All I want for Christmas...

For the holiday season I fully expected to feel chillier temps, see the warm glow of twinkle lights and sing lots of Christmas songs. I wasn't expecting to be a nurse to two very sick boys...but that's life when you have young'uns, right?

One has strep throat and a nasty cough, the other has a major double ear infection. Yikes!

All I want for Christmas is for our boys to be healthy.

Will that fit in my stocking?

Joy in the Simple Things...and my Birthday

Well, I'm a year older today.

Hopefully I'm also a bit wiser, too! I mean, what's the sense in the passage of time if I didn't learn and grow along the way?

I miss my Momma something fierce. Something about the combination of my birthday and Christmas...makes this time of year not as fun as it once was. I've shed more than a few tears.

I'm learning that there is joy in the simple things of the season. The excitement of our boys, planning Christmas surprises with the Hubs, singing with my Dad, a phone call to out-of-state relatives and sweet messages in cards.

Those simple things have brought me the most joy when enjoying the season seemed impossible.

The perfect gift, no fancy wrapping required!

From the Everyday Occasions scrapbook~ Christmas

I know that I'm a little late with these pics. Some of you may even be tired of Christmas stuff right now, but I have family that would come down from "up yonder" and string me up by my toe nails if I didn't post these! Well, maybe not...

They'd just politely remind me that they're still waiting to see pictures and ever so subtly use guilt, but politely. Aunt D's more direct. She'd just call me up and say, "I wanna see some pictures!"

So here are some pictures, if somewhat late~

Play on, Playa'!

We've been laying low, so to speak, since Christmas. I haven't even downloaded pictures and videos (Hubs got me a camcorder!) from the day's events.

Instead we've played.

Played the Wii, played games, watched and laughed as E-man played with some new toys....just PLAYED. And laughed...a lot!

I think that we needed that after the hustle and bustle that preceded our Christmas celebrations.

I've even managed to get back into my studio and sling a paint brush or three. This is a minor miracle considering all the craziness that's been goin' on. I'll have pictures of the new creations up in a future post...

I hope y'all have enjoyed your Christmas and found a chance to enjoy a few moments with your family to PLAY!

From the Everyday Occasions family~

Have a blessed, fun and safe

Merry Christmas!

My In-Laws were in the news...

We got a call from my MIL today saying that the house next door to theirs had a fire around 4:30 this morning. I thought she meant something small.....

Well, it wasn't small. It totally engulfed the house the fire started in, caused damage to my in-laws, and caused a renter in the house on the other side to lose everything.

No one was hurt, I'm deliriously happy to say! Although, I know my MIL and FIL were quite shaken up, we're just happy that the damage wasn't any worse....and it easily could have been if the multiple fire departments that it took to put out the blaze were any later in showing up.

(That's their house to the right in that second picture.)

My FIL was interviewed on the news and the last comment he made was quite surprising coming from him...

"I'm not really a religious man, but it makes you think. Thank God they were able to save it."

Indeed, Thank God.

Is it possible to wrap gifts while asleep?

Oy, I feel like a juggler on speed! With the completion of the kitchen, things have kicked into high gear in the Everyday Occasions crib. We've just about finished decorating for Christmas and for the Bubs's birthday/Holiday lunch this Sunday. Now, if I could magically get someone to tackle the bathroom so I don't have to.....

I figure if I'm cooking someone else can clean the john. I'd surely "apreeshyate" it!

Anyway, I hope y'all are keeping safe as you take care of your Yuletide errands. People are drivin' like maniacs! I have the urge to roll down my window and loudly inform them that Wally World ain't goin' anywhere!

I must confess that this year the Christmas cheer that I normally have has been difficult to drum up. It's the first Christmas without Mom and she always made things so special....I'm feeling some pressure to make that happen for my family now. The Hubs would tell me that I'm bringing that pressure on myself. He's prob'ly right, the stinker. In any case, I accept that this Christmas will be difficult for all of us but there are still moments of joy to be had and have them, we will.

Christmas Likes and Gripes

I'm gonna get the Gripes out of the way so I can end on a kinder note with my Likes.

Gripes~

* Is it just me (or where we live) or do people forget traffic rules and parking lot driving etiquette this time of year?

* Elbowing me out of the way to get to something in the store aisle.....soooo not cool.

* Taking children anywhere near a toy section and then daring them to say anything.

* When people act snotty and ungrateful after receiving a gift. Adult people who know better.


Likes~

*Watching my boys discover the wonder of Christmas...and the true reason for celebrating it.

*Christmas music. Especially live performances.

*Decorating and finding new ways to use what we already have.

*Hot, sweet drinks on cold, blustery days.

* Colorful scarves....and laughing when one of the boys tries to steal them to play with.

*Making plans with the Hubby and conspiring about holiday fun and surprises.

*Christmas baking....now if I could just snag an elf to do the clean up when we get through!

*Reading about all your holiday adventures.

A stocking for E-man~

I know. Christmas isn't for several more months, but I couldn't help myself! I saw this blue velvet remnant that was marked down to less than a dollar and just knew that it would make the perfect material for E-man's Christmas stocking. Besides, with all the holiday shenanigans and shindigs that will be going on when December rolls around, I'm not gonna have a single free moment for making a stocking.

I made the rest of our stockings when the Bubs was a baby. I had a moderate amount of scrap fabric and a minimal amount of greenbacks to support any kind of decorating thus our handmade stockings were born (me and sewing machines don't get along). I also painted glass ornaments that year for our tree and to give as gifts. I still have some of those....they were fun to do. Hmmm, maybe I'll do a few for Christmas this year, too.


Anyway, I used remnants and pieces of clothing for this stocking, too (I used a pair of jeans for Hubs and Bubs's). That blue and brown plaid is from a dress that I wore when the Hubs and I were dating. Those buttons are some from a collection that I have from my great-grandmother's alteration business. I love reusing things and including items that have a bit of history attached.

You've prob'ly noticed that the stocking is minus the more traditional Christmas colors of red and green. What can I say? When I saw that dark blue fabric, thoughts of red and green flew out the window! It just looks like the E-man to me.

So, yes, I've started my Christmas projects a bit early - well, early to me - but I couldn't resist. I've got a few more things left to do on the E-man's stocking, yet. It needs a hanger ribbon, his name and maybe something decorative on the body of the it. I don't know, I'll prob'ly make it up as I go along....Like I usually do!

It's my (belated) Bloggy-versary!

It hit me a few days ago that my 1 year bloggy-versary has come and gone without me doing one thing to celebrate it! I'll blame it on the usual holiday hooplah and let it slide, but I did want to commemorate it with my first Everyday Occasions post. I decided to take up blogging after reading my cousins' blogs and getting such a kick out of the pictures and stories about what was going on in their lives. I was in the middle of one of Hubby's deployments at the time, also, and I thought it would be a good way to distract me from the evening blues that so often happened after the Bubs was asleep.

I've been fortunate enough to have met some fabulously thoughtful and creative people through this venture and I'm addicted to reading your blurts and getting your comments. Seriously, y'all, I looooove the comments!

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This Christmas makes the second year in a row that my five year old son, the Bubs, and I have celebrated the holiday season without my husband. He is currently out of country fulfilling a 7 month deployment as a United States Marine. I am unabashedly proud of my hubby and understand that there are going to be times when he has to be away from home. When he puts his name down on the dotted line for another enlistment it's as if we have all signed our names right along with him. As much as I understand the need for him to be away, I must confess that during the holiday season I find myself fighting off some serious self pity! As a result, I tend to go a little overboard with the whole Christmas gig in order to distract my son and me. Needless to say I had begun to feel the effects of juggling so many different events earlier this month and was crankier than my son when he's overheated, hungry and tired!

So after dropping my mom off at her doctor's appointment a couple weeks ago (she is bravely battling breast cancer), my son and I did something you wouldn't think of as being particularly Christmassy to counter act my bout of bah-humbugness. We walked along the water front. It was just he and I on the deserted sidewalks and docks...along with a few dozen sea gulls. We meandered along and stopped to look at whatever struck our fancy. We looked out over the calm waters at some sailboats that were anchored nearby, shells that the gulls had broken on the sidewalk, waterway maps on the sides of buildings and small fish darting here and there in the shallows. We even enjoyed swinging on the covered swings that lined a portion of the water front. I, as usual, had my camera in hand and snapped off pictures at will. It was a wonderful walk in it's unhurried, unplanned simplicity.


I know that it may not be what many think of as a traditional holiday event but for me it captured everything that's become precious to me about Christmas as I've gotten a bit older (notice I didn't say matured...) and that is family. For those precious moments I was able to truly enjoy being with my son and he with me. I think every child should have memories of their parents of when they were able to just....be...with one another. (Of course, this is much easier said than done.)

The Bubs perfectly summed up the morning as I was getting him into his car seat. He gave a big, blustery sigh and said, "We had a great walk Mommy. I love you."

Yep.

Yep.

I know the bloggy vacation has gone on too long when even the Hubby is shocked that I haven't written a post in a while. What can I say? I was having fun chillin' with my guys, enjoying Christmas festivities, baking....reading the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer.

Yep.

I've been sucked in. I've heard so many people say how good the series was that I thought I'd check it out for myself. I tried to reserve it at my local library and the waiting list was laughably long which led to me just springing the $8 for the paperback. I picked it up on a lazy day here at the house and literally finished it in one day! I'm a fairly quick reader, but the story and quick flow of the plot kept me glued. Hubby just shook his head and laughed when I told him. So what was waiting under the tree for me Christmas morning? You guessed it! The next installment in the series, New Moon. Then my parents gave me a gift card and I flew out and got the final two, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn. I'm already through New Moon and Eclipse and am half-way through Breaking Dawn. *sheepish shrug* I had a bit of a sick day yesterday and spent most of it on the couch reading and blowing my nose. Good times, y'all.

So I'm back, ready to blog-n-roll and catch up on what's going on with y'all! Those McSpeedy reading skills should come in handy....

Cleaning, Shopping, Christmassing...Warning, these may cause Bloggy Slackeritis

Yes, I know! I've been remiss in my overall blogginess this past week....and this week, too. Like most of you I've been runnin' around getting things done and bought, I also attended some of the Bubs's Christmassy school events and helped in Dad's class (we made candy coated pretzels since most of them had never made/had any), and........*slightly hysterical giggling* Well, you get the general idea!

The Hubs and I have also been on a bit of a spring cleaning kick. Yes, we do know it's December and, as of this past Sunday, it's winter but we're doing what we can while we can. So far we've successfully ditched, ahem, I mean donated several bags of clothes, toys, books and other miscellaneous stuff to a local charity. We can see the floor in our bedroom...even the floor under the bed, y'all! The Bubs was amazed by this. He came in one evening a couple days ago and just stared at the floor, "Wooooow. I can see the floor!" I think we say the same thing about his playroom when he's cleaned up in there. That boy is a hoot.

Now we've moved on to the *dun, dun, DUN!* craft/guest room. There's always that one room or area in the house that all the "where does this go?" stuff gets tossed and this room is it in our house. It's the smallest bedroom in the house but, honey, was it crammed! Old baby stuff, gift wrapping supplies, my paints and art items, office supplies from the Hubby's job....and the list goes on and on. Right now we've got everything pared down and now I'm going through my craft closet, Heaven help me. I'm being ruthless in getting rid of unused items and re-organizing what's left. The Hubs is so proud....and keeping his distance because he knows if he says one thing about my craft and art stuff, he's toast!

Now, with everything as crazy as it's been there've been a few evenings where I've had a whopping case of the tired giggles. Some of the women on my Mom's side of the family have the tendency to giggle hysterically and, often, for no apparent reason when we're really tired and loopy. Now take that bit of knowledge and mix it in with mine and the Hubby's habit of making up whacked out lyrics for songs and you've got the following silly tune that I was humming in my head the other night (in between aforementioned loopy giggles)~

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas

All around our house

Take a look at the Christmas bins still stacked in the ol' kitchen

With decor and the Christmas lights all strowed

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas

Hidden toys and all

But the prettiest sight to see is the Hubs and Bubs and me

Gathered round the tree!

Boo Mama's Christmas Tour of Homes

Hi, there and welcome! This is my first year being involved in a Christmas Tour of Homes and I wanted to make your time here special. So what did I do? I took my tushy over to Scrapblog, of course, and made y'all a slide show. Feel free to click the pause button at will so you can read the little blurts about our Christmassy happenings or click the arrow buttons to peruse at your leisure. Enjoy!

My Christmas Heart

One of my new fave reads is Octamom (c). Her blog is always well-written, fun and so very sweet. And, oh yeah, she's called that because she has a family with 8 children! She posted a new blurt today about a cheap red velvet reindeer ornament that triggered some favorite Christmas memories for her. In turn, she asked if there was a favorite item, a special scent, etc. that triggered favorite Christmas memories.

Well, I slapped my name on her little list of volunteer bloggers to post a related blurt...and then it hit me that there are sooo many things that trigger fond memories for me. A great problem to have, yes, but still a bit of a conundrum. Should I write about the wonderful Christmas music that I practically listen to year-round, the sweet and spicy fragrances of holiday baking, or the wonder in our son's eyes as he takes in Christmas traditions, events and -most importantly- the reason we celebrate Christmas?

As much as I have favorite ornaments, favorite Christmas events to take part in, and even favorite things to create year after year, I'm drawn to the memories that involve people and not things. I remember laughter, music, warmth, love, child-like wonder and anticipation, and the joy of giving.

More vividly, I remember Dad playing Christmas songs on the piano for Mom, Aunt D. and I to sing along with one Christmas morning while we puttered in the kitchen and my husband listened from a chair next to one of the many Christmas trees in their house. Where was the Bubs? He was swaying back and forth next to the piano stool, sippy firmly planted in his mouth, watching his Poppi play.

I remember when I was little, trying to peek under my door Christmas Eve night to see what Mom and Dad were doing. I'd usually smell coffee, hear things being moved around and my parents laughing.

I remember helping my Granddaddy get wood from the woodbox for the fireplace in their old house. He'd patiently explained why we don't want the green wood and how to keep a fire going safely, then we'd stand in front of the fireplace and roast our backsides. Not really saying a whole lot, but just enjoying the simple pleasure of one another's company...and the calm before the Christmas present mania began.

Was every Christmas Day perfect? Not a chance, honey! Family is family, after all, and perfect we're not. But I've had to make a choice and an effort to remember those precious moments where sentiments were genuine, peace was allowed to reign, and laughter abounded. Christmas is in the hearts of friends and family and now that I'm a Mom, my Christmas wish is that the Hubby and I will instill that ideal in our sons (Bubs and the one to come). Christ left His heavenly home to find a home in our hearts and that's where my fondest Christmas memories are centered...in my heart and the hearts of those I love.

Christmas List Harrassment Season....No permits required.

I know it's only October, but at my house Christmas List Harrassment Season is in full swing! Bubs has been giving me not-so-gentle hints about what he wants for Christmas and his birthday (they're really close together). I keep finding different toy mailers around the house conveniently left open to the Thomas the Tank Engine section. The child is only five, y'all. Can you just imagine what it's gonna be like in the years to come? The kid is so smart, I fully expect to get a detailed list via email next year. His determination to find the perfect gifts is such that, even though he's under the weather with a fever this weekend, he's still been lying back on the couch perusing the different toy catalogues. I'm allowing myself to justify it by telling myself he's learning to read for informational purposes. *sigh* Whatever works, right?

With money things the way they are right now, I'm feelin' just a wee bit pressured to make everything happen for him this year. He's got his birthday party built up so much in his mind that I can't even hope to meet his expectations. One thing I'm sure of, however, is that if I'll just do something with his class at school I'll be set. He's been telling them about his birthday for months, if you can believe it! As far as him wanting more Thomas toys, the child has a big playroom filled to capacity with them. I'm not exaggerating, folks, he's loaded down with them. How did that happen, you ask? What can I say except that he has many loving releatives who know about his obsession with Thomas and gleefully feed his habit...his Dad and I included. So, the Bubs may not be getting any this year.....weeeeelllllll, maybe just one.

I've usually already got some of my shopping done by this time of year or have at least laid a little money by for everything. Not so, this year. Yep, I've been a distracted slacker this year. What with the Hubs constantly being out of the state (and the military charging him for the stay), the Bubs being sick so often, a possible cross-country move, my being pregnant and a freakin' partridge in a pear tree....well, there's a lot goin' on at my house.

So may the Christmas List making begin and the gifts all be 50% off....or more!