Everywhere I looked this year...

we were surrounded by references to our favorite Christmas movies. Here's a sampling:
1. A Christmas Story: of course any reference to this reminds us of Cleveland. Jeff is still mad I would not let him have a leg lamp. We let the girls watch it this year for the first time. Peanut's favorite part was "the smiling duck" at the end. So guess where we ended up for dinner last night? The ONLY restaurant open on I 80 last night was the Grand Chinese Buffet--they closed at 8, we arrived at 8:30. We ate the leftovers and were happy.
2. Elf: One of my favorite lines, "Does it have sugar in it? Then YES!" was Peanut's motto this year.
3. Christmas Vacation: Another fave quote "Ackgh, he's just yakking on a bone." This describes our youngest, now known as Bottomfeeder. That kid can find the tiniest piece of tape on the floor to eat I have ever seen.
4. Nutcracker: Princess Sparkle fluttering about in a flurry of pink sweetness, looking for cookies and candy.
5. A Christmas Carol: I was Ebenezer as usual complete with no sleep (thanks to Bottomfeeder, not ghosts), but came around this year and actually was in a semi good mood. Although everyone might get cash from now on.
6. Christmas Vacation: Another fave part, "Merry Christmas Clark! *****'s full!" would be Jeff purchasing the largest trash can I have ever seen for his mom after the critters got a hold of hers again. (Another reason I was sleepless.)
7. And Charlie Brown Christmas: My brother chose a tree that rivaled the cartoon.

Ice Ice Baby

We got a lot of ice and snow last night. Enough that they called school. Jeff just left for work and is afraid it will take a good hour to go ten miles.
It is treacherous outside. But at the same time it is so incredibly peaceful. The house is silent this morning. There are very few people outside. The kids all slept in (even Tank). We are in our robes--for most of the day I hope. Why is the saying "the calm before the storm?" I think it is the other way. Or maybe it is not the weather related storm, but right now is the calm and peace before my children go wild with being inside and Santa arriving tomorrow.

Hmmm. I better go enjoy my coffee and maybe a little scrapping quick.

Sugar Frenzy

We have been a bakin' and a makin' in the Nelson household. There is sugar everywhere and my kids are full of it. The white kind, the brown kind, the powdered kind and the little lovey sweet kid kind. We made the traditional Nelson caramels. Oh my they are good. Peanut and Princess Sparkle are obsessed with them. They helped Daddy make them and then they wrapped almost every one. They ate a couple.

Jeff is making the butterscotch, pecan, oatmeal GMAC favorite tonight. Glad I got that recipe out in Utah. He had better make enough to leave a few for Sparkle and myself so we don't have to fight over them. 'Cause he won't be bringing home leftovers.
We made these little cutie patooties for Sparkle's kindergarten class party (the girls did all of the decorating). Thanks go out to the Family Fun website (recipe) and my mom (you were right... green vanilla frosting will turn brown with enough food coloring paste). So you know if you try these...the website needs to tell you that the pretzels are supposed to be the big ones, the twizzlers the rope kind, and the black on the m&m eyes must be gel. We used cherries instead of the lollipops. I think we made some pretty cute Rudolph's even with our substitutions. Sparkle loved them and that is what matters.

Sparkle is OBSESSED with The Nutcracker. She listens to the soundtrack every night before bed. She has watched her Barbie version, The San Francisco PBS version, and dances her own version constantly. I wish I had a photo, but they are all blurry. She has a nutcracker she dances around with even. Peanut likes it too, but not to quite the same degree. You should see her try to do that Russian bounce on the floor and kicking out a leg thing.

Wigglebuns. Smoking a crayon. Actually he just likes to suck/chew on anything tubular.

Santa hits our house tomorrow night/Saturday morning and then we will be traveling for the week. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

He's Done!!!!!!

Jeff emailed his FINAL paper and homework for his FINAL master's degree class tonight. YAYAYAYAYAYAYAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So proud, so happy, so ready. And that's just me. Can only imagine what is going on inside him.
Off to enjoy a glass of wine with him. Oh yeah, and internet C'mas shopping. almost done there too.

Getting in the Spirit

The girls are the best ever for helping spark that holiday spirit. Even with all of the pressures to get stuff done, one more person/gift added to the list, or just being tired they help me remember what it is all about. Letting family and friends know how much we care and recognizing the magic in all the traditions we do, religious and secular. We've been talking about Christ's birth and how special it was. How we should show love as much as we can. Singing carols. Their belief in Santa is so strong. I have come across them conversing several times about Santa, his "seeing" abilities, what they want, how the sleigh works, etc. We decorated the tree. All plastic icicles and snowflakes and lights. Nothing Mr. WB can destroy. And I actually like it better than my regular tree. We made this gingerbread house. Yes, it is a kit. But it sure is cute, especially the walls that would not pass Cliff's engineering inspection. They loved making it. Peanut told her librarian at story time that, "We'll make cookies. Mom has a tube in the fridge." I had been planning to make some from scratch, Tank just makes it difficult. So that afternoon I let him be Mr. Wigglebuns and let him empty all of the safe cabinets and we made four different kinds of cookies. HA!
Or did she know what she was saying and doing with that little challenge/comment?

Sparkle took this photo of Peanut with the snowdude they made. Isn't it adorably funny?

And here they are eating the snow. Two inches and they were in heaven. They keep asking when more will come.

And then the big reason for the season (besides Christ of course)...family. This is mine at Mom and Dad's 35th wedding anniversary dinner. And this is Jeff's mom with the kids. Love, love, love these two pictures.

Keepin' Up?

Are you keeping up with us? Because I know I'm sure not. Well, just barely. So here's a recap just so I can remember what's up. I'll post pics another night.
1. Peanut is now 4. The Diego birthday was a smash hit--especially the Baby Jaguar scavenger hunt and freeze dancing (thank you Amanda!).
2. The gates are up to contain Tank, and he can bulldoze through if he wants to. And he's cruising and standing up constantly. And he is cutting his top two front teeth. And he is cranky.
3. Princess Sparkle has her C-mas program Tuesday. Fancy (dress-up) Friday at school was a big hit. Anytime she has an excuse to wear a crown, heels, and a ring on every finger she loves it. Conferences went as expected. Sparkle was quite annoyed that her teacher let out the secret that she is reading and writing way more that she wanted us to know about.
4. We got a couple inches of snow so the girls built a two foot tall snow dude in the front yard. And they figured out how to boogie board down our yard on their sleds. They definitely have Daddy's Scandinavian heritage in their blood.
5. Our new cabinet came for the kitchen--so I finished painting and took the scaffolding down finally. Just short of a month later. Tank can no longer empty my macaroni.
6. Thanksgiving went well in both states.
7. The Christmas tree is up sans anything glass and with nothing on the bottom foot of it.
8. I remember nothing from the lithotrypsy on the stones--I was just tired the next day and not even sore at all. X-rays in January at my check-up will reveal more.
9. Jeff got moved to a new department, but that is going well so far. Glad he has a job.
10. Jeff and I went on a real date while Grandma watched the kiddies. Dinner and a movie. We ended up at Role Models (which was actually choice #3), but I would recommend it. Definitely R rated, but we laughed a lot. And we both really needed those laughs. Felt good to actually talk and laugh with my honey, and not about diaper or preschool humor.
So there you have it.