Sentimental Sunday

Brandi and I - maybe 1978 or 1979, am I right mom??? It's seemingly funny to me that Finley's hair is just as crazy and wispy as mine is in this photo. I'm chunkier, though. Hopefully Finley will always keep the svelte figure she has now!!!! We are so darn cute in this photo!

Dukie or DooDoo? You Choose

Does anyone know why my children think it is so very funny to say, "Dukie" (or however you might spell it)? Or why Finley must pull every wipe out of the box? Or why Slade has to wet the entire sink, counter, towel, and tile just to wash his hands? Or why Slade feels the need to trip Finley every time she runs by him? Or why Finley dumps her bowl of Fruit Loops onto the table, including milk, and rubs her fingers in it and then in her hair? Or how a tiny tube of cotton candy chapstick ends up in a huge oily mess? Some of the many mysteries of motherhood. Maybe I'll write a book about it. Happy Saturday to all the mommies out there!

Christmas Top Ten List

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! And now it's time to fill your red box? It was so much fun watching all the kids open their gifts and believe that a fat man in a suit brought them down the chimney! I hope that by reading the story of the birth of Jesus to Slade and Finley, they might have a glimpse of what Christmas is truly about. Santa, gingerbread men, and presents are just the glitz and glamour of the holidays. It's not about football bowl games, homemade fudge, or sleigh bells. Don't get me wrong, I love all the fun things and tradition and gifts galore. I just want to make sure that they know the importance of that baby born in Bethlehem-the most precious gift of all!

I wanted to remember the top ten things of my Christmas this year!

#10 My grandmother's absolutely delicious fudge!

# 9 That my mom takes the time to get all of her Spode dishes out for us to use during Christmas. I love those dishes!!!

# 8 How excited my kids were when they decorated the tree this year. They loved hanging the ornaments.

# 7 The marathon wrapping I did for Mom and Nana.

# 6 The sweet pictures I have to keep forever that we had made for our Christmas cards. They'll never be 2 and 5 again.

# 5 Finley's hamster hair attack! Priceless!

# 4 Looking at all my homemade stockings on the mantle!

# 3 Slade leaving a note, cookies, and milk for Santa. He used a paper plate instead of my Spode Santa cookie plate! Just goes to show you that kids don't care about the fancy things!

# 2 Finley in her cute Christmas outfit-bows to match and little red shoes.

# 1 Slade and I going to the candlelight service at church-just the two of us. It was beautiful and a special memory for just him and me!

When we attended our candlelight service that night, we were asked to go pick up one of the red boxes that they had supplied for everyone. Slade ran back and got us all a little red box-four of them.

How much did you spend this holiday? This Christmas season, you bought gifts for all your family and friends. You spent hours planning and cooking and traveling around to celebrate. You are left with the little red box. It's not decorated or glittery. It's just a simple little red box. The red box is your gift to God this year. What will you take the time to do for him? What will you put in his box? Merry Christmas!!!

Mom's Pooped

It's 11:58pm and my two children are chasing each other around Finley's Mickey Mouse Racetrack. Slade is wearing my new Uggs with his pajama pants. Finley's hair is sticking up in piggytail fashion, minus the rubber bands. They are chattering about the Christmas tree ornaments as if I just put the tree up tonight. I love the sound of their little voices. Slade has started an episode of Super Nanny on the DVR. I'm sitting here, exhausted, with the beginnings of a dreaded sore throat.

I'm not sure where their abnormal amount of energy comes from. Did they get an over-production of it while in utero? Did I do something to destroy the "rest" factors in their brains when I sometimes warmed their baby bottles by microwave? Or could it just the be 25 cupcakes they ate tonight, instead of dinner, since we had a Christmas decorating party over here tonight? Whatever it may be, my two children received a tolerance that some people cannot fathom. They don't get tired-EVER! I can force a nap on Finley, but not my son. I'm thinking of a way to harness this energy-I need some!

Don't get me wrong. I love them and I'm gonna keep them. But I admit that I tend to envy those parents whose children SLEEP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you have children that fall asleep in the car, consider it a blessing.

1/2 Way to First Grade!!!

Can I please tell you that I am in denial as of today. I do not want to accept the fact that my firstborn child has completed his first half of kindergarten! I cannot believe the first semester is over already. We had an eventful kindergarten Christmas party on Thursday and the kiddos had lots of fun making reindeer food, ornaments, and eating pizza.

I wonder if he pays better attention to the teacher during instruction? Hope so!

This was the sing along before the party. I made him wear this shirt and vest and he cried. We had a big fight before school-I won! He looks dapper-I mean, it came right off the mannequin at Children's Place. The bottom of the shirt hung out and I rolled his sleeves back. Really cute. It wasn't as if I made him wear a Pooh Christmas shirt with a beaded Christmas tree lapel!

Opening his gift during the book exchange. The little blond girl is a neighbor on our street. It seems so weird to me that on our street alone, there are four kindergartners that all go to this elementary. They all live in a span of about nine houses apart. Crazy.

We were blessed with a visit from Brandi's old neighbor, Jerilynn, this past Monday. We got to catch up and eat her yummy cookies. We have plans to get together in Amarillo-soon, right JH!

Nana gave Finley this cute frock for Christmas - so darn cute! I have a weakness for tights I do believe! Look closely-one of her shoes is missing it's pink flower decal. I was sad to be missing it. It hasn't shown up yet. Why I would point this out to readers, I do not know.

Campbell's sweet Christmas outfit. I actually picked it out. Silver shoes to die for! They squeak, too!

A really cute necklace I whipped up. In between every two pearls, there is a tiny rhinestone bead. It sold at my friends work in about 24 hours!

Another cute little elf I know. Lot's of fun at the movies, girls!!!

And that, my friends, is the Smart scoop.

Crazy Eights!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Before I begin Crazy Eights, I thought it would be funny to mention this. I was awakened this morning by Finley pulling my eyelids up via my lashes and saying, "Hey, I want some apple juice!"

My friend Stephanie was tagged and invited her readers to participate. Just for fun!

Eight T.V. shows I like to watch:
1. Bones
2. Private Practice
3. John and Kate plus 8
4. Unwrapped
5. Deliver Me
6. CSI
7. Desperate Housewives
8. Brother and Sisters

Eight favorite Restaurants:
1. McAlister's Deli
2. Bless Your Heart
3. Abuelo's
4. Chick-fil-a
5. Pappadeaux's
6. Texas Creek Grill
7. Apple Tree
8. Las Brisas

Eight things I did this weekend: (including Friday)
1. Ate spinach dip
2. Learned to scan a photo
3. Cleaned Finley's toy bins
4. Got Finley's haircut
5. Made a necklace
6. Took Finley to Dr. Stripling
7. Blogged
8. Glued the Mickey Mouse Racetrack together

Eight things I look forward to:
1. Figuring out how to work my new Ipod-thanks Brandi!
2. Watching my kids open their presents on Christmas morning
3. Making sugar cookies and cupcakes with my kids and Tandy & Tucker
4. Painting my bedroom
5. Scrapbooking with my friends on day over xmas
6. Slade's 6th birthday
7. Having a blessed 2009!

Eight things on my wish list:
1. Finishing my painting projects
2. Getting back to the gym-I'm on hiatus it seems
3. My stomach medicine will work
4. All my pregnant friends to have healthy babies
5. Commiting to reading my Bible more
6. A heathly family
7. To eat more veggies

I tag:
1. Jerilynn
2. Amanda for Georgia
3. Shonnie
4. Heather Langhor
5. Funky Finds
6. Tracy
7. Paige
8. Hollie

Flashback Friday

Kyle(red vest), Molly, and Ken. This had to be early 1982 cause Molly was born in February and she looks pretty little. On the back of this photo, Margaret has written, "your brother, Ken, had pink eye." I'm sure their mom was scared the new baby was going to get pink eye. But again, maybe by the third child, one is not as worried as with the first! How cute is Kyle-I'm thinking I see a little of Finley in that face-look at the lips. I've always thought Finley had Margaret's lips and Kyle has his mom's features. Don't you know Margaret was excited to have a girl after two little rough and rowdy boys! Sweet, sweet memories.