Freecycle

I've been a Freecycler for over a year now. It's been a great way to get rid of things that we no longer need and we've also received some really great things. Check out what I picked up yesterday, for FREE! It all looks new...If I had bought it it would have been around $250 plus shipping! Way to be green!

Justice...paybacks...revenge

It's 8:30 a.m. Grace is still asleep. I want to go and make sure that she is still breathing, but I know that this is irrational and will only wake her up. Brad took a crying Sam to school. He doesn't normally cry about going to school, but today, well today the kid is tired. You see he's been up since 5:30 a.m. He came into our room and announced that he was soaking wet. I don't have a problem with that, it's a legitimate reason to get out of bed. After I changed him he wanted to go downstairs. I said no and let him climb in bed with us. Mind you, he had already been in my bed two other times last night...needless to say, he didn't go back to sleep. He tossed and turned and pretended to snore. At 6 o'clock I brought him downstairs and gave him chocolate milk and a granola bar.

So anyways, I thought I'd use this quiet time to write Sam a letter.

Dear Sam,

I love you more than you can imagine. So many things about you are absolutely perfect. Your smile, your sense of humor, the way you sing (yell) songs. Love it. You're kind and thoughtful, smart and inquisitive and extremely strong willed. You also SUCK at sleeping, and that's what this letter is about.

I look forward to the day many years from now when you LOVE sleeping in. There's a good chance that by then, I'll be in menopause and unable to sleep myself. I can't wait to come in your room at 1:00 a.m. and cuddle up next to you. I'll snore for sure and unfortunately, two in your bed will be kind of squishy so I'll probably kick you and elbow you in the head a few times. You'll probably kick me out after about twenty minutes, but don't worry I'll be back at least one more time! You'll hear me jump out of bed and then the pitter patter of my feet as I run to your room, so you'll be prepared! Then at around 5:00 a.m. I'll come in and announce "Sam, I'm having a hot flash. Wanna come downstairs and watch a show with me?"

I just can't wait!
Love, Mom

In case you were concerned, it's 8:42 and Grace is SCREAMING!

Santa, please get it right!

I grew up in a home where we didn't believe in Santa. Never.

I always thought that my kids would grow up the same way. I'm not sure what happened, but we have Santa. I'm pretty sure he snuck in here without us ever inviting him or mentioning his name. Sam believes. He believes with everything in him. That being said, we haven't really talked that much about what he wants for Christmas and we certainly haven't written a letter to Santa. I did however sign up with our towns Parks and Rec department to have Santa call the house. He has been instructed to tell Sam that he cannot deliver presents to three year old who do not poop on the potty. (I swear to God, I put that on the form.)

Tonight he was looking at a toy catalogue. I noticed that he looked a little bit concerned.

"What's wrong buddy?"

"I'm really afraid mommy."

"What are you afraid of?"

"Mommy, what if Santa gets it all wrong and doesn't bring the right stuff? What if he brings things I don't want?"

Hmmmm...what if he does?

Jesse Tree

Although I grew up in a Christian home, using a "Jesse Tree" as a way to celebrate Advent is new to me. For those who are unfamiliar, it is a set of 28 ornaments that each depict a Bible story leading up to the birth of Christ. Each day, you tell the story and display the ornament. It's a wonderful way to share the true meaning of Christmas with your children while counting down the days to Christmas.

Although Advent has not started, I wanted the last ornament on our tree to go up on Christmas day, so we started yesterday. Sam loves it. This morning while eating breakfast he asked, "Mommy can you tell me about God and then we'll hang an ornament on the tree?"

The story was about Adam and Eve and the ornament depicts an apple with a serpent. Sam had lots of questions;

"Mommy, why they disobey God?"

"Did they get a spanking?"

"Why the snake talked to them?"

"Was God really mad when they were bad?"

I answered the best I could but was a little unprepared for the next set of questions.

"Mommy, where did they live?" to which I replied, "The Garden of Eden."

"Mommy, where do the Wiggles live?" and just like that, it was over and we were on to something else.

Stay tuned.....my knock off Pottery Barn, made by me, Jesse Tree is just waiting to be photographed...I am becoming very crafty!

Nothing like cousins!

Brad's sister Cathy and her twins Benjamin and Stephen were here from Long Island for Thanksgiving. Sam had so much fun playing with them. Once again, I find myself wishing that we had more family close by...

Breakfast of Champions

Brad and I are tired. Between our two kids, we wake up three to four times each night. So when Sam comes in at 6:15 and announces that he wants to go downstairs and watch his shows, we send him down and come back to bed. If Brad gets up, he usually just opens the safety gate and sends him down. If it's me, I go down with him and get him a drink and a yogurt or granola bar. This morning, Brad got up with him. It's always interesting to see what Sam made himself for breakfast on the mornings that Daddy sends him down. I have found bags of baby carrots on the floor, empty yogurt tubes with the ends gnawed off (because as Sam points out, "They're really hard to open.") and up to four empty juice boxes. This morning I found an open bag of tortilla chips.

I said, "Wow Sam, I see you helped yourself to some chips.....and made quite a mess."

He replied, "Sorry mommy. I tried to take care of it."

Puzzled, I looked closer. He had tried to tape the torn bag with scotch tape. Kudos to you for being able to find the tape buddy. I've been looking for it for days. Oh yeah, I'm glad you didn't think to get the salsa.

How stinkin' cute is this?

Believe it or not, it's hard to shop for a one year old girl! She's still too young for all the girlie toys and she's actually pretty happy playing with a truck or say, an old newspaper. But can't you just picture her tooling around in this? I found it on Pedal Cars and Retro Collectibles. It's not cheap so I'm hoping I win it here!