Hey Good Lookin' Whatcha Got Cookin'?

Thought I'd catch all the friends and fam up on some holiday activities. I am fully aware that the holidays are, in fact, over but in my usual time managed challenged self way, I haven't actually shared much. So today, we will discuss holiday baking.

I think we have previously established that my love of baking and consuming said baked products has led to a very unhollywood like figure. I just can't seem to resist and while I haven't seemed to pass that love of all things baked on to Boys 1 or 2, I am working hard to convert the youngest of the clan. As you can see, they are quite helpful.

In case you can't tell from these pictures, Tigercub has learned "cheese" and is actually quite accomplished at it. When the lens opens, the grin starts!

As you can see, I am training him well in the consumption of Christmas confections. If you happened to have partaken of those cookies...do not worry. He had his own stash, own knife own icing...no baby slobber was added to public cookies!

And finally, we have the before and after. It may not look like much, but about half way into that pile, everyone is tired of frosting and the silliness begins. Because we are a family friendly blog, I chose not to share the anatomically correct gingerbread men designed by Tigerfan, but you are also missing out on the breast cancer awareness cookie he designed and placed near them! I am pretty sure we will not get our cookies on the cover of a magazine or anything...but Santa has never turned them down!

This week, I am trying to rid myself of holiday sweets and start working off the effects of calorie overload. I started off great. Exercised this morning, watched my calories and even kept track of them online. I have a week's menu planned full of hopefully delicious recipes from my new "Cook Yourself Thin" cookbook and I was very good at the grocerry store and stuck to my list even avoiding my true love, the Oops we baked to much rack! That is until about 9:00 when the effects of getting back into a routine hit and I decided to reward myself with a Twix and a Diet Coke...so much for exercise. However, on the bright side, that is one less caloric treat to lure me away from low calorie success. Oh well, there is always tomorrow! Unfortunately there is also still a Snickers bar and a muffin Tigerfan put in my stocking...I mean, it would be rude to let them go to waste, right?

I'm DONE!!!

The last gift has been purchased. The list making is through. The menus are planned. Let the holidays begin. Finally! I think the sentiment of the lady I just encountered in Bed, Bath, and Beyond says it all. She looked at her frazzled looking husband and two energy filled kids and informed them: "We will find these monkey accessories. AND WE WILL MAKE IT FUN!"

Merry Christmas all!

Christmas Fun!

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Hot Chocolate, definitely!



2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? He places them strategically by the tree in convenient and well planned piles so that each child knows just where his or her presents are. Remember, the Santa in our house is OCD!



3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? White! I love the story of the lights from Lisa Whelchel's ADVENTure of Christmas. It talks about Martin Luther seeing stars shining through the branches of an evergreen tree and worshipping the creator...I love, now, seeing the lights shining on that tree and remembering Psalm 19:1 "The heavens tell of the glory of God. The skies display his marvelous craftsmanship."



4. Do you hang mistletoe? I never have, never really think about it, honestly.



5. When do you put your decorations up? Usually we begin the day after Thanksgiving. However the past two years we have gone out of town so it just happens as it happens during the following week.



6. What is your favorite holiday dish? Strangely, it is probably one of the fruit salads we always have with our dinner. They are more dessert than fruit, more calorie laden then healthy fruit...but they are GOOD!



7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child? We travelled every year. First to my mom's mom's house on Christmas Eve, then to my other grandmother's on Christmas Day and we never got to our house till late Christmas night. We always walked in to find Santa had visited...even when in college. He always brought someone a game and we would stay up till ridiculous hours eating candy from the stockings and playing the new game. I loved that!



On a side note, I always wondered how Santa (AKA my mom) always got those presents out. Even in college. I mean, we were OUT OF TOWN! I had grown and was about to graduate college when my sisters explained to me that every year Mom "left her purse" in the house and had to run back for it. It always took a REALLY long time to find that purse. I...never had a clue, if she said she forgot her purse, she forgot her purse! Her secret was good for 20 years!



8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I think my logical mind just couldn't fathom it. When I was about 5, I just asked my parents who he was and they told me.



9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? We let the kids open one gift from us (usually new pajamas) and gifts from my parents and sisters. It seems less stressful than having them do it all on Christmas Day.



10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? We bought little apple ornaments the first year we were married to fill up our pitiful little tree. I still put those on the tree. We also have some bead garland we have always used and some little fabric bows that I tied our first Christmas (again, no ornaments!) Other than that, most of the ornaments are the Hallmark ornaments that Nana gives to the kids each year. Once they all move out and take their ornaments, I'll be glad I have the bows and apples!



11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? Love it! For about 20 minutes!



12. Can you ice skate? I used to when I was a kid...I would most likely hurt something...or someone if I tried now.



13. Do you remember your favorite gift? No, no I don't, although the tickets to Deeper Still that hubby surprised me with a few years ago is a standout!



14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Remembering that we are celebrating the birth of our savior. It is CHRISTmas!!!



15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Fudge, sugar cookies, Oreo Truffles, coconut chocolate macaroons, peanut butter pie, stocking candy...



16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? My favorite old tradition is reading the Christmas story as a family and letting the children add the characters to the nativity scene as they are mentioned in the text. My favorite new tradition began last year. As we get Christmas cards, we put them in a basket on the dining table. Each time we sit down for a meal, we draw out a card and pray for that family.



17. What tops your tree? A bow



18. Which do you prefer giving or Receiving? I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy both. However, I love it when I come up with the perfect gift and see the excitement on the recipient's face!



19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? O Holy Night, well that is the first one I think of. I actually just love Christmas songs in general.



20. Candy Canes: Yuck or Yum? I can live with 'em or without 'em



21 Favorite Christmas Show? "White Christmas" the single greatest Christmas movie of all time!!!!



22. Saddest Christmas Song? There are sad Christmas songs?



Feel free to copy this post and fill it out on your blog. HT- Spesamor Academy

I Have a Confession

I know this will shock some. I may be called a humbug. UnAmerican. A disappointment to bloggy readers everywhere. And yet, I feel compelled to share the ugly truth: I HATE PARADES!!!

Gasp!

Now, don't get me wrong. I have fond memories of Christmas Parades as a child. Standing on the curb, making up dance routines to go along with the bands, picking up the occasional piece of candy. I even enjoy the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Rose Parade...as long as I can watch from the comfort of my warm, crowd free home.

Why do I feel the need to share this? Because tonight we were given the opportunity to participate in our city's annual Christmas Parade. Our Student Leadership Association from the tutorial entered and decorated a float and since Football Boy is a member, he was VERY involved. He helped plan, build, and decorate and then they asked Tigerfan if he would drive. Sounded like fun, right?

Now, maybe I should tell you my recent parade history. We live near a small town that proclaims itself the "Strawberry Capital". Every year they have the annual Strawberry Festival and parade. I have taken my children twice. You must get there early, park blocks and blocks away, sit on a tiny spot on the ground where everyone walks all over you and then watch as beauty queen after beauty queen after beauty queen drives by in convertible after convertible after convertible (we are in the south, you know)! It is hours long...okay, to be honest I don't know how long it is because I have never made it through the whole thing. Once the kids lose interest I willingly jump up and begin the long trek back to the car.

Then there was the parade 7 years ago in Gatlinburg, TN. It was a BIG deal. We could hardly find a Hotel room that weekend because of all the people coming to see the parade. You had to get to the parade HOURS early just to get a spot. It was FREEZING even with long underwear and full winter wear. The parade started late. The hot chocolate was cold and the parade was LONG! I still have nightmares, people!

So, I am not sure why I willingly signed up for tonight. But I knew I had made a mistake when I called the teacher that heads up the SLA to find out that we were entry number 269. Yes, you read that right 269! People told me it couldn't be true. People said that there were only 120 entries. I am telling you...there were probably 300...and yes, we were 269. The parade started at 6:30, we finally started moving at 7:30. It was cold, although, to be honest, once it started, we were in the warm cab of the truck.

And who, you may ask, was in this parade? Well, let's see. One Radio station had one or ten of their mobile units entered. One station, many cars...it isn't right, people! There were three tow trucks, a pick up truck with nothing but a back full of hay and the name of an insurance company on the side. A man in a kilt (at least I didn't have to wear a kilt). There were the obligatory beauty queens, kids dressed as packages and even one vehicle draped in garland and the name of a business written in shoe polish on the windows. Apparently, the one and only requirement to be in this parade was mobility.

To make it worse, as we were stuck in this line, in a most undesirable area of town, with nowhere to go, my MIL called to say that Tigercub had 104 degree fever and was jumping or startling every few minutes. I just about came unglued.

At the end of the parade, L, the teacher over the SLA began discussing next year's float. I am pretty sure I have unalterable plans for the first Monday in December next year.

A Valentine's Day Report

***You still have time to enter (or re-enter if I happened to erase your entry)my first ever giveaway! Right now, your odds are freakishly good so go here and comment!***

Now, onto Valentine's Day! We don't normally go overboard with the Day of Love around here. Usually we have a little surprise for the kiddos on the table in the morning and if I am feeling wild and crazy I'll put a little food coloring in the pancake batter and make heart shaped pancakes so I can hear phrases like, "ewwww, why is it that color?" "I like round pancakes better" or "Can't I have cereal this morning?"

Then Nana comes through with an elaborate bag of "treats" that totally put us to shame and provide the children enough sugar to fuel them to the moon and back.

This year, both Nana and us decided to scale back on the chocolatey goodness a bit!

Now, another little thing about me is that I HATE large crowds. They make me very nervous, which is why I start twitching if my Christmas shopping isn't done by Thanksgiving. Anyway, this phenomena rings true for entering into restaurants on V-Day as well. I just do not find it enjoyable to wait 2 extra hours with a million other people to eat in a crowded joint with stressed out, overworked waiters! So, this year I offered to make Valentine's dinner here at home and invite Nana and Papaw to eat with us. I told the kids they could choose any meal they wanted, they all just had to agree.

So, what would your kids choose? I thought spaghetti, maybe tacos, my kids even like Manwich...I was totally expecting some kid-friendly meal...they chose pork loin. Pork loin? What kid chooses pork loin? But that is what they asked for, so that is what they got and the adults got to enjoy it as well!

We had grilled pork loin, Caesar salad, green beans, roasted red potatoes with bacon and cheese and some home made biscuits (heart shaped, of course!). And might I say...it was WAY better than any meal we could have gotten out and there were NO CROWDS...well, except for mine, which is big but doesn't really count!

And, it is a really good thing we cut back. Because right now, in this house, 2 days after the big V, we have a batch of homemade fudge (heart shaped of course), a batch of heart shaped spritz cookies, a package of iced sugar cookies with valentine sprinkles, a giant Hershey bar with almonds, each child has their own, personal 5.3 oz pack of M&M's, a box of Lindor's Truffles, a giant Hershey kiss, the kids have heart shaped Reese's and the candy bucket is OVERFLOWING with sweet goodness! I hope we can find a little something for dessert today!

So, how was your Valentine's?

P.S. Guess what my Valentine gave me? A night in Nashville with NO KIDS! He is the BEST!!!

The Awful Truth

Hope everyone had a great Christmas! We are FINALLY coming out of our holiday fog. Tigercub was terribly sick for DAYS, running fever until Friday, but is finally back to his old self just in time for his birthday! Poor fellow is still popping up with hives every now and again but is feeling much better.

Unfortunately for me, the housecleaning fairy did not come...however, I feel the need to search the branches of the tree just one more time, in case I missed her, before boxing it up till next year!

Dancer is anxiously awaiting me to come and watch the Kit movie with her, so I must be brief, but I thought I would leave you with a little holiday story.

About two weeks before Christmas, when most all of the shopping had been done, Football boy suddenly decided to add something to his wish list. And this something...was an Itouch. Just a little something that would set us back another two hundred dollars or so. We were quick to inform him that he was a little late for a request like that and it wasn't gonna happen. He was quick to inform us that we didn't have to get it. He would just change his list for Santa.

We keep waiting for the whole Santa thing to come to light for F.B. and have frequently wondered if he is just playing along because he is afraid of what might (or might not) happen if he admits the truth.

Anyway, we wanted to let him know this was not even an option for the guy in red, so Tigerfan began an elaborate story. The effect was that every time a baby is born, when the hospital gives the parents all the parenting advice, books, forms, etc. they also give parents the secret number to Santa. Anytime that we need to report bad behavior or discuss gifts, we can just call him up! He then went on to tell them that we kept the number in a secret safe and that every time we wanted to access it, we just had to hold our hands up in the air and, with true Disney type magic, snowflakes and sparkles would appear from nowhere and we could just grab the key. When we were through, the key would disappear in the same way.

The younger kids were listening in amazement, and Baseball Boy made a comment of awe when F.B. rolled his eyes and in his grown up, knowing way informed him that Daddy was just kidding...about the key!

Throwing a Fit Friday

This is where you SHOULD find my fit Friday post. Hosted by the beautiful and getting fit Missy! However, I have officially given up trying to be a hottie for the holidays, I will resume efforts on January 1st. I will continue to do my best and try to exercise, but the fact of the matter is, I am worn slap out and when you never get into bed before midnight or 1 a.m. it is just too dang hard to drag your booty out of bed at 5 to exercise! I am trying. I made it three days this week (at least I hope...I am optimistically typing this Thursday night assuming I will get up Friday, which I need to do because when I am through typing I am going to go sit on the couch with Tigerfan, watch House Hunters, eat popcorn and peanut M&M's and drink a Diet Coke and there is NO SHAME!). I ate okay, I have no idea what I weigh. One day I weighed in at 133 and did the "happy dance" but let's face it, the scales lie, so if I stepped on it now, it could say 139 and I would slip into a desperate depression, so I won't look...sometimes it is just better that way. Anyway, the next two weeks are crazy with parties and party food, choir productions, tutorial activities, blah, blah, blah. So, I will do my best, but I am not going to beat myself up over it and when I make my annual tray of goodies to send to Tigerfan's office, I WILL sample! I mean, I have to make sure they taste right!



So, one of my good friends sent me this in an email because she knows about my weigh in woes. Thought my Hottie sitters might enjoy it! I would love to give credit to the original author, but I don't know who it is, surely a Hottie in Training like us!


HOLIDAY EATING TIPS:



1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving rum balls.





2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. It's rare. You can't find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnog-alcoholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It's later than you think. It's Christmas!





3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.





4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.





5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello?





6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do.This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.





7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again.





8. Same for pies. Apple. Pumpkin. Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?





9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.





10. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Re-read tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner.





Remember this motto to live by:"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming, "WOO HOO, what a ride!"Have a great holiday season.

Disney Details

Whew, what a week! We had such a great time spending Thanksgiving with the mouse! I highly recommend it...if you don't mind sharing the holiday with about a million of your closest strangers standing in 2 hour lines and eating mediocre food!

Seriously, the week was fun! It was so much better this time around, knowing what to expect, being familiar with the park, knowing what we could leave off! It was also EXHAUSTING! I now need another vacation to recuperate! That is the down side of Thanksgiving away...when you get back, the house is still a mess and in need of decorating, the laundry is out of sight, the refrigerator is bare, and life is still moving at light speed!

Anyway, here are a few pictures from the week:




We stayed at the Pop Century hotel which was loaded with items from the decades like this, the kids loved them!

Lunch day one was with the Playhouse Disney characters! Fun!

Nana and Papaw (who made this trip possible by paying for it!) with the grandkids.

Dream with Mickey show at the castle. I am sure it was wonderful, however, midway through the show Minnie simply disappeared and the show was abruptly ended with apologies and fireworks. I feel bad for Minnie, but I find it strangely amusing!

Hanging out with Turk at Animal Kingdom. The high points that day were the Nemo show, which was AMAZING, definitely a must see, and the Expedition Everest ride. Unless you ask Baseball boy who in a fit of bravery decided to ride. He will not make that mistake again. Yetti, B.B. will NOT be invading your territory again. Not ever. Really.

Tigerfan as the Elephant Leader in Lion King. He may have found his calling!

Breakfast with Mary Poppins, Alice in Wonderland, and the Mad Hatter. So much fun and truly, I think Tigercub has found a future, He was scared of all the characters but LOVED the Mad Hatter. He was crazy, silly, goofy, he fit in very well with us!

Our favorite meal! Although we spent Thanksgiving eating at the Sci-Fi Cafe, our favorite place was probably this, the Whispering Canyon Cafe! I HIGHLY recommend it if you are ever in the park! The food was actually good and we had so much fun! Please notice all the ketchup bottles in the above picture. If you asked for ketchup they SCREAMED at the top of their lungs and whoever had ketchup brought it ALL to your table. This was a dream come true for B.B. who thinks ketchup is a food group in and of itself!

Our family in front of the Gingerbread house at the Grand Floridian. Okay, I realize you can't see the gingerbread house, but trust me, it is there and quite magnificent. However, it was more important to capture a decent picture of the family, okay, of me to post on the internet for the three of you who really care.

Okay, I really must go get on that to do list, but if you have enjoyed this little walk through our Disney Thanksgiving, there are 223 more pictures where these came from...just let me know and I'll send 'em your way! ☺

Runaway Train

Ever feel like you were on one? Speeding by everything and unable to stop! That is life right now. I know, it is the same for everyone else out there, they just handle it better than me, but at this moment...I JUST WANT OFF!

I will do my darnedest to keep up with everyone this week, but things are CRAZY! We leave Friday to head to sunny (or not so sunny) Orlando, FL to spend Thanksgiving week with Mickey and Friends! Us, and about 3/4 of the rest of the country as far as I can tell!

Now, to all you laid back, easy going folks that sounds like loads of fun. But to an uptight, early Christmas shopper, it means.....AAAAAAAGH! I only have 3 days left to finish Christmas shopping so that I do not have to step foot in a retail establishment after Thanksgiving. And people, it just AIN'T gonna happen!

We are almost done with the kids and most of hubby's family. I have NOTHING for my family. Or for teachers. Or for the people who work for my husband. Or for my husband!

This week, we need to make a hygrometer, a barometer, and a weather vane for F.B.'s science fair project so we can begin as soon as we get home. One of my good friends is beginning to sell Premiere Jewelry and her first party is tonight. I have homeschool and tutorial (which I am behind on my grading by about 2 weeks). We have Angel practice on Tuesday and Thursday night, church on Wednesday, a birthday party and dance on Thursday. On Thursday B.B. also has his county fair day to end his Charlotte's Web unit. He must dress up, enter at least two contests, one of which must be the baking contest and we are signed up to bring...something, I can't remember what. The same day, Dancer has her Thanksgiving Feast. She must dress up as an Indian and bring napkins and rolls. Tigercub is supposed to bring toys and money to make a Christmas shoebox and F.B. has a Spanish presentation in which he must bring props and dress up like a pilgrim.

We leave Friday morning to begin the trek to the land of the mouse, so on top of all of that, I must pack, do laundry and try to find my house. Tigerfan wanted to get the Christmas tree set up as well. So it was done when we returned. Not going to happen! He also had a MARVELOUS idea last night that sometime in Dec. we should host a holiday Open house for our friends. I LOVE the idea, but all I can think of is How? When?

So, is anyone else already frazzled this early in the season? Any words of hope or advice? Or perhaps the number to a nice peaceful place with padded rooms and happy little pills? Either will do nicely.

I will try to be back this week with something profound or at least less whiny, hope everyone has a great week!

And HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Purple Diva. Your gift is supposed to be in the mail! I forgot it when I went into town, just to add to the wonderful day/weekend you already had!