xmas 2012

we had a little family dinner for lizzie a couple nights ago and found the "elf yourself" app fun as well as the guitar hero game





Looking forward to a movie and maybe a nap before dinner... back to work tomorrow but will FINALLY have a weekend completely off so we can head up to the cabin for New Years. This has been such an awesome year, so many good things to be thankful for, really the best ever. Hoping to keep this going for 2013! Planning a Florida/Disneyworld trip and maybe take another mom and me adventure (Scotland!!) I was surprised by many Padre Pio gifts from chris, having been introduced while driving through Italy. I do wish I hadn't done any research on him though, as the mystery was better than the reality but that's what I get for being curious all the time. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone!!

happy birthday lizzie!!

someone turned 9 today!! 

December happenings

I started out the month way ahead of schedule and it FEELS GREAT!! I have done most of my shopping and even wrapped most of my gifts, a definite first for me. Having two kids who are at such different maturity levels has proven hard for me this year. Lizzie is just 8 (soon to be 9) but Emily is closer to 13 than 12. This means that toys are pretty much off both their lists, even Lizzie! Last year eveyone wanted dolls (boy barbies too ???) and I obliged because I could feel the end of the doll era approaching. I guess it makes me a little sad to be moving out of the toy section and into the "curling irons, nail polish, make up, clothes" tween/teen world. Oh well! At least SANTA can still bring toys, right??

Karate and New Trucks, yay!! (food is not allowed in the new truck, yet)


Talent show and awards ceremony, we have almost gone a full year of karate, can't recommend it highly enough (especially for those kids who really really really need it)


On the Camp Fire front: we have done progressive xmas dinner parties, potluck parties and many parties at a very special grandma's house... but we have never just gone out to dinner for the heck of it! This year I decided to set our Xmas party at our local mexican food restaurant. It turned out great and I enjoyed letting the girls just "hang out" We left a nice big tip, hugs all around (hugging is BIG right now with the middle schoolers, so cute!!) and full bellies after a quick handmade gift exchange.



Some things i am enjoying right now:
1. Rachel Khoo
especially her new cooking show on the cooking channel, so fun!
2. this cookbook
3. and this one too
4. this blog (I stumbled onto this blog about the time she delivered her twins and thought it was a really refreshing blog about parenting. since then i have been just smitten with it, i love her mom as well. when my kids were babies i didn't have a girlfriend to hang with or talk to and i remember feeling really lonely sometimes. i was lucky to find a really homey nurturing day care for my daughters and i met some other working moms i could talk with. it still wasn't that "dream girlfriend to hang at the park with" situation, but it did help me feel less neurotic! anyways, this blog is what i was looking for then and i don't mind taking a little trip back to the baby days sometimes, it's that good)
5. this blog totally inspiring, she has a video i watched and wow, what a lovely lady!!
6. and this one, are you KIDDING ME?? can these people be any cooler? sheeesh!!
ok, off to my date with the laundry and super quick house pick up... we have had some algebra issues so today we meet the new tutor... yippee!!

Belmont Shore Parade

one of the first things i blogged about was the annual belmont shore christmas parade 7 years ago, wow! having two groups i try to be with both and sometimes it works out, sometimes not. this year we were able to stay together so it was a pretty smooth event

the younger kids still clowning around


my older group a little more reserved








parade photos always seem to come out dreamy and fuzzy and surreal... sorta how it feels while you are walking in it. never stops amazing me how exciting and fun it is to march down the parade route with all the noise, music, lights and action. another year down, getting ready for christmas, for once i am organized and early!!