All I Want for Christmas is...

a new trampoline!

Elfin' Around

I've seen this on a couple blogs already and had to try it out for myself, but I had to spread my own cheer around! Just click on the link below and enjoy!

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1116671189

Oh, Christmas Tree, Oh, Christmas Tree!

Christmas is definitely my favorite holiday. The meaning of it all is so beautiful. The lights everywhere warm my heart. Shopping for gifts, mostly online again this year, is a blast.

A highlight of the shopping season is finding the perfect ornament for each of my children. I have to thank my mother-in-law for starting this grand tradition with her kids. My husband's collection of ornaments is so unique, from scuba gear the year he learned, to a set of waders to represent him putting in the pier each spring. She does it a bit for her grandkids now too.

I start searching the internet in September, thinking of things my kids have accomplished throughout the year, hobbies they enjoy, unusual traits about each one of them. Some of my more unique finds have been a blue helmet to show the 9 months my little Will had to wear his mis-shapen head helmet; or the Lego ball creation I found on eBay this year for Grant; or I have taken one of their old pacifiers and hung them on the tree to represent the year they got rid of the nippy. I get more excited about finding and purchasing these than any toy for them. I know they don't appreciate it as much as I do, but I hope someday they will (or at least I hope their wives do, like me). Yesterday, as they were getting their new ornaments, Adam opened his "boy with blankie" ornament, he said he didn't like it. Oh well.

So, yesterday was the big ornament hanging day. The boys, Dave and I did it while Gise was sleeping. Boy, would he get in the way. They were so excited, for the first 15 minutes, at least. They were hanging them everywhere, with a bit of help from Dad. After it was all done, we looked at how great it looked. Will says he loves the Christmas tree - that it is beautiful.

Yes, it is beatiful, but upon further examination, we noticed it is a true hazard - a hazard to the little guy sleeping upstairs. After a little discussion with my husband, it was decided (by him - love you Dave) to just keep an eye on Gise and maybe he won't even touch the tree.

Ha!

After one ball ornament was heard broken and crushed in the middle of our floor, all the ornaments ended up on the top half of our tree. This isn't something new in our house; we did it a couple years ago when the twins were at this stage. Here is a picture of our beautiful Christmas tree:

Maybe we need to raise ornaments a bit higher! Anyway, enjoy the season! We certainly already have and will some more!!!

Happy Halloween!

Halloween is a pretty fun day. These kids wake up ready to trick-or-treat. The anticipation is immense, truly immense waiting for 5:00pm to roll around. As we headed out the front door, our excitement exploded out of us as we headed for the first door. They were shy. What?! You are not going to be making me ring all the doorbells tonight! No, they got over that. And the excitement didn't last long. Adam wanted to go home after about a dozen homes. "Just five more minutes." "Just ten more minutes." "At the end of this street." (Come on, kid, go get some candy for your mommy.)

This year no costumes were being bought in this household. They chose from our costume box and hand-me-downs from cousins, except for Mr. Grant. He wanted to be a Lego. It was a blast planning and making this thing. At one point I didn't know if it was going to happen. I started coming up with ways to ease him into a new costume and having him let go of being a Lego. Lo and behold, we did not have to resort to this unhappiness. (Spray paint primer was the cure.) Here's the little cutie!

This kid is so confident - doesn't give a rip about what others think of him. I was nervous for him. Nervous he would see all these Superman's and pirates and Power Rangers and long to be one of them. He just kept moseying along, ringing doorbells. You know what? People kept commenting on how great he looked - how creative, they would say. They had said that people don't just make costumes anymore. He said a little thank you each time someone complimented him, but it was his mother that was beaming inside. I'm a good mom.

And here's some more pictures of the other little guys. Happy fall y'all and enjoy!