The Little Yellow House

Pre - Christmas.....

Hubby didn't go to his daytime Christmas office party....

Too busy.

So the 'White Elephant' gift purchased for it....

Is now a part of my household. * OYE

A bejeweled scorpion.....everyone needs one of those:(

And 'believe it or not'...it's actually a trinket box.

I'm so glad they made it useful.

Ya know... for something super itsy-bitsy...like a paper clip.

I need to store my paper clips in bejeweled scorpions.

 

I guess the joke ....gift, is on me......

Interestingly enough....the store in which I purchased this treasure had tons of bizarre and horrible creatures in jewels and made into these little boxes.

Lizards, and beetles...jellyfish and roaches...

Yes..I said jeweled roaches.

???

I'm sad for anyone who receives one of those this Christmas:(

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In other news...'the sign' has officially gone up in our house.....

 

Don't mess with Momma Bear..... 

TERRIFICALLY TWO

My Baby turned 2 this week! Can I still call him Baby?

 

 I can’t believe it – really…

 

Wasn’t I just on here blogging about lack of sleep, curdled milk smells, and sparse bathing habits??

 

I could have sworn that was just me a few weeks ago….but it’s actually been a quick 2 years ago.

 

WOW – why is it we are always so amazed by this? 

 

And yet….we are.  I am.

 

Many – many – days I whined about how slow the days were progressing and stringing together like long links of bologna.

An endless course of  ritual feedings, diaper changes, parks, toys and naps….and yet…somehow – I sit here dazed that it all went by in the blink of an eye.

 

Bizarre-o…..this parenting thing.

 

So…on with the shenanigans of the celebration..........

 

You wouldn't believe the kind of squirrely whirley silliness that went on in our home over the impending birthday party.

 

Which wasn’t much of party...

It only involved cake, presents and his family.

**Well,okay...I guess that IS the perfect party. 

 

It up ended up involving................LOTS of cakes.

 

It started 'simply enough'....…with a question thrown out while making dinner, about what type of ‘theme’ cake we should go with this year for Baby.

 

They (being hubby and daughter) quickly said ...

‘a PANDA BEAR cake, of course'  (Baby's all time favorite animal)

 

To which I muttered….”hhhmm, that might be a bit tricky to come by”.....

 

And they retorted…”naw…it’s super simple…just whip it up.’

 

Well…standing there in that kitchen with my hands full of cooking utensils and a sink full of 2 day old dishes…

It struck me the wrong way.

 

So I replied…” If you two think it is so simple, then I’ll give you the honored role of 'whipping it up.'

 

Settled – the birthday cake was now off of my plate (proverbially) and on to theirs.

 

My husband was quick to accept the challenge…he doesn’t like to think of himself “undone’ by me or my provoking.

 

But..... as the dialouge played out between father and daughter…they quickly realized they had very different ideas about what a “Panda” cake ought to look like.

 

So…it was then determined ~ EACH person would do their OWN Panda cake.

 

A wee competition.....

 

And because we were going to have us a little ‘ fun’ here…I joined back into the games.

 

We all had to use the same ingredients.... and none of us shared  with one another  what our master plan was.

 

So full of mystery....

 

** I did however make a large sign and hung it in the kitchen before we started…that each person was required to do their own dishes and put the kitchen back together for the next participant.

* Whew…glad I thought about that one.

 

And thus it started….with Daughter doing her cake after school….mine after Boy went to bed…and Hubby did his somewhere around 1 am.

 

What a hoot!!

 

One small 2 year old child…..loved on by his three caretakers…… with 3 Panda cakes.

 

**Can’t wait to tell him when he's older about how much attention he was slathered with by his three favorite fans.**

 

 

 

 

 

We had a little 'vote' going on Facebook as we asked our friends to weigh in on our Panda creations…

 

#3 won.

 

I won’t tell you who’s cake that was (don’t be sad).... I’ll just tell you that hubby and I thought Daughter’s cake was the best ….and told her so:)

 

We were so very impressed with her cake – she completely did it by herself…and the kitchen was spotless. Excellent for a lady of 12.

 

And so the birthday party ensued..and here are the pictures……

 

Of course we put candles in EACH cake and made him blow them ALL out. Then gave him a fork to destroy each one.

 

A perfect birthday…if you’re 2.

 

 

Shirt removed so that we can get fully immersed in the cake.....

Little hat was a treat from his school - he wouldn't take it off.......

I think he knew he was 'THE PRINCE' for the day:)

 

 

 
Sissy with her cake.... *hurry,the eyes are coming off fast!

 

 

 

I love his face here...

He & I are clearly feeling different emotions:)

 

 

 
Lots of giggling......... sign of a good part-tay...........

 

 

 
Belly full....moving on to some gifts...... special gifts from Auntie....

 

He's loves books.....loves them........* thank you Auntie!

 

*Yes, I have a baby mattress on the den floor ...

It makes for good baby jumping.....ugh...

 

 

 
Are you SEEING his choice of friends? Pandas... pandas...pandas......

 
Sister showing off her gift...

Bringing a little 'Yo Gabba Gabba' home....

 
Baby instantly GOT IT.

He's soooo smart :)

 
Yo Gabba Gabba is a little scary.....

Who 'thinks up' crazy characters like that? 

 

How can I throw a stone, right?

 

Who thinks up 3 panda cakes for a 2 year old?

 I'll be quiet now.

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Baby is growing up...that makes me happy & sad all at once.

Tis the perplexing 'state' of parenthood.

 

 

Happy birthday my boy...I'm completely smitten with you.

Christmas light lover....

Okay....Somehow you can't take a good picture of lights in the dark (at least not with the camera I own).....

 This is my best attempt - and it's pitiful.

Next year we're doing lights on the roof - I'm already laying the ground work...planting those fanciful ideas in my husband's brain about 'what my intentions are' for the outside of the house 'someday'.....*next year....but right now we're calling it 'someday'.....

Mr. Snowman is actually about as tall as I am...and again  - looks better in person.

I tried to convince my husband that we needed to make some BIG lollipops to go in the yard to go with the small ones -  ya know, the home made kind...that requires getting the saw out and painting things. I had NO success.  The small ones will have to do this year, but next year I'm thinking BIG BIG BIG....

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Inside I've hung the handmade snowflakes...

Our first Christmas in our home, we we're fortunate to simply purchase a nice tree...but had no money for decorations.

So I spent about a 1,000 hours making hand cut snowflakes in various sizes to fill the tree and the windows.

Each year, I painstakingly take them apart and save them - stacked perfectly on top of one another in a big folder.

And each year I bought 6 new ornaments for the tree on the after Christmas sales.

This year we had enough ornaments for the tree that the snowflakes could find a new home. Voila!

 I only saved 25 of them - many were quite tattered after so much use.

And the big ones that hung in our windows were readily replaced by STYROFOAM ones purchased at the dollar store!

6 of them for a dollar!!  

BOY, that's so much easier .....

I already posted this picture..but will post again, so you can see and partake in my elation!

Man, I wish they'd had those years ago!

Who knew that dollar store could be sooo clever?!

Now..if they would just sell large lollipops for your yard...

I'd be happy as lark:)
 

Soft & Easy....

 

I’m easy.

My Christmas spirit was back and bountiful a few hours later when hubby ran to the store for a few items…..and brought me back a loaf of soft - oh-so-soft -  sourdough bread.

 

I’m so easy….soooooo eeeaaasssyyy......

 

The carbohydrate junkie in me sprung to life.

 Carbohydrate junkie > residue of the Grinch.

 

 I slathered the bread in butter and fresh raspberry jam…and I found that  the woes of blue parkas and green grinches…melted away.

 

I’m a silly sap for a SOFT-LIKE-A-BUNNY piece of bread.

 

I have memories of many childhood days when I went to fold my sandwich and the bread CRACKED in half ~ hard as cardboard.

 

I had a mother  that believed, as long as it was edible.... it was nutrition , and it would fill a tummy….and thus it was 'sandwich worthy'.

 

I never saw her throw a piece a bread out due to its concrete like characteristics. (love you mom)

 

 Waste not- want not. A principle we lived by.

 

*And to be honest, we often didn’t have much…so it was a necessity.

 

But it created a primitive affection for all things super soft in the food department. Bread  and bakery items are at the top of the list.

 

So take that…..GRINCHED ICE SHOW….

 

Be gone with you….I wave you off with the waffling aroma of bread & butter.

 

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And today the Christmas lights on the front of the house went up !

3 small curly trees and a dashing new snowman ~ yipee!

Pictures tomorrow. Can’t wait….

 

Bring on the Christmas cheer!

WARNING ~ WARNING ~ WARNING...

Not for those under the age of 2!!

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THAT should have been the message in red blinking lights on the web site I ordered our Holiday ICE tickets from ~  The Gaylord Texan Spa Resort.

 

Each year we try and do one fun - festive holiday event!

 

This year we thought we’d take the kids to the  GRINCH THAT STOLE CHRISTMAS ICE SHOW at the fancy resort up the street.

 

Let me tell ya…..THE GRINCH stole my Christmas.

 

It’s now 12 hours later…and I’m still recovering.  I’m not joking.

 

It took me longer to get dressed this morning.... than it did to attend the event.

 

It took me longer to walk from my car to the event…than it did for me to attend the event.

 

The line and  the waiting were longer….than the time I spent attending the event.

 

Words of advice:

 Don’t go on a weekend…don't go in the middle of the day.

 

DON'T TAKE A 2 YEAR OLD.

 

It makes the Disney ride lines look like a cake walk.

 

The wait:

It was one of those things where you thought you knew how long the wait was by looking at the line.  You move forward .... turn the corner….. and find that the line goes on and on beyond some distant point that you can no longer see...

 

 

You’re in SHOCK…

 

 

Then you wait to that point.....to turn the corner again and see the line goes on and on for eons more….your spirit sinks.

 

And to our horror they didn’t allow strollers into the walking/touring event. You don’t find that out until you’ve waited a very long time……

 

What am I to do with a 2 year old…as I stand in line ( that isn’t moving)…in 9 degree temperatures??

 It's like trying to wrestle the wind......a force that can not be contained or harnessed...

It'll blow you away and leave mayhem in it's wake......thus was my fate.

 

 

My recollection of the event: the carpet was gray.

 

That’s all I saw as I chased and snatched, and wrangled my poor two year old through a sea of humans in parkas and cameras.

 

Cameras should have never been allowed ….

It’s all a crazy photo session with hundreds of people...

All trying to take the same photo.... at the same time…with only their people in it.

 

I wonder how many times my bum got pictured along with someone else’s family…really.

 I spent 98% of my time bent over trying to keep my toddler from climbing on the ice.

 

 I’ll just let the pictures do the rest of  talking…..

 

I think you’ll SEE  all the joy we felt during this event :)

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It starts with Dad trying to put Baby in a Parka...

 

 

In the second picture we've now let 30 people go ahead of us...

Because poor Dad is still trying to free Baby's arms from his parka.

The sleeves were too long and thin.. and Baby was never able to see his hands.

This made him scream the whole time. Fun-fun

 

 

They are not quite smiling - more like a a quick painful wince as I hurriedly snap the photo......

 

 

 Hubby trying to contain Baby...* yes, I think that's a Grinch behind them...who knows.

 

 

Now it's my turn....

Baby was like a koala bear trying to climb a tree ..

The tree being me.

 

 

This was my other position the whole time.....

Head down and grappling to hold on to a small blue parka.

Jeepers - he's fast!
 

 

THIS is the view we had through most of it....* when we were up-right..

The backs of these peoples parkas...very narrow and crowded.

 

 

And here we are ...*ta-da...

Daughter is trying to GRIMACE through it...and Baby looked like THAT the whole time!!

So lovely......so fun....

 

 

THIS next picture....I love .

Hubby couldn't take a picture of the GRINCH for 'our turn' ,

There was never a moment when someone wasn't picture-hogging each statue...so he just took a picture of another family posing in front of it - hahaha!!!!

Notice I've circled their camera person in the corner.

Way to go babe - make it work.

 

 

One more attempt at the end for a good picture...

NOPE...Baby is still crying.....* my teeth are gritted, can you tell?

 

 

Well....we'll settle for a picture of Daughter all by herself.....

She was cold and ready to go....

 

 

We finally shed the parkas...

Break out of the ICE TORTURE CHAMBER....

And take one happy picture with a very large tree and a dancing deer.

 

 

We survived.

 

We'll never do that again......

 

I hope that I find my Christmas Cheer somewhere in my slumber between today and tomorrow.

 

Those blue parkas better not show up in my dreams....

**says this girly grinch....

One late night....

A photo essay....

* Though...I need to post a disclaimer.

This was one of those long nights that we simply threw the kids in the car to FILL some time before bed ~* light looking and hot chocolate.

It wasn't suppose to be a photo op, per se.

* Thus the Boy is in sandals and we're quite the misfit bunch.

 I love the little steps...

 

* I think my son is turning into Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer....

The night included lots of 'jumping'....

The little one hates that we're leaving.....

He had a very good time...as did we all.

 I like these late night outings.

We'll be back....
  

'Tis the shopping season....

Christmas shopping…..

 

I start with my list in hand.... and purposefully paste a smile on my face.

 

 My smile is for you…

 

 ‘You’... being anyone I may encounter.

 

Some smile back, but most look at me oddly.

*One gentleman huffed at me....that made me smile bigger.

 

I’ve encountered some rather terrible behavior by grownups…

 

It make me sad. I hope the holiday spirit finds them….

 

Thought I'd intersperse some tree trimming photos...

 

I always get 'light duty'....

 

 

These are some of the snippets of cell phone conversations I heard today:

 

“ I don’t know why he thinks he should have the green one….green is my favorite color”  ~ by a 50+ year old woman wearing  a candy cane sweater…done in green.

 

“ I answer my phone every time you call – have you called ?– NO – I answer it every time it rings…today it wasn’t ringing…so it couldn’t have been you …do you hear what I’m saying?” ~ spoken by a woman who was juggling two carts of stuff and an over sized purse.

* Note – I saw her get off this call…heard her phone ring…and she didn’t answer it.  **I had me a little a laugh**

 

“Yes I like your cooking……don’t worry if people don’t eat the food – they were probably just full. No, I didn’t taste that. No, I didn’t try that. That was a little salty.”

 

Here’s some others that I found uplifting….

 

“ Sweetie, don’t worry, we’ll take the kids…you guys can shop the whole night – no worries…that’s what family is for”

 

“I’ll send it right away…..glad I had it to give you…glad it can help”

 

“Are you going to take care of his mortgage? I know that will bless him…we’ll do the next month”

 

WOW! Some of those made me want to follow that person around the store and hear the rest of the conversation.

 

 Stalker, that I am….

 

 

 
It's so hard to wait for the lights to be put on the tree.... 

 
So, taking pictures of yourself is the best way to kill time when you're a teen... 

 

 

Parking Lot Politeness:

I’m also a friendly holiday driver ...*okay - I try to be....

 

Christmas shopping requires an extra dose of patience for parking lots.

 

Though I tend to find myself muttering my standard driving mantra…

 

"Don’t buy it ~ if you can’t drive it”

 

 It’s catchy and it rhymes.

 

But then I see my smile slipping and paste it back on …by force.

 

A few extra minutes isn’t going to kill me….or them….let’s not let it ruin the Christmas spirit.

 

Take your time...back out slowly....answer your cell phone....dial a number...I'll wait....* said with a smile...

 

 

 
  

So, only 2 gifts left to  go…

 

Then on to the wrapping…..

 

*My smile might fall off now….

A new tradition....

I joined the ranks... in the multitudes......... of Black Friday shoppers.

 

5 AM.

 
* Us...before we left...trying to look 'bright-eyed'... and 'smiley'....

 

Daughter and I wanted to see if this was something we’d like to make a tradition of…..

 

We liked it  - a lot.

 

We rarely get such precious one-on-one time together....with a 2 year old demanding our every waking moment of attention.

 

So 5-6 hours of shopping was golden.

 

I set out not with the intention of purchasing or truly ‘shopping’ at all…only to invest some well deserved and much needed attention in my 12 year old. But oh-boy-oh-boy did we find some deals…which was just icing on the cake!

 

We endured no long lines or long check outs….no crazy people..…just big fat sales. 

 

We then modestly made our choices for what we thought were some good ‘picks’.

 

 We had donuts…coffee ( for me)  and some hot chocolate (for her)….and gabbed until couldn’t think of any more things to talk about.

 

We arrived home to find the Baby had just awoken and dad was working on his first cup of coffee.

 

WOW!  We’d already had a full day,  that was neat.

 

I began cooking my 2^nd Thanksgiving meal….*so we’d have lots of good left over’s for the weekend ……and then we both took a nap when Baby finally made his afternoon vestige to the sand man. 

 

 It was a great day......and a wonderful new tradtition.

 

** I’m already looking forward to next year’s big DATE with my daughter….she was the best part of the whole day.

Late...but just as THANK-FULL....

 

I am so very FULL of THANKS today for my immediate family. I am so honored to spend the day with them.

 

They almost weren’t…….so I'll explain....

 

I'll start here.....

 

My first child:

 

I was told I could not have children.

 

They wanted to do a hysterectomy. I was 18.

 

I said ‘no’.

 

I emotionally broke down …took off in the middle of the night – headed out of town…

Hooked up with a girlfriend in college and spent 3 days sequestered in her room. 

I laid there on her floor and prayed for three days….barely ate, barely spoke…just prayed.

 

By the morning of the third day, I felt I’d been healed.

 

 

I had a lightness about me and a peace. 

 

A peace in whatever lay ahead...

 

I, in fact, had been healed…I never suffered again from the illness and was told years later it was gone.

 

9 years later I became pregnant, after trying to conceive for only one month. No problems.

 

 

 

 A miracle.

 

 

My husband:

 

 

I met my husband 4 weeks before I was to marry another.

 

I’d dated the other for 7 years.

 

Upon meeting my husband, I knew I’d never met anyone like him.

 

I knew I could not marry the one I was with, without always wondering about another…..

 

I called my wedding off.

 

I’d been asking the Lord since year 5 of dating my fiance… if he was the right one.

 

I’d asked the Lord to place Mr. Right DIRECTLY in front of me…. if the one I was dating was the ‘wrong’ one.

 

I think He did just that.

 

I married my husband 8 months later. We’ve been married almost 17 years.

 

I’m still madly in love with him.

 

 

I’m grateful to the Lord everyday for this gift.

 

 

 

My second child:

 

10 years after the first one.

 

 

 
  

Didn’t know if the Lord would grant me another miracle – He did.

 

*After my beautiful 15 year old niece went to be the Lord after an accident, my husband and I got off the fence about having more children. I’m grateful for my niece..for all she brought to my life while she was with our family, and her impact even now as her love stays with us.

 

 

 

 

When I look at my son, and I know that my niece is a part of his presence.

 

It would have been so easy to not start all over again…no diapers and plastic toys…car seats and sippy cups.

 

But I’m sooo grateful we did.

 

 

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This family that I have is full of love….

 

They make me laugh daily….and appreciate the fullness of the word contentment.

 

I am content within them.

 

If all was lost and I only had them…this is all that would matter to me.

 

And I've been there…facing the possibly of having nothing…and  given the opportunity to realize that as long as I had them…my ‘family ‘would still have one another…and thus all my ‘treasure’ was not lost...not lost at all.  'Home’ went wherever we went. They are all that truly matters in a world of stuff.

 

There is great peace in that.

 

I am sooo grateful today for my ‘peoples’…

I love them. I'm so very THANK-FULL for them.

THANK-FULL-NESS

As I was driving down the road the other day I was overwhelmed by how thankful I was for the 'JOY' in my life.

 
 

I have a lot of JOY….I am aware of it on a daily basis.

 

Each day I find that an unexpected ‘treat’….

 

I treasure it.

 

It’s certainly not something that’s earned…

 

Simply ‘living’ doesn’t entitle you to it…

 

No one is entitled to it.

 

It’s not a promise…most of the time it’s not even hoped for….

 

One can live a perfectly ‘good’ life and not experience much JOY…

 

One can have all the pleasures of the world….and have no JOY.

 

One can live with nearly nothing…and experience JOY often.

 

I think ‘seeing’ JOY in others is beautiful.

 

 It’s simply a lovely characteristic – worn well on anyone.

 

It’s warm and inviting to anyone who passes near it….it’s contagious…

 

It has the power to uplift the downtrodden….by simply being near it.

 

I know that JOY emanates from the Lord.

 

It’s a fruit of the spirit….Galatians 5:22-23

 

I think it’s origin comes from a place of gratitude….

 

*Of THANK-FULL-NESS.

 

Joy is what rises up and over the brim of thank-full-ness……

 

I’ve had many reasons in my life to  think that JOY would NOT be .

 

I saw JOY in others, and had no idea how to get it…or even find it.

 

The dictionary states….

joy  

1. a deep feeling or condition of happiness or contentment

2. something causing such a feeling; a source of happiness

3. an outward show of pleasure or delight; rejoicing

 

**Perhaps ‘rejoicing’ is a good fit for me.

 

Rejoicing in so many things my life is graced with.

 

Things unexpected…even some of them un-hoped for.

 

Yet there…and the gratitude I feel ALL the time…is brimming and running over...

 

THANK YOU LORD….in gratitude ...

Your servant.

 

 

*May your Thanksgiving have JOY in it*

 

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Post - edit:

 

I should say here, less you be deceived...that my life is far from perfect.

Joy doesn't stem from a perfect life over here.

But the challenges my life presents are often opportunities for personal growth - *something to be thankful for.

And the darker pieces offer a depth and background for the bright spots... giving me an appreciation for both.

All weaving a complete picture together. *I am thankful for the whole picture....

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Post edit - edit:

 

As I cook today, for tomorrow.......I was rethinking this post.

I  wanted to clearly state......that JOY is not 'happy-happy'.....it's quieter than that.

 

Thank you...now, I can keep cooking....