This post is for Lori!

Lori at TAFKA requested ideas for Christmas themed craft ideas to do with her boys. WOOOHOOO right up my ally (however I am failing miserably as a babysitter because I couldn't tell you the last time we did a craft at my house :( maybe this will get me motivated)

Have you ever visited the Family Fun web site? They have a TON of crafts, recipes, fun ideas, printables...anything to make family life fun ;D

So here are a few of my favorites ~ just click the picture to go to the instructions.

My girls have never made these yet but they LOVE using a hole punch because of Polar Express (think of the tickets) so I am sure they would love these.

These don't look that cute but just using holiday color beads would be cuter. And I know for my kids (the ones I babysit, in Sunday School/Bible school, and Girl scouts) concentrating on putting beads on a pipe cleaner or sting, keeps them VERY quiet and still for quite a while :)

We have never tried these either but I think they are REALLY cute! I even saw them on some other web site where they cut out words and strung them together for a garland and it was CUTE!

These are much cute, IMO, painted red, and you can put their names and the year on them when they are finished.

I think these are cute. Have you ever heard of the Jesse Tree? These would be perfect for this.

Here are a few cards but the idea doesn't have to be used for a card, just on paper would be cute too.

Another hand print idea, which I could not find a picture of, is for a reindeer. You can use paint and actually do prints OR you can just trace on construction paper and cut it out (good cutting practice for them :) ) Do one foot print for the face and 2 hands for the antlers, then a red pom-pom for the nose and wiggly eyes.

Another thing the kids love to do is give them a big piece of green construction paper and let them cut out a tree (fold paper in half and cut on fold, you can even just draw a simple triangle for them to cut out). Give them glue and little pompoms, glitter, stickers, cereal, etc. and let them decorate their tree.

For food there are these ideas. We make these at Christmas party about every year but we use just round regular sugar cookies. You can also make them with cupcakes using chocolate icing on top with the same features as the cookie.

I think these are adorable, and quick and easy to make!

Oh and you can't forget the gingerbread houses and stuff. You can do the actual gingerbread ones.

And these trains are SOOOOO cute, especially for boys

Or here is an easier house using Graham crackers and all the goodies, including people and reigndeer, to go along with the house

Or the un-edible variety

Well I had planned to find some other ideas to share as well from somewhere other than family fun but this is getting quite long so here are some places I go to for ideas

Kaboose

Free Kids Crafts

Creative Kids At Home

DLTK

The Craft Crow Blog

Crayola (I've never had much luck with the Crayola website, maybe it's just me, but it's not real user friendly but it looks like maybe they have changed it some so maybe it's better now)

I know there are more but this should get you started at least :D

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hope you all had a WONDERFUL day!!! We really, REALLY did, I have really enjoyed today.

Every year Thanksgiving is exhausting for us. All our family lives within 40 minutes of us and all expect us to come for dinner on Thanksgiving. Every year I kind of dread it, wishing there was some way to get around it but never finding a way. This year I was hoping my mom could do it on a different day. But then her DH's two kids made plans to come to town Thanksgiving evening, they wanted us all together, so we agreed. Our plans were Dinner at MIL sometime between 1 and 2. Mamaw's (my dad's mom's where my dad and other aunts, uncles, and cousins would be) at 5pm but had planned to arrive early to spend some time with them. Then off to mom's for dinner at 7. From the time all arrangments were made, I secretly dreaded it. I just don't enjoy the rushing, eating and leaving, on the road traveling from place to place all day. Then around Tuesday it came to me, Thanks to God, HOW BLESSED AM I!!! I have family living close and lots of it, they all love us enough that they WANT us to come over for dinner! We get to eat 3 wonderful meals in one day. I have a good vehicle to get us safely from one place to the other. I shouldn't dread it or get frustrated, I should just be Thankful, very, very THANKFUL. And so I decided from that point on I would be Thankful AND I would enjoy the day to it's fullest. And I did. Yes, I am exhausted (Thanks to the Pepsi I am not sleeping yet though) and STUFFED but I did not feel stressed or even rushed today, I just felt loved and very very THANKFUL for all the Lord has given us. All the food was great and the time with all the family was wonderful. The girls were one their absolute best behaviour and had lots of fun.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!!

Another great song!!

My mom sent me this one in an email! Thanks Mom!!

In God We Still Trust by Diamond Rio. I went to a free Diamond Rio concert MANY years ago but haven't regularly listened to Country Music for quite a while even though I still like it. Enjoy this one, it's Great!!

I LOVE this song!

No school today for either of the girls due to icey rain last night/early morning. Four kids here all day, Bethanie has been drawing and doing math problems (I think she is missing school but would never admitt to it), Elianna and Alyvia are playing nicely together (hope it continues), and the baby is sleeping. I decided to do some surfing (you know since the house is all sparkly clean, with no dirty clothes or anything, HAHAHAH) and ran across this song from Faith Hill. WOW! I have never posted a video before so hope it works. Enjoy!




WooHoo!!! Had to go to the help link but I figured it out!!!

You're going to miss this

This week I thought I would write about something I already miss. Actually I hadn't really thought about it until lately and since then I have really been missing it. It's how simple life use to be. When I got married and even when I became pregnant with Bethanie, I was a full time college student and I worked full time as a manager at a fast food resturaunt, I was always on the go doing something. Then my pregnancy took a turn for the worse. Over the summer things continued to go down hill with my pregnancy and I ended up having Bethanie by emergency c-section at 27 weeks (13 weeks early) because of Preeclampsia and HELLP syndrome. She was born weighing 1 pound 12 ounces and only 12 1/2 inches long at a hospital 90+ minutes from our home. The next 3 months we lived at the Ronald McDonald house so we could be with her. Life was pretty simple at that time. We were staying in a house with 9-11 other families who were complete strangers but some became friends over time. There were only 2 tvs in the entire house, we didn't have one in our room. So we spent our days visiting Bethanie in the NICU during visiting hours, and during non visiting hours we would eat meals, sit on the lovely porch swing, take naps, make phone calls to update family (calls were limited though to 10 minutes), and I would pump. We went home a total of 2 times during her whole NICU stay. We had so many people help us out it was amazing. It was stressful though because as anyone who has went through an NICU stay knows it's a roller coaster ride with many up and downs, 1 step forward then 2 steps back the next day. When she would have good days, life was great, but on her bad days I would sit and cry. Finally after 85 days, 8 years ago this Wednesday to be exact, at 4 pounds even, we were finally able to bring her home. She came home on Oxygen through nasal canula and many medicines. We were also warned to keep her away from crowds, kids, or anyone who was or had been sick because if she were to get sick she would end up back in the hospital or even worse. It was decided then that I would HAVE to stay home with her. So at the moment we brought her home I officially became a Stay-at-home-mom, and I LOVED it!! My days were spent completely centered around her. I woke for the day when she woke up, I could nap if I was tired when she took a nap. At first it was a little stressful simply because I was completely in control of her care, and there was no nurse near by like there was in the NICU. But as time went on I grew more confident and she grew stronger, the oxygen was no longer required, and eventually she didn't even need meds anymore. Surprisingly she was VERY healthy. I spent my days holding her, singing and reading to her, and just enjoying the calmness that had become my life. After RSV season was over (mid April) I was able to take her out. We started off slowly but by summer we went anywhere and everywhere. Life was fun and simple. I so enjoyed that time with her. Then I became pregnant with Elianna, I am not real sure when exactly life quit being so easy and simple. It may have started when Elianna was born (full term 8 pounds 1 ounce by the way), I had the perfect pregnancy and family got to be there when she was born but shortly after being born her true personality started showing through, she cried ALOT, she wanted to nurse CONSTANTLY. Life was a bit harder, but I expected that, many people had warned me 2 kids is much harder then 1. But just as she started getting easier, Bethanie started Pre-k and I started babysitting for my cousin's little girl who is 2 months older than Elianna. Suddenly our go with the flow life style had come to an abrubt hult. Now we had to be on a strict schedule for the first time ever. Then my sister had her first baby and I agreed to babysit her as well. Then a friend needed a sitter for her 2 kids...I volunteered. At first it was fun, but man was I busy ALL THE TIME. Now here we are today, life is anything but simple getting 2 kids up and ready for school, having to drive one everyday both ways 15 minutes each way, plus babysitting. Then after school activities, and homework, then cooking dinner, and trying to keep the house from becoming a disaster zone. Now with just over a month left before I start back to college, and Elianna starts going full time to preschool, I often wonder how crazy it's going to be. But this weekend, other than going to church today, we had a "do nothing" weekend. That is rare for us these days but man it was nice. And it just made me remember how much I miss those SIMPLE DAYS of just being a SAHM.

For more You're Going to Miss This Moments, visit Pam at http://pramom26.blogspot.com/

I am ashamed of myself!

This evening I threw a complete temper tantrum. I was not proud of it but I was so completely beyond frustrated with the old Frog, aka my DH, and that stupid World of War Craft game. Tonight was the Christmas parade in town. My Girl Scout troop decided to take part in it so I had to be at the meeting place by 5. So I am trying to get ready. I needed to find Bethanie and I some Christmas hats to wear so I needed to get up in the attic to get into the Christmas decorations. I get the baby to sleep (my sister's baby who I babysit for) but as soon as I go to lay her down she wakes up. So I let her play, ask DH to watch her and head to the bedroom. She starts fussing, I yell into to him asking if he could please deal with her so I can finish getting our stuff together. She continues to cry. Finally I get mad and go get her. I sit down and try to get her to go to sleep again. She did but again she woke up as soon as I layed her down. This time I put her in the swing in hopes that she would go back to sleep. She started fussing when she saw me come back into the room to get something. I again ask him to deal with her so I can finish getting ready. Then she starts crying, a minute or so goes by and he's not responding to her, a few more minutes and she is still crying he's still too busy playing that game. Finally I go in there, grab her out of the swing and tell him "This is the reason I always leave here on Thursdays furious at you." In a not so nice tone. He screamed at me (I couldn't tell you the last time we actually fought, especially in front of the kids but tonight I just couldn't take it anymore.) Told me it was my fault she was fussing because I had come into the room. Why she was fussing wasn't even the point it was that he wasn't helping me at all as usual! So I take her in the room with me, get my clothes changed, get the girls all ready, then I take her back into the living room with him so I can make the hot chocolate for the GS after the parade. I told the girls to get their shoes and coats on. Elianna starts crying because she can't find her shoes, The baby is crying again because she is just tired and wanting to be held. I finally just joined in with them and started crying too because there he still sat playing that game. I get so mad I yell at Elianna (which didn't help matters because it just made me feel even worse), start throwing stuff looking for Elianna's shoes, slam the door a few times, kick something out of my way on the floor. Finally, he helped...he got one of the girls coats down on the coat rack for them....I was in shock that his behind was off the couch! I finally finish getting our stuff together and take the kids to hook them in the van. I had forgotten my coat so I go back in the house, I told him I appreciate the little that he did do to help me but wished it didn't take me throwing a temper tantrum to get him to finally do it. Then I told him I despised that game and that I completely hated it ( I do not use "hate" often, I am trying to get Elianna to think of it as a bad word because I don't like hearing it come out of her mouth so I have been very careful not to say it lately). Then I left, got in the van and cried over half the way to the parade because I was so ashamed of how I acted in front of my girls. I told them I was really sorry, we went to the parade and we had a good time. After the parade we go out to eat. We finally got home at almost 9:30 and guess what the old frog was doing???? You guessed it.....still playing that game!!

I think the old frog has a very addictive personality. He gets hooked on something and it becomes the most important thing to him. Right now that thing is his game. I know I should be thankful that it is only his game, I know there are a lot worse things in this world to be addicted to that could easily tear our family apart. But I do really hate that game. This is how things go almost EVERY night. He gets home from work around 3:30, comes in takes off his coat, gets him something to drink, takes his boots and socks off. Then he takes his pants off and spends the evening in his boxers. Then he sits down on the couch, grabs his laptop, puts on his earphones and starts playing. He does NOTHING else the rest of the evening 'cept sit on the couch and play that game until it's time for him to go to bed. He turns it off and goes to bed, seriously no more than 5 minutes between the time the game is off and he is asleep. Any time I try to talk to him I usually end up saying something to him 2 or 3 times before he finally hears me. If I really need him for something, I have to wait till he is at a stopping point. Yet he doesn't understand why I get so frustrated at him. I believe he got that game back in April, maybe May and everyday but 2 has been just like I explained above. One was because the games server was down, can you say grouch city for him that night. The other night was because he had worked 16 hours that day, he came home and went right to bed. On the rare chance that he gets a day off, he is up for less than 5 minutes before he is right back at playing it. He is missing out on SO much yet I just can't get that through to him. Sometimes I wonder just how much longer I can take it. I have considered "accidentally" falling with a huge glass of something, spilling it right on his laptop. Or taking the thing and throwing it outside while he is at work. But I know all those things will just make things even worse.

Please, if you will, say a prayer for us, for our marriage, for him that he will open his eyes and see all that he is missing, and for me that I can make it through this. If you're still here reading this, THANK YOU for letting me pour my frustrations out on you.

Everybody wants to be a doughnut...

or a hot dog...

or a fork.....

Not sure where this came from but this is what Elianna was singing on her way to school today, lol. And let me tell you it was cracking her up even more than it was me ;D

Old pictures but the best ones I could find in a hury for portraying her silly faces.