Five Question Friday

Yep, I am doing this again.  I just love reading others responses....if you have a blog, link up and do it.  I would LOVE to read your answers....call it a Christmas present for me;)

1. What's the best Christmas present you've ever received?

Five years old- a doll.  My sisters and I all got dolls.  My mom made all their clothes and embroidered the fronts with the initials of the "names" we consistently gave ourselves when playing.

 

I know now my parents were broker than broke.  I believe the dolls she could affords didn't even come with clothes.  It's a great lesson really...at five I had not a clue in the world how tight money was; what I did know what how much I was loved and even then it was so special because my mom put her heart into every stitch.

2. Worst/Funniest White Elephant gift ever received?

I guess this technically isn't a white elephant since it wasn't christmas exchange, but this is my blog, so I suppose there are no rules;) 

WE have a gag gift going with some friends for over 10 years now;)  My BFF's future aunt in law threw her a bridal shower and the gift to the bride was to keep the centerpeice.  An awful PURPLE basket of VERY artificial flowers.   If you knew Annemarie, it would make the story even funnier, but suffice it to say, she pretty much hated the flowers and yet felt like she had to keep them.  Apparently, with time, she realized the aunt would never visit and she wrapped them nicely and gave them to another friend for a housewarming present.  We got them wrapped in floral paper after Marc's shoulder surgery.  I forget all the rounds, but when Annemarie and Greg left Chicago for DC.  We went to Uhaul and got a small size box and carefully packed the flowers inside and packed it with the rest of their boxes in their truck.  Oh we thought they disappeared, until we moved to Sheboygan and we got a package....

They are currently on a shelf in my basement;)

 

3. Is your Christmas tree plain and simple (white lights and matching ornaments) or is it wild and crazy (colored lights with lots of ornaments collected over the years)?

White lots with lots of ornaments collected....we collect an ornament from every place we visit and the kids get an ornament every year....and now we have quite a few homemade ornament.  It's a hodge podge for sure and I wouldn't have it any other way!

4. "How" do you iron your clothes? The old fashioned iron/ironing board way, the shower, back in the dryer, etc.

She sheepishly grins because the pile of clothes waiting to be ironed is taller than she is...when it gets done it's often by the hubby and is done the old fashioned way, but usually it's only done when one of us wants to wear something from the pile and we iron before wearing.  If this is a requirement for a good homemaker, it is definitely the area I fail miserably in;)

5. How much baking do you do for Christmas and what are your "must make" items? (I'm looking for recipes here, peeps...)

Lots;) Must make

Truffles, chocolate dipper oreos and nutter butters, fudge, cut out cookies, and then whatever else strikes me fance....this year I had the cookie exchange mentioned yesterday and it just might be a new tradition;)

Okay- if you do make me happy and answer these questions can you comment so I KNOW and get a chance to read your answers;)

Advent Day 15- An "emergency" Papa Date

Today was a bit of a hiccup in the Advent season- it was bound to happen right?!  The fun part is, I don't think my kids have any idea;)

Today I had a Cookie Exchange at my house.  About 20 ladies came and hung out and swapped cookies.  I really wanted to have this evening be a blessing to ladies in the midst of the stress the holiday season can bring.  I had some sweets and appetizers and hot drinks and I hope ladies enjoyed themselves.  In order to make the evening work with three kids, I worked on baking earlier in the week and cleaning yesterday and today.  Today I cleaned the kitchen early and set the table etc. during nap time.  I did all I could to be ready and have it festive and pretty for their arrival.

When I planned Advent, I thought today would be a lovely day to talk about Jesus being the Light of the World.  I planned on making luminaries with the kids and placing them along the walk for when the ladies arrived.  I realized today that would look really pretty but was an insane idea to execute the DAY OF the cookie exchange.  I am trying to clean and keep the house clean; and simultaneously planning to then sit my kids down in my clean space with scissors and brown bag and let them go to town.  WHAT WAS I THINKING?;)

We hadn't actually opened the Advent door yet, so I did some quick thinking during nap time and for a second time this month a hastily scribbled message appeared, although I must admit I feel a little sheepish on this one;)  The plan was already in place for Marc to take the kids to McDonald's for dinner so I could get last minute things in order without little people underfoot.  So...the message read:

When Jesus came to earth as a baby he left his Father's side.  He loved his Father and he was leaving heaven to come to earth and die.  Can you imagine leaving Papa?  Let's thank Jesus for his sacrifice and then let's thank him for our earthly Papa.  Today you will have a special "Papa date".


You can call it creative or deceptive.  I am not sure either is a bad description.  The wonderful thing about children is they love celebration.  This felt slightly manipulative, but also smart.  Some days you do what you have to do.  Marc DID take them to Menard's Enchanted Forest after McD's at my suggestions.  A good LED lit Christmas display is pretty cool when you are 5, 3, and 1.

(Sorry, no pictures today;)  Marc didn't take any and I was too busy chatting away with ladies to take photos;)

Advent Day 14- C is for Cookie, that's good enough for me

Advent Day 14's Message read:

Today is Mommy's favorite day!  It's Christmas Cookie Time!  Today we can read The Gift of the Christmas Cookie and Christmas Cookies.  But most exciting of all, we will make and decorate cut out cookies.  Maybe we'll eat a couple too;)  YUMMY;)


The day didn't turn out quite as planned.  Though he was perfectly fine this morning, Phin woke up from his nap with a fever.  He was grumpy and had little energy.  The poor little fella spent the afternoon on the couch, barely listened to the books, and ASKED to go to bed at 6pm.

Cookies became a mom and Ava activity;)  Chloe was near by, of course, and is quite adept at stealing cookie cutters and dropping them randomly all over the kitchen floor.  (Cookie cutters are very unpleasant to step on, by the way;).

Did I mention I LOVE MAKING CHRISTMAS COOKIES!!!! (but I hate to clean up the mess.)

Advent Day 13- Walking in a "winter" wonderland

Advent Day 13 message read:

Remember the Wisemen?  They saw the star and new it's significance because they were studying stars, they were looking and watching in expectation.  Today we will take a Winter Walk and look for ways we can see signs of God's handiwork in nature.  Tonight we will go outside again and look at the stars!

Walkin' through the woods behind our house, looking at all the interesting things that we can see even in winter. 

 Little miss Chloe LOVED the fresh air and running down the path...

Ava and Phin were very excited about the Deer tracks 

 AND the birds nest, which Ava was certain belonged to an owl....we spent a good chunk of time examining the earth below this nest for owl pellets.  (psst...I don't think it is an owl's nest, but she couldn't be swayed;)

 We really liked how God made paper right on trees and each took a small peice of Birch bark indoors

If you'll look closely, you'll see this one was Phin's;)

Advent Day 12- Improv

Advent Day 12 was originally supposed to entail stringing popcorn and putting it on the trees in the backyard for the animals to eat.  We were going to read this cute kids book about the animals in the stable welcoming Jesus.  Alas, the rain made the plans a little hairy so I quickly improvised and slipped a new piece of paper in door #12.

This hastily written message read:

Tonight is Ava's Christmas program!  We will all dress up in our Christmas best and go watch our favorite 5 year old sing Christmas carols.  We'll have a special dinner first at the restaurant of Ava's choice.  WAIT!  There's more, this afternoon you guys get to do the Window Clings you lost last week.  Thanks for fixing your behavior.  Have fun sticking them on whatever windows you want!

I think this was Phin's first experience with Window Clings...he loved it;) 

Ava took the leading in showing Phin they could go throughout the house sticking them on windows;) 

 Ava is front row center right.

 Ava hates and I do mean hates tights.  I specifically took a Target trip today to get her a pair in size 7-10 thinking perhaps the 4-6 are small and that is the issue.....

Evidently if we would like her to keep her dress down in public (or even private for that matter;)....tights just don't work.  She spent half the concert tuggin' 'em up!