He's got skills

This boy doesn't let closed doors stand in his way.



He knows there are things to do on the other side.



Like flushing the toilet.



And unfolding all the towels.



"Now that I'm one, I'm a big boy and I've got work to do Mom."

"I can't do ANYthing!"

I feel like I have a teenager in my house. LOL After the day we had here, one simple "no" sent her off in a huff saying "I can't do ANYthing!"

It was so nice and sunny I just had to take them outside to play. Pretty mean, huh? We had a few stroller races. I was running laps with them (they are waiting for me to yell "go" and start pushing Sam) but took time out for a few quick snapshots. So glad I documented our "un-fun" day.

Sure doesn't look like they are having fun at all, does it?







Then we got to make PINK cupcakes. Oh the travesty!





My 4 year old, going on 13. It's a good thing she got sprinkles or she might have called Child Protective Services on me.



Then we made puppets and took turns putting on puppet shows.



I guess it's just really tough to be in this family some days. Can someone send me a pair of galoshes? Size 7 should do. The sass is just too deep to wade through around here. ;)

We are working daily, on having an attitude of gratitude and thankfulness, pleasing to God.

We have a ways to go.

Water for Christmas

Every day 4,500 mothers bury their children due to contaminated water. They are forced to sustain the lives of their family with a diabolical liquid that contains both life and death. The lack of access to clean water is recognized as the leading cause of death in underdeveloped nations.

Isn't that just hard to fathom? Clean water...I know I take it for granted, I just expect it. But on another continent, that is far from reality. Imagine having to walk for three hours just to fill up your 10 gallon jug with this. To have to bring this back to your family to bath in, to cook with, to drink.

For just $10, you can provide clean water to one person in Africa, for 10 years. TEN YEARS!!! That's just two trips to Starbucks. Let's trade consumerism for compassion and buy Water For Christmas in West Africa. Just $5,000 will provide a well for an entire village.

All donations are tax deductible and go directly to charity: water, who then takes 100% of our donations straight to clean water solutions. You can follow the specific campaign happenings at water4christmas.com. And read how they are able to use 100% of our donations for digging wells.

You can donate directly here. Or, you can help Erin fund a well for 250 people here. And please read more about it here, here and here. They say it better than I ever could.

You know my first gift has already been bought, so this will be my last, and most important gift this year. Won't you join me?

How is your Christmas shaping up?

But it's not even Thanksgiving you say? Well I'm here to encourage you, before you even begin, to think hard about what your family's goal is for celebrating Christmas this year. After several years of shopping 'til I dropped, up to the last possible day, I've taken an entirely new approach this year. I will not be spending the month of December in the Wal-Marts or even the BIG Mall. I will not be sending my husband out in the wee hours of the morning on Black Friday for that impossible-to-get, super-duper fabulous deal we don't even need. No, not I, never again I say. In fact my Christmas shopping is almost done, and will be by Thanksgiving.

Here is our plan for celebrating the birth of our King. This year, to keep the gift-giving simple and to not let it over-shadow the reason we give gifts in the first place, each of our children will only have three presents to open from us. I've always wanted to start the tradition of giving just three presents to represent the gifts the three wise-men brought to the baby Jesus. Shhhh...I am cheating just a bit as a couple of them will be two things that go together, wrapped up as one gift. I'm finding that old habits are hard to break. Next year should be even easier. And unfortunately, we have already introduced the girls to Santa Claus, so yes, the bearded man will place a few choice things in stockings and leave a small red sack (that I had monogrammed super on sale after Christmas last year) under the tree. No way around that one. But the point is, we will not be waist deep in wrapping paper with so many things that overwhelming is the only way to describe Christmas morning. I think in the past, David and I both let our own enthusiasm for shopping get in the way. We are changing that, just in time I think.

I have also done a lot of my shopping on-line this year which has helped make the few trips to the currently sparsely populated stores, even easier. I've never done this before and let me tell you, it's wonderful. I used to think that it didn't feel like Christmas unless I was standing in a store (preferably Eddie Bauer) listening to Christmas music while waiting in line or helping customers in line. How wrong I was! I think the five years I worked retail did a number on me. That's not Christmas at all. I want to get back to (and for my kids, start) the tradition of quiet evenings at home eating lovely homemade dinners, listening to music, playing games and gazing at the Christmas tree instead of running around like a crazy person. The only thing we'll be missing is a fireplace.

And this year, while many are just starting their shopping, the day after Thanksgiving, we will be driving an hour or so to cut down our own Christmas tree. This will be a first and I hope there is snow! Later, we'll spend a few evenings driving through our city to look at Christmas lights after hanging up our own display. We also have tickets to the Nutcracker Ballet (I've never seen a live performance) with the girls and to a Night Before Christmas play too. We'll be baking various Christmas cookies and attempting our first, from scratch, gingerbread house. We'll be reading the story of Christmas from Luke 2:1-20 several times. This week, we'll also be filling up Shoe Boxes for children overseas. And on Christmas morning we will be eating Birthday cake and singing Happy Birthday to Jesus.

I want our kids to grow up understanding that the toys with all the bells and whistles are not what Christmas is about. That it's about how much God loves us and sharing that love with others. It's about the birth of our Savior, Jesus, who is the only reason for the season.

What Christmas traditions does your family enjoy? Are you starting anything new this year? I'd love to hear from you.

p.s. I love this idea (see these too) instead of traditional teacher gifts, especially if you have several children (aka multiple teachers in their lives). I'll be trying my hand at making these myself, for neighbors this year. Stacy, Marilyn and Cheryl, you didn't just read that! ;)

p.p.s. I'll be back soon with Sam's 1st Birthday pics and later next week I should have a baby blanket tutorial up as well.

Need some motivation to get moving?

I know I do!

Sorry for the long absence here at the ol' blog, but I've been seriously in need of motivation and sleep. We celebrated Sam's 1st Birthday last week and I will share that soon, I promise. But in the meantime I had a bad case of I'm sick, I'm tired and I don't feel like doing anything. Ever have days (or weeks) like that? I think this whole sleep deprivation thing is taking a huge toll on me/us. Allison has been waking up multiple times every night. We've tried EVERYTHING, except dropping their nap. Thanks Amy for that idea! I'll let you know how it goes. We are on Day 1!

So, last night my pal Amy and I went to "Fashion Sewing Club". She found out about it a while back and decided that I needed to go with her. :) Amy is my one "sewing" friend that's local. Just 10 minutes away! Oh how I wish we had more time to take advantage of that. But it will happen in a few years. I can just see us getting together for a few hours every week and picking each others brains in person (not just through e-mail) while all 5 of our kiddos are in school. Won't that be the life?

Well, last night we ventured way...way...way across town to Treadle Yard Goods, on Grand Ave in St. Paul. As we pulled out of her driveway we thought how funny it is that our "girl time" is getting together and going to a sewing "show-and-tell" with a bunch of ladies. Hehehe...aren't we adventurous? We had so much fun looking at all the wonderful fabrics that Treadle carries. Nothing like JoAnn ...they've got cashmere and Japanese imports! And their corduroys were to-die-for. While we were sitting in the little class, we both looked across the street and realized that neither of us had eaten dinner, and that Green Mill Pizza would be the perfect place to pour over Amy's latest project (a Feliz dress).

Just as I was settling in and thinking about how yummy pizza would be, the power went out. Not only was it our building, but the lights were out at Green Mill too...RATS!!! We tried to keep the meeting going by moonlight and cell phone light in case the power came back, but it didn't. There was much laughter, especially as the next garment to be shown was black. It was really quite a fun night. It was our side of Grand Avenue, up and down the street and it was kind of eerie to walk back to my car without any street lights. Thankfully we found a pizza place close to home. We stayed until closing, we are such rebels, I tell ya! I haven't had that much fun in quite a while.

Thanks Amy for the adventure! You are SO much fun. And if I had a picture of you I'd put it right here. Next time I might just have to bring my camera. :)

BOO!

This was the first year that we actually carved a pumpkin. I haven't done one for 10 years! It was really fun. But the girls weren't too impressed with the slimy yucky pumpkin guts.



I think this look says it all.



They were SOOOOOOO impressed with the end result though.



We started the day with a lot of running around. And as a result, somebody missed their morning nap. Can you tell who?



He wasn't very interested in a group photo.



But he sure didn't mind being the center of attention.



Until he remembered that nap he had missed.



He's been taking 2 little steps at a time, until Sunday when he graduated to 6 baby steps at a time. Life is about to get even more exciting at our house. I'm thankful he can't open big doors just yet.







It's hard to believe my hazel-eyed little guy will be turning ONE on Friday.

*sniff*sniff*





The girls loved being kitties this year. And we love Old Navy costumes! They are so warm and perfect for Halloween in Minnesota.



BOO!



Hope you had a fun Halloween!