Merry Christmas

We had a very merry one indeed! Busy as to be expected but very happy and peaceful. The holiday week started with a quick trip to NYC for mommy, by HERSELF! Yep, it was a mini vaca. Much needed tho short and sweet. I drove up Monday night after Kev got home from work. I met up with Aunt Hil and Lou at their fav spot, The Redhead. Hil just made some gorgeouse velvet curtains and chair covers for them. We had a few cocktails and then had one of the most delicious meals ever. We had Wild Mushroom Flatbread to share, I had a Sweet Potatoe Salad and Grits with Sausage and Shrimp. I also enjoyed several glasses of red wine. In fact, several too many. I was very happy and relaxed and ended up being a bit hung over the next day. I had grand plans to tool around the city with my camera and check out the holiday sites. Instead, I slept very late, took a leisurely shower, got some coffee and some eats and hung out in Hil's apartment. It was a nice day of quiet and it might have even been better than walking around the city freezing my arse off. I met up with Hil and Lou around 7pm and we headed to DE. We made a stop at our fav diner, Mastori's in Bordentown. Yum. We arrived home around 1AM as there was traffic. Good times. On Christmas Eve, Hil, Lou and the kids made some sugar cookies for Santa and decorated them. We all got dressed for church and made it there with not a minute to spare. The service was beautiful and the best part, the kids were so well behaved. Then back to Gam and Pop Pop's for dinner. Basil chicken, noodles and salad. Easy but delish dinner. The kids got one present to open, new pajamas. We had them home and in bed by 9ish. They were WAY excited and took a bit to fall asleep. Aunt Kiki came over and joined forces with Hil and Lou to do all my wrapping. More wine and lots of good laughs.
Christmas morning began around 3:30AM when the kids started waking asking if Santa had been here and was it time for presents. They were told to go back to sleep many times. Around 5:30 I stumbled downstairs to get their stockings and told them to be quiet at least if they weren't going to sleep. We managed to hold them off until 7:30. I did get video of their reactions as they came downstairs. They each got a new bike. The girls got helmets as well. Ryan got a Hess truck and a blue lightsaber. Kate got a Barbie guitar and Molly got a Barbie laptop. We waited for Gam and PopPop to come over and Hil and Lou to wake up before we opened the rest of the loot. It was a great morning. We did miss Aunt Mimi bunches as she was snowed in back in Seattle. We then had a big breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes and blueberry crumble. The kids took a ride on the new bikes and then a nap was had by all. Our gang did it all again that night with Kev's family at Aunt Kathy's house. We were given a year pass to the Philadelphia Zoo and the Please Touch Museum. We are anxious to visit! All in all a great day. Kev worked today and the kids and I layed low. Aunt Gail made it into town and stopped by and we have some plans to hang out the rest of the weekend. Hil and Lou headed back to NYC by bus. It was great having them here with us. Oh and Ryan lost a top tooth tonight! Lots of pictures to come. I am ordering the things I need to ramp up my computer so I should have no trouble editing and uploading pics.

Dear Santa

If you click on the picture, it gets bigger and you can read/see it better. The girls dictated their letters to me, I did not make these up!

Barf!

And lots of it. That's been the story this week. Kate started it by barfing in Ryan's bed. While all three were snuggled up. Yes, the girls do have their own, new, big girl beds but they still prefer to bug Ryan. Literally! Kate shared the barfs with Ryan. He puked in school on Wed. As well as Kevin who came home early that day. And Molly brought up the end. Know how I discovered she had gotten it? I went in to check on her around 1:30 AM and stepped in it. EWWW! She was sound asleep with barf all over. All this fun while having the WORST sinus infection of my life. So that's what we've been up to this week. Oh, I did get a mild version of it myself. At least that better have been it 'cuz I ain't got no more sick days left!!!!!

Christmas Card Trials 2008

Being the kids of an aspiring photographer sucks! As evidenced by these shots....

Does she know me or what?

The other day Kevin took Kate out to run some errands and they made a stop at the dollar store. Kate picked out a Nemo kite for herself, a Princess kite for Molly, a Transformer kite for Ryan and this for me.......






Does she know me or what? Kevin and I were laughing so hard we were crying. Yep, she's got my number!

Scatterbrain!

Yep, that's me. A complete and utter scatterbrain mess. I've been this way for six years now, so I've gotten quite good at it. I have too much going on and my brain works way faster than my body. I always intend to do this or that. I make "To do" lists, I set reminders on email, but alas, I am hopelessly scatterbrained. Ya think I'd be used to it by now. *sigh* It's Saturday night and I have so many things I need to be doing but somehow they aren't getting done. I'd much rather be scatterbrained and worry about getting it all done later.

Today we had an awesome family day. Truly, it was one of the best. Last night we got a call from Kev's sister offering us tickets to Playhouse Disney Live. Not just any ole tickets either. The Mayor of Philadelphia's box tickets. Yes please! It is definitely not in the budget to do such things these days so we jumped at the chance. Everyone woke up happy, we got ready with little to no fussing and off we went. Even when we ran into traffic, everyone stayed happy and calm. We were a little late but not too much. The kids were glued to the show, sang along, clapped, and were so well behaved. After the show, we went to Toys R Us to spend some birthday money that had been burning a hole in their pockets since they got it in the mail on Friday. The continued to be happy and well behaved despite being in a crowded toy store. They all picked out a smallish toy and even readily agreed to pick out a toy for a child in need this season. I was SO proud of them as they walked over to the Marines and handed them their gifts for Toys for Tots. So not only did they get a toy they also got a great life lesson.

Now, back to that "To do" list.

Toothless once again

Molly had to have two teeth pulled yesterday. My poor baby. When she was about 1 1/2 she fell on a teeter totter and knocked two of her teeth back up into her gums. We thought they were totally knocked out at first, but after an x-ray, we saw they were still there. They came back down on their own and had been fine. Until last week. I took the girls for a routine cleaning and it was a different dentist so I filled her in on Molly's history. She said the teeth looked fine and to watch for a bubble on her gum. No one had ever mentioned to watch for this before. So Ryan had his check up on Monday and had a cavity. So I took him back on Wednesday. Don't ya know, Wed night I was helping Mol brush her teeth and there was a bubble on her gum. So I took her in the next day and sure enough, she had an abscess and the dentist said she needed the one tooth pulled. She put Mols on an antibiotic and we were to return in a few days. So yesterday was the big day. Molly was actually pretty excited to be losing a tooth like big brother Ryan. Plus she knew the tooth fairy would visit. Once there they decided due to the location of the abscess to pull both teeth. Molly was a TROOPER and did awesome. She had a bit of a rough time once the novacaine wore off. She wouldn't take any medicine (Tylenol or Motrin) or drink/eat. She got a bit dehydrated and was barfing some too. But once we got some fluids in her, she perked up and was asking for her shopping trip to Happy Harry's (drug store) to get her prize. Oh and the tooth fairy left her 20 smackeroos as she didn't have any smaller bills so she should be able to pick out something nice.

Never a dull moment....