The cousins were all having a ball playing together and I thought they’d have a blast playing “WHAT U TALKIN BOUT?” (the game where you try to say phrases while wearing dental mouthpieces—there are many versions of this game). Katie had bought it for Owen for Christmas and we weren’t set to open it for days but I am glad we did…we haven’t laughed so hard in a long time! It was definitely worth the $2.50 sale price at the dollar store.
Maggie spends most of vacation sleeping…either on my lap or a blanket on a chair. (She’s a really good dog and knows to only lay on a blanket on the leather furniture. If the blanket slides off, she will usually lay on it on the floor!)
I brought face paint for Grauntie Marge to give to the kids…she’s much more of an artist then I am!
Katie desperately wanted to go shopping with her teacher tonight for “Shopping with the Educators” at Target. To see just how serious she was, I told her she had to spend her own money—and she agreed instantly. So of course I matched her money and had a ball watching her shop with her teacher and a handful of classmates for the local holiday food drive. She loved shopping, ringing everything up, and loading it on the school bus. 
Mrs. Glenn is completely awesome and did an amazing job corralling a large handful of kids into buying what they needed.
End of season savings? END OF SEASON SAVINGS? The season just started?! Also, not one snow scraper to be found. I guess bathing suits will be out next week. #getoffmylawn
My mom gave me hers (which had been a gift to her mom back in the 70s). I’ve always loved it…
Christmas lights were a fail—half the strands were dead.
Realized both Christmas wreaths are too thick for the front door and the storm door won’t shut. (Obviously didn’t care last year?)
Spent all day in the basement looking for the Christmas light projector Tom bought me a few years ago…so we didn’t have to buy new lights…
Broke three nails.
Hurt my back.
Had to play peacekeeper with the kids because they couldn’t stop annoying each other.
Never found the projector so started researching a Black Friday deal…then found the projector in one of the very first Christmas boxes.
We have no good place for the tree since we have a new litter box end table where the tree was last year. Tom and I can’t agree what we should do.
Weather was nice so we decided to have a fire…and the wind kicked up so this will be over soon.
Maybe tomorrow will be better. Tonight is looking up already due to this lovely margarita.
And then drink number two. Totally dark at 5:07. I hate this time of year.
End of season savings? END OF SEASON SAVINGS? The season just started?! Also, not one snow scraper to be found. I guess bathing suits will be out next week. #getoffmylawn
Katie has been bugging me for a doll stroller for awhile now. I wasn’t going to get her one because she doesn’t need anything else…but then I remembered she had Christmas money from Grauntie Rose and Gruntie Jim. So she and I looked at them on Amazon and two days later, we had a happy little girl.
She walks it all over. Takes it down to Sofia’s. Takes it down to the park (almost a half mile walk!)…
And the meat festival begins…Of course Timmy brought a ton of his amazing brats…but this year he added smoked brisket to the menu! HOLY WAH!
And no, your eyes aren’t deceiving you…that’s a Gummy Bear brat. With real gummy bears in it. It wasn’t bad…just a sweet taste. I thought Katie would love it because she LOVES gummy bears but nope. Silly kid.
And the annual kid comparison! After last year when Owen was taller, Nick pulled ahead (which he should, as he’s almost 14).
2017:
The kids goofing around while I was getting the camera set up.
My test shot to make sure the settings were okay, and I loved it so much I kept it. It’s also fun to see how we can all pull it together for the real photo!
Nick and Owen…conspiring? Planning? Who knows.
Gramma created a project for the kids—money frozen in a block! They had to figure out how to get to it! (It didn’t take them long!)
Oh yeah! We also gained a dog for an hour or so. Mom didn’t recognize him and Tom called the number on his tag and it was animal control…?!? He was good and just hung out with us—got a few pets and belly rubs (Maggie pretty much ignored him). After awhile a young girl came looking for him—and we found out she was visiting someone in the neighborhood.
Overall it was a perfectly gorgeous day—not too hot and not too cold, lots of good food (too much, actually, but we’re Lens so it’s expected), and great visiting with family and watching the cousins play!
I love being home with family…and celebrating Christmas in the summer is amazing! (And what’s Christmas with family without a few adult bevvies?)
This was the project the class mom brought for the holiday party. I’m not that mom. 
A gift to Katie from a well-meaning aunt. While Katie does love puzzles, of course she doesn’t have the attention span for this (hell, I barely do) but she really wants to color it. If it was up to me I’d just throw it in the trash (well I’m not an idiot, I’d give it away). But guess who will end up doing it all?? Her face just about sums it up for me too. 
#whowantstohelp
#idonthavetimeforthis
#puzzleparty
#ihavewineandmargaritas
#whendotheygobacktoschool
#thisauntisonmyshitlist
A friend is going to come help Friday.
So I come downstairs and Katie says “Mom! Guess what I’m doing? Playing with ornaments!” And yep, she has taken all “her” ornaments off the tree (Olaf, Elsa, Anna, Sparty, Doc McStuffins, Sofia).
I know in the grand scheme of things it’s not a big deal but seriously?! She has a thousand toys plus all the stuff she just got for Christmas and she HAS TO TAKE ORNAMENTS OFF THE TREE TO PLAY WITH?!
Kids.
2013 and 2017
Tom asked for Katie pig tails for Christmas so he finally got them today. (She doesn’t like wearing them anymore.)
As is tradition, we set the kids’ phones outside their rooms so when they get up in the morning they have something to do until we get up and are ready (which is always by 7). This morning Katie was still sleeping at 7 and Owen had already had enough of his phone and was laying by the door just waiting… So Tom woke Katie up!
Katie got a note from Santa telling her he left a big present at home since he knew she was at Gramma’s—a Barbie power wheels!!
Then the kids opened their gifts from each other… Owen loved his sword, yoyo, and Lego Ninjago stuff and Katie was happy he was happy. Awwwww.
And then it was her turn to open and she LOVED what Owen got her (a Belle doll and matching Belle dress)!
And Gramma’s picture of the same scene from a different angle! So cute and so thrilled!
And then they put together their Lego figures they got each other.
Tom said Katie saw this wine key when they were out and about and she had to get it for me. So now whenever I want wine, I show her the key and she will bring me some.
And she also picked out this painted stone at a favorite store of mine in Grayling—Tip’n the Mitten!
The one thing she repeatedly asked for—a Sparty cheerleader outfit. She used to have a hand-me-down from the Besons but it is too small. This one should fit for a few years (Gramma had to take in the skirt because she’s so tiny).
Gramma Marsha had all these Barbies packed away so we held on to them until this Christmas. She loved them.
I’ve wanted family PJs but just never did it…so was happily surprised when Grannie Lin got them for us. And tonight was the night!!
The room mom had a game prepared for me so all I had to do was show up and run the game!
She was obviously desperate for some attention and decided this is where she had to be while I was doing business Christmas cards.
Grannie got us all matching jammies! Well, matching bottoms with shirts with sayings!
Grannie made us scarves!!
Papa being silly!
Perfect pictures from my well-trained kids…
…and then daddy walked in with news of a brand new Pokemon in the yard. 
And our Santa Hat Project to date (I can’t believe I missed a yer!).
