Wordless Wednesday

I am sure I do not know what I was thinking when I decided to return to work after maternity leave just a few short weeks before Christmas. I clearly did not consider how this decision would contribute to making an already hectic time even more challenging.

Right before I went back to work, I had ambitious plans to get all our Christmas cards personalized and addressed. This plan was thwarted when I realized that the cards we had bought required an assembly line. They needed a photo attached to the front.... WHAT? Seriously? What was I thinking?

There was some sense of relief when I remembered that I had scheduled a private photo shoot for the boys with Santa. So, at least there'd be a decent photo. Of course, this also tossed us into the category of people-who-send-Christmas-cards-with-photos-of-only-their-kids; but that is a topic worthy of a post unto itself.

So last Friday, I was able to pick up the disc with photos. I spent much of the following day having photos printed and working on the Christmas Card Assembly Line. This was the most labor intense Christmas card in the history of ever!

Seriously, there was the affixing of the photo perfectly, and the stamping of the address, and the sealing of the envelope, and the placement of the envelop seal, and the addressing of the envelope and lather, rinse, repeat. Over and over and over again.

I was about two boxes in when I realized that WHOOOPS, uh, I had forgotten to write anything in some of the cards. No signature, no Merry Christmas, not even a good luck in 2012.

That's right friends, I skeedadled right on past mistake and slammed head first into CHRISTMAS FAUX PAS.

If you are on our Christmas list and you get a card with a pretty return address stamp, a perfectly placed gold seal and two pajama clad kiddos hanging with Santa. Its from us and I wish you a merry Christmas and a faux pas free new year!

Wordless Wednesday

Slipper-less in Sarasota, redux

Some of you have been wondering about my slipper situation. I have to tell you, I am so flattered that there are so many concerned with my feet being warm and comfy.

And, since I did find the camera (in my make up bag????) I thought I would add the photos I teased you with.

As you can see, I am not the only one walking around with one slipper.

Wordless Wednesday

Slipper---less in Sarasota

You may remember my rant about the dishwasher during which I mentioned that I frequently walk around with one slipper because Cooper takes and then taunts me with the other one.

Well, it seems that MRA has taken notice and begun to copy Cooper thus leaving me slipper-less. And, yes, I mean copying Cooper exactly. I have a photo depicting this. Cooper sitting with one slipper hanging out of his mouth and MRA sitting next to him with the other slipper, you guessed, hanging out of his mouth. But, the camera has disappeared (insert loud sigh here).

The camera, also held this Wordless Wednesday's photo. I am sure it will turn up but probably not in any timely fashion and as soon as it does, something else I need will disappear.

The good news is I did find the spare keys under the sofa cushions this morning. I found them while looking for my slippers.

Wordless Wednesday

Elfin Magic

Last Sunday morning an elf appeared in our house. MRA named him Jacques.

In case you are not familiar with the Elf On a Shelf concept, he returns every night to the North Pole to report to Santa how the bambinos have behaved and then magically flies back to our house and perches in a new spot every morning.

Jacques has not done anything mischievous, yet, but he did bring breakfast with him the day he appeared - snowballs and reindeer kisses. A child's dream breakfast, a parents nightmare, especially when that elf put the snowballs in a glass jar not suspecting that MRA would want to devour about 100 of them. And whilst reaching for said glass jar would drop it, sending shards of cheap but terrifically sharp shards of glass across the tile floor, thus bringing a prompt end to the first annual North Pole Breakfast and the beginning cleaning up the floors.

We are really hoping that we can use Jacques to bribe  encourage some better behaviour in a couple of areas that have been a struggle lately, like getting out of bed at 5:30 a.m. (or earlier), coming into our room, uncovering me and saying (very sweetly might I add), "Mama, up. Mama up."

Of course, if there is no immediate response the sweetness goes out the window and turns into a full volume scream,  "MAMA UUUUUUUPPPP."

Hopefully, Jacques can assist. If not, I might just say eff the elf and start drinking from the bottle.

Merry Elfin Christmas!

Parents say the damnedest thing, part deux

Something you need to know to understand this story:

I love smocked clothing on infants and toddlers. I wish smocked clothes were more practical than they are and also less expensive. As a result of my obsession, I have discovered several sites on facebook and on-line that sell new, smocked clothing in an auction type setting at reduced prices.

There are more of these sites than one think. There is Southern Tots and Smock It To Me and also Smocked Auctions. See how cute...

You have to like thier Facebook page to get the auction info.

This revelation was pretty exciting and a little expensive. You see, they started posting photos of the items for bid and the available sizes and I started bidding; partially because of the obsession and partially because of my addictive personality. I would say my competitve nature played a role but, its not really competitive - its kinda first come, first serve.

So my parents came down to celebrate Thanksgiving and the big four uh-oh with me see the bambinos. The following conversation took place:

Me: Oh, mom. You aren't going to believe what I found on Facebook. I have got to show you this.

Mom: What is it?

Me: Hold on. I have to show you.  (I pull up my facebook wall with the 84,000 fabulous outfits available for bid.)

Mom: What's that? Clothes? Oh, I thought it was going to be porn.

Uuummmm, there is so much wrong going on here, all I could say was, "This story is going up on the blog."

Parents say the damnedest things, part 1

About a month after ASA graced us with his birth, my in-laws came to stay with us for a week and help out. Their timing was perfect for me as Jonathan was away on a business trip and I was still crazy shedding pregnancy hormones.

After they arrived, but before Jonathan left, we were chatting with them. My father-in-law (who I will refer to as Fil and my mother-in-law as Mil) made a comment that left me on the floor. Fil said that if he were a child, he would want us to be his parents.

This may be the greatest thing anyone has ever said to me. They also brought me pumpkin spice lattes every morning after dropping MRA off at school (I have I mentioned that Fil and Mil are all kinds of awesome?)

Holy crap, that's a lot to live up to! But, at this point in my life, I really cannot think of a higher compliment.