Holiday Season 2010

This morning I decided to make a "Holiday Season" calendar. The girls and I wrote down some important dates like, Thanksgiving and the day after when we go to the Christmas store in Kemah. I let the girls pick out their favorite ornament for the year (I got that idea from my good friend Jana). Also, we wrote down the 2nd Annual Mont Belvieu Christmas parade that Layla will be in. Her little dance class will be on a float with red noses and jingle bells. And ... I will attempt to host a Christmas Cookie Exchange, consider this your invitation (heh, heh) I plan on making flyers and sending the girls up and down our street to put them in mail boxes along with inviting some ladies from my church and other family members. I think it will be a come and go thing with Harry Conick Jr. jazzy Christmas music in the background and hot apple cider. We'll see how that goes.
In the mean time I'm trying to find "DISCOUNT" tickets to the Houston Ballet's Nutcracker. I really want to take the girls but $56 a pop will break me!!! Oh well, I'll worry about that later. My mother is heading to South Texas this Thursday to pick up Nana. We are so excited because she will be here for a whole week before Thanksgiving and we love that! Oh! be looking out for my famous Hominy dish I make every Thanksgiving ( I know you are probably thinking, "YUK" but it's really good).

Holiday Expo

Today was our first Holiday Expo at First Baptist. Hats off to my sister, Michelle that brought all of it together. You are FANTABULOUS! We had a great time and I think the ladies of First Baptist really enjoyed themselves.
When I got home, the kitchen and living room were clean. I can't express how much I love my husband... I moved my Nana's old kitchen table into my front room to set my sewing machine onto. I don't know what it is about the holiday season that makes me want to jam out with some Pandora and sew stuff for my girls.
Oh well, I will share some of the things I plan to sew for the girls with you and holiday recipes too.

My Little Patriot

Yesterday I, like many Americans, headed to the voter's booths. I was planning to stop by after school and I had Layla with me. I told her that we were going to do something very special and used other interesting words like that to help explain the voting process.
The drive from Baytown to Mont Belvieu is about 20 minutes, just enough time for a tuckered out 4 year old to get comfortable and fall asleep in the car. I knew this would happen and after thinking that it would probably be frowned upon if I left her in the car in front of the court house (windows cracked of course) I got her out and carried her to the polls.
Layla has very "generous" tonsils, poor baby, so she snores ... God love her, she can't help it. Anyway, there I was holding this child that is very LONG and not only did she fall asleep, but she fell asleep with Barbie sunglasses on and she is SNORING loudly.
Well, this nice lady that was there assisting people in the court house, comes over to me and asks if she could hold Layla while I voted. "Sure!" I say and soon after I finish my duty as an American, grab Layla and head out.
If you will recall, I said I had tried to explain to Layla using interesting words what the voting process was, I must have done a bang-up job because when she woke up and realized she had missed the whole thing, she started to cry.
I couldn't settle this girl down. All she kept saying was, "I wanted to help you vote Mommy!"
My sweet little patriot.

It's Over!

AAAAhhhhhhh! I took a nap! I'm not ashamed to say it either. I slept in my room with the door closed and didn't even care what the kids (my kids) were doing. I had an hour of pure bliss.
Last night was my 8yr. old's first time to host a slumber party. It was lots of fun. We had good food and good friends and usually when you combine those two things you really can't go wrong.
Check out the slide show I put together, but remember to scroll down to the bottom of the page to pause the music.
Enjoy!

Tuesday

Well, today is Tuesday and I just got up from a 7 min power nap. Thank you God, for phones with alarms and timers. We are getting ready to go to Belle's swim class and then off to Manda's house to pow wow with both sisters about the Holiday Expo that we will be setting up at our church November 6.
This weekend is the SLUMBER PARTY, then Fall Festival at Belle's school followed by a trip to the pumpkin patch on Main in Baytown that we always go to. I should be good and tired by Sunday and then I will gear up for the last week in October. Can you even believe that?! By the way you should check out my sister's blog, Sugar Chic. The cookies are adorable!!! Check it out if you want to order some before Halloween. She will be taking holiday orders as well.

Frito Pie

It's been one of those months I think, and the month isn't even half way over. All last week I felt like a mac truck took aim at me and ran me over. Seriously, I think I'm getting too old for my job. Anyway, I left Friday afternoon with my daughters and my mother to "fetch" my Nana. It was a good visit however that doesn't excuse the 5 hrs there and 5 hrs. back road trip.
Oh well, I just got finished painting my girl's feet for a Halloween t-shirt and now they are feasting on a dinner that I have slaved over... Frito Pie! If said with the right amount of enthusiasm I can get the girls so excited about this dinner they will want seconds. (*snicker*)
Here's to all you women out there that have had a "Frito Pie" night. Hang in there because I'm sure things will start looking up soon.

What Am I Thinking?

Okay, I am about to enter the esteemed sisterhood of the slumber parties. I have never hosted one and I have agreed to a Halloween slumber party for my third grader. *GULP* I know that all the women reading this are shaking their heads saying "tsk, tsk" and maybe even some of you are adding me to your weekly prayer list. I know I just dug my self a really big hole but it has to happen sooner or later right? RIGHT?
Luckily I have recruited both of my sisters to help me that night and hopefully we will make it out alive. I am really excited too because we get to make fun crafts and eat really bad-for-you food all night long. At least their won't be any bra freezing or anything... well, I wouldn't say my sisters are safe from me. heh heh!