Merry Grinchmas. I mean, Christmas. :)

“And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? [Christmas] came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.” —Dr. Seuss (1904-1991); writer, cartoonist

Time flies.

Hard to believe that this picture was taken two years ago, New Years Eve 2006. Crazy. In two days, Nathan, Jodie and Nicholas will arrive and later in the week we'll have the opportunity to celebrate another New Years Eve together. We are so looking forward to it! Austen has a basketball tournament while they are here, and there's nothing he loves more than having an audience. He says he plays better.

Just one more day.

Apparently, I'm still feeling rather frazzled and uninspired. I'm really not liking that at all. Shawn was up super early this morning (poor guy). He had to leave the house way before five to head to the Bay area for work. It's rainy and windy here. I laid in bed, and just couldn't go back to sleep. Part of me was worried about Shawn driving all that way in the miserable weather. The other part was stressing about all that still needs to be done around here. Short of the one year (many years ago) that Shawn and I had to wait until Christmas Eve to do all our shopping for the kids, this just might be the year that I'm absolutely the most unorganized. This is so not me, and it's really beginning to annoy me. Haha. So, I got up at 5am, called Shawn to be sure he was okay, took a shower, and I've been putsing around ever since.

Roxy has a new friend. This cute little Santa dog arrived yesterday from Dad and Pat. Bailey was pretty excited that they sent Roxy a gift, as I told her just yesterday morning that I was not willing to drive to Petco to buy Roxy Christmas presents. I know. I'm terrible. Bailey actually seemed okay with it, especially when she thought about the fact that Santa would probably bring her something. Man, I hope the big guy pulls something out of his bag for Roxy, or I'm screwed.

Bailey has a real problem with waiting until Christmas to open gifts. And I even mean presents that are for other people. She begged me to open just one of her gifts, saying that she has lots more for me. *grin* Isn't she the sweetest? So, I opened one and this was inside. The red box on the left is a pencil case that she decorated with a Twilight theme. Inside was the black note (below). So, so precious. The little journal was also made by her. She took a tiny composition notebook and decorated it, also in a Twilight theme. On the inside cover she wrote a few quotes from the book/movie and a little dedication to me. She also re-gifted the Twilight trading cards. Apparently she forgot that I won them on eBay, and gave her a pack. Cute.

Could there be a more perfect gift? I think not.

Sunday update.

Friday: Bailey had a holiday party at school. They decorated cupcakes, did a Christmas tree magnet project, and watched holiday movies. It was a nice, final day before break. Austen came home from school dreadfully sick. He missed basketball practice, something he almost never does, and went right to bed after having Nyquil. Poor guy had a fever that just wouldn't go away.

Saturday: Bailey and I spent the entire day baking. We made the pretzel hugs above, and three big bags of Snickerdoodles (seen in the background). Those are probably my very favorite cookie, next to good old fashioned chocolate chip cookies, but we usually only make them around the holidays.

We also made Grandma Myrtle's Kris Kringle Cookies. We usually do these every year because Bailey really loves to decorate them. The boys used to help, but not this year.

Note to self: do not use pretty decorator icing on future cookie endeavors! It does not dry in a timely matter, and ends up getting smeared all over the wax paper and/or aluminum foil (bummer!) They looked pretty for a while. Like Bailey said though: "they will still taste goood"!

We had one bag of gingerbread mix that Bailey wanted to try. After making the gingerbread house, she really wanted to try gingerbread men. So we did these cute guys and houses. We also made White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake bars that I did not take a picture of.

Austen was still feeling very under the weather, and could be found on the couch or in his bed the entire day. Such a bummer and I certainly hope he feels better soon.

Kale has been getting interested in art again. He spent several hours working on the Mario on the left and the Master Chief on the right. He plans to put the two together, when he's all finished. He's thinking along the lines of a dual between the two. The Mario is just amazing. I love the colors and how the bottom portion of it seems to fade away. Very cool.

Kale chillin' before bedtime Saturday night.

Sunday: Austen is still not feeling very good. He thinks he will probably miss Monday's practice, and Tuesday's game. Kale was my good little cleaner today, and did a thorough job on the kid's bathroom. He really rocks in the cleaning department! I wish he'd rub off on Austen for sure. Haha. Bailey cleaned her room, and then had her friend Lauren come over to hang out. Shawn and I just spent the day relaxing. I was terribly tired out from all that baking yesterday! Ridiculous, I know, but true. Our good friend, Kerry Wyatt, from up the street came by with a Christmas card and a $25 gift card to Carls Jr. She found out that Shawn sometimes takes the boys there on the way to school (he also takes her son) and thought it would be nice to give us something. She is so very thoughtful! We've also had gifts trickle in from Grandma Cathy and Brandon & Danielle. So nice to be remembered at this special time of year. Im off to watch The Cat in the Hat with the family. I guess they were in the mood for it.

Happy to report ...

No, Kale does not have a girlfriend. Haha. As I loaded this photo, and the blog title I quickly thought, hmmm it might seem that would be the announcement, but no. Although Scarlett is a sweetheart, she and Kale are just really, really great friends. What I was going to say is Kale's face is improving so much! Back story: Shawn decided to go to the local vitamin store to discuss acne options. The reason was because for many, many months he's been using what the dermatologist had prescribed, with really no real change. And the next step would be to put him on a dreadful medication called Acutaine. We just aren't ready to do that, as the possible side effects are plentiful, and terrible. So on December 2, we took him off everything he was previously using, and had him start with Vitamin A, Acne-Zyme, and Zinc Sulphate, along with a special soap, and a daily Yo-Plus yogurt (for the good bacteria). And shockingly, it seems to be working. I hope for his sake that it continues to work. I know this has been such a struggle for him, so it's wonderful to see some real results. Keep your fingers crossed.

Austen Butler aka Team Captain

First off, do you dig the shoes? These are Austen's custom shoes that we ordered forever ago at nike id, that he just loves! Awfully presumptuous of us to think that far in advance that he'd make the team, don't you think? Anyway, he had the number 11 put on the side. His very favorite number, of course. And he had RHS put on the tongue. I think because Butler had one too many letters. The site is quite cool. You get to pick all the colors, and the entire configuration of the shoe. So like where there's the white strip between the shoe and the sole, that could have been black or orange, every little thing ... shoelaces, the font color, everything was picked by him. So, he's pretty proud of them. And I liked the fact that comparatively speaking, they weren't that much more than his regular basketball shoes, which was shocking.

Secondly, normally each game will have 2-3 Captains. Up until now, because the "real" season hadn't officially started, Coach Ritter would just assign two captains each game, based on whomever he felt like picking. Austen had not yet been Captain, and really was starting to get a complex. Not really. But he does pick apart every little thing that happens ... at practice, during games, etc. At Tuesday's practice Ritter asked all the players to vote for the two people they would like to see be permanent captains for the season. Before Wednesday's game it was announced that Austen and his teammate, Drew, were picked for Captains. So, to say the least, Austen is pretty stoked. I'm still trying to figure out what it is Captains do. I know they meet with the referees briefly before the games (I wonder what they talk about??), and I believe it is their job to keep the team pumped up, and focused during the game (he's good at that!) And I do know it's an honor that he will receive a patch for that can then go on his letterman's jacket, that he would eligible to receive next year as a Varsity player. I think that's the most exciting part for him. Of course, we are so proud of him. So happy that after all these years he still has the passion to play, and goes out there every time and gives it his all.

Forgot to mention

Shawn and I went to his company work party last Saturday. It was nice to have Roy and Joan come down and stay with the kids (thanks Mom and Dad!) Really the boys could handle Bailey all on their own. I mean basically they all just do their own thing anyway. But it was great to have Grandma and Grandpa come down, watch one of Austen's basketball games (they lost that one, but Austen played amazingly with close to 20 points!), and just hang out with the kids. We also watched Dark Knight during the day, had lunch at Olive Garden, and enjoyed the company.

So, back to the party. Ugh! Don't we look thrilled to be all dressed up? This was the second picture that Bailey tried to take. (I'm not sure why it looks like we're in a smoke filled room, but it does, doesn't it?) Anyway, Shawn was not feeling the picture taking moment, as displayed by the look on his face. Haha. He was dying of heat with a capital "D"! You know, shower, rush to get ready, throw on a suit, and next thing you know, you're dying of heat, and your daughter is wanting the photo op? Yeah, it was like that. So we went. We arrived at about 7pm. We mingled, I met a million (okay, 25 or 30) people I'll never be able to remember, we ate, and we were home by 9pm. We aren't exactly what you'd call super-sociable. I hate to say that, but it's the honest truth. We'd much rather be home, in our comfy clothes, hanging with our family. So, we made our appearance and split. We did have to chuckle as we were trying to quietly leave. We walked out the front door, and there were about 6 people smoking (crap!) We mingled with them a bit, and then were saved by the music starting up inside, and they all practically ran inside exclaiming, "oh the fun's about to begin".

Meet Mr. and Mrs. Claus

How cute are these two? These are Miss Bailey's latest creations. The girl never stops creating. I love that. She just took some toilet paper rolls, cotton, paint and viola instant Santa and Mrs. Claus. It doesn't get much better than that.

Day 11 - Our tree(s)

I've fallen behind again on my Christmas Journal. Oh well. I just keep plugging away and I'm sure it will all balance out in the end.

Here's the start of day 11. On the left side I talk about our new real tree (and show a picture) and mention our old fake tree. The page on the right shows 4 wallet size pictures of Austen's ornaments.

The left side shows 4 of Kale's ornaments, and the right shows 4 of Bailey's ornaments.

This is the final page for day 11. The entire page is a photo (8x8) and it shows our fake tree. It's so pretty!

Sometimes ...

I feel a little sad, a little overwhelmed. Lately I've found myself thinking about the fact that this will probably be our last Christmas in this house. So, every little thing feels bittersweet. The tree, the decorations, Shawn deciding not to do the outside lights (such a stinker), silly little insignificant things, you know? And with the economy the way it is, I think everyone is worrying about work, employment, finances. We are too. We've told the kids that this year will be quite a bit slimmer than usual. And they are troopers. I think they are fine with the whole thing. Shawn and I aren't fine, but they're good. Haha. You know how that goes. In years past we've said the same thing, but only to trick them into thinking that Christmas would be slim. To surprise them with something bigger. Ugh. Why did we do that? Remember the boy who cried wolf? I'm feeling a bit like that. Where we've said it before, and year after year, the Christmas wasn't very slim, and so I'm hoping the kids realize that this is the real deal. I think they do.


So when I'm feeling blue or overwhelmed I go here, and immediately I'm reminded that anything I'm facing or feeling (and truly anything I've ever faced) is nothing in the grand scheme of things. I'm sure you'll agree. It's a good reality check.

Friday and Saturday games

Friday's game was so much better. They still lost by quite a bit, but wow, what a difference in attitude. Austen's pep talk must have helped. We were lucky to have Roy and Joan come down to see Saturday's game. They lost again, but it was still an awesome game to watch. The boys fought hard to the end, and only lost by 8. Great energy the whole time. Austen had 20 points! Not too shabby.

You can't win them all.

That might be a slight understatement in this case. You see, the Tigers were the "guests" in this game. And as you can see, it was not a good night. Not a good night at all.

They've lost a few leading up to this one. I think they felt decently confident, but somewhat shaky that this team would be relatively inexperienced, as compared to them, and well ... I guess it just goes to show that you should never assume anything. What's the old saying, "take u and me out of the equation, and what does that leave"? Well, an ass, of course.

We never, never believe that winning is the most important thing. I'm sure Austen would disagree, but that's how Shawn and I feel. We always try to instill that in him, as well as Kale and Bailey. And we truly believe that sometimes it's a good thing to lose. It kind of serves as a reality check, or perhaps puts you in your place, if your head's getting a tad too large. Haha.

Austen started out playing hard, like everyone else. But wouldn't you know it ... just as soon as the other team got a bit ahead, they completely lost their composure. They started hanging their heads, and acting pissed off, and screwing up. Dumb.

This was when he was still working hard. :)

Here, too. :)

This one, too.

Kale invited his friend, Mary to hang out and keep him company. She came with her Mom and brother, who is also a friend of Austen's. Mary texts Kale and Austen constantly. I'm trying to figure out if she likes Kale, or maybe Austen, or maybe both? Haha. I love how Kale enjoys ruining my pictures with his stinkin' faces.

I think Austen was consoling Tony here. Haha. Just kidding. I think they were just goofing around.

Here's part of the problem; the coaching. I hate to say it, but the man has no idea how to boost up the team's confidence. He's real good at tearing them down, and then leaving them there. This really pisses me off. I had a good talk with Austen this morning and I just told him flat out: He just needs to step up and have his own talk with the team. Be a leader. Tell them to try something different at tonight's game. Put aside all the egos and bull **it. Fight hard. If they are losing, don't lost sight of the goal. Keep pumping each other up. Stay positive. Coach won't do it for them, so they have to do it for themselves. And always, always keep their heads held high. I don't care if they are losing by 40, it's all contagious. So, if they're all acting crappy, then they're going to play crappy. If they are playing their best, and keeping each other pumped up, they'll play even better. And if they lose in the end, it's okay. If they tried their best, and kept their heads up, then they should be proud of themselves for that. And that should always be enough.

And then I said "I love you" and he said "thanks, mom. This means a lot. I will talk to the team. And I love you, too".

Utility Exploration Center (Field Trip)

That's just a fancy way of saying "teach the kids about recycling, and renewable energy sources". In a nutshell, taking care of Mother Earth. It was quite interesting, although a tad boring at times. I figured if I wanted to take a nap, the kids surely did. Haha.

They had this cool "mountain of trash". Things that would normally be put into a landfill (and things that shouldn't be ... to teach us the difference). Amazing to see how so few things can take up SO MUCH SPACE. We learned that each and every individual on the planet generates about 4.5 pounds of trash per day. Is that insane, or what? My family generates almost 23 pounds of waste a day. Scary concept. We learned about using the better CFL bulbs, doing a worm compost pile (no thanks), and many other worthwhile ways to better the environment.

This is a close-up of the trash heap.

Makayla's Day ...

A great big Happy Birthday goes out to Makayla today! Are you still planning a Twilight themed birthday? We hope that whatever you do, it's filled with special memories and tons of fun, of course! We love you!

Day 10 - Wrap it Up

Day 10 - Wrap it Up

The left side shows a few samples of our actual wrapping paper.

A close-up of the right side.

Day 9 - Traditions

This is Day 9. I decided to talk about our "new" tradition of getting a real tree.

This is the right side. The envelope opens up and has my journaling inside.

Here's the journaling.

Day 8 - Sights of the Season

The left hand side is the back side of the cut-down trading card protector, so it holds another four wallet pictures.

Day 7 - "To Do" List (Day 6 isn't finished yet)

Here is Day 7.

A close-up of the left hand side. I really like this page in person. The colors and textures remind me of Santa's suit. I managed to add an extra "the" in the second bullet point of the first paragraph. Yes, this will bug the crap out of me. But it's staying. I'm not gonna take the time to re-do it. I'm moving on. *laugh*

This is the right hand side. It's hard to see in the picture, but I've used a trading card page protector, cut down to hold four wallet photos for this side of the page. In doing so, you can see part of the next page (Day 8).

Journal - Day 5 (Countdown)

The idea behind this prompt is to talk about/show the way that we countdown to Christmas (think Advent calendar). Since I showed our Santa countdown calendar in last year's journal, I thought I'd show a picture of the rooster calendar that hangs in our kitchen instead.

This is the left hand side of Day 5. Notice I have painted the paper green, so I could cover up the bar code that was on the back of the previous page.

A close-up of the right hand side.

Journal - Day 4 (Perfection)

Pardon the terrible lighting, and metal table. Looks just awful. Anyway, this is Day 4 of my Christmas Journal.

A close-up of the left hand side. I used a photo from last year. It's Joan's table setting. Always a perfect site!

And here is the right hand side.