Random bits of life

I picked up James from daycare and he was playing very happily with another kid and he ran over to show me, "Look! Puppets!" It was a cute moment. I had to admire the puppet and then convince James to leave the puppet at daycare.


I saw this posted on the classroom door. I love that they talk about "current events". We knew this storm was coming and Ms. Sheana was preparing them for snow! We also brought in James' snowpants knowing they'd probably get to play outside today. Sure enough, he came home and talked about wearing his snowpants, his jacket, and his gloves when he played in the snow.


Funky Christmas week is coming!


I made a spice rub for my Crockpot Pulled Pork and when I looked at the bowl it was a heart. I couldn't miss that opportunity to take a pic!


Tonight a teacher and I took a student to JCPenney for some shopping. This is a family that has many children and they have sad circumstances that prevent the Mom from really providing her kids with the basics. Our middle school student needed undergarments, a winter coat, PANTS, etc. Its all stuff that I take for granted, you know? So we went on a shopping spree of sorts after I found the funding from my school district. I talked with the Mom and she gave me a wish list of items and sizes. We were able to buy winter coats for three of the seven kids, pajamas for four of the kids, clothing for them, and even a winter coat for the Mom. I told my teacher friend that I felt like Santa Claus when I arrived with those HUGE and MANY bags of items. The kids were wide-eyed and I know they wanted to rip into the bags. I gave them to the Mom and hoped that everything that I picked would work for the family.

Please be thankful for the shoes, the pants, the bras and chonies that you have!

Girls Night Out

I had a chance to get out of the house and have some fun, so I took it! My friends were headed to the Roller Derby and I was able to go too! Woohoo!

I didn't get any pictures of all of us together, but it was Erin, Anna, Cassidy, Tatiana, Denise, and myself. All of us, except Erin, work for A-H schools.

Erin and I posed for a picture as we waited in line to get in the Derby. A LONG LONG line formed. Its very popular!


The players had some, ummm, interesting nicknames and costumes.


Erin became a REALLY big fan of the KillmoreGirls team.




Even the referees/umpires had interesting names.




"Granny Panties"


Anna and Cassidy. Tatiana and Denise are to the left of them.


There was some, ummm, unusual entertainment during half time.




We ended the evening with a snack and drinks at Britt's Pub. It was the latest I'd been out for a long time! I wasn't home until 12:30! Wild and crazy, I know!

We hope to go to the Derby again next month, but this time there is talk of us getting in costume too! Lots of people do that. All I need are fishnets, camo, or goth clothing!

O Christmas Tree!

James and I were at Target, the most magical place on Earth, and I snapped this picture as we pretended to catch snowflakes.


On Friday night we went out to get our Christmas tree! James was pretty excited but then he lost interest and became very involved in making footprints in the fresh snow and then playing with the snow on the store shelves.


Looking up at the falling snow.


Its wonderful to see the excitement on James' face. I'm not a big fan of snow, but through James' eyes I can see how exciting and fun it can be!


We didn't end up getting a tree at Home Depot. They were all painfully small. We have a high ceiling in our living room and so we wanted at least an 8 foot tree. It was pretty cold so I took James home and Jim went on to FOUR other stores before he found a tree. I guess tall trees are hard to come by.

On Saturday morning James woke up and exclaimed, "WOW! A Christmas tree!" We decorated the tree that morning. James has a very clear idea of what should be on a Christmas tree, from his Christmas book. He told me that we'd decorate with glass balls, candy canes, pine cones, decorations, and "tinseth". I think he meant tinsel :)




The glass balls must have looked just like balls because James tried to bounce a few of them, luckily on the carpet and nothing was broken or lost. I kept him busy with the non-breakable ornaments!


While we were decorating the tree, James all of a sudden said, "Santa Claus is coming to town!" We laughed and agreed. We hope we can hold James' excitement for the next 19 days!




He couldn't wait for the star!! It was very exciting for him. I think James would have tried to put the star on top of the tree himself, but Dada stepped up to get up that high.


"Wow, Dada!"


We aren't going overboard with our decorations this year because we aren't hosting any of our family at our house this year. We are going to Grandma Laura's for Christmas Eve and then going to Grandma Rosie's on Christmas Day.

I do love our decorations though. It means a lot to me that each ornament and decoration is special and/or reflects our family.

Here are our nutcrackers. Go Vikings! And the Force is strong with this family!


I'm still on the hunt for a perfect stocking for myself. I'll know it when I see it. My stand-in stocking is the one on the far right.




I keep track of our ornaments in this little journal. When we add to our collection I write down who gave it to us and the date. I hope that James will take the collection one day for his family. (Isn't that something to think about?! James maybe married one day and with his own children?!!)


Darth Vader and a Stormtrooper, embroidered. I found them on etsy.com.


James made this at Sandra's daycare in 2007.


And this one in 2008.


A sock monkey from me to Jim. Jim's grandma used to make sock monkeys, they are special.


An ornament that we bought during our Honeymoon at DisneyWorld, 2004.


Grandma Laura gave us this ornament for James' 1st Christmas. I love this picture! I took it for our Christmas cards that year.


Tia ChaCha, that talented girl, made these gingerbread people last Christmas. James LOVES them. Gingerbread cookies make an appearance in his book so he was so excited to see them in our ornament box!

Also, how funny that I found a penguin sock monkey last year!


Tia ChaCha also made this handprint ornament. Its even a close match to James' skin color!


I look for Eiffel tower ornaments whenever I can. We have two but I'm always on the hunt! The Christmas pickle has a story behind it too. I believe I bought at the pickle at DisneyWorld too.


A Canadian Goose! It sits prettily on the branches.


I gave this to Jim during one of our first Christmases together, before we were married?


Darth was moved to "way up high" at James' request. It is hanging near the DQ cone, another of James' favorites!




I think my sister Ana gave this ornament to me? Its of Mission Santa Barbara, a special place to my family. (SB, not necessarily the Mission!)


C3PO M&M.


I thought the Gingerbread Couple deserved their own close-up :)


I don't remember where this ornament came from but the picture makes me laugh. James was in his funny-looking old man stage! He was probably a month old in this picture.


Jiminy Cricket, another DisneyWorld purchase. We sure did have Christmas on the brain that week!


Skol Vikings!


We buy a special ornament for our James collection every year. This was the ornament that we bought for his 1st Christmas with us.


The next year James' personality was shining through and we knew what he liked. That year he was in love with Blues Clues! I had this custom made on etsy.com, the artist put James' name the year on the back of the ornament.


You'll have to wait and see what this year's ornament is! I don't want to ruin any surprise :)

Penguin familia.


Loosy Goose.


Our tree!