starting traditions

we're in full holiday spirit around here. christmas music, christmas cookies, crafts (oh the crafts), discovering the meaning of solstice, and santa. the kids have been sugared-up pretty much every day.

this year i made an advent stocking garland (see picture below) for the kids. i didn't decide to do this until november, and had to whip up the 24 mini stocking pretty quick. if i had taken longer to do them i think some of them would have turned out cuter and i wouldn't have gotten so bored. anyway, the kids, or i should say kai loves it! each day there's something little in there for them, or a note of something we'll do that day. this morning there was a note leading kai to a big ball of green glitter playdough i made last night. i'm pretty sure andy is tired of this because kai wakes up about 5am to see what's in the stocking. i owe andy about 4 yrs of early wake ups with kai. early mornings and me don't mix so well. i'm grumpy. so thank you daddy!


anyway, we're leaving for south carolina in a few days and we have two parties to host this week so this may be the last post until after the holidays.

so .... merry solstice, hanukkah, christmas, new year, and whatever holiday your family may celebrate. peace.

we're all tired of being sick

it started around kai's birthday with a cough/cold thingy. and several weeks later we still have it. i'm starting to get really pissed at this virus. i mean, it is the holiday season. so now due to this, my usual procrastination of gift buying, making, doing, etc. is again happening. even though i started off swearing it was not going to happen again this year. looks like those christmas cards will be new year cards. especially if i fail to get a decent picture of these two kids in the same picture! i'm not even looking for a posed picture, not being too picky.

[usually i don't like to use this blog as a venting vehicle. but i am cranky lately]
aside from this sickness and tiredness, we have definitely reached the sibling rivalry stage. our gentle soul kai? .... well not so gentle anymore. zaiah has taught him (or maybe forced) to hit. and, yes, she hits back! and the words and tone that come out of this 4 yr old's mouth. oy. makes me want to fly away sometimes. whoever coined the terrible twos was terribly wrong. when we reached the 3's i thought oh this is what they mean. they were just a year off. now i'm thinking the fiercly fours.

this picture below is kai having a semi tantrum because i wouldn't let him have a snack while i was cooking lunch. he's hiding in the cabinet trying to sneak a snack.


but he is still adorable and fun, especially at moments like these:

a day in the life of zaiah

if she could have it her way:
play in the water in the bathroom, taste the water, yep likes it. play with water some more, nurse a bit, go back to water, try out the kitchen sink water and 'wash' dishes, nurse a little more, go back to bathroom sink water, etc etc etc. if water were free, i'd let her do this all the time because it makes her happy. but, i also get tired of changing her wet shirts.

o christmas trees, o christmas trees

we have christmas trees everywhere ....

love the crown with the christmas tree!

grandma bought kai a set of arty scissors, tape dispenser, and a new stapler .... so this little elf has been very, very busy making trees. last night kai asked grandma if she could stay for a year. she said, "if we do something besides make christmas trees." i tell ya, no need to buy holiday decorations once your kids get old enough to 'hang' things around the house. all done. presto! things added in a blink of an eye. some day we'll see sunlight through the windows again. (and see the window below, stockings. another passion.)

aside from decorating, i'm surely enjoying one of my most favorite times of year sitting by a lighted tree. merry december!