Return of the Muffin Top...

In theaters now! Starring me. Supporting roles go to:

White Trash Christmas Mix

Tupperware Cinnamon Roles

Scones and Devonshire Cream

(actual scones not pictured, they were eaten before pictured)

Where do they come up with this stuff?

I'm sitting on the couch making the grocery list and this is what I hear in a matter of 5 minutes:

Grace: Assistant Zachary, hand me the remote.

Zachary Ignores

Grace: Assistant Jayden, hand me the remote.

Jayden Ignores

Zachary: Jayden did not sign a contract, he's not getting you the remote.

Zach and Jayden go outside to play.

One minute Later:

Zach comes in and informs me that Jayden peed in a Tupperware container outside and that he had to throw it against the tree and tell Jayden not to pee in Tupperware.

I stick my head out the door and tell Jayden to come inside and pee in the potty when he has to pee. Then I finish my grocery list.

Guilt

The whole work life balance thing is such a challenge. I look around at some other working moms I know and I don't know how they do it, I wish I knew their secrets because I am barely managing it all.

I especially feel it this time of year when the job responsibilities are multiplied because it is at the end of the year, which requires a lot more work for us finance people. At the same time, it is the holidays which requires a ton of time too because I want to give the kids tons of memories and fun.

I have been given a project at work as we had some fixed asset audit findings and I have to get it all corrected for year end. This translates to a project that requires lots of hours and time is of the essence. The timing is the key, because next week the company actually shuts down for the entire week for the holidays. So, I only have this week to get the job done and work with the manufacturing people on getting it done. Finance will be working next week (of course) but we could not talk the manufacturing people into working (of course). So that leave only this week to finish. Anyway, I am sure you are falling asleep now, but this leads me back to the work-life balance and guilt issue.

Our babysitter is on vacation this week. Thankfully, Yaya has watched the kids Monday- Wednesday. I had scheduled to be off on Thursday a few weeks ago, so I am off today.  It has been a week of mom guilt:

*Monday through Wednesday I worked a lot and did not get home until late = GUILT
*I have not finished my Christmas shopping = GUILT
*The kids have exhausted my mom since she watched them 3 days in a row = GUILT
*Yesterday Zachary had a play date at his friends house and I did not get over to pick him up until 7 = GUILT
*When I picked up Zachary he had an accident for some reason = GUILT
*His friends mom also told me the Zachary was starting to get sick and did not feel well = GUILT
*Grace has not been doing her daily homework = GUILT
*Jason has been cooking dinner every night = GUILT
*I have not returned some phone calls and emails = GUILT
* Jason is doing a lot of the parenting duties this week = GUILT
*Thursday, I am off work and my boss had to take over my project = GUILT
*Typing on the computer instead of entertaining the kids right now = GUILT
*And just to prepare for the future GUILT = Being behind on Friday because I was off on Thursday

I wish I could learn how to not feel GUILT when I am at work and when I am at home. Either way, I can't win. In the end, I want the best of both worlds. I want a career where I can continue to be challenged and I want to spend every moment with the kids. I have not figured out how to do this, if you have please give me  your secrets.

Monster Bar Cookies

My new favorite cookie recipe. I am not sure if these have been around forever, and I have just missed them.

These are amazing: oatmeal, chocolate chips, M&M's, and peanut butter. Someone made them at work and I could not stop eating them. I knew Jason would love them so I made some on Sunday. Sooo Good!

Shhh, this is my breakfast this morning.

Santa Yoda

Zachary is the type of child who has always picked just one thing as the only thing he likes. Then he pours himself into that one thing and becomes consumed with only that. When he was two, it was Thomas the Train, when he was three it was bugs, when he was four it was dinosaurs. He only wanted to play with things and read books that were only those subjects. He knew all kinds of facts about bugs and spiders and every type of dinosaur. I would read him a book and he would retain all of the information while I promptly forgot which dinosaur was which. I try to tell him he can like more than one thing, but it is to no avail.

I bet he will always be like that his life, he will hone in on one interest at a time and give it his all. When he is older I sure hope he does not pick some girl to hone in on and wind up a stalker. Guess, I will worry about that later.

Anyway, right now he is very into star wars  legos. Those little minifigures have got me hooked in as well. Lucky boy he is because now I want the whole collection too. I discovered a star wars lego building contest online. Josh came over on Sunday and the kids went to work. They had to build something out of star wars legos that conveys the holiday spirit. They did an amazing job:


This is "Christmas Day on Hoth" Zachary made an ice skating star wars guy, pretty clever.

This is "Joy to the Galaxy", Santa Yoda holding a wreath is at the top of the minifigure tree.

Their creations are posted at:

http://www.legosantayoda.com/

If they win the contest, the grand prize is a 2 foot yoda made out of legos. They also have weekly prizes, I hope the kids win one of those, they would be so excited.

The best part is, when you send the star wars holiday video greeting cards off of this website, Lego will donate legos to kids this Christmas. Pretty Great, I will be sending some off this morning on behalf of Zachary!

The Nutcracker

The Kindergarten classes at Harelson put on the Nutcracker. It was a very cute performance. Zachary was a mouse, and the best mouse on the stage at that!

Just some Advent updates

Grandma was here for a few days. She was the star! If you look carefully, you can see the Christmas puzzle we put together. The boys lost interest and built a fort in the background while Jason, Kitty, Grace and I put it together. It was really a fun moment, it always amazes me how something that cost a dollar can enrich our relationships so much more than something that is hundreds of dollars.

It has been a busy two weeks at work. So I picked some things that don't require much energy and clean up. Like, watching a Christmas movie. I bought one cute container with popcorn and candy in it for the kids to share. Jayden promptly had a melt down because he wanted to have the entire thing himself. Can't blame him on that one.

I'm still tired so another easy one...reading Christmas Books. I look as bad as I felt that night. It was in the middle of month-end at work, so I was exhausted. But look how much Zachary still loves me. I love that boy!

Such joy to see my kids reading to each other. That means they are not fighting and I am not yelling!

Baking Day

We out did ourselves this year!  It was cold and rainy outside and warm and cozy inside. We baked (and ate) all day long. It was heaven. Next year, we are getting matching aprons.

You can't see her, but Miss. Lauren is front and center trying to find the candy in the calendar. The activity was to write what you are thankful for this holiday. Then Josh and Grace made a garland and hung it on Josh's tree.

Advent

Christmas calendar this evening....

...excitement in finding the 5th door...

... searching...

... guess who did not find it...

...continued pout...

...making scratch ornaments...

...star wars themed, of course...

...grace takes her time...

... all is well...

...for now...

Have you felt pure joy lately?

Girls Party

Grace and I kicked the boys out yesterday and had her friends over for gingerbread house decorating. I have a wonderful memory of my mom organizing a girls valentine's day party when I was in grade school. I want to give my kids those some types of memories. So even though it required my extra time and energy to make it happen, I am so glad that I did. All of the girls had a great time and I enjoyed hearing them talking and giggling when they were decorating.  The conversation ranged from who likes who, the teacher who is rumored to only talk about toys, and the girl who was seen on the girls bathroom floor working on her  posters for E-Club (and that was such a big deal by the way) They are a sweet and funny group of girls. It started me thinking about the future, as the kids get older and hit middle school and high school age they will be faced with more choices. If I can figure out how open our home and make it the spot to be for the kids and their friends that would be ideal.Then maybe I won't worry so much.

Present for me!

Jason gave me my Christmas present early this year. I'm so glad he did. Most of all I am so grateful that he is the type of guy who is listening when I talk about anything. I would love to be able to take really great photographs, I told him this one day and now I have a beautiful new camera with lots of gadgets and pieces for me to figure out. Wish I had time to actually take a class, but I don't, so I will just make a promise to myself to learn on my own.

Finally, December 1st

I love this time of the year.

I get to pull out the advent calendar! It is our tradition I started a few years ago. Each day of December, the kids get to open a door where I have hidden chocolates and a note. They usually gobble up the chocolates and then Grace reads the note.

I pick different activities for us do to as a family. It is so much fun and allows our family to focus on activities to do with each other during the month of December.

Some nights, I don't have the energy for a fun activity but I am always happy we did it afterwards. I will try to post our advent fun this month! We made glitter ornaments for our first night:

Strange addiction

I have a problem, an addiction really. I just love Scholastic Book Orders. I simply can not help myself whenever my kids bring home their order forms. I have to buy books, and lots of books every time. There is just something about the whole process, from the newspaper type booklets, to pouring over each page with the kids, placing the order, and then their excitement when the books arrive at school especially for them.

Have you seen our home? We have piles and stacks of Scholastic Books in almost everyone room. I just can't help it, I have to buy! I would take a picture of all the books, but it would take too many pictures.

Jason is so nice about it, every now and then he simply says 'We need to get rid of some of these books'. Normally that means, I go through the books, which means I wind up reading them all to the kids. And then several hours later, we maybe have a small stack to donate.

Maybe it is not so much of a problem. I love reading to the kids. And I love the fact that so far I have taught 2 out of the 3 to read myself. So I don't think I am going to stop buying books, unless my paycheck stops.

I read an article the other day that fueled my addiction. There was a research study that found the more books children have in their house equals more years of continuing education.

If this is true, my kids will be in school forever.