I Can Do It..Just Watch Me

Uncle Johnny, as she calls him, is so patient with Chelsea with his guitar. She sits by the guitar case just waiting for him to open it up and take it out. The first time she played he was amazed at how she uses both her hands. I think she is a star in the making. I wonder which talent she will pursue. I wonder if she has enough of her Grandma in her that she will try and pursue all of them and get a little overwhelmed....lets hope we can get her to focus and pursue at least a few of her talents.

She watches her Uncle Johnny so closely when he plays. It is amazing the things she picks up on. I guess we better be careful of our actions. I wouldn't want her to be watching closely and pick up on the wrong thing. So many things to remember when little eyes are watching, and little ears are listening. Lord, let me be a good example for this precious gift you have given me.

And, once again those eyes. Could she be any more precious? Have I told you how much I love her to pieces?

Here Comes Santa Clause...Ready or Not

So, our first encounter of the season with Santa was, what should I call it, I think encounter is a good word. We went to Jonathan's Guard Christmas dinner and Santa was there. Chelsea was so excited and wanted to go right over there. We took about 2 steps and she froze on me. The above picture was taken at about attempt 5, she had a death grip on her Grandma and wouldn't look at anyone. We went back and forth to our table which was across the room. She was very brave at the table and would take off to see Santa, but always came to an abrupt stop before she got there.

Santa was so good with Chelsea. He came around to the table and gave everyone a candy cane and talked to us, all part of the warming up process. When she finally decided to make another attempt I was ready with my camera. Notice, she is still a distance away from him. He gradually got closer and closer and he sealed the deal when he let her play with the baby reindeer. She loved on that reindeer the rest of the day and she was even nice enough to put it back when other kids wanted their picture taken with Santa. Of course she stood right there, and may be in some of their pictures, so she could grab it back as soon as they were done.

This picture is my favorite. I wish I could of got more of Santa in the picture but maybe that was all that was needed. I am not sure but I think she liked the reindeer more than Santa, but when she sees these pictures she still says she wants to go see him. She is priceless..........................

Getting To Know You...Christmas Edition

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?Either one is fine with me, but really, who doesn't love to unwrap a gift wrapped present. Of course, you can't break the ribbon or you will get pregnant on the next full moon. For me this would be BAD. I think I would be single, or maybe I just wouldn't tell anyone and see if they even noticed.
2. Real or artificial tree? Is it really called artificial? or is it just a FAKE tree. Either way, it doesn't smell like a real tree. Being married to a fireman I have given up the fight and since I like to keep my tree until at least the day after Christmas, and I like to leave my lights on most of the time, we have gone to the unreal ones. At least I know that it doesn't have a bad side that I have to hide, it is always very full and can hold even the heavy ornaments without buckling under the pressure.
3. When do you put up the tree? That would be Thanksgiving day or the day after. Why not take advantage of all the kids being home to haul all 50 totes of decorations up the stairs for me. This year they got to put all the decorations up while I got ready for a bazaar. And yes, silly, I was right in the middle of it supervising, telling them where to put stuff.
4. Do you like eggnog? It isn't my favorite but like it maybe just once a season. My family likes it however. Where do you think a name like eggnog comes from anyway? My friend Ronda would google that and have an answer from me within minutes.
5. Favorite gift received as a child? Did I receive any gifts when I was a child? JK....LOL!!! I think I received one. hehehe I can't think of just one, but I do remember when my mom sewed us girls all matching pajamas. If you know me well, you know that I LOVE my flannel pajamas and have to smuggle them in the house when I buy a new pair. Certain people think I have too many pairs. WHATEVER!!!
6. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes I do and I love it. It happens to be one of Chelsea's favorite things to play with also. (Don't worry, it isn't made of glass) It is a very expensive nativity that my mom started for me many years ago and has added to it along with my mother in law. You would have to ask one of them what it is called, all I know is that it is from Italy.
7. Hardest person to buy for? that is easy, that would be everyone who I have to shop for. I stress way to much over this issue, and receive very little help from any of them if I ask them for ideas.
8. Easiest person to buy for? My little princess, Chelsea. Who doesn't love to shop for little kids? Especially when they are your grandchild.
9. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? My big yellow industrial mop bucket. Actually we use it all the time, inside and outside, but I can't say I was too excited when I opened it up on Christmas morning. I was however very gratefulllllllllllllllll
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? I would never email a Christmas card unless it was just for fun.. I have allowed my life to get so busy that I haven't even mailed cards in a few years but plan to send some this year after Christmas for our 25th Anniversary. Be watching your mailboxes.
11. Favorite Christmas Movie? Easy......Christmas Vacation tops the list with Elf in second place.
12. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Usually about December 20th....the stress level is usually pretty high by then and my heart is racing to about 120 beats/minute. At this point I wish everyone a very merry christmas when I run into them with my shopping cart and they usually stay out of my way.
13. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Recycled????? What the heck. NEVER. I may have put it in a closet and forgot about it but I didn't know you could recycle them. I have seen recycle bins for newspaper, glass, cardboard, etc but never Christmas presents.
14. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Another easy question....FOOD! Were you wanting a more specific answer? From the looks of my waist line I wasn't too finicky.
15. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Clear and twinkling! Not flashing! There is a difference. Colored lights are reserved for the windows but they can't move, they have to be very steady to not compete with the tree. In fact I have some so steady in my windows this year that they just went to sleep and forgot to wake up. I am going to give them one more day to wake up and then they get replaced. End of story
16. Favorite Christmas song? I could not possibly pick just one song. My favorites would be about the real meaning of Christmas however, and not the commercial aspect of it.
17. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Never travel. We have never had a Christmas morning where we weren't at our own house. Besides, why decorate if you are just going to travel somewhere else.
18. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? HELLO, you know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixon, Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen, but do you recall, the most famous reindeer of all....................RUDOLPH the red nosed reindeer. But don't forget all the back up reindeer who stand ever ready to fill in at a moments notice...... Larry, Curly and Mo, along with Fred and Barney, Bert and Ernie, Huey, Louie, and Dewey, just to name a few.
19. Angel on the tree top or a star? Kinda an angel...it is a snowman angel. Still looking for the perfect one for tree #2.
20. Open the presents Christmas Eve or Christmas morning? Growing up we always opened on Christmas Eve. Since having children we have always opened them all on Christmas morning.
21. Most annoying thing about this time of year? SHOPPING
22. Do you decorate your tree in any specific theme or color? Of course I do. Do you really think that I just throw things together and settle on however it comes out. The main tree has at least one of each of the ornaments I have made over the years. I have noticed there are a few missing this year...hummmm wonder where they went? I would say that more than half of them are snowmen. I try to decorate my living room in snowmen. There are Red Christmas balls, usually candy canes (don't know where they went to this year either). The second tree in the dining room is a bit more formal with red and silver balls, poinsettia flowers in red and white, Glass hearts, candle lights, ribbon and teddy bears all around it. The dining room is the teddy bear room. Don't tell Mark, but someone gave me another tree this year so next year I will have another one to decorate. Not edzachery sure where I am going to put it yet. Maybe the bedroom. I don't think he would notice it there.
23. What do/did you leave for Santa? A trail of clothes on the floor......just kidding...gosh, some people are so testy.
24. Favorite thing about this time of the year? I think I would have to say Christmas.