A new year, a fresh start...

I never ever make resolutions because I'm a pretty realistic person, and I know I most likely won't keep them. However, there have been several things I have really wanted to improve about myself and my habits this year (2007), so I'm determined to make a few of them work. While I would never post absolutely everything in such a public place, I figure I can list a few of them so that I can be a bit more accountable:

• Spend more quality time with my kids. I know this could be on my list every year, but I need to do better at making that time really count and be special.


• Spend more quality time with Spencer. By the time he gets home at 8 or so and the kids are down, we're pretty wiped. However, I have fond memories of those times when we have had great conversations and accomplished a lot together during the late hours of the night. (One of Spencer's resolutions is to spend more quality time with me - are we in sync or what?)


• Not complain about Primary. I know it's a total stretch, but I'm going to try!! Well, at least I won't complain to other people--just in my own head.


• Save more money and be more money-conscious. This makes me laugh though because I think I'm a pretty good money-saver to begin with.


• Keep up my exercise. I often get into habits and then fall behind, and then quit altogether. This time I'm determined to keep it up. After all, I don't have weather excuses anymore (shucks).

Happy New Year everyone!!

Christmas Lessons

I learned some valuable lessons this Christmas, and I'd like to share:

1. When shopping for your husband, cover your tracks; husbands are into snooping, and then the surprise is pretty much a non-surprise. And don't just "cover" your tracks...destroy all evidence! Husbands are getting better and better (aka sneakier). Sheesh.


2. Santa must be getting forgetful in his old age. Santa needs to keep better track of his own list and check it twice, so that the kids don't have to get another small set of presents upon returning home. Thank goodness they're still young enough to not figure out all the details...


3. Grandparents always give the best gifts. And that's ok with me. They have more practice.


4. All the romanticism about having a White Christmas is baloney; after having plenty of white christmases, I still maintain that absolutely nothing can top a 72 degree, sunny Christmas day.


5. Kids who are 2 and 3 don't count presents. If they get one cool thing, they're thrilled. If they get 10, they pretend to care and then go back to that one cool thing! I must remember this in the future, and save my money and time.


6. Tyler, when he is sick, is a monster. Don't say hi to him, don't play with him, don't touch him, don't look at him. He'll bite your head off. And when Tyler is a monster, so am I.
   

Christmas was fun as always. It's ten times more fun with my kids at the ages they are. I got my very first real pedicure (my eyes have been opened!) as well as a Cricut cutting machine. Spencer got the GPS he knew he was getting (snoop), and the kids had more fun than they could handle. My parents gave Tyler a remote control Hummer...or, did they give it to Spencer? At any rate, it was a big hit, and both my boys are thrilled with that gift. Emma got a Disney Princess scooter and tons of coloring stuff (she's my artist).

On Christmas Eve, in keeping with tradition, went to the beach to play in the sand dunes. It was one of the most clear, beautiful days I can remember (and I grew up there!). It was nice to feel the sun so warm and watch the smooth, calm ocean. I got some great pictures of my handsome boys. They're my favorite pictures from the trip.

I realize there are hardly ever any pictures of me since I'm always taking them. Oh well.

'Tis the Season to be GRUMPY!

After having 3 encounters with complete Scrooges in the last hour I am so irritated at the level of grumpiness out there this time of year! Two were in the car and one involved a man in a wheelchair. I was trying to be extra polite but I don't appreciate getting yelled at, honked at, and given ultra-dirty looks because I'm trying to obey the laws and be nice! Maybe I'll stay inside until Christmas is over, because these rude people are making me a grump too!

Some Christmas Cheer

Since we have very little in the way of "physical proof" that it's Christmastime (other than in stores/malls/our house), we took the kids to Christmas in the Park last night. Hundreds of real trees, still stuck in the ground even, are decorated by groups of people and classrooms. Our favorite was the Peter Pan tree, complete with the alligator and Captain Hook! We also let the kids ride the carousel but Tyler is suddenly a wuss and opted to sit on the bench. And of course it wouldn't be an event if one of the children didn't throw a fit and have to be physically removed, kicking and screaming, from the festivities a bit early...

I also took some pictures of a few of my favorite Christmas tree ornaments. This first one is our family ornament for this year, given to us by my mom. It says "Like four peas in a pod." I love it.

This flip flop is made of real sand and I got it in Hawaii at the PCC. It's fun because of my flip flop fetish, and also because we visited there this past October.

Our Boston Red Sox ornament...this will always have a special place with me. I bought it on ebay after they won the World Series this year (and earned us some free furniture...there is a previous blog post about that). Besides, we miss Boston after living there 2 1/2 years! Well, we don't miss it right now, during a Nor'easter...

And lastly, here are Emma's and Tyler's ornaments from last year - my two little angels. They get a new ornament every year. Well, just don't ask me where this year's ornaments are...I bought them really cheap after Christmas last year and can't find them since we moved. Bummer! Emma's was a dancing princess and Tyler's was Bob the Builder. I'll have to keep looking...

On a separate topic, I walked outside yesterday and noticed that one of our trees (plants) is in full bloom! We have these beautiful pink flowers everywhere! In December!! And I didn't even know about them previously. Also, we have an orange tree that is starting to get pretty colorful. How cool; I love that things bloom and grow here, even in winter! Merry Christmas!

Sleepwalker?

OK, so I'm new to this idea of sleepwalking...but I don't know what to do about it. Emma, I believe, is sleepwalking. She gets up and wanders (totally unaware) several times at night. Last night I put her to bed at 7:30. At 8:00, as I was sitting at the desk, she came and sat on my lap, still asleep. I took her back to bed and she didn't even flinch. Then, at 9:00 while Spencer and I were watching some lame Christmas movie ("Holiday in Handcuffs"), she walked into the living room and instantly was asleep on the loveseat. We found that pretty humorous, and took her back to bed again. Then, at 11:00 as we were headed off to bed, Emma was sound asleep on Spencer's side of the bed. He joked that his side was now warm (while he took her back to bed again) but I was a little worried. Is this normal? She's done this for the last 3 weeks, every night, but it's gotten progressively more frequent. Usually she ends up in our bed so it wakes me up, and with Tyler also wandering all night long, wide awake, we're not getting a whole lot of sleep. Is this sleep walking, or something else? I guess it wouldn't surprise me too much since Spencer did it as a kid (so I've heard) but I feel the need to cure her of it, mostly for my sanity. I'd appreciate any advice or opinions...

Tyler time

I have finally found a time of day when it is (usually) just me and Tyler. I love Emma, but we're together a lot since Tyler takes naps. I've started putting Emma to bed "early" - at about 7:45 - and then I have 15 minutes with just Tyler. It's amazing; once Emma is asleep he calms right down. No more screaming, whining, running like a madman. He'll sit with me on the couch and snuggle up with his lumpy pillow. And he'll just let me hold him. I love it! And no, I don't wait anxiously for 8:00 to roll around so I can get him off to bed. I usually have to force myself up off the couch to take him to bed.

I find it almost humorous that I used to HAVE to hold this little boy (so he wouldn't cry), and almost resented it. Now, every second he'll let me hold him is just precious. And hopefully I'll get at least 15 minutes every night...until he gives up naps anyway.