For the last several Christmases we've done the 12 days of Christmas to at least one person in our neighborhood. This has so far been the most organized year. We have several elderly neighbors in the neighborhood. We picked 7. In one day we made all the crafts and set them aside. The treats were a little more time consuming to make all at once. I think I'll do it next year though. Each morning between 5 and 7am Jordan and I would drive around and deliver the gifts. Next year we'll have to make and package everything before Dec 13. Between the Elf and the 12 days of Christmas it does get a little difficult to prepare and remember everything.

Day 1 Marshmallow Men

Day 2 Merry Christmas swag (made from old Christmas cards)

Day 3 Chocolate covered pretzels (not pictured)

Day 4 Snowman cards

Day 5 Snowflake







Day 6 Cookies (not pictured)

Day 7 Candycane Mice



Day 8 Hot Chocolate

Day 9 Tabletop Tree


Day 10 Reindeer Ornaments

Day 11 Caramel Corn

Day 12 Home bottled peaches

I love seeing the kids excited to do something nice and secret for someone else. It makes the whole family really happy.

CHRISTMAS 2009

The 2009 festivities began with sledding at a nearby park.
Even a partially melted hill is fun to sled on.

The Nativity-Christmas Eve Evening Jordan narrated Carl: donkey, Katie: Mary, Alex: Joseph, Grant: shepherd, Cooper: sheep, Jamie: angelOpening Pajamas


Christmas Morning. The kids were whooping it up in the basement family room at 3am (where they all slept, except Grant). I whisper yelled, "Guys its 3 o'clock in the morning, stop talking, turn the light off and go back to sleep." "Oh, it is?" was the innocent reply.

The real festivities began around 6:30

waiting for Grant to wake up enough to see the presents


After the kids played for a few hours we announced that it was time to go to the neighbors and sing our Christmas songs we had been practicing (Picture a Christmas (complete with pictures), Christmas Bells, Christmas is Coming and We Wish You a Merry Christmas.) The kids mostly whined saying, "we're busy playing with our new toys" and "ahhh, mom" etc. We did it anyway and only after singing did it really feel like Christmas to me. The kids would probably tell you a different version of the story-something about being forced to sing and how life isn't fair.

Productive

Here's a list of things I accomplished the other day:

• exercised 1 hour
• studied the scriptures
• showered/got ready for the day (doesn't always happen)
• planned dinner
• washed 3 loads of laundry and had them folded and put away in a 12 hour period (if that had been the only thing accomplished that day it would have been a miracle all by itself)
• volunteered at school for 1 hour
• went grocery shopping
• worked on a costume that I need to wear this Friday (more about that later maybe)
• started crocheting a slipper (my friend is teaching me--its an effort to cut down on holes in the boys socks)
• got caught up on the finances
• cleaned the kitchen
• made sure the kids finished their jobs
• taught 2 piano lessons
• taught the lesson for Family Night (its every Monday night)
• sang to the kids (don't always have energy for this on a really busy day)

When that day was over I wondered, "why was I so productive this ONE day." Here is the 1 reason I can think of:

I DIDN'T READ ALL DAY

I've read 5 books since January started and have not gotten very much done (except for the coat). I guess I was just due for some hard work. Now, its true that I can never get away without doing ANYTHING. I still wash dishes throughout the day, make meals, clean here and there, respond to email, help kids with school work, hound them to get their other housework done, etc. But when I'm reading I'm sort of on autopilot. I just to the minimum and don't really think about anything but the wonderful fake character in the books I'm reading, often responding to repeated questions, "what did you say, I was thinking about something." So the whole list thing is a reminder of what I can get done every once in a while. I figure reading over the list in the future will produce one of the following responses:

• I'll hate that productive Jamie, because I haven't been as productive since
• I'll remember that I probably didn't spend any good quality time with the kids if I was so productive
• I'll think its worth reading for 10 days straight as long as I'm this productive on the 11th day

1 finished goal

So far the people I admire the most don't like it, BUT I DO! Its true its a little bright (I was hoping to find a lot lighter, creamier color but settled for this in a fit of impatience).

This is my first sewing project with an actual lining in it. Kind of tricky, but I think I'll probably live long enough to try another lining.

If you decide in your future to make a coat here are some words of advice:

• Don't mark the buttonholes with a permanent marker, even if you've worked on it for 20 hours and you just want to get the darn thing done.
• Don't wear it to church without first remembering that you have a needle attached to a 10 inch piece of thread dangling from the hem. Its embarrassing, especially when you're hoping nobody will ask if you made it-its a dead give away.

so many reasons to like this guy

I walked into the house a few nights ago and found Carl doing an Indian dance complete with Indian whoops while Katie played "Indian Song." It was so funny! I catch him doing stuff like that all the time.

I thought it would be a good time to list a few remembrances so I can reread them on irritable days--you know those days you remember every frustrating thing you spouse ever did wrong.

• singing the alphabet song with the syllables "goo goo, gah gah." The youngest two frequently request this for a lullaby


• Carl singing to me "just put one foot in front of the other" (from Santa Claus is Coming to Town) while shuffling around the floor. He was singing it to me because I was feeling frustrated and overwhelmed. It made me laugh and forget whatever it was I was frustrated with


• walking into the bathroom to find Carl fixing Katie's hair--he does a really great job!


• Singing "happy birthday to you" to the kids as a lullaby


• sitting on the floor reading a book to all 4 kids


• cooking without expecting any help-he does this all the time. I'm a much more resentful cook and always think if I'm working everyone else should be too--I'm trying to get over it


• fixing household items without being asked, or only being asked once--okay, not all the time, but its good to be positive


• playing video games until 1am with Jordan as "bonding time"


• Taking kids to work with him some Saturdays (don't feel bad for me, he doesn't work every Saturday)


• enlisting the kids to help cook-they usually like cooking with him


• hiding butterfingers in my sock drawer for me after one of his shopping trips (the "will you pick up some tortilla shells on your way home from work" trips)


• coloring with the kids-he really gets into it

Anyone who knows Carl knows he's a great guy! He's not at all intimidating and has zero hard feelings against anyone. He amazes me and makes me laugh. Is he perfect-no! but hopefully I'll never get in the mood to post his imperfections.

2010 goals

I love making goals every January. What I love even better is looking over last years goals and checking to see what I accomplished on the list. I like this better than keeping my list with me all throughout the year. Sometimes looking at what I'm not getting done on a regular basis makes me anxious and sometimes guilty. So when I looked around this morning trying to find my 2009 goals, I realized I didn't make any. Probably the first year in 13 years. I guess it wasn't at the top of my list since we had just moved in. Here are some of my 2010 goals.

• blog about Christmas and maybe Thanksgiving 2009
• make 3 quilts (Jordan, Alex and Grant)
• finish sewing jacket
• read 30 books, at least 10 not novels
• lose 10 pounds (I feel a love handle coming on)
• acquire 5 more piano students
• make at least 2 extra house payments
• put together a preschool program for Grant (urgent)

21 day program-I decided instead of trying to improve several things about myself at once, I'll work on one thing at a time in 21 day increments, since they say 21 days in a row is a good amount of time to start a habit. Here are some of the things I've wanted to become better at:

• looking at people when they are talking to me
• speaking positively about people
• making dinner every morning
• smile more