Merry Christmas!

It's here! Christmas Day! All the planning, scheduling, shopping, baking, cleaning, the extra rehearsals and Christmas services... all worth it today. From Macaroni and Chicken Fingers, we wish you a very merry, joyous, peaceful Christmas. Hold close the ones you love. Forget about the things that trouble you. Rest, relax and enjoy the day. 

Much love,

Karen and Melissa

Monday Madness and Minutiae

We did a little bit of Christmas shopping this weekend. It's been good for The Hubs and I to get out together. Christmas is a team effort. It has to be. You see, hour-wise, musicians work year around. But it just happens that a LOT of those hours occur in December. Believe me, I'm not complaining. I am absolutely 100% grateful that I get to do what I LOVE and earn a paycheck. But The Hubs and I have learned to approach this season with military tactic and strategical planning. To underscore this mentality, he bought me one of my favorite signs while we were out as a pre-Christmas present:

The Hubs gets me. That's why I keep him around. ;)
Gotta love that man!

Yours, keeping calm and carrying on,

Melissa

Monday Madness- I admit it....

I'm having a hard time getting into the Christmas spirit this year. I don't know why. We have the entire house decorated. There are lights going up on the hour in my neighborhood. I have some Christmas shopping done (not nearly all of it, but some big checkmarks on that list!) and I'm thinking about baking. And then I think about sending out Christmas Cards and that's when I want to throw in the towel. Literally. I, the Year Round Christmas Planner, am ready to buy for my family only and go to one or two parties and call it good. After that, I will settle down for a loooooooooooong winter's nap. What is wrong with me?


Maybe it's the pressure of getting everything done and now that I'm working more, just keeping up with groceries and cleaning is an achievement. Maybe it's the fact that my kids no longer really want toys... they want electronics. We're having a lot of fun together, I just didn't think I was going to have to work my body that hard. (Oh yes- Just Dance on the Wii. It's, well..... let's just say we a white, white family. Mama can count and play and sing anything. Minor choreography, not a problem. Black Eyed Peas style? We'll stop with the visuals right there.)

Maybe it's the realization of how quickly time does pass. I don't know. Maybe I need to go light my Advent Wreath and reflect on hope (that's this week's candle). 

I know the detachment will pass. I hope it happens soon. And I hope that it comes with snow.

Yours, settling down for a medium winter's nap,

Melissa

Worst GIfts EVER!

For today's Friday Funny, I'm hoping that you, my dear readers and friends, will be willing to contribute. In the Christmas gift department, I fared pretty well this year. This might be because, well, we did a lot of shopping as a family this year and I just picked out some things. It's not that this will happen every year, but to be honest, I was just really tired and over scheduled and went with the flow. Might as well. It certainly saved us time spent on returns. We only had to return one item this year, and that was due to size, not style.


There have been years, however, where the gifts have completely missed the mark. We got to talking about those at book club the other night. And it reminded me of my waffle iron. My lunchbox ice cubes freezer things. Some clothing items I would never choose.  And it also reminded me of this video: Avoid The Doghouse!


So click on the video title and watch.  And in the comments section, post your worst. gift ever. I can't wait to read some of these!


Yours, thankful we've progressed beyond those early Christmas gift years,


Melissa

Merry Christmas One and All!

It's those last few days before Christmas. Last night I stayed up until 2:30 AM. Call me crazy, but the cards are finished and all of my wrapping (uhm, at least for the presents that have been purchased!) is complete. Now, on to my dwindling list. 

It can be hard to remember why we do this every single year. But as the stress piles on over the next 48, remember, this is a season about giving. Every Christmas story holds that eternal truth.... more blessed to give than to receive. May you have a very, Merry Christmas and a Peaceful New Year!


Melissa


PS- Karen and I will return after the New Year. Have a wonderful Christmas Break!

Friday Fun- Bringing Home Christmas

Christmas is a week away! Amazing how exciting that phrase can be for children, yet strike terror in the heart of adults who still have a long list of things to get accomplished. :) (Uh, that would be me, but what's new, right? Flying by the seat of my pants seems like my way of life this year!)And while I know this is supposed to be the day of the week where I characteristically poke fun at myself or tell you of my latest shenanigans, I have to share this article with you.  Read it all the way down. It's completely worthy of it. 
This, my friends, is exactly what Christmas is all about -reaching out and giving. Seeing beyond ourselves an into the life of someone else. Making life brighter and offering hope, even just a glimmer for a moment. Helping people believe that there is good in the world, and we are not a completely lost and hopeless cause. Christmas is about our most basic of human needs- to love and be loved.
May we all reach out in some way this Christmas!


Yours, keeping my eyes open,


Melissa

Monday Madness- I.WAS.THERE!!!!

Dear Readers,

I know this has absolutely NOTHING to do with kids or parenting or caregiving other than the fact that I'm SO grateful for my sister who took care of my two minions while I.WAS. THERE! Because paying a sitter for last night's once-in-a-lifetime event would have cost an arm, a leg and a good two pints of blood.

Last night The Hubs and I finally celebrated our Christmas present to each other.

WE. SAW. U2.

Floor seats.

Six feet from Bono, Larry, Adam AND The Edge.

This is going to take me a very, very , very long time to process because frankly, my feet have not hit the ground yet.

Anyone else seen the 360 tour? Would love to hear what you thought!

Yours, still singing Elevation,

Melissa

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

Happy Holidays to everyone! This includes Merry Christmas! Happy (belated) Chanukah! Happy Kwanzaa! Happy First Day of Winter! Happy I’m-An-Atheist-So-Leave-Me-Alone Day! Happy I-Don’t-Really-Celebrate-Anything-But-This-Is-A-Good-Time-To-Take-A-Few-Days-Off Week! Happy WHATEVER you want this time to be for you!!! (Did I cover everyone? Did I offend anyone? Whew!)

Melissa and I will be taking some time off also to celebrate whatever we celebrate with our families, so you will not hear from us until after the new year.  Actually, probably not until after our kids go back to school, to be honest!

So Happy 2011 to all of you. And once again, thank you for reading our little blog!

Karen

AND SO IT BEGINS…AGAIN!

Halloween begins my downhill spiral into my eating frenzy.  For the next 2 months, I will have to use every ounce of will power I have not to constantly be shoving candy and cookies and pie and potatoes into my mouth at every given opportunity. 

As I sit here, writing this blog post in my office, I can hear the “fun size” candy having a party downstairs, calling my name to come join them, inviting me to eat them.  Taunting me.  Laughing at me.  Yes, daring me!

But, of course Halloween is just the beginning.  Then comes the carb-fest of Thanksgiving.  Really, the turkey is only the centerpiece of the meal.  The decoration.  The main dishes are the mashed potatoes, the stuffing, the sweet potato pie.  And of course the desserts.  Oh, the pies and the cakes and the cookies! (Oops, I think I just drooled on myself!)

Then, the ultimate…Christmas!  Only, it’s not just the Christmas Day meal.  Oh, no.  It’s all the baking and the parties leading up to that lovely dinner.  (Not to mention we probably will still have leftover Halloween candy and desserts from Thanksgiving for a while!) So it’s an entire month of eating, or trying not to eat, all those unhealthy choices.

So what’s a gal to do?  Deep breath, repeat millions of times over the next 2 months: “I will be strong, I will be strong…!”

Karen

BUT I WAS DOING SO WELL…

WHAT HAPPENED?

I was SO on top of things. DH had bought 90% of the boys’ gifts on line (thanks, honey, but really, did you have to go WAY overboard?), I didn’t make Holiday cookies this year because of the whole Weight Watchers thing (I know myself, and cookie batter is one thing I have absolutely no control around), friend and family gifts were purchased, Christmas dinner was planned, decorations were up, cards were sent out… I was ROCKIN’!!!

Then Monday rolled around, and suddenly I realized “OMG, I HAVE SO MUCH MORE TO DO!”

HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN?????

So now of course I’m in panic mode. I still have to finish wrapping the gifts, taking care to use different wrapping paper on the gifts from Santa. Since I didn’t bake cookies, I need to get cookie tins or something of the sort for DH’s employees, and that needs to be done today since this is their last day of work until after the holidays. (I know, you’re wondering why this is my task, and not DH’s. Don’t go there, okay?!!)

Hey, wait a minute. That’s all I have left to do? Whoa! I got more done Monday and Tuesday than I thought. Yay for me! I’m not in panic mode any more.

ONCE AGAIN, I’M ROCKIN’!!!

So here’s hoping you have all your errands run and all your holiday tasks completed so you can sit back and relax and ENJOY your holidays!

Happy Holidays!

Karen

CALORIE PREPARATION FOR CHRISTMAS!

Christmas is only 4 days away, and I’m trying my best to create a calorie deficit by then. But it’s not just Christmas I’m worried about. My mom and my sister are both coming in town the day after, so of course that means most of our meals will be eaten out. In fact, the majority (okay, all) of our activities will be built and planned around our meals.

And it certainly doesn’t help that I actually gained 1/2 pound last week. I mean, really, who gains the week BEFORE Christmas? Me, that’s who! Then this weekend was a total bust. DH and I went out for a nice romantic dinner Saturday night (well, the restaurant was romantic, the candlelight was beautiful, the service was fabulous, the food was to-die-for, but, oh yeah, his seat was facing the bar where he could see the Saints/Cowboys game playing… not that he was watching!) where I ate WAY too much of course. Then our own pitiful football game on Sunday where it’s impossible to eat sensibly at a stadium, and out to eat again Sunday night after our horse-drawn carriage ride with the boys to see the lights.

So now it’s Monday morning, and I’m getting ready to go to spin class at the gym, where I will be EVERY morning this week until Christmas, trying to build that calorie deficit. Oh shoot, I just remembered, I have a holiday lunch with a friend at an Italian restaurant today, so that’s a wash. Tomorrow I can be good, though.

**Sigh** Wish me luck!

Karen

HOLIDAY TRADITIONS

I love having holiday traditions. As a child, I celebrated Chanukah, and we certainly had our share of traditions during those 8 days and nights. We’d light the Menorah, sing songs (with the dog howling in the background) and exchange gifts, always with our “big” gift saved for last.

But there’s nothing like forming our own traditions as a family with my own children and husband. (Okay, I have to admit, the Menorah has been replaced by the Christmas Tree and the Dreidel songs have been replaced by Christmas Carols and, well, you get the picture!) I mean, Chanukah was fun, but it wasn’t ANYTHING like Santa and the anticipation of Christmas morning, you know? (Just a note to my Jewish family – it’s all done in fun, nothing religious about it in this household!)

So we have the usual customs of tracking Santa’s sleigh on Google Maps (well, maybe that one’s not so usual!) and putting cookies and milk out for the big guy. Then rushing to put everything under the tree and in the stockings after they fall asleep (luckily, we are blessed with 2 very heavy sleepers, so we never have to worry about them waking up!), eating the cookies and milk, and then falling into bed ourselves, exhausted. Only to be woken up at the crack of dawn so the boys can run downstairs to see what they got!

But the one REALLY special family tradition we have is to take a horse drawn carriage ride through a beautiful light display called Winter Wonderland. It’s freezing cold, but we dress warmly and they have blankets for us, and we all snuggle together and look at the lights while we listen to the clip-clop of the horse’s hooves.

***Sigh*** Pure Magic!

So please share with us, what are your holiday traditions?

Karen

Tuesday Tidbit-The Christmas Presort

I know I'm really late today. So Karen, if you are reading this, you can wait to post Wednesday. :-) I know. You love me. And I'm grateful for it. I've been on the road all day today, so it made it a little hard to type. But here I am! Ready to roll at ten PM!

It's been a whirlwind weekend. Z2 was very sick on Sunday. The kind of sick that you don't want to leave her bedside. So I stayed in her room with her. And being the kind of person who cannot sit still when I am stressed, I clean. I can't help it. It's the one thing that I can control when things seem so out of control. And with it being the day after Halloween, my thoughts turn to Thanksgiving and then Christmas (or Chanuka or Kwanza) and the fact that more piles of plastic will be invading the house.

Time to sort out the piles of plastic that already exists in their rooms. I leave all the collections alone, but there is always a batch of toys that they really don't play with. Those toys that really don't go with anything. Those are the ones that need to go to make room. I advise that you do this when they are not at home, otherwise, you may not be getting rid of anything! So I make my little pile, put it in a box and put the box in a closet. If, within the space of four to six weeks, they have not asked for those toys, off they go. Where do they go? Since most of them are pretty small, they are cleaned and given away to either a Children's Home or I send them to the School Treasure Box. Sure, a few of them may come back home, but I've gotten the major haul out of the room. Just to make more room for the incoming odd toys that go with nothing.

Yours, happy to get rid of SOMETHING!

Melissa