmas, and it's been like that since our daughters first Christmas in 2007. 



Plus living in the Midwest you can never really tell what the weather is going to be like from way day to the next.  One day it's in the 50's (even in the 70's from time to time).  The next day it is below zero and there is 3 feet of snow on the ground.  Not exactly my favorite driving conditions! So we just stay home.  IF family wants to travel to our home for Christmas they are MORE than welcome, but we aren't forcing them. We'd certainly rather people be safe for the holidays.



So it was just my husband, our three kids and the mother in law (who moved in with us like at the end of spring....I know...I'm mental...)

We just had a small dinner (turkey for my husband, and ham for me), my mother in laws best baked beans in the world, my awesome green bean casserole, home made pumpkin pie and some dinner rolls. I was going to do the whole home made noodles and mashed potatoes thing but eeeeh I wasn't really feeling it, and after the kids got done opening their presents they wanted to play with their favorite toy, MOMMY! I guess next year I'm just going to wrap myself in a box and put me under the tree! They had more fun playing with me than their toys almost! I have to say I had an absolutely wonderful time as well.


One of my sons got really cool Star Wars play set, and I was probably a LITTLE bit more excited to play with it than he was.  He kind of looked at me all weird when I knew every thing by name, and the sounds they made (*cough cough* the Wookie).  I *MAY* or may not have been totally dramatically humming the theme song too....



My other sons Spiderman play set wasn't much better....or I should say MY reaction TO the Spiderman set wasn't any better.  I was still a happy little nerdling playing with it. 



I can't hide it, I won't deny it.  I love comic books, and Star Wars, all things awesome.  I'm a total FAN GIRL at heart and I have no shame. 

I'm a Whovian, and couldn't be prouder (if you are unsure what a Whovian is than you are missing out on an amaaaazing show known as Dr. Who.  Absolutely flippin' LOVE it).  I may or may not have had a near anxiety attack over the fact that I almost missed watching/recording the Christmas day special of Dr. Who.  Which is like a VERY important episode...I cried.  I blubbered.  I boo hoo hoo'd.  Totally not cool to toy with a fan girls emotions. 



Even my children sat down and watched it with me, they are hooked on the show too. No shame in having children just as nerdy as their parents.

Some parents are obsessed with sports teams, or hunting.  My family just so happens to prefer super heroes, Star Wars, and Dr. Who.  OK ok and maybe the occasional D&D type game (Not D&D persay, but similar ish stuff).  None of which are things we do on a daily basis, but they are things we love to do. 



I have quite the creative children and I look forward to seeing their creativity blossom and grow with gentle encouragement. 



Tonight my daughter and I were testing out her new finger nail art kit she got as a late Christmas present from a dear family friend of ours, we've known her for years and she is an honorary mom to my husband and I, and my kids call her Grandma. 



While we were painting our nails before she went to bed, my daughter was sitting there looking thoughtful as she watched me paint my nails (hers were done and in the drying process).  She goes "Mommy, I changed my name, my name is Diamond now, call me Diamond." I smiled at her creativity and let her know that I thought that was a beautiful name, and she can be "Diamond" for as long as she wants. 



I love Christmas and all of the wonderful bonding moments it brings (granted we have amazing bonding moments throughout the whole year, but Christmas has always been super special). 



Before Christmas we invited friends over to have a cookie baking party.  They made a Gingerbread man, choc. chip cookies, and sugar cookies we rolled out and used cookie cutters on to make awesome Christmas cookies for Santa.  Later I tried my hand at chocolate dipped pretzels.  Man, I am NO GOOD at melting chocolate and I've used every frickin' trick in the world. Though I'm not giving up and I can't wait to make my peanut clusters.  I didn't get them done for Christmas, but I WILL get them done.



We went to see Santa, and that was a great time.  The kids always love going and thankfully I've never had that experience with having a child who has a melt down on Santa's lap.  *whew*



We drove through to see the Christmas lights through the park, listening to the kids be so excited and Oooh and aaww over the lights totally made my night.  I love seeing the world through their eyes, it brings me back to MY OWN childhood memories and those feelings of awe and amazement and magic.



We went to a cookie decorating party at the local Christian College too.  The kids had a blast with that and we got to watch an awesome Veggie Tales Christmas special (I'm a HUGE Veggie Tales fan!)



One little girl at our cookie table was watching me open a box of cookies for the kids to decorate and she goes "Are you a adult?"  I was like, "yes, yes I am"  She goes "Well, you don't LOOK like a adult"   I wasn't quite sure what to say, so I didn't say anything at all, the kids were already decorating cookies, but Ummm thanks kid...I think?  I dunno, I thought all of these gray hairs I have sprouting through made me look MUCH older than the 29 years young that I am.  I guess not.  I am short.  Maybe that affects it?  I don't dress like an old woman, but I dress my age, not frumpy and not like a teenager either. I don't talk or act like a teenager either.  I'll just take this little cherubs comment as a compliment and call it good.  Maybe she is like my little monster K-ster who likes to tell me I'm beautiful all the time trying to get out of trouble, or  get an extra cookie or something.  I always tell him, "Thank you for saying Mommy is beautiful, and I think you are handsome, but you are still in trouble for hitting your brother, it wasn't a good choice."  


So yay for looking like a young person, I guess?

Mae
(Typed this up a while back and it has sat in my drafts pile for ever don't know why I never got it published, think I just got busy).