10 Facts About Christmas Break

1. on the first day, as you're sneaking presents into the basement, you will find a dead mouse rat. {You will call your husband, leaving him a message with strict instructions of what needs to be done when he gets home. You will call back and leave another message suggesting maybe he should come handle the situation during his lunch break.}


2. Elizabeth will sing Jingle Bells non-stop.


3. Sometimes in a western accent.


4. Elizabeth will sing Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer, non-stop.


5. Sometimes in falsetto.


6. Your children will sleep in till 7:15 the first morning.


7. They will wake up at 6 am the next morning.


8. Your husband will try to get his precariously-secret-keeping children to tell him what they got him for Christmas.


9. You will yell at your husband for this.


10. You realize that as you list off the hundreds of things for your children to do because they say they are bored that they have too many toys and you wonder why you bought them anything for Christmas...

Katie

Magazine Tree

Do you ever have those weeks you feel like you get absolutely nothing accomplished, wonder how you ever got anything accomplished before and wonder if you'll ever get anything accomplished ever again?

Life just seems too overwhelming?

Me too.

Here's the small project that I got done this week that I'm not even that impressed with.

It's made from an old magazine and it's just folded.

Martha Stewart had them on her website.

They had spray painted theirs and put glitter on them.

They were going to sell them at a bazaar for $20 each.?

Sometimes I wonder who those people out there are who can afford to spend $20 on a conical shaped magazine.

Just so you know, those people are not me.

Katie

Facebook

Did you know that if you hit 'Enter' after typing the title of your post, it will automatically post...?

Yup.

Anyway.

On Thursday I posted on Facebook:

"Hoping Bryce calls and tells me to not worry about dinner, he picked up a pizza....miracles happen, people."

Bryce called me saying he was going to be a bit late, he got caught up doing something at work.

Happens all the time.

I started hot dogs with chili cheese fries for dinner.

{I don't feel like I have to explain my eating habits to you right now.}

Bryce walks in at 5:30 pm with Pizza Hut pizza.

I was shocked, and felt a little guilty.

You might think, well Katie, that's what you wanted isn't?

Yes.

But Bryce NEVER checks Facebook.

Ever.

{So if you're his friend on Facebook, I'm sorry to tell you, but he has no idea what's going on with you or your status.}

That's why I posted that, more like a plea to the universe.

However....

Bryce and I have a mutual friend, who saw the Facebook post and called the IRS office, which is no easy task, and told him to pick up pizza for his wife.

Facebook isn't just a social network, it's a miracle network.

Thought of that, just now.

Katie

The Halls are Decked

Mini felt stocking advent calendar

Vintage balls in an old tool caddy

Old Christmas postcards with new Christmas cards

See the star, on the piano? It was once on top of the tree, then the tree fell over, not on Spencer, now it's just patiently waiting..

A variety of vases with vintage postcards clipped to the tree trimmings

This is where my new sewing machine, ahem, that I get for Christmas will go. The dining room.

The real reason we celebrate.

Vintage balls in an old soda bottle crate

Are you all decorated?

Katie

Introspection

What I've learned:

• if you go cut down your own Christmas tree, what you save in money will be used up with patience.



• people who get lost in the woods do not have a inappropriately dressed four year old crying about being cold holding on to your coat as you slip down the frost covered mountain.



• promises of cold, stale crackers waiting in the car are a big enticement to keep the kids from whining.



• decorated and lit trees safely secured in a tree stand can tip over.



• lights that you got from your husband's grandparent's basement eight years ago will eventually burn out.



• Fred Meyer has a great selection of Christmas tree lights.



• a baby cannot discern the difference between a tree ornament and a real ball.



• if you hear the tree tip over and a baby crying, you will conclude that the tree fell on the baby.



• a baby can cry with out having a Christmas tree fall on him.



• if you have an advent calendar, children who are supposed to be taking a nap, ahem, can sneak the peanut butter M & M's.



• they cannot really deny this when you catch them with blue lips or when you hear one drop on the floor and roll down the stairs.



• a surprise date planned by your husband where you go out and come back and the kids are all in bed, is a great remedy to a lot of things.



• Christmas is my favorite time of year.

Katie

Please note: while there are no pictures of me, we can all assume that I looked awesome.