Favorite Things -Christmas Edition

Every year as we decorate the Christmas Tree, I enjoy reminiscing about where each decoration came from.  Some, we've bought over the years (mostly after Christmas because that's my favorite day of the year to shop) and others were bought by friends and family for special occasions.  I want my children to have those memories to pass on one day so where better to record them than here.

I've always had a thing for Lady and the Tramp and Jason bought this  hallmark ornament for me  the Christmas  that Jackson was born.  I have to admit it made me wonder if he really wanted 4 children, since there were 4 puppies there.  Then I think he decided that even the Lady and the Tramp looked overwhelmed with 4!

I've always loved nutcrackers.  I really regret that they are so closely assocated with Christmas and wish they could be up all year.  I try to get one every year for the boys.  One of my all time favorites is the Auburn nutcracker.  I had some friends from Alabama visit me and Jackson while Jason was deployed.  They spent Thanksgiving with us and it was so much fun.  I told them how I wanted one and what do you know but one arrived for me in the mail from them.  That is good friends!

I got this at my Christmas shower when I got married.  It was the most fun shower I  ever had.  I'm still talking about that shower.  I mean, how much fun is it to get all Christmas decorations for gifts.  Otherwise, our tree would have been pretty bare that first year!  Not only did I have lots of ornaments, I had amazingly beautiful ones that were given to me by the people who love us.  My mom and her good ideas wrote the name of the person who gave them to me on each ornament so every year when I unpack them, I can think of the people who gave them to me back then.

I got Jackson this Christmas Nativity after months of looking.  I got it off of Craigslist.  I drove across fayetteville, NC to get it.  It was July.  Yes, I bought a nativity in July.  I had been looking for it and for $10, he played with it until well after Christmas.  It may have been one of my favorite Craigslist purchases ever.  Now Lincoln plays with it nearly everyday.  I'm still undecided if it will go up with our Christmas stuff or stay out for a while.

When I was growing up, my Granny had an Auburn ornament that was always my favorite one on her tree. As kids, Tracie and I would "claim" a favorite ornament on her tree as "ours" and this was always my pick. If I picked it then of course she couldn't choose the same one so I won.  When I got married, I got this one to start my own tree.  It was originally planned to be an Auburn tree.  I had always wanted one.  Orange and Blue lights, orange garland and an orange and blue bow on top!  Well, that was until I married an Alabama fan.  The first few years, I had my wish because he was deployed our first few Christmases and I could do whatever I wanted but after that, I had Jackson and somehow he'd been brainwashed into being an Alabama fan and he had an opinion on the tree.  Well, my Auburn tree turned into an Alabama Auburn tree and that is where we stand for now.  Next year, we either need 2 trees or a bigger one for a bigger rivalry.

I actually registered for this ornament at my Christmas wedding shower.  I was so happy to get it and Jason was equally disgusted.  I'm secretly hoping it's a sign into my future of 1) a daughter and 2) an Auburn fan.

This one was purchased in answer to my Auburn one.  Jason came across it somewhere and it was decided that we would have both until our kids could decide for themselves.  I don't think he's playing fair!

This one goes a little farther back than our wedding shower.  This is the ornament I gave Jason our first Christmas we spent together.  He was home from West Point and I was totally in love!  We hadn't been officially dating a year yet but I had already given him my heart and this signified it.  I knew within a few weeks of us dating that I was going to marry him one day and by Christmas, I was a goner!  This ornament is very special to both of us.  I've never looked back and I'm still totally in love with him.


And yes, it's the Tin Man's heart from the Wizard of Oz.   Epic Movie.
You probably know that Jason was gone the year Lincoln was born.  He came home to meet Lincoln for the first time in October when Lincoln was 4 months old.  He was here for 2 weeks and we visited Walt Disney World.  Maybe the best Vacation ever to me, but not to him.  Jason is not a Disney fan.  Boo.  But we did take home this amazing little Mickey snowman to remember our trip.  He was gone that Christmas and I went to Alabama and didn't even put up a tree.  It was over a year later before this little guy ever got to hang on a tree but you can bet he'll live on ours from here on out.



The Christmas Pickle.  Oh what a pickle!  It was a little difficult to find the "Legend of the Christmas Pickle" because it is so overly debated about it's truth and origin.  I'm a true believer and this is what I found...

“A very old Christmas eve tradition in Germany was to hide a pickle [ornament] deep in the branches of the family Christmas Tree. The parents hung the pickle last after all the other ornaments were in place. In the morning they knew the most observant child would receive an extra gift from St. Nicholas. The first adult who finds the pickle traditionally gets good luck for the whole year.”

These were my BC ornaments.  That's "before children".  I had this made for Roxy that first Christmas when Jason was deployed.  Who doesn't need an ornament with their dog's name on it?  I found the cat one the year after we got Cotton.  I still love these guys, they have been through a lot with me.  Roxy was with me through all 3 deployements and she's still the most happy to see me every morning around 6 am!

I found Santa climbing this rope up the helicopter at the PX (yes, after Christmas!).  Since Daddy flew helicopters during his time in the Army, I got this one thinking he'd love it.  Well, this is a blackhawk.  Daddy flew Kiowas and they are not friends.  I got the wrong helicopter.  Santa could never ride in his helicopter because it is a 2 pilot aircraft.  FAIL.  Oops.  It still stays on the tree.

You can't hang this one on the tree but it was my 3rd time to see them preform this year.  When I was VERY pregnant with Jackson, mom took Tracie and I to see the Radio City Rockettes perform at the Grand Ol' Opry.  We had never been before and we came up early to spend the day shopping in Nashville.  By the time it started, I had never in my life been so tired.  I was seriously like 38 weeks and when it was time to walk back to the car, I said they would have to pick me up or my feet might explode.  

Nonetheless, it was an amazing performance and we talked all the way home  until just outside of Nashville about what parts we liked the best and how amazing the live Nativity scene was.  This year, living in Nashville, I knew we couldn't miss it.  It didn't disappoint.  It's truly an amazing display of talent and beauty.  If you've never been, it's a Christmas tradition worth starting!

Love in my Ugly Shoes

Lord, let Your love shine through me, today and everyday.

Nestled at the very foothills of the Applacian Mountain chain lies a city called Wheelwright, KY. In the past, it was a sprawling coal mining city but as the coal mines closed their doors, the doors of opportunity were closing on this city as well. Being born in this city now most likely means being born into poverty normally reserved for what we believe is only found in 3^rd world countries. My eyes have been openend. Poverty is real and it’s right here in our country. It’s in our country, our state, our neighbors.

Last weekend, I joined about 100 others from CrossPoint church, Nashville on a mission trip to serve families in the Wheelwright, KY area. I knew about the trip from church and felt like I was supposed to go. It was the first weekend in December and that is usually such a busy time for us. I made that “deal with God” (uh-oh!) and said, if nothing else comes up between now and then, I’d go. Well, wouldn’t you know, my schedule stayed wide open. After being booked every weekend into the new year, this weekend was left untouched on my calendar. How did I know that would happen? (Thanks, God!) I was a little hesitant because I didn’t know ANYONE else going. I had been told but still didn’t fully comprehend our living arrangements for our stay there. I went to the meeting the week before and was handed a “packing list.” It included a sleeping bag and comfortable shoes. Translation: Bring your UGLY shoes. We all know comfortable shoes = Ugly shoes. And that’s just not my style! Ok, I can do this. And as we left the meeting that day with all our information in hand, we were reminded: “It’s not about me!” That would be the manatra of the weekend and would need to be repeated. Often.

We left on Friday at noon. We were driving a Uhaul truck filled to the brim with 250 sponsored children’s gifts, 300ish boxes filled with food and household items and a whole caravan of LOVE! I did have the luxury of riding in a minivan with 2 other ladies from my church. It was a LONG 8 hour drive into the middle of Kentucky nowhere so I was happy to be sitting captain chair in her minivan rather than in the 15 passenger youth van. We made a stop in Hazard, KY. Yes, as in Dukes of Hazard. That might have been my first clue as to what I was getting myself into. Another good clue was the conversation I overheard between 2 young pregnant girls. It ended something like this “Yeah, this one is a girl. We’re going to name her Jesse. Jesse James.”

We arrived at the gymnasium where we would call home late Friday night. Our only objective was to get settled for the night, we’d start early the next day. Debbie, the lady that runs the local mission there met us and explained some of what we’d be witnessing the following day. She explained that in this area, the average median YEARLY salary was around 6,000. A year! She went on to say that drugs were rampant in the community both young and old and the suscide rate was high. She explained that these people had lots of needs but their number one need was LOVE. Good thing, we brought that!

Our nightly accomadations were pretty primitive. It was a gym floor. Some of the windows to the gym were not there. It was COLD. The showers were….well, please see the photo below to fully comprehend. There were 2 toilets. For about 100 people. Still, I can do this. Reminder: It’s not about me.

I had borrowed a brand new sleeping bag and air mattress from a couple of moms I know. That was the best decision I had made so far. While my 2 cohort ladies slept hard and COLD, I never once got cold over the weekend. Well, not while in my sleeping bag at least. Now, the walk to the bathroom (where the open air hit you) was cold.

Saturday morning came early and we had a ton of work to do. We had to transform our living quarters gym into a winter wonderland for the Christmas party later. We all worked like a well oiled machine decorating, unloading and getting this place party ready. Our church had brought 50 large containers of chili with us, nearly 100 dozen cookies and everything else to go with it. By the time the families started arriving, we were taking our places to love the people of Wheelwright, KY. I quickly took the title of “official baby holder” and used my title every chance I got. I also made a point to make over all the little girls that came wearing their version of “Sunday best” because I knew it really was their best and they were proud to wear it for us. The children were easy to love, the teenagers were a little tougher to crack. Sadly, they are the ones that need to be loved the most. They are susceptible to so many different decisions and the right ones are often the harder ones to choose. I fell in love with one family of sisters and the baby they had. Her name was Shelby and if I had shown up at home with her, no one would have been surprised. Her mom was April and April had 8 sisters. The oldest sister, Misty, was the main caretaker for all the sisters and the baby. Misty is in college. One of few. She wants to be a nurse and isn’t sure if she wants to stay in Wheelwright or not. She is trying to decide between her family and her career. Another family I became close to is Eddie’s family. Eddie is sponsored by one of my friends at church and she asked me to check in on him. Eddie found me at the door. There is where he stole my heart. He met me at the check in table and dropped down to do push ups to impress me. He’s only 3. He has a 16 year old sister, Jasmine and 2 older brothers. I was told by Debbie that his family has been known to do heavy drugs in the past. Eddie was friendly and his mom was talkative. He has a lazy eye and had surgery to correct it. It was still healing.

The party consisted of chili for lunch, arts and crafts for the kids, a visit with santa, 3 professional family photography areas complete with printing capabilities and a full makeshift salon. A local salon in Nashville had recruited 4 stylist to give free haircuts to the families in attendance. When I sat down to eat, I met my favorite child yet. I sat next to a girl and asked her name. She told me it was Victoria Ann Moon. She proceeded to tell me “some of these people came and built a room onto my grandma’s house.” We had learned about this addition the night before and I was honored to meet the people that it benefited. She said that since the room addition, she finally had a bedroom of her own. She lives with her grandma and several of her cousins. I also met her grandma, Dorothy, and she was one of the most grateful people I met all weekend. You could tell she kept those kids in line, in school and was respectable. She was grateful for the room that crosspoint helped build and she was glad to pitch in and help or work for anything given to her. Victoria and I had a meaningful conversation about staying in school and learning the importance of math. A common theme among the families is a high incidence of smokers, pregnancy at an early age and soda. Children as young as 2 or 3 carried a soda into the party. Many adults brought their own Mt. Dew with them and the kids drank it freely. Now soda won’t kill you but the unhealthy theme just isn’t appropriate for children so young. Most kids would ask if we had soda to serve when we only offered water and lemonade. The lack of education compounded these unhealthy choices.

After the party, the clean up began. There were several gifts that were not picked up from a family that had been hospitalized. I went with the team that was going to deliver those gifts. That may have been when things got real. We pulled up to a home surrounded by clutter, broken things and mud. It was easily in “condemned” conditions by most standards. There were rotten boards covering the dirty floor. The mother met us at the door and we delivered gifts to her 4 boys. The boys came outside and retrieved their gifts and each of them seemed to have learning disabilities. They were also not clean. Their clothes were filthy and we later learned that there was no running water in the home. They wouldn’t get it until spring time because even if they had it, the pipes would freeze and burst. It was a VERY quiet ride back as all of the team members pondered what we had just witnessed. I didn’t relize people in the US lived like that. I didn’t comprehend until now the hopelessness that could be found so very close to me. The saddest part for these boys is with significant learning delays, the future for them was bleak at best. It was a hard lump to swallow.

The emotions of that day were exhausting. It was sad to see the children that were not clean, warm and loved. It was hard to accept that the adults in their lives would choose drugs or other things in life over their children. It was hard to see people falling in the the same cycles of bad decisions breeding more bad decisions. I just hope that at least a few of the people we touched this weekend see that there is a God that loves them, there are people in Nashville that love them and a few right decisions can mean a way out, a better life.

We headed home EARLY on Sunday morning. We had a lot of discussions about the weekend and the emotions we felt. The people we met. We were about 30 miles outside of Wheelwright, KY when we finally had cell phone service again. And we promptly googled the nearest starbucks. There was a new appreciation for a good cup of coffee. I think I faired pretty well for roughing it and not having a shower for 2 days.(No judgements, did you SEE the photos of the showers?) And to get my hands on baby Shelby, I’d go back again!

Crosspoint brings Christmas BIG.

I might have mentioned that I was taking up babies at the door. We did regretfully have to give them all back at the end of the day but if they had left them, I'd have came home with one of these!

See, I packed my "comfortable" (ugly) shoes and all the other basic essentials. Yes, that is a strand of pearls.

I had 2 sweet friends that had been to wheelwright set me UP as far as comfort is concerned. I didn't get cold even once on this set up!

And THIS is why I went the entire weekend without showering. Can you blame me?

Anything can be made beautiful!

But I did manage to brush my teeth!

It was like a tent city, except we had power and blow up mattresses so really it wasn't that bad.

Oh, and books on mp3 from the library. I was warned that there was no cell phone reception and it was a fact!

The drink of choice. Babies, teens and adults alike. Apparently it is cheaper than milk.

Oh, THIS is Eddie. He did push ups to impress me, aren't you impressed?

Sweet Eddie!

The salon girls giving makeovers to the grandma's!

This is Victoria Moon. She's going to be a mathematician one day!

She wasn't happy. I took her Dr. pepper to try to make her smile for me. It wasnt' working. I gave it back.

One of my favorite sisters!

This is Eddie's family. How cute is he at the bottom!

Yes, she has rainbows on her sweet little face!

Both of my favorite sisters in matching sweaters!

This is just a few of the reasons we were there!

Nothing warms your heart more than a weekend filled with God's love for children and a starbucks on the way home.

Thankful for the perspective, the opportunity and God's redemption for us all.

Lincoln Lately

Just a few of Lincoln's sayings lately. He's more talkative than ever. Actually he never stops. Until you want him to say something. Then he clams up like a conch shell. Hot little mess.

Today he took off his jeans and put on his snowman pajama pants. I hear him in the hallway and he's saying "I'm a Snowman butt." I corrected the "bathroom talk" until I realized that he was serious. He had changed his own clothes.

In another speech correction, somewhere (JACKSON) he learned to say "kill you" while pretending to fight and play with Jackson. I constantly say "Don't say I kill you." So tonight in the car while playing that game Lincoln says "I can't say I kill you, Jackson" "Mom said don't say kill you". Nice way to say it anyway Lincoln.

Since my Birthday in November I've been waking up to an adorable version of Happy Birthday to you every couple of mornings. It goes something like: "Happy To-day, Happy To-day, Happy to Mommy" I kinda like it. I could use to celabrate my birthday a little longer!


This morning, I came downstairs to Lincoln helping himself to the chocolate in his advent calendar. Today he enjoyed day 11, 13 and 19. So much for the daily advent.

I had a sweet friend ( www.hankorange.com ) make the boys custom Vanderbilt shirts to sport around the Vandy campus. We are already an anomaly in the Owen grad program being a family of 4 and not fresh out of college. I figured if we were going to stand out, we might as well look good!

Tonight we made a quick Santa visit at the YMCA. We are not a huge Santa family and last year, I vowed to NEVER again wait in line to see the pretender in the big red suit. It was a Fayettville mall casualty event and I learned my lesson. So they boys were excited to see him and as we walked in they both lit up. As we got closer, Lincoln stopped. He wasn't getting any closer to that poser. Jackson was already in full conversation but all Lincoln could do was stand there and wave. He wants to love the guy, he knows he should but he can't help but hesitate at the strange guy with an outdated beard that looks like a mask only allowing you to see his eyes. I can't really blame him but his hesitation is cute and frustrating. Santa leans down to ask Lincoln if he's been good this year and Lincoln promptly announces, "NO!" Truth hurts.


It's no secret. Lincoln can be a bad boy. And he is stubborn. And he doesn't back down until I break out the spoon. Yes, the spoon. Then he is SOOoooooo sorry. He back that little tush up saying "I'm sorry mommy, I sorry, I sorry" You better believe I continue on with the spoons delivery.


Most days that we are home, you will find Lincoln only half clothed. Usually the top half as he is begining to potty train and prefers to "do it himself." If seen wearing anything on the bottom, he can be found wearing ONE black cowboy boot and ONE fireman rainboot. He always, ALWAYS pairs them this way. It takes skill to assure that the shoes I always pair up get paired his very own way. It's safe to say, Lincoln gets his style from his dad.

We're still on the Goodnight Moon book. We read it everyday. Several times. The main objective in the book is to find the mouse. Did you know that on every "colored" page of that book, there is a tiny little mouse? It's true and Lincoln can show you each one of them.

This boy LOVES to say his prayers. We say them mostly at night before bed but when he's with my dad, Lincoln requests to "say prayers" more frequently. He mumbles along with the praises and prayers of thanksgiving and then announces "amen" at the end. I can't help but take a peek at how tightly he closes his cute little eyes during these prayers.

We live along the Harpeth River. The depth of the river fluctuates greatly with the rainfall. There is not a time that we pass it that Lincoln doesn't comment on the "Ribber" on the way home.

That boy never misses an "oh wow" (construction vehicle), a truck or a monmower (lawnmower).

Lincoln is more obsessed with trains than ever before. I recently retrieved some of Jackson's Geotrax out of storage and we made a track around the Christmas Tree. It's the site of many hours of fun in the daytime and many fights and squeals when Jackson gets home in the afternoon.

This morning, our elf was caught eating a chocolate bar. Lincoln thought this was the funniest yet. He's a big fan of candy and especially at breakfast. Not a chance Lincoln. But he said "Look, mommm, that elf eat chocky, he make mess!"

He sings the sweetest little rendition of Jingle Bells. It mostly goes "Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells" over and over but there is a "HEY!" in there somewhere. Nothing cuter than a kid singing Christmas songs to me.

So I got some new pajamas. They are pink and covered in very LOUD and Bold Owl prints. I really like them but they are LOUD. Lincoln walks into the bathroom where I have donned them and says "Mom, Sooooo pretty, You birds!"
Awww, thanks Lincoln!

And one for Jackson...Tonight, he asked us "Do you know that Russian guy? The one with the white beard? (thinking santa claus)He says, You know, the one that wrote about that soldier and him fighting the 6 headed mouse while those girls danced around him?
It was the nutcracker, he was trying to think of the guy who wrote Then Nutcracker. Oh. I had to google. It was Tchaikovsky, Peter Tchaikovsky. Are they really teaching my KINDERGARTENER about Tchaikovsky?! I'm impressed!

Thankful by the week- 4

21-The bus. I'm thankful every single morning as that big yellow bus drives away carrying my talkative vibrant 5 year old away for the next 8 hours. Sure, I miss him but that only lasts until I see the tail lights of the bus disappear over the hill. Then I'm off to enjoy my cup of coffee in the quiet. Or at least the slightly less questioning buzz of 2 year old talk. I didn't think I'd be able to put a 5 year old on the bus. I'd hardly ever been away from him in his 5 year lifespan. I was used to being the first to hear all about his day. But now the bus is his absolute favorite part of the day and some days...it's mine too.

22-The YMCA. When we first moved here, Jason went to visit the YMCA. He took one look at the place and said we couldn't afford it on grad school salary. The place was so nice it had 100 treadmills and a indoor pool. The list of classes they offered was so long that it needed 2 pages AND drum roll...they had childcare! Yeah, we couldn't afford that. P90x for me! Then all my friends were going to the Y. I wanted to go to the Y. I went in one day just to see how out of my price range it was going to be and I was shocked to find out that ANYONE can afford the Y. That's what they are all about. It very well may be the best monthly payment I make. And I use it. Oh, do I use it. That 2 hours of childcare is my substitute preschool for Lincoln and I get my fitness on while he plays with others nicely (or not!). We go swimming when it threatens to snow outside in a pool that rivals a small scale great wolf lodge. I meet my running partner on rainy days or when it's 22 in the mornings and we just cant' stomach an outside run. I still plan to go one day and just sit in the hot tub, alone, while my kids enjoy childcare. Just 2 hours to myself. But I haven't done it yet. Yes, I get my money's worth out of the Y.

23-My smart phone. What did I do without this thing? How did we ever communicate without smart phones text messaging and instant pics? Sure, I might get a lot more done but I wouldn't be nearly as close as I am with many of the people I talk to regularly on text or computer. I keep my calendar, my watch, my alarm on my phone. I keep my grocery list, my blog diary, and a rolling conversation with my sister and mom going on my phone. I can get anywhere using it, I can look up anything in a google second on it. I got this particular phone last year for Christmas and it may be one of the most useful Christmas presents ever. Jason got it for me begrudgingly. He may have known what device he was getting himself into. He was right! And I still love it.

24- Amazon.com Do you remember when they only sold books and other media? It's hard to believe now that you can purchase anything under the sun from them now. And I mean ANYTHING! And who doesn't love their one "click to ship" method. One can go a little crazy with that click to ship button. How weird is it that they never forget what you look at and if you don't purchase it, you'll get an email later saying "Jamie, we've found what you were looking for!" Are they marketing geniuses or what?

25-I could be thankful for just coffee. And I am. But no coffee would be the same without it's creamer. I like most coffee creamer. I should clarify, I like most liquid coffee creamer. I'm not too picky. In fact, at any given moment I probably have at least 4 or 5 different flavors of coffee creamer in my fridge. My personal favorites are chocolate raspberry and peppermint mocha but Jason prefers Caramel Macchiato and Almond Joy. I sometimes wish I was a "take my coffee black" kinda girl but that just doesn't seem to be. This is a harsh statement but I think I'd rather not drink it. I like my khaki coffee. Sweet, creamy, calorie laden, irresistible 3 cups of coffee a day!

26-I might have mentioned that I like sparkle. I like all kinds of sparkly things, that is why I'm so loving my new job as a stylist with Stella & Dot. I love getting to wear all the fantastic jewelry and getting to put together new looks for people is a dream to me! It's been fun to help people get Christmas presents that I know they will LOVE! and I can't wait to wear all of my new pieces at this years holiday parties! I'm thankful for the opportunity to do something else (beside motherhood!) that I absolutely love!

Alien Slim= $1 Belly Laughs= Priceless

I had to run some errands on Tuesday. It was raining. Both boys would be accompanying me. Moms of 2 (or more!) know what a grave task it can be to take both kids anywhere. Especially in the rain, during the "witching hours." But alas, it had to be done and I couldn't leave them alone, though it did cross my mind.

We had to do several errands requiring us to get in and out of the car several times. I made the usually threats and promises in exchange for stellar behavior. Well, as usual, I had to remind them that their behavior was less than stellar. I would border on whether or not it was even deserving of the promised reward but at the end of the night. Regardless, we finished our errands at the dollar store. One dollar store didn't have the one thing we were looking for (and you thought they had everything, didn't you?). So I drove to the other nearby dollar store and we finally found what we'd been looking for all night. Alien Slime. Oh, and Lincoln a plastic 'rafe (Giraffe).

Jackson had promised to ONLY play with this goo on the hard floor in the kitchen. Wouldn't you know Jason got interested in this gooey slimey substance. That took it to a whole new level of fun. They pretended it was snot, then throw up, then they put it on their belly and then on their face. Jackson tried to talk with it on his face and it made really great funny noises. Then they offered Lincoln to touch the slime but he wasn't so sure. But he did offer his giraffe up as a slime sacrifice which proved for even more laughs. I guess a good night of belly laughs is just what we all needed after a harried rainy afternoon of running errands. I'm telling you it just might have been the best $1 I spent ALL week.

Thankful by the week- 3

I thought this was posted earlier in the week. I was wrong!

14-I am thankful for the newest and latest fashion trends. Glitter and Sequins. Yes, for adults. I was browsing department and trend setting stores recently and every where I looked there was Sparkle! This makes me one very happy girl. It' is unnatural how much I really love all things glittery and sparkly. And Bonus, I don't look like a 1980's superstar when I wear it. At least that's not what the fashion mags are saying! You can expect to see me with a little extra bling this holiday season. Afterall, it's IN style!

15-Birthday week! I'm thankful it's my birthday week. Not necessarily the fact of getting older but the feeling of being special that one day. Also the guilt free eat whatever you want, it's yo birthday is kinda nice. So far, it's been Jason's deli and Chick-fil-a but I intend on a full on sushi dinner in a few days, oh and some cream cheese cupcakes, with a little Sparkle on top! Now that's my kinda birthday cake!

16-I'm thankful for baby wipes. I buy them in bulk. Then, I buy some more! I use them for everything, not just baby butts. Sure they are great for that (unfortunately) but they are also great for little hands, messy tables, dusting, cleaning countertops, stain removal, computer cleaning, and getting the sticky off almost anything. I could find infinite uses for them and I intend to keep them around long after we're done with baby butts. My brand is Huggies in case you were wondering.

17-Today I am thankful for the ability to run 5 miles before the sun comes up. On my 32nd birthday, I got up before the sun and met my running partner Stephanie for a great 5 mile run. It was cold, which made me thankful for cold weather running gear. It was a great rolling trail and only one of the few we run on a regular basis, which made me thankful to live in a green city with plenty of space. I am thankful for my health at 32 to not only run 5 miles but to do it faster than I could have at age 22. Lastly, I'm thankful for daylight savings time. I usually hate it but lately we were finishing our runs and it was still dark outside. It makes it super hard to get out of bed and run in the dark so when I wake and the sun is shinning, I know it's time to run!

18-I am ever so thankful for my hair stylist Kim. I have been seeing her for several years now and her services are needed more and more each time I visit. Turning 32 certainly has it's grey down sides. Even in NC, I'd plan trips home in order to see Kim. I always joked about being her longest distance client. Now, it's easier to plan a trip from Nashville but I still make a point to see her every several months. I'm always happy to see her. My "sparkle" just wouldn't be the same without her!

19- As me and the kids sit around my parents raging fireplace, I'm thankful for REAL fireplaces. The kind that crackles and you can actually roast marshmallows on in the middle of the living room floor. Crispy brown marshmallows that are fully intended to land on a graham cracker with a square of Hershey chocolate waiting to be melted into a gooey sticky mess.The kind that lulls you to sleep in the dark with it's amber light. The kind my daddy chopped wood and built himself just because we were there so we could all hang out in the living room together. I wonder when we build a house with a real fireplace if Daddy will come and build us a fire in that house too?

20-Last year for Christmas, Jason got me a Tassimo coffee maker. I love it! I don't use it for morning coffee because it's a one cup maker and I'm more of a 3 cup girl in the mornings but it is priceless when it's a cold afternoon and you need a great cuppa joe! I can use it to make coffee, latte's and cappuccinos along with hot chocolate and tea. Now if I can just find the perfect timing balance for that afternoon cup and my sleep balance. It's a great pick me up but sometimes it doesn't let me down until far after mid-night and that can cause a severe coffee cycle come morning!

A day in the life of a Domestic Goddess

Every now and then, I like to write about my day to day life. I want to remember what it was like when the boys were small. And sometimes, I just need to write it down to help me remember at the end of the day what seems like it was an eternity ago was just this morning. Today was an average, ordinary day. We began the day with me waking to get Jackson up for school. I went to his room and he wasn't there. WAIT? WHAT? Ok, so he must have gotten up for breakfast, and I go downstairs to find my coffee beckoning me but no Jackson. As I began to sleepily freak out a little, I called him up the stairs and no reply. Not messing around at this point, I demand that Jason call him which usually gets a response and it did. From UNDER our bed. Weird kid. He'd crawled under there without so much as a sound. I drug him out and insisted he dress quickly. If not quickly, he could drag this out for hours, possibly days. He argued about making his bed because it was "tooooo harrrrrd!" He enjoyed a high quality breakfast of string cheese and juice box. Please note this was NOT for the lack of nutritious choices or my willingness to provide them.
After that sweet yellow school bus drove away with my 5 year old safely aboard, I went home to get started on his little counterpart. Lincoln gets up saying "I kick bed, mommy". And the ball of energy is off! Lincoln is content for a total of 8 minutes with his "milks" and "muthins". I moved on to play-doh play complete with plastic scissors. It's the only time I hear "mama, I cut!" that I don't cringe and squeal. I spend a significant amount of time trying to keep the 2 colors I allowed from mixing together. I walk away for mere seconds when he announces his completion of shoving BOTH colors into the same cup in an attempt to clean up. So much for orange play-doh. Brown again. Great.

We then get out of the highchair just in time to perform our daily rendition of the "ha ha dance" or Hot dog dance better known to preschool parents everywhere. While on the home front, we are participating in the naked potty training method. For the most part, as long as there are no barriers, there are also no accidents. No pants, all potty. I have yet to test that method outside the home. You are welcome to give it a try if you dare. I spend a portion of my morning putting together train tracks and pretending to drive tractors (that's sexy, right?) I had gathered and started 2 loads of laundry in my trusty front loaders and made soup for my lunch.
I had also had the pleasure of chatting with 2 friends from our time in NC. It had been a long time and it was great, until it was interrupted by a naked boy strutting around in cowboy boots in the back yard...in the rain! I corralled him and induced him into a sweet napping coma so I could pick up those tractors for the 7th time today.

While he slept, I prepared him a pb&j for his lunch. (It should be noted that pb&j is NOT an eat in the car seat while running errands kind of food. No mom would ever think that is a good idea. Especially not me.) I also started working on some jell-o jigglers for an after school snack. Then I tied a pink ribbon in my hair and sat down to listen to FM radio. No, wait back up. We are NOT living in the 50's. I did however make the jell-0. And to top it off, I made them in communion type shot glasses. AND it was 2 colors. Talent. It takes talent to master multi colored jell-o shooters. Self control is what it takes to resist putting vodka in them and throwing a before kids college party. Luckily, I had self control today. At least in regards to the jell-o shooters.
Lincoln woke up early from the nap which led to us having the perfect amount of time to run a few errands. We dropped off the recycling. You're welcome mother earth. We made a charity drop at church and returned our library books and movies. We had just enough time to do my CVS bargain shopping and stop by Michaels crafts before heading to the bus stop. Smooth transactions and clearance glow sticks made for a successful trip. At Michaels, Lincoln was threatened and rewarded with the viewing of the Christmas village. It doesn't take much to entertain little guys and I have a soft spot for Christmas villages myself so I didn't mind at all.
At home, Lincoln and I walked to the bus stop a little early and were rewarded with pure entertainment. They are finishing construction on a house behind us and the dumpster was being removed today. I'd never seen a dumpster loaded onto the flat truck before but it was an interesting sight and Lincoln was captivated. I told you he is fascinated by the strangest things. We walked home from the bus stop and commenced eating jell-o. The neighbor girls were here for the afternoon and I think I won worlds coolest mom in their eyes with the multi colored gelatin cups. Apparently they were SO cool and SO good. We met some friends in the park across the street. I must take a moment to talk about the convenience of the park being located across the street. This is PRIME preschool real estate people! I brought bubbles and little cups of baking soda to the park to secure my "world's coolest mom" status. What could be cooler than explosive science experiments to a bunch of elementary schoolers (mostly boys). I let each kid squeeze the vinegar into the cups and they all squealed as they ran over with fun explosive foam. It was over quickly and probably gone just as suddenly was my "cool" status but you can't tell me that!
After the average, dinner and bath time (complete with clearance glowsticks in the bathtub), we took a moment to spend time as a family before bed. Our quality time for the evening was spent watching THIS. Don't hesitate. You NEED to see this. You could add it to the end of your nothing but glorious day as a domestic goddess, or just a regular day as a stay at home mom. I prefer the former.