Before the Storm

For Jake's seventh birthday (back in July) our neighbor, Tom, promised Jake a ride on his Harley. Well he didn't press it, out of respect for my maternal (this is a freakin' bad idea) feelings BUT, Jake has a great memory for these things and when Tom pulled out the motorcycle, Jake reminded all of us of said promise. And I gritted my teeth and let it happen. Jake LOVED it.

Not Again!

(Neighbor, Tom, already has the snow blower out...hope he makes it to our side of the street)

The second time within a week we're getting over 16 inches. The news is saying this is the first time in Colorado recorded history that this has happened. Not that Colorado recorded history is really that long in the whole history of the world, but still notable. Today will be a cookie making, digging out and sledding kind of day. We have to do something to make it up to Jake who was supposed to go snowmobiling for the first time with dad today.

Poor Baby

Hannah got 'fixed' on Wednesday. Poor baby. She's doing pretty well and is providing us lots of entertainment trying to get around the house with the big cone on her head. Jake's a bit upset because he wanted Hannah to have babies.

Happy Boxing Day

Christmas eve went well, I do believe fun was had by most. I didn't take any pictures except of Isaac falling into an exhausted slumber under the plant. The most popular gift during our annual 'dirty santa' game (and by that I mean the one stolen the most) was a bag of Seattle's Best Creme Brulee coffee and some lottery tickets (thanks Martha). We ended up with it, so we are 4 dollars richer and had a great cup of coffee in the early Christmas morning opening up the gifts Santa left us. For some more pictures of Christmas Eve check out Martha's Blog . She seems to be the neighborhood's resident photographer.

Jake was super anxious to get us downstairs to see what was brought. Zac got distracted by the cocoa krispies and had to have a couple bowls before he could really get into the spirit of opening his presents. Both were happy that they received what they asked for. After a nice breakfast with Jason's family, we pretty much stayed in our jammies all day, played scrabble and watched movies. Wonderful laid back kind of Christmas and after having quite a few lovely people over the night before it was very welcome!
The boys getting ready to watch Spy Kids 3-D....the coveted gift from Zac's list.

The Turkey's in the Oven

update...got the turkey in the oven and almost everything prepared to cook or completely cooked...wooo hooo, of course I'm not showered, the kids haven't bathed and the house is a wreck, but the food's done...woo hoo. No more posting though because I have to shut down Jason's computer, at least I won't be distracted anymore by emails, surfing, other people's blogs, anything to procrastinate. I really want a cleaning lady, Oh that reminds me better check the lotto numbers maybe I have a really nice Christmas present this year?

It's 4 am, no sleep because Jason's sick and coughing and Zac kept having nightmares....so the pies and pumpkin bread are getting nixed. I'll pick up some Marie Calenders on my way home from Church. I'm hoping all will be so stuffed by then that they won't care too much it's not all completely home-made. Actually, really no one will care. Going back into the kitchen and then a whirlwind of cleaning! If I don't get back to the blog before tomorrow....MERRY CHRISTMAS.

I should be cooking.....

I told Jason I wanted the George Forman Grill where you can change the 'face' and it can be a waffle maker, press, grill etc...so he looks it up on Geek.com (and I'm only half kidding it's some website w/ geek in the name) and yells to me in the kitchen "hey, honey do you want the one that you can plug into the computer and you can get online from ANYWHERE and set it up to cook whatever you want'

'um NO'
'really, because I think that's pretty cool'
'of course you do'

Anyhow, he took the kiddos to the movies and I'm busy cooking away getting ready for tomorrow's shindig. Here's the menu, I'm so excited, half the fun of these get togethers is the menu planning....ok, yes, I love cooking and the planning of the cooking and the eating of what's been cooked, I just love food.
Ham
Turkey
Stuffing
two different kids of chutney
gravy
escalloped potatoes
sweet potatoes with pecan topping
fresh green beans with feta and a vinaigrette
German style cucumbers
spinach and strawberry salad
creamed onions
corn bread/sourdough bread/pumpkin bread and biscuits

dessert
assortment of cookies
lemon bars
mini pecan pies
pumpkin pie

appetizers
grilled sausage w/ sweet and sour dipping sauce
brie, baked in pastry w/ apricot filling served w/ pears and crackers
shrimp platter

then we do a dirty Santa gift exchange
and fun is had by all....can't wait and hope I get it all done!
yikes.

ok, back to the kitchen for me.

The Big Dig

And yes, coming in and out, in and out with three boys (including hubby in the count) can create a mess of coats, gloves and wet clothes....lucky me.

Big Dig...And I don't mean in Boston....Our neighbors are great though and helped us with their snow blower and some guy down the street with a plow helped make a path in the road to get to the outer portions of the subdivision.

Is it Santa? No, just Jake, playing AGAIN in the snow.

We had time to make snow caves. And yes, my hubby is a kid at heart.
Oh, and I was able to bake like 6 dozen cookies then I took in a couple episodes of the first season of House..my first Netflix rental. Still in my jammies too (did raise some eyebrows when I went out in them to take pictures---oh well)

'nother blizzard update

Jake and Hannah enjoying the snow, although a bit hard to get around, and get back up when the dog knocks you down.
Hannah REALLY enjoyed herself out there.
Ok, I just thought it was cute with the snow caught on his eyelashes.
Zac, did NOT want snow caught in his eyelashes so he's wearing swimming goggles, and yes it looks night time, but it's only 5 pm in this picture. almost 5pm 6:30 am this morning

We're only supposed to get another 5 inches or so. The storm is slowing down and moving into Kansas/Nebraska. I forgot which channel I heard this on last night, but it looks like this storm is only going to rank 5th or so in Colorado blizzard history. Number one was sometime at the beginning of the 1900's.

update

9am

1:30pm

Yeah, my list, ain't happening today, as a matter of fact I have my jammies on and I'm eating my turkey hummus sandwich and drinking my hot tomato soup. The kids are watching cartoons and drinking hot cocoa. I had such grand plans too. I made it to Colleen's and dropped the kiddos off, slowly made my way to the dentist's office, thankfully within a couple of miles of here. I would like to say right now I DON'T CARE IF IT'S AN SUV, IT WILL STILL SLIDE ON ICE! SLOW THE HECK DOWN! Got my crown, relatively painless. The office does overlook a busy intersection, with a couple of hills feeding into it and every so often you could hear the hygienist yell, although only those of us in the office could hear her, "You can do it honey, ooooh, no...ok, U-turn okay" and then she would break out in song, 'slip slidin' away'. Very entertaining. I got out of the parking lot ok, made it to the Safeway parking lot and got stuck before I even parked, so changed my mind. Went and picked up the kids because I figured if I waited much longer I wouldn't be able to get them. Then got stuck at the corner at Colleen's house.....in the middle of the intersection, spent half an hour rocking back and forth trying to get it to go, but no luck. Pull the kids out of the car go to Colleen's front door, call Jason, who is home. Colleen tries not to laugh too hard. Another car gets stuck in intersection, so we push my car and ended up on the curb, but I figured it was parked 'enough' and her car parked too....I suspect that Colleen is going to have a lot of cars parked in front of her house, that's a BAD corner. The boys, Jason and I walk home. And now I'm emailing to say....I'm not doing another damn thing today! Well except take more pictures outside my front door and post them.

Blizzard Prep

7am

6am

Woke up at four this morning and no promised snow, made my coffee and started on another batch of cookies (baking not eating), and turned on the news. They say it's biggest blizzard coming this way since the March 2003 (I was in Kansas at that time)....hmmmm, but at 5 still no snow, and I'm dubious. Well, at 5:30 it started snowing, and it's coming DOWN--fast.

I'm amending my to do list today, to get my shopping done today since I'll most likely be 'holed' up tomorrow.

Yesterday...accomplished, NOT MUCH

most of laundry - done

three batches of cookies - done

meeting with friends -done and a lot of fun

upstairs bathrooms -done

Oh, I actually got my first Netflix package and watched the first episode of House, while sorting laundry--but no bon bon eating

still need to go to Target and steam clean the carpets and finish the upstairs

so Today:

getting a crown (and I wish I was talking the jeweled kind)

making up menu for Christmas Eve and shopping list

shop

another batch of cookies

finish the upstairs

nixing the steam cleaning of carpet thing, I'll save that for after the storm.

Ok, I have a list, that's a start

Yesterday we spent the day waiting in line. Waiting for the valet, because there was no other parking (15 minutes); waiting at the Cheesecake Factory, because Santa was on break, (30 minutes); waiting for Santa (1 hour, 30 minutes); waiting in the Starbucks line (20 minutes); and I wonder why I didn't get anything done except the 30 dollar 5x7 of my boys with Santa, boys with cheesy smiles.....I did get to spend some time with my mom though. Although, she was pretty exhausted after an afternoon with her very active grandsons and was happy to be dropped off.

So my list:
Today, friends over for coffee, I already went shopping at 4:30 this morning for snacks for the kids and the ingredients for a new sweet bread loaf I'm trying out on them.
After they leave,
Laundry
Clean the upstairs, including the boys bathroom...ugggg
Strip beds and change sheets
Bake gingerbread cookies
make a return to Target and buy my step dad the right present (after a consultation with mom) and he reads the blog so I can't actually say what it is.
Steam clean the carpet, which I should have done last night but was too pooped.
Make dinner (sourdough chicken casserole...new recipe)
Blog at end of day to see if any of these things actually got accomplished...

I should be able to fit some TV watching and bon bon eating in there somewhere.....

My Weird Husband

The kids are asleep, Jason and I are watching Law and Order, Hannah is laying on the other half of the couch.
Jason says, "It smells like corn chips" so he picks up Hannah's foot and smells it. "Hannah's feet smell like corn chips, here smell" and he pulls her foot toward my nose. She looks over her shoulder at us with a "humans are so weird" look.
I say, "I'm not going to smell it, I believe you"
smell it
no
smell it
no, that's gross
come on come on, smell it
are you kidding me, now you sound like a freak

He realizes he sounds like a freak and proceeds to tickle me
I tell him "I'm going to blog this"
Silence

Teacher Presents

The Room Moms

Me, Aimee and KendraThe finished project, I'm so proud

It says:

"Hands down you're the best, 1st grade class 06-07"
Not the best picture, some of the other kids took better pictures, but then it's my blog isn't it, so it's my kid that's on it.

I am so happy with the way Jake's teacher, Mr. Kampling's Christmas present turned out. It was quite the challenge to try and figure out what to get a guy teacher and still be sentimental and something the kids would enjoy doing. So the other room moms and I (there are three of us, Aimee, the boss and her honchos, me and Kendra) thought up --- ok stole off the Internet --- the idea of putting the kids hand prints on a camping chair. Mr. Kampling likes camping so that even made it that more cool of an idea. We worked on it in the library today, only one child was absent so it was a good turn out. The kids'll give it to him on the day of their holiday party.

Ok, I'm a geek. I admit it

That's it I'm sending a letter!

The challenge: Write 5 open letters. People, places, objects, animals. It doesn't matter. Write 5 succinct letters and express what you can't express in person. Strangers? People you'll never see again? People you're afraid to be completely honest with? Corporations? Celebrities? Your sister's cats? Write to 'em.

Dear Tooth Fairy,
I am too young to be using your services AGAIN. Please let the root canal tomorrow be successful and the painkillers plentiful.
Sincerely,
Tracey
FYI your services were last used in my early twenties with the removal of my wisdom teeth. And by the way thanks for the percocet at that time, so much better then a quarter.

Dearest Jose
You are a great brother, stay safe out there in the mid-east doing the things you're not allowed to tell us you're doing.
Your older and wiser sister

To the Citibank Customer Service Rep in India:
I don't care if your name is Buffy, you can't speak English and I DID NOT read the letter incorrectly.
Sincerely,
Former US Customer Service Rep who never told the customer she was an idiot.

Dear Stork,
So sorry you won't be making any more visits here, but thanks for the short people in the house, I'm really enjoying them.
T

Dearest Darling Jason
You were right...just not telling you about what or when
love you
your devoted wife

Annual Christmas Tree Hunt

And so the mighty warrior stands proud above his prey.

NO

NOT IT EITHER
PERFECT

Yay, my tool bar finally came back up and I can upload pictures again. This was the first year we didn't freeze trying to get our tree. Normally we look out the window, traipse out once or twice then the boys and I wait, huddled, in the car until Jason cuts the tree down. This year we were more hands on as a family.