Buts, Sitting, and Why do I always do this?!?

Whew, I am TIRED.  Not like lay in bed and go to sleep tired.  (Well maybe actually!)  But physically tired.  Matt has been on vacation since just before Christmas where we spent all of it being sick.  He went back to work yesterday and instead of me getting up for the day soon after he heads in to work I snoozed a bit longer in hopes to kick this bug.  Today I got up and at 'em.  All of us were ready for the day hours earlier than what we have been and I jumped right in cleaning and organizing. 

Totally not what I had planned for this relaxing do nothing but play with kids and make some brownies kind of day.  That's so how I roll... grr.  It's annoying believe me!  I needed to vacuum the LR floor, which meant our toys needed to be picked up and put away.  Well, many of the toys are NEW and don't have a "home" yet.  I decided that was a good time to find a home and that I would reorganize all the toy storage in the house, clean out a closet, reorganize that, rearrange Madison's room, do some laundry, etc.  :-)  See what I mean!?!?  I do this all the time!

Madison quietly watching as I organize!

BUT, I did all that and the vacuuming has not been done yet, kids are down for naps and I decided I needed to sit and just chill for awhile.  But I shouldn't.  They are down and I should get together everything for our Christmas party tonight so when they wake up we can get back to playing.  Or fold all the laundry I washed.

Hmmm....

Makenzie wanted to make me lunch today... found her here....

After we were done eating our mac n cheese I put Madison to bed and came back to...

Makenzie scooping us up some more!!  But those little noodles are all I got out of that deal! 

Yesterday she played mommy and put me down for a nap while she got lunch out!

Interesting lunch, but I went with it.

Pancake, ham w/ cheese on top!

Okay, relax time is over!  I'm going to go finish what I started and have a relaxing night at our last Christmas Party!!

Elf on a Shelf... Days 11-15

Day 11: Deer the Elf making his OWN grocery list for me.... um... No!

 

 Day 12 he happily snoozed with Makenzie in her room.

Day 13: Snow angels!  He also found some winter friends to join.

 Day 14... Hmm.... Deer didn't do anything that day ;-)  Or night I should say!

Day 15: Makenzie headed to the table for breakfast to see Deer
waving at her and wrote a little note to her with some cereal.

Unique Ornament!

Glad I spotted this before we were in desperate need of it!!  Never would have thought to look in the tree for Madi's missing  paci!

Oh, Christmas Tree!

Whoa what a weekend!!  Highs and lows!  Can't be fun all the time!

Makenzie and Grandma looking festive!

Saturday morning we met up with Matt's family for breakfast then our annual Christmas Tree hunt.  We were trying a new place this year (some friends from church) and were pretty excited to head out there.  Their property is JUST GORGEOUS!  And they have a couple horses that wander around, which is a major bonus.

Caleb & Makenzie peaking in at Roanie the pony and Jasmine before they were let out.

I was a little hesitant of taking Madison out with us.... it was COLD.  Typically when we go it is cold... but not this cold.  I'm talking in the low twenties cold.  Anyway, we got her all strapped to me and bundled up.  Between all the blankets and her being up against me I figured she would stay fairly cozy. (And she was actually toasty when we unhooked her!) 

What a blast.  It had started snowing soon after we had gotten there.  Big fluffy snowflakes slowly falling from the sky.  Picture perfect. 

Roanie getting ready to pull our tree up to the truck!

 

After we got home this....

is how we spent most of the afternoon... Makenzie crying/ whining right along with Madison.

Followed by...

 

late afternoon cuddles & Christmas specials.

The rest of Saturday just wasn't pretty.

Sunday was a new day!  After having to run to the store to buy almost all new lights for the tree (yup, more sat drama... last years lights didn't light) we got the tree decorated!  Makenzie had so much fun checking out all the ornaments and finding a spot to hang them.  There are multiple spots that have more than one ornament on one branch, but we are just going to leave it that way ;-)  

 

Our tree is full of ornaments that I collected growing up.  Each year my parents and grandparents gave me an ornament... now the tree is beginning to fill up new baby's first Christmas ornaments or with ornaments Makenzie has received or made!  Nothing is better than having a tree full of "gifts" from others to us!  What memories!!

Elf on a Shelf... Days 8, 9 & 10

Saturday AM:

"Deer" watching the snow!  The snow started Friday just in time to lay a blanket of white down before we went Christmas Tree hunting!  PERFECT!

Sunday AM:

There was just TOO much of a temptation... he just couldn't leave the tree alone.
He climbed right to the top... not once... but twice!

Monday AM:

"Cause I'm leaving on a jet plane!  Don't know when I'll be back again!"

Flying around Miss Makenzie's room in her airplane!
Deer got pretty creative using some old garland to hold him and the plane up!

Elf on a Shelf... Day 7

Can you blame him!?!?  Totally Jealous!
(Not going to lie, just to say I've done it... I totally took a sip!)

Happy Friday to everyone.  Ha, after last nights post I almost happily watched the Sound of Music.  Miss Madison was a little overtired and just couldn't give in.  Soon after she did I hit the sack.  Typically I wake up every time I roll over... last night.  Nope.  Slept solid until Madison woke me up to eat.  By time I got out of bed this am I could hardly move.  Haha!  My body was sore!  That's okay!  (Maybe the hubby will read this and offer to give me a body massage!?!?  <wink, wink>)  The unfortunate thing is... this house is CLEAN, like scrubbed down CLEAN!  But, toys are askew, we are in between rearranging two rooms, so stuff is still everywhere.  It doesn't feel very "clean".  

It's snowing today!!  Thank God!!  I have been praying for S*N*O*W!  We will be heading out to the woods to get our tree this weekend and I SOOO wanted snow.  (Suppose to be a high of 24 tomorrow, so might be a super quick trip.)  Snow just relaxes me and makes me happy :0)

Elf on a Shelf... Day 6

Decorating with tp!?!?  Oh boy!

Wow... I am EXHAUSTED.  I have been working on a house cleaning list since before Thanksgiving.  Not just a vacuum the room and dust.  I mean all the regualar cleaning jazz and all the nitty gritty.  It was taking FOREVER to do and driving me crazy.  Well today, I made a MAJOR dent in it (thanks to my SIL for taking the girls off my hands for a few hours!!).  One more room to go... the mudroom.  And after that the list is going to the trash!

I swept, vacuumed, steam cleaned, wash windows, screens, tidied up, dishes, hand washed floor, kitchen cupboards, baseboards, kitchen walls and dining walls.  LOL, dumb.  My fingers hurt, my hands are SO dried out (they weren't this am) that my knuckles are cracking and bleeding.  Ok... whining is over.  :0)

Huge thank you to Lisa for watching the kiddos!  And kudos to an awesome hubby who came home (after a long day mind you!) took Madison- fed her and then made us dinner!  I am off to the couch.  Looking forward to seeing the Sound of Music Live!!