life is what you make it
Category: Life
2 kids, 2 dogs, 2 cats, and 1 husband – life isn’t perfect, but it is what we make it
We had a hard time fitting it in this year, but we finally made it out Saturday for the annual visit with Santa. The kids were so excited and knew exactly what to do when it was finally their turn. Zach told Santa the only thing he wants for Christmas is a DS and a game to play on it. I sure hope Santa brings him one or he’s going to be a very disappointed little boy Christmas morning. I’m not sure what Evie asked for, but I’m sure she will be happy with whatever Santa brings.
I didn’t have a chance to speak to the big guy myself, but honestly, all I really want for Christmas is to be surrounded by my family and enjoy the time I have with them. It is all I really need and I’m pretty sure I’ll get my wish.
1 CommentScene: Zach, Evie, Mommy, and Granny riding in the car on the way to order yet another pair of glasses for Zach.
Zach: Happily singing and chatting with Mom and Granny…
Evie: Playing with an old cell phone that she likes to carry around. Suddenly she yells out, “Stop talking! I’m on the phone!”
Zach: Continues to talk
Granny and Mommy: Stifling our laughter the best we can
Evie: “Stop it! I’m ON THE PHONE!!!”
Hmmmm, wonder where she gets that from???
Comments closedZach’s school had a Winter Music Program this week. Sadly, it was at 3:00 in the afternoon and nobody could make it there but me. Lucky for all of you though, I recorded as much of it as I could with my shaky hands. I ended up sitting on my knees in front of the chairs they had set up for parents as it was the only place I could get a clear view. Here are the four songs that the Kindergarten performed, minus a few seconds I missed at the beginning of a couple songs. Zach is a little hidden by the big hair in front of him, but you can find him at the end of the second row from the top, on the right side.
The best part though, was at the end when the principal announced they had a Christmas gift for every single child, sponsored by Toys for Tots. I’m not sure I’ve ever heard so many kids squeal all at once!
2 CommentsIn between photo shoots, editing photos, Christmas shopping, two Thanksgiving dinners, a birthday party, laundry, bill paying, and just generally putting out fires in every direction I turn, we somehow managed to get the Christmas Tree up and decorated. To be perfectly honest, I put the tree together, strung the lights and garland, and then pretty much let the kids go crazy with the ornaments. I put a few up toward the top where they couldn’t reach, but mostly just let them go with it. They were thrilled, and continue to re-arrange it on a daily basis. We have yet to find the time to hang the lights they begged for on the house, but we’ve still got a couple weeks for that.
Every year I swear I’m going to not let things get so hectic this time of year, and every year it does. As I scanned through the few snapshots I took of the kids while they were decorating the tree it struck me just how much they have grown over the last few months. They both required new shoes again last weekend as their feet just keep getting bigger and bigger. My babies are not babies anymore. Even Evie, who is still only two for a few more months, talks and acts well beyond her age at times. They just look so big sitting there next to the tree.
I also realized, as I was uploading photos to Flickr, that I took very few photos of my kids over the last month or so. Very few compared to what I normally take anyway, and it makes me a bit sad. I know I overdo it on the photos most of the time, but I absolutely love looking back at all those captured moments when – on days like today – I realize just how fast they are growing and changing.
December is certainly not slowing down. I have so many things I want to write and post here, but there is so very little time to accomplish that. This weekend I’m doing two photo shoots for friends/family, have a birthday party to attend, and then hopefully can squeeze in some time for my own family’s photos. Next week we have our first appointment to start evaluations on Zach for his sensory issues, then my cousin’s wedding that weekend where I am also helping take photographs. The next weekend is my nephew’s birthday, and then my in-laws are coming to town and suddenly we’re at Christmas.
Somewhere in there I need to finish buying /making Christmas gifts, edit all those photos I’m going to be taking, AND try to find time to hang out and have some fun with my own family. The kids are so excited about Christmas this year and I really want to enjoy that with them, including fun things like making cookies, watching Christmas movies, writing out their wish lists, as well as reading and talking about the story of Christmas and helping them to understand what it is really all about. I wish I had a giant Pause button so that I could get all of the things finished that I need to do, then catch back up with my family.
Whew! I’m not sure how that all reads, but I’m talking a mile a minute in my head as I’m writing. That is how rushed I am feeling with everything right now.
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One of the best things about living so close to all of my family is that my kids get to be around their cousins so much. There is rarely a weekend that goes by without the cousins all seeing each other. Last weekend, while my oldest nephew celebrated his 11th (!) birthday with his friends, his little brothers came over for a sleepover at our house. They all had so much fun together, and I was reminded, once again, why I will never, ever have four children. 🙂
Those last two were included simply because they show off the kids’ newly divided bedrooms. Evie finally gets to have some girly decor in her room and Zach is simply thrilled that he no longer has to share a room with his little sister. He was also pretty pleased that I finally caved and decided to let him have a TV in his room hooked up to the Game Cube.
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