Posts in Holidays
It's Time For Elf on the Shelf (Or Not!)

Any day now my Facebook news feed will be inundated with pictures of the cute and clever things my friends have done with their Elf on the Shelfs (Elves on the Shelves?), links to lists of cute and clever things to do with an Elf on the Shelf and posts from friends lamenting their lame, last minute efforts to do something with their Elf on the Shelf before their kiddos notice that he hasn't moved in a few days (quick, fling him down the stairs!).

We don't own an Elf on the Shelf for a number of highly significant reasons that are similar to the reasons we don't "do" Santa or the Easter Bunny at our house. That's not what the season is about, I don't like to try to convince my kids to believe things that aren't true because I want them to trust me, blah, blah, blah. If you choose to do the Elf on the Shelf, Santa, the Easter Bunny, leprechauns, fairies and unicorns etc. with your kids rest assured that I AM NOT JUDGING YOU. I've just chosen  to do things differently with my kids, for all the significant reasons I allude to above but also, and most importantly, because I am HORRIBLE at those kind of things.

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Easter 2011

We had a wonderful Easter this year. Saturday we got together with Justin's Dad's side of the family. Jordan and Sasha had lots of fun playing with the other kids inside and out while Justin and I got to eat, relax and hang out with adults. Sunday I made sausage and egg breakfast sandwiches, which never happens and the kids hunted for and found their Easter baskets.

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Easter Weekend

We had a wonderful Easter weekend. Fairly relaxing, everyone was pretty healthy, the kids were happy, the weather was decent, and we made it to church with time to spare. On Good Friday we went to church in the evening. Saturday afternoon we spent at Justin's grandparents house, had lunch and the kids did an Easter egg hunt. This morning we went to church with my sister, brother-in-law and nephews. Then we went to their house for lunch with some of my family. Here's some of my favorite pictures from the weekend.

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Tis the Season

The Christmas decorations are up (minus the tree and illuminated snowman for the front porch), I started my Christmas card mailing list, family portraits are scheduled, and my gift recipient list is done. Only 10,000 more things to do in less than a month. I'm always amazed and irritated by my own inability to drastically simplify my life. I hate the mad rush, but I can't let go of the feeling that I really should do all this stuff and if I don't I'm slacking in my duties. 

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So Much For Good Intentions

So much for good intentions...Almost two months since my last post. I am feeling really un-inspired today, but I thought...What the heck, I'm at work, I'm bored (as usual), might as well do something productive. Lots of Christmas stuff going on. I actually did most of my shopping ahead of time, so I just have a few last minute things to do today and tomorrow. Oh, with the rather glaring exception that Justin asked me to crochet a scarf for his mom's new husband, and I have two days to do that along with all the other stuff. We've got 5 Christmases to do this year, so the schedule is a little tight. Oh well, the more the merrier.

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Teeth, Fairies, Etc.

Big news everyone...Jordan got three new teeth this weekend! That brings the grand total up to 5. He's actually starting to get hair now too and he walks almost everywhere. I can't believe how big he's getting! Now if he would just outgrow his infant car seat carrier thing I could get him one of those car seats that you leave in the car and my back might recover from hauling him around in the carrier. Also the permanent bruises on my legs from the car seat slamming into them might heal.

I get the joy of planning Jordan's first birthday party now too. I think there are going to be about 30 people invited so it should be great fun. Luckily less than half of those are children, so while our house will be packed full, hopefully the level of destruction won't be too bad. Another exciting thing that I'm preparing for is Halloween. Months before Jordan was even born, Justin and I decided that we were going to take him trick-or-treating this year, even though he's far too young to eat candy. This way, we get to eat all of it. Selfish? Yes. Do I care? NO.

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Happy V-Day

Well, well well...happy Valentines Day to all and sundry. I have long held to the belief that Valentines Day was a cynical marketing ploy designed to humiliate those of us who weren't in a relationship and up the price of Hallmark stock, but now that I am not alone I am slightly less cynical. Granted, I still haven't gotten a V-day present, but the day is not yet over and I still have hope. Well, actually I did get a really nice card and some candy from my sister (who got a can of soup from me, but she liked it, really) but that's not the present I mean.

On another note, I know every parent thinks their child is the smartest and cutest child in the whole world, but Jordan really is (and the strongest too). He has been able to hold his head up since the day he was born. If I lay him on a pillow, he literally does sit ups. He watches TV, especially HGTV (and sports as well, I'm afraid). He "talks" to anyone who will pay the slightest bit of attention to him and has done this since day one. My own parents, experts by virtue of having had 9 children, think he is extraordinary and acts more like a 6 month old than a 2 month old. And there is no denying that he is the cutest baby of all time, after all, he is my son, and have you seen his pictures?!?

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