Party Like It's Christmas

We were invited to 3 Christmas parties this season, and they were all on the same day....Sunday!

The first was the annual Bond family brunch. I work with Denise at Pottery Barn and am proud to have been added to the invite list a few years ago. I failed to take any pictures at this party though. I had my hands full and truth be told, we couldn't stay long. We had to get everyone home for a nap so we could continue partying.

This is our beautiful cousin Katie (home from college) holding Christian

This is the only picture that turned out decent at Mark's extended family Christmas. On the left is Aunt Maggie (one of the twins), then next is Aunt Joan, and in the chair is the youngest of "the sisters" Aunt Mary. These are Mark's mom's sisters, well some of them anyway.

We had a white elephant adult gift exchange there. We got a Nordstrom gift card, yeah! and the cutest snowman!! Always fun to see who is going to steal from each other at this party. The sisters, their spouses, and adult kids can be pretty ruthless....which makes it more fun! It was great to see everyone. It's been too long!

Next stop was the annual kids Brennan party. The Brennans are the parents of Colton's godfather, Darren. This party is a blast as Santa, himself, comes every year to sing and read a story to all the kids. He, of course, delivers a gift to all the good boys and girls.

This is a shot of Mark in his waiter uniform....dork!! But that's why I love him.

Joe and his gorgeous wife Elissa (he is our realtor also)

There are tables set up for all the kids to eat their pizza

And face painters/tattoo artists

Colton and Connor both got dinosaur and Batman tats. They would have had a whole sleeve done if there had been more time!

Rock Star drums and guitars were set up in one room for the kids

Connor is rockin' out pretty hard here

Then there is the arrival of Santa. All the boys and girls gather round to sing and hear a story. Such a special treat

Notice Colton's hand on Connor's leg. So Sweet. This happened several times along with a head layed gently on the big brother's shoulder once or twice.

Colton receiving his gift from SC-some SpiderMan crap

Connor getting his video game

Santa leaving

This year Santa also brought his sleigh and Vixen the reindeer. Unfortunately when I went back out to visit and take pictures they had left. Next year I will be more on top of things.

It is truly a fabulous party, all of them were/are. I look forward to them every year. Hard to believe Christmas will be over in 1 more day. Until next year....

A Little Bit of Me

The 3rd time's the charm, so they say! I may have finally made a baby that might resemble me! (If only for now)

My beautiful baby Christian will be 1 month old tomorrow, and I can't believe how much he has grown in only a few short weeks. His face has really filled out and the wrinkles on his legs have disappeared. I find all this odd though because while he a LOT, he poops and pukes even more.

We are trying the co-sleeping thing, not by choice, but because it is the only way he will sleep and I can at least rest a little. If I lay him down flat, he pukes.

But 1 look at this face, and you forget about the spit up running down chest, stained on your 5th shirt for the day, and the clump of it matted into your hair! The joys of motherhood.

He looks kind of funny in this picture, but the lighting is good to show off his blond-ish hair. It is not surprising since it runs on both sides of the family. Mark was cotton-top blonde until 11 years old.

I really do think he favors me much more so than he does Mark.
If I had a scanner I would put up a baby picture of me to compare. Mental note, must buy a photo scanner for yourself Jann. Make that the next purchase.

It's the Happiest DAY of the Year....

Well the 2nd anyway!

And at least someone agrees with me. Could Colton be any happier?

This pudding eating picture was from earlier in the week, but he's still happy.

This is seriously my 2nd favorite day of the year as an adult. I love finishing up any final preparations for the BIG day, which for me today just means running the vacuum (oh and getting a shower). All I can think about is the boys faces tomorrow. Kind of makes me feel like a kid again. I sure hope they are excited and satisfied tomorrow.

This morning Marky-Mark and Connor went to the gym. Colton, Christian,and I went to the mall. I wanted to go check out any Christmas deals since I will be traveling on Saturday and celebrating Christmas with my family and Colton's 2nd birthday on Sunday. (Now that will be a whole other post, but WOW my baby, who's now a big brother, will brother will be 2). We did not stay long because Christian was not having a good time, but there was nothing left anyway!!

The big boys are going down for a nap right now and I am going to clean my floors and start packing. Then tonight I would love to get us all to the 6pm church service, but we shall see. There are no guarantees these days on outings. For dinner we will have our traditional tamales. This year I bought them from the Spanish Schoolhouse. My girlfriend, Bethany, ate some already and said they were good. I don't know what the boys will eat....oatmeal or cereal I'm sure! HA!

I feel like a kid counting down the days until summer vacation. I am watching the clock, can't wait for 7pm to come so we can start bedtime and then wait on Santa.

Speaking of Santa....he has dropped off some of the gifts already and we put them in the coat closet. Mark got out his jacket the other day with Connor standing right beside him. He would not stop asking what the red CARS box was. Mark just ignored him. Then he started asking me. So I went over to the closet and looked in. I told him that it was just a red box with his cousin Carson's gift in it that I had to wrap. Santa better make sure and put that box in the trash tonight underneath everything else.

Tomorrow the plan is to get up (me extra early to be dressed before the boys get up) and make blue berry muffins, they're quick and easy but still something different from our usual cereal. Then enjoy Santa gifts with the boys. Then they can open their gifts from each other and mommy and daddy. We need to get them dressed and I have to make 1 dish so we can leave by 10-ish for nanny's house. This year all of Mark's siblings are in town, been over a decade since that has happened.

One bitch fest....had a load of clothes in the washer and dryer the other night before I went to bed. I was washing the boys Christmas shirts for the second time because there was a stain on one of the sleeves. The next morning I heard Mark starting some laundry. I should just be grateful that my hubbs helps with the laundry. But I yelled for him to stop the dryer because I knew he wouldn't have checked the clothes. He walked off toward the laundry room. A bit later I went in there to work on the shirts some more. They are in the dryer, completely dried with set in stains now. I called him to ask about this. He said he looked but did not see any stains. ARRRGGGGG!!!! Shirts now ruined!!! I am trying not to let it bother me, and they are going to wear them tomorrow anyway!

These are the newest ornaments to hang on our tree this year made by the boys.


I LOVE the thought that my tree is going to get a little tackier each year! I can't wait to someone is old enough to string popcorn. I might even have to add in some big, fat, colored, ghetto lights!!

Just a random picture of the "Golden Oranges" as referred to by Connor. You just thought you were eating at the golden arches.....so WRONG you are!

Merry Christmas!!!

Oh, 1 more thing....I am sitting herewatching snow. How is that for a perfect Chritmas Eve?!

Our First 2 Weeks Home

Our first 2 weeks home with Christian were a blur. Both of my parents were here the first week, then my dad left to go back to work leaving my mom here. Then he and my sister came back for 3 days and to pick up my mom. Mark was also off of work the entire time, well sort-of. While trying to stay busy and rest too, the doctors appointments kept us going. Christian went to the pediatrician twice, the hospital for a test once. Colton went to 2 doctor appointments also, and Connor had his first dental cleaning. Mark also went to the dentist twice. WTH, I am tired just typing about all the freaking appointments. OH, and I had to go once also to check my incision.

We of course squeezed in a Chick Fil-A visit

We got sticker boobs....and they were FUN to take off-NOT!

Christian had his first bath. He looks thrilled huh?

The big boys waited patiently, NOT, by the front door for visitors

We made cookies. This included licking each and every one, it's like marking your territory. Life with 3 boys I guess. But not to worry the heat kills all the germs.

Ok so they were the break and bake kind but it still counts

We saw Santa. The pictures we bought were great. Christian was there too but Mark had the camera on video when he took one of all 3 boys with the big guy

Then we played at the mall after talking to ol' SC!

We pondered some super serious thoughts!!

We actually had 1 family dinner where food was consumed

We made a Christmas tree arts n craft

We became Batman obsessed (the boots not the underwear) and they have not really come off since

We visited one of Santa's reindeer. I believe it was Donner.

We made a Ginger Bread House which has since found its way to the trash because little hands could not leave it alone

But most importantly we visited with Moms and Pops and Sissy. Can't wait to see them again after Christmas!!

Who Wants to Lick the Bowl?

I'll give you 1 guess.....

My precious Colton, licking the brownie bowl. Guess we are washing hair tonight! We have to wash hair most nights because he is no stranger to putting a bowl on his head. This one just happened to bigger than his face. And besides, what tastes better than chocolate?

Making brownies is a favorite thing for us, well making anything sweet is fun. The bad news is, I am not loosing any weight this week since I have eaten half the freaking plate of brownies. I meant to cut them up and give them to the neighbors but just kept munching. What the heck? Hello....in my fatest pair of jeans I could find in the closet.

Measuring, pouring, and mixing is fun but licking is certainly the BEST part!

So Monday was my first day home alone and it was a bit hard. Christian always wanted to eat (nurse) when someone else needed something. But Tuesday (the brownie day) I kicked butt!

We were home all day together, just the 4 of us, no school or outings. Everyone ate and took quiet time.

Colton and I made a snowman art project. Connor missed out because he was pouting....probably from my slight melt down when we went into the arts and crafts room and I could not find the glue stick because the boys had been in there unsupervised and destroyed the room! Ok, so it wasn't a perfect day, but just keep reading!

Then we made brownies. I got 2 loads of laundry done. I vacuumed the entire down stairs minus my room (the vacuum is still out waiting for that task to get done). Then I steam mopped all the tile. I even cooked dinner, though I am not sure why since no one EVER FREAKING EATS! I even got the kitchen cleaned up after dinner. I saved my marriage for one more day. The house looked like a tornado had come through on Monday and my dear Mark did not even say a word. I know he was dying on the inside.

Ok, so it really helped that a package arrived via Fed Ex earlier in the day with a gift for the boys. I did not even open the gift for them (it was for becoming big and bigger brothers) just gave them the box. The box saved me for 2 days....gotta love the basics!

For 1 day this week, I was super MOM! The rest of the week, not so much. I am still trying to fold that darn laundry. Haven't cooked or cleaned the kitchen again. The vacuum is still out, unused. Mark finally tossed the box. But I am proud of that 1 day!