Christmas Day Night

Thought I'd share some Christmas photos while I sit here enjoying the fact that the kids were exhausted from the days festivities and crashed in their beds by 8:00. Poor Jack fell asleep after supper at Mimi's, and we knew it was time to come home then. Here are a few photos I snapped today.
Sophy and I made the snowman garland during our Christmas cabin trip.

The wreath came from Big Lots. Big Lots is wreath central the week before Thanksgiving. If you can get there before they're all gone, you can find some beautiful ones for dirt cheap! This one is a woodland looking one that you can't tell much about from this photo.
Random side table
Christmas cards on the piano. Also, our St. Lucia Advent girls are lined up here! All 25 of them! Sam wants me to make a wooden soldier set of these next year. Poor kid must not realize what he's asking. It took me 2 years to finish these chics!
Mantle. Der. Every nutcracker you see below, save one, came from Kroger. The first week of December is nutcracker time at Kroger. Every year, I pick up 2 to add to the mix. The tallest guy came from Biltmore. The dust buster in the photo is NOT a part of the holiday decor.

Our very, very eclectic tree.

Sophy found one of Santa's sleigh bells in the grass this morning. This was very fortuitious considering the fact that this was her little heart's desire. She's holding it on the end of a stick. It was the "official holder."

I love this sweet photo. God love him. I'm not sure who looks more whooped. Honey or DaddyP. Christmas makes a daddy tired.

(Unrelated side note: Our Book Club book for this month is The Wednesday Sisters, by Meg Waite Clayton. I haven't started reading it yet, but I hear from the other gals it's a quick read. I'm counting on that considering time is running out!)

Feeling Festive

DaddyP is doing Round #2 of pet Christmas pics at Doggie Daycare this afternoon, so we're doing our typical Sunday usuals. Round #1 met with such success that the DD owners booked another session with more people than his previous doggie shoot, which was very successful. Who knew there was such a market for doggie portraits?
Speaking of pet portraits, I have no idea who took this picture of Thomas. I'm guessing Sophy, since this is the Santa hat that she has worn to school every day for the past week. I'm amazed that I didn't receive a note asking us to kindly refrain from wearing it, but apparently her teacher is very long suffering. Judging by this photo, Sophy's teacher isn't the only one with an abundance of patience. Poor Thomas. She's a good girl.
Soph and I usually bake on Sundays. Our most common baking exercises are muffins for the upcoming week. Occassionally, when we're feeling spunky, we'll crank out a batch of chocolate cupcakes for after school snacks for the week. This Sunday afternoon caught us making White Trash ( I know, I know. White Trash is born, not made...) We added almond slivers and craisins to our batch. Craisins are not only festive, but are, quite possibly, the only fruit that has entered my body for the last 29 (+whose counting) years. AND not only is it covered in melted white almond barkie goodness, but I apparently can't stop eating it.

Once Sam realized that our efforts involved chocolate, he was a very willing participant. The thing about Sam that you have to realize is that he doesn't merely participate, he takes over. I guess that makes him a willing dictator? He's cut from the cloth...

Which is generally okay with Soph, as she is nobody's fool. Why not let someone else do the work while you watch? She is also cut from the cloth.....

In other unrelated holiday news, here is a shot of my Santa Head cupboard. I've accumulated some giant Santa heads over the years. Don't be alarmed. I harbor no ill will towards the Big Guy. But if you'll notice in the photo, I do have his head on a platter! (PAH!)

I'm a bird nut, it's no secret. I have birds all over my house. This little guy just swooped in for the holidays along with brother red bird hanging nearby (not pictured...in case you were searching.)

Birds aren't the only guys hiding out in our kitchen/dining area. Fred returned the day after Thanksgiving, and after a 2 day stint in Sam's room brought on by a rash of hijinks and mishaps attributed to the aforementioned red head, he made his way to this location this morning. I think this is a good place for Fred, since the area where we gather to share our meals is a frequent Zone of Misconduct. I do not find it coincidental that he's in this spot.

He's a sneaky little guy, our Fred. And yes, he's looking at the camera....which means...maybe he's.....watching....me???? Gulp.

Casualty #2 of the Kitchen Redo.

(Edited to say: The counter top guys just left (without running over anything else in my yard), and the counters look GREAT! The color is not quite what I imagined from the one inch square bit we saw, but it's great...and I think I like it better than what I thought it was. Once the whole thing comes together, it's gonna look muy bueno!! Plumber is here installing the faucet, new sink plumbing (did I mention that I LOVE this new sink)...think the painter may start tomorrow. Progress! Now, let's see if we can make it through without anything else getting destroyed!)
The counter top guys pulled into the driveway at 8:00. Right on time! Then promptly proceeded to ram their van into the brick edging of our front walkway....which promptly toppled over like the Walls of Jericho and landed atop my roses. I'd say the day is off to a great start!
Actually, it's not that big of a deal considering the bricks were only balancing on top of each other when we bought the house. We had them reset by a brick layer, so looks like he'll be repaying us a visit.
Thought I'd mess with their heads a bit and told them that my husband was going to flip and that my husband had a horrible temper and wouldn't take the news very well. The poor guy was like, "I feel like I wanna throw up!" I died laughing and told him, "Dude. It's brick. Calm down!" Haha. He was white as a sheet. I did make him pick it up off of my roses, though. My poor roses!! I told him I was more worried about the roses than the stupid bricks. Flat roses, the rose bed of the future.

Kitchen Update

The kitchen remodel is rapidly taking shape. Everything has been measured, sketched, contracted, ordered, etc. Still a few last minute things to pick out, but overall, we're waiting for the big stuff to start. In the process of getting the backsplash tile ordered, we went ahead and ordered tile for the kid's bathroom and Jack/Jill areas. Carpet is currently in those areas (who carpets anything close to a bathroom? OLD PEOPLE, that's who,) and I'm very happy to be getting rid of that. While we wait on things to start arriving, PDad is installing new lighting in the kitchen. Very, very scary!

Day #4 of 30 Days in Photos

We worked outside all afternoon while PDaddy had wedding interviews. Sam and Soph started their lastest project. They planted sunflowers, zinnias, and four o'clocks. We're going to count the days to see how long it takes to see blooms! ((Ironic side note: We left school early Friday morning thanks to a snow cancellation. Jack will return to school tomorrow with a sunburn he received while shirtless outside all day today. Only in East Texas.)

The Green Room

Mr. Pinkie still hasn't acquired a fondness (or anything even close) for my dining room paint color choice (Sweet Annie was it's name), but I think it goes just lovely with Christmas decorations! The table will seat 6 comfortably, but I could squeeze a few more since the side seating utilizes a bench. Not your typical, formal dining room seating options, but I like it so much that I plan to use benches when I invest in my 'forever' dining room table. I measured today, and I will easily have room for a table that seats 10 in my newly down-sized dining room. YAY!! It's the little things that make me happy, you see.

I've dropped the ball...

T Poor little guy. Fever is gone this a.m., but he is so croupy. His little eyes are just running, and he's pretty miserable. Of course, he takes his illness like any man does. NOT VERY WELL! He gripes, he complains, he moans. UG! On the other hand, Sophy started vomiting (Hello E.Jo. Top that.) this a.m. at about 5:45. She only threw up twice and was talking about her bday party between spells. This morning she has rushed to the bathroom a couple of times, but nothing came out (nice visual, eh?) Totally different patient than Sam. In between MENTIONING that she doesn't feel well, she's turning somersaults, coloring, asking to paint her toenails (That's my girl!), and carrying kitty around.

Ok. So you asked for it (well, you didn't, but here it comes anyway!) House pics!
The mantle. These are black and white pics of my dad, my brothers and me, and Mr. Pinkie and his sis.

Now. Here is one side from the room divide. This daybed will eventually have a straight skirt (nnot sure what else to call that), so it will look like a sofa skirt. Also, we'll add more pillows.

The computer armoire has really pretty doors that you can't see in this pic.

This is the dining room side. Yes, it's small, but it's bigger than the pic suggests. I hope to eventually replace the table with one that seats 10, but I still plan on using benches for the side seating and chairs at the head of the table. It's still sort of junky. All of the wall stuff is lying around the room waiting to be put back up.

And!!! I am so excited about this mudroom that is about to be gutted! We'll use the shelf area that is already built in, add a built-in bench under that area, and 2 hooks for each child under one section of shelf. Each kid will have a top and bottom shelf, and 2 hooks on the wall (backpack and coat). FINALLY we'll have a place to put those lunch boxes! UG! Anyway. Paint colors are pending. But the brown is about to say AUDIOS!
My mil made these leaf sun catchers for the kids last weekend. Cute, huh?

Last, but no least. Look at this little guy! I bought him unfinished and decopauged (sp?) him. I also bought him a brother who is going to be gold and a sister who is going to be pink with baby birds!! Hehe. Did I mention that I've never actually decopauged before? HHmmm. I haven't. Hopefully, it's not THAT obvious.

Well, show and tell is over boys and girls. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!