oh! i almost forgot....

i MUST share this picture with you.

but first...let me explain.

you see...this house if full of Christmas "traditions"...

traditions that MUST not be broken.

ever.

there are three kinds of them in our household.

ONE

(the normal kind)

decorate the tree the week before Christmas...leave it up till the Epiphany

celebrate all 12 days of Christmas

TWO

(the family kind)

the kids get their new Christmas outfits on Christmas morning.

that is their ONE gift, before we head off to Mass.

this year, we bought the boys suits.

they look so cute and handsome. sigh.

THREE

(the fashion blunder kind)

yes, my son wore his $1.94 target clearance shoes with his new suit, as an altar boy on Christmas morning.

i love that boy.

on the 3rd, 4th and 5th

...days of Christmas

• mama tried to design Christmas cards
• gramma knitted some really sweet hats

• hubby and the boys built a backyard ice rink
• the girls chased their furry frenzzies all over the house
• bubba cleaned the toilet with toothpaste
• the boys built their k'nex roller coaster

• the girls doodled in their new doodle books

AND

• bubba ate the ends off the nerf gun bullets

on the 2nd day

...of Christmas

This Christmas morning

...we placed the Infant Jesus in the Manger, with great joy!

We wish you all a very Blessed Christmas!

baking sugar cookies

is not for the faint of heart

atleast....

not in this house.

the most beautiful tree

EVER!

just ask my kids.

can you find the ONE ornament i put on?

with a little help

from some of my little people

 Christmas preparations are coming along nicely

gifts for the cousins

check

...

tree for the living room

check

....

treats for the aunts and uncles

double check

all i need now, is a set of eyes in the back of my head

wordless wednesday

a special gift...

the kind that makes a mama cry

 

the kind that makes you burst with joy...

cause your baby wants to give something special to someone who is in need...

yeah....thank kind.

preparing the way

one candle at a time.

ok ok...so we actually lit the first two candles this week,

 because

 life is a little crazier around here than normal.

yup, this mama's pretty much lost it.

see what i mean?

Happy St. Nicholas Day!

were YOU good this year?

an obsession of mine

in the making....

can you guess what it is???

wordless wednesday

rewind one year...

pudding or custard?

which is it?

i'm not sure....but its tasty

2 cups milk

1/2 cup sugar

3 tbls. cornstarch

1/2 cup canned pumpkin

1 egg
cinnamon

tsp. vanilla

combine all and cook over med heat till thick

chill and serve.

(or if you just can't wait, eat it warm)

my latest design

advice you never thought you'd need to hear

• never turn your back on an open box of cereal
• never give your kids play dough before breakfast. never
• if you give it to them FOR breakfast...be prepared to serve them gallons of water
• k'nex look a lot like q-tips
• never make more chocolate chip cookies than you are prepared to eat yourself. play dough tastes better
•  eat ALL the cookies for breakfast so the kids don't develop bad habits like you
•  NEVER give your kids metal cookie cutters for their play dough, unless you want a christmas tree scar on the bottom of your foot for the rest of your life.
• never tell your 2nd grader the answers to her history are in the back of the book
• if you tell your children you are running away to the circus, you'd better plan on taking one or two with you
• puppies are cute, but not so much at three a.m.
• children's art makes great fire starter in a pinch just ask @mellonplus8
• if you take one teeeeny weeeeny cushion off the couch to make room for toddler it instantly becomes fort time! also compliments of @mellonplus8
• kids only nap when its time to put their laundry away
• size 2T pants pockets hold A LOT of play dough
• grape heads taste like motor oil
• make sure your flip flops are the same color before you close the door behind you, if you don't you'll never go back to change them
• butterfingers and coffee make a delicious breakfast
• coffee is never safe, no matter where you leave it, the toddler always finds it
• chinese food is really hard to clean off the bottom of the fridge
• pancakes are awesome lunch, till the syrup happens
• never wash the floor unless you are prepared to mop up a whole gallon of milk
• if there is a mud puddle, just tell the kids to step in it and get it over with
• there is no such think as an even number of socks. socks come in threes
• if your mama knits, you'll never be able to find a hat that fits your head

yes, these are all things i've learned from past experiences...believe me.

•  

we thank you

i designed this for a dear friend of mine!

its fresh and new in our shop come take a peek!

im crazy

but then, i've told ya'll that already.

so, with that, i'd like you to

meet

THOMPSON

 

dear mama,

i know you are very busy over there folding the laundry.

but i spilled some milk on your freshly scrubbed floor.

so, look ma!

i cleaned it up all by myself!

love,

curly