Christmas Professionals

Babies' First Christmas!

You know you have problems when you can run the dust buster's battery dead in one day. Everyday.

I think I just need to surrender to the filth. It's everywhere. It sticks to everything and is dried up and crustified on everything else. I think there is enough food on my kitchen floor to feed a starving family. We are never out of cheerios even if the box is empty. There is enough in the couch, in the car, in my hair, and on the counter to stock Walmart. If you're ever lost on the way to my house, just look for the one with swarms of flies and thick green fog looming over it. I'm surprised CSI hasn't come to make sure that the stank isn't coming from rotting corpses.

Not to forget all the bruises. I think I'm missing something concerning Mommy 101. Good news though, none of us are rabid yet.

On the other hand, my girlfriend is serious about her booty shaking. I can't even explain to you how in love with this kid I am. And I realize that it's only because I'm her momma, but I've never seen anything cuter in my entire life! I'm serious... no one needs to get me anything for Christmas. I'm good. Sometimes I feel so happy that it makes me nervous...almost like it's too good to be true. 2007? Best year ever... stank and all!!!!!!

Opening up their very first presents!

Christmas Tour of Homes '07

Okay... so I've decided to try and participate in this "Christmas Tour of Homes" even though 1.) I have no idea how this thing is going to work, and 2.) I'm really not sure exactly how I'm supposed to participate since the directions are so vague. Basically (I think), you post several cute Christmas pictures and people blog hop to a bunch of different blogs to see other people's Christmassy things. The soup thing was kind of fun so I'm interested to see how this one turns out as well. Here are my contributions to the tour of homes...

(Oh yeah... If you are interested in getting peeks into other people's houses, just click on the tour of homes button and it should take you to a list of plenty of them.) I apologize in advance if this whole thing is ridiculously cheesy... I have no idea what it's going to be like!

Regimental Commander!

I don't normally write about things happening away from us, but this is such a big deal that it warranted a post. My cousin in Holland just became Regimental Commander of a Dutch Army Base. Because my brother is serving in Germany so close by, he was able to be there for the change of command ceremony. It totally made me jealous that I couldn't be there too when all this was happening, but I just wanted them to know how unbelievably impressed and proud I am of Huub! I wish I could have been there and I love and miss you all so much!

Hen, Huub, Brandon, random dude

Rando and my bro!

Read by two (or less) peeps everyday!

I'm completely unmotivated to blog. I don't know what my problem is! We've had a couple of major curve-balls thrown at us this week and my mind is somewhere else completely. Also, my parents moved here this week and I know my mom was the number one person who was interested in reading this. Now that she's here, she doesn't have to rely on pictures of the kids to get her fix. She can just come over quickly. So, I fully expect my counter to slow to a crippled snails pace.

Anyway, I'm needing love from those of you who NEVER comment... and please don't be shy even if I don't know you, unless you are Creepster McCreeperson. You are even allowed to leave anonymous comments too which, pathetically enough, I would be just as happy with. If you are blood (true or faux), you have no excuses! Consider it an early Christmas present. Holla!

Now, an update on the kiddos... Callie danced this morning! Oh my goodness! One of the cutest moments yet! I've been dying for this kid to start digging music and she did this morning to the Today show while they played music to the live feed from the Rockefeller tree. I just instantly imagined us 10 years down the road, jamming out to something bootilicious together in the car! (I just hope I can still be "cool" by then.)

Wyatt is going to get a passerby to call CPS on us with the amount of bruises that child has on his face! I mean every 5 minutes you'll hear a BONK! followed by a scream. Poor thing! He's into everything! He even got into the wet cat food and ate a healthy serving of it before I could figure out where the little booger had crawled to!

Oh! Callie is biting... and hard as a mutha too! She bit the living hell out of my face at the tail end of one of her open-mouthed kisses the other day. It took everything I had in me to stay calm and not fling her across the room. Their little teeth have ridges too so you get that nice serrated edge thing going on as she draws blood.

By the way, Christmas is less than 10 days away! I'm not joking!

Monkey exploring grandma's house

For Trevor, Aaron, & Frances - Our #1 FAN!

Non-Crappy Starring You! eCards on JibJab

"Ode to Cheerios"

The kiddos have gotten so fiesty lately! Wyatt is starting to throw things that you give him and he doesn't want - like mini temper-tantums! He pushed my face away when I picked him up to give him love. I was so sad! They are learning that they can control what they want versus what they don't and it's opened my eyes to a whole new dimension of mommahood. My sweet and innocents are starting to grow a little stank on them!

Wyatt scaled the stairs today for the first time. I lost sight of him for about 20 seconds and when I found him, I freaked because he was about 5 stairs up! I've been dreading the whole stairs infatuation thing that every baby seems pre-wired for and visions of ambulances now dance in my head.

Cal is squealing at the top of her lungs to announce her presence as she enters a room. She's also fallen in love with Wyatt this week and thinks he's hilarious. She loves watching what he's doing and sometimes gets so tickled by him that she'll belly laugh hysterically.

I think it's my favorite sound in the whole world!!!!

Today we finally decorated our gingerbread house that Brent dubbed "Ode to Cheerios" as a dedication to the kids. He decorated the back of the house... the side that's my favorite!

I love Brent's artistry. He's a modern day Rembrant. Let me give you the rundown... The red thing is a crab. He sits on top of a pile of water. The blue balls in the pile of water are "undetermined" while the red balls in the water are "obviously crabettes!" Then the Christmas tree outlined in yellow belongs to Mr. Crab's family, I guess. A true masterpiece! Hahaha!

In all honesty, Brent's art can make me smile even when I'm supa sad. I think the crab and the crabettes even give "Big Toothed Willie" a run for his money!

The kids contributed by eating some gingerbread snowmen. It was only slightly less gooey than the spaghetti.

Dork-tacular Soupiness

I'm trying something new... Here is a link to a "Soup-Tacular" thingy. Basically, you just click on the button below and it will take you to a page that lists tons of great soup recipes posted from people all over. You are supposed to enter your favorite soup recipe and hopefully, in the end, you have an amazing list of soup recipes which I LOVE because what is a day of football without a huge pot of soup!?!?

I will tell you that I tried making the very first recipe that this "Boomama" chick posted - Cream of Zucchini Soup - and it is damn good BUT it is very figure unfriendly and pretty rich. And...while I'm here, here are some pics from this week too!

Brain Fart.

This was the worst idea I've had since the beginning of time! Brent was out of town too so it wasn't like I had any help cleaning up after the Spaghetti Blizzard of 07!

Holy. Holy. Holy.

I about called a priest and asked him to read me my last rights! I put them in the bath, booster seats and all, and the water quickly turned into spaghetti soup. So, after the initial hosing off, I had to drain the soup and bathe them a second time in cleaner water! WOW! These babies aren't responsible enough to have spaghetti and they sure aren't getting it again until they turn 18!

Leave us some kisses!

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Blueberry & Sausage Breakfast Cake with Blueberry Sauce

This crap is goooood. It's a recipe I stole from another blog that I read and yes, I make an effort to point that out so that I distract from the Marthaness that has been seeping out of my pores. Although, maybe stealing is more Martha than I think... she has been to jail after all. Regardless, this cake is fabulous but I warn you that it's very sweet and if I didn't know the sausage was in there, I might be inclined to serve this warm with a scoop of 'niller ice cream!

Blueberry & Sausage Breakfast Cake with Blueberry Sauce

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs
8 oz. sour cream (not light or fat free)
1 lb. mild pork sausage, (maple flavor in the roll), browned
2 cups fresh or 1 bag frozen blueberries, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup chopped nuts, optional

Preheat oven to 350. Line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper. Stir together flour, baking powder and baking soda; set aside. In large mixing bowl cream butter with electric mixer. Add sugars and beat until combined. Add eggs one at a time. Add flour mixture and then sour cream. By hand, fold in sausage and then carefully the blueberries. (you can save a few to sprinkle on top) Pour batter into pan and top with remaining blueberries and nuts. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Blueberry Sauce

1/2 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 cup water
2 cups blueberries or 1 bag frozen
1 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

Combine sugar, cornstarch, water and blueberries in small sauce pan. Cook and stir over medium heat until thick and bubbly. Cook and stir two minutes more. Take off heat and stir in lemon juice. Cool slightly but serve while still warm over cake.

Two little videos...

I took two little videos during dinner and both of them turned out so cute that I had to post them! Watch that mean-as-a-snake monkey in the first one and my crazy girlfriend in the second one!

MONKEY'S VIDEO

GIRLFRIEND'S VIDEO

Practicing Reading

These kids are so crazy about books! It's incredible! I mean, I think they might even choose a book over Baby Einstein! Okay, maybe not.. but they love books more than any other toy they own. They'll play with them up to an hour at a stretch - which is supa long in baby time. I love it and I hope that this is something I can perpetuate so that they don't become little tv addicts when they are older. I used to think that reading sucked. Why read when you can watch tv?!?! It's mindless and effortless and I can go from being stressed out and exhausted to being an entertained vegetable in less than half a second. Plus, books have that old person smell and sometimes it takes forever to get to the freaking finale. But, over the last couple of years, I've really come to love books again. I hope that I can get the kiddos to hold onto this...

This is Cal Bear reading one of her books. I catch her all the time "practicing reading" and was lucky enough to catch a version of it this morning. Usually, she lays on the floor with the book open and "reads" outloud. (By the way, daddy was her hairdresser this morning... just in case it wasn't already obvious.)

Where's Waldo?

Hahaha! My brother called me yesterday and called me out on the "very gourmet, sliced, canned cranberry on the elongated plate!" I about died laughing because it never dawned on me how freaking ghetto that looked! Hahaha! Then my aunt called and mentioned the same thing! I'm such a dork, but I DO have good justification... Brent and his family only eat the kind that comes out of the can like smooth dogfood, with decorative canned ridges, in one big plop. I did the best with what I was given! Ha! I'm the biggest nerd ever!

I couldn't find that darn cat yesterday morning. Anywhere.

I've been doing such a bad job of keeping up with the flowers that Brent gets me but I got these yesterday and thought they were so pretty. Hopefully I'll do better at keeping track of them...

We lounged this weekend. I really thought that I was going to get all this stuff accomplished, but never did. For one, it was the last real weekend of football before the bowls start. I am so sad. That season went by way too fast and I really enjoy the heart of the season more than the bowls. I wish it lasted all year because Saturdays lose character during the off season. Then, of course, the kids and I were still getting over being sick and I was dead tired from that Friday morning crap. Brent's mom taught me how to sew while she was here and I attempted to make Callie a dress while we watched football. I'm not apologizing for it, but I do think it's pretty homemakery. It turned out pretty cute too! (Insert joke here... I DID set myself up for it!)