Christmas Survey

Here is a fun Christmas Survey I found on another blog. I know it's after Christmas but I'm still blasting playing my music and am very much still in the Christmas spirit! (maybe it has something to do with the 29102983 inches of snow we have on the ground?? Or that it's still December?!?!)

1. Egg nog or hot chocolate?
Uh Hot Chocolate DUH. Does anybody really love Egg Nog that isn't already hammered? Don't answer that.......

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just stick them under the tree?
Well, first off we don't do Santa. And they are all always wrapped :) Or stuck in a bag which still counts!

3. Colored lights or white?
White for my tree! We do have garland/mini trees outside which are white also. I'm not against colored, just for outside and not at my house. Ha. Maybe as the girls are older and have opinions (not that Hailey doesn't have a very strong one already at 3.5) we will get some colored ones :) Who knows!

4. Do you hang mistletoe?
No, does anybody that isn't staring in a Hallmark Film??

5. When do you put your decorations up?
This year we did them on Thanksgiving night. I'm a big kid I couldn't wait anymore! But usually right after Thanksgiving. Depends on how much patience I have and how much work I want to do that day! Ha

6. What is your favorite holiday dish?
Oh so much! Christmas Eve (also my Dad's Birthday) we always eat Potato Soup (YUM-O) and some version of ham (ham sandwichs, plain ham and sides, etc). But I LOVE all the food! My Momma makes the most delicious strawberry fluff/jell-o stuff, oh it's my very very favorite! And I LOVE cranberry salad/jell-o (not from a can people, made with jell-o in it, nuts, apples, celery, marshmallows oh it's YUMMY! And no we don't have cranberry jell-o AND strawberry jell-o that is jell-o overload!) And green bean casserole, and corn casserole, stuffing! Yum I am hungry now! Ha.

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child?
I think I was 3 or 4, and ALLLLLLLLL I wanted was a cabbage patch doll. I think it was the year they first came out so they were everywhere (i.e. the wii's of like 5 years ago). I wanted one SO BAD. But my poor parents couldn't find one anywhere. All the stores were SOLD OUT! So they finally found one. A Black African American BOY with a fro. In a blue leisure suit. Named Cameron. I LOVED that thing something fierce. Honestly it wasn't until I was about 13 I realized how weird it was that I had a boy cabbage patch. A black boy cabbage patch w/ a fro. But he was my buddy and I loved him and took him everywhere! My parents had extensive water damage time and time again in their basement and Cameron started to smell like mold so we had to throw him away a couple years ago :( Otherwise he would be waiting for my girls to play with! But seriously he was the best present, and now being a parent I know how expensive he was back then (we weren't rollin it the dough growing up) and all the work they went to find one just to make me shut up happy.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
We never did Santa. I never thought he brought our presents or anything. Which is exactly how it will be in my house. I was deathly afraid of Santa and NEVER sat on his lap. My Dad worked for a very large Insurance Co in Omaha and they went all out for their company holiday party, they hired a very real looking Santa and a Mrs Clause. Me and my sister would take turns sitting on Mrs Clause and wanted NOTHING to do w/ Santa. Ha. All the pictures of us from those parties Santa is just sitting there empty lapped smiling :)

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
Yup all of um! We go to my parents and open presents, growing up we usually went to my aunts or my grandparents on Christmas day so it just worked to do them Christmas Eve. Now we just always do. Me and Steve started a tradition of staying home the 4 of us and doing OUR Christmas on Christmas morning. But I LOVE my family traditions!

10. How do you decorate your tree?
Hopefully without breaking anything?? I'm not sure what this ?? means??? We have a pre-lit tree, and a hodgepodge of ornaments. (although I am into silver/black/red balls! Looks awesome!) We have collected lots of fun ones from the girls, my sister usually gets them each a fun hallmark one, and I have a tradition of a picture ornament from each year Steve and I have been together! They are my very very favorite and I love them! Hope to continue to get one each year, if nothing else it forces us to do family pictures once a year :)

11. Snow: love it or dread it?
OK so here is where I go all Grinch on your butt, I HATE HATE HATE LOATHE the snow. Yes it's VERY pretty to look at (for about 4 hours or until the plow goes by, then it's grey mush crap), or if it's just a dusting. I LOVE seeing frosty snow covered trees, but let me get real here;
I've lived in Nebraska my whole 30 years of existence so I've dealt with a few blizzards in my time. 1) it's COLD. You do NOT want to take small children out in it. Plus lugging them around when it's icy and windy and snowing and cold is horrible and dangerous. 2)Driving in it is equal to diving with sharks. You might be careful but is everybody else around you?? You never know who could be driving like an idiot and slam into you, or accidentally hit ice and slam into. Throw kids in the car and your white knuckeling the whole time!
3)Cleaning it up. Shoveling SUCKS. Snow blowing is only slightly better. Unless it's rained for 12+ hours before it snowed therefore making the ground a complete ice skating rink and the snow weighs 239128 lbs almost impossible to move. It's a killer on the ol' back people. 4) your Hubby has a new job and HAS to go to work and gets stuck on your street twice, the last time for over an hour along with 4 other cars. It's just NOT fun people. The logistics of snow suck. Sure it's pretty to look at, and as long as you don't have anywhere to go until it's melted it's fine. But living with snow SUCKS. Sorry I just ruined everybody's life in warm climates. I've often dreamed of living somewhere warm 24-7 but I am an Omaha Girl at heart and will never leave!

12. Can you ice skate?
Yes if I have to. I'm sure one day when my girls are old enough to not break every limb I will take them. I used to go when I was like 15 with my best friend, but that was JUST for the boys that were there ;) (hmm wonder why NONE of them married me?? I was ever so graceful......NOT! Good thing Steve has never seen me ice skate)

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
Cameron my CBD is pretty up there. But, I think my Christmas baby Ellie is by far the most amazing gift God ever blessed me with! I honestly love every present I get! I know I don't deserve them and knowing people took the time to think of me means so much!

14. What's the most important thing about the holidays for you?
Remembering that it isn't about Santa, or snow or food or presents or the other 29102389018 things American's do to distract themselves from Jesus. It's about HIM and making sure we are living up to his expectations and loving him through others. I hope to plant that seed in my Girls' hearts. I LOVE being with my family and just having a fun time!

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert?
Homemade chocolate cheesecake. OMG it's amazing. We NEVER have it but it's amazing, soooo rich. A teeny tiny piece and your in chocolate coma for days.
And my Momma can make a mean pie. Oh it's heavenly. I hope she passes that down to me one day, I am still waiting. I just can't get the crust down.........

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
The Christmas Eve traditions with my side of the family. And trying to incorporate Ellie's Birthday into our celebrating. I promise to never forget her Birthday and will always try to make her feel loved and special!
I am also obsessed with Christmas MUSIC! I would play it year round but my Hubby would hate me for it (plus then it wouldn't be as special and I would get tired of it). So play lots and lots and lots of Christmas music 24/7 is so fun to me!
I also LOVE LOVE LOVE looking at lights! Me and my friend Alanna have gone 2 years in a row to big expensive neighborhoods. Hailey is also obsessed with lights so it's fun looking with her! We like to get something fun to drink (starbucks peppermine hot chocolate, this year it was a shake at sonic!) and drive around with fun music on! It's my favorite!

17. What tops your tree?
A huge silver bow. I think all the angels out there are scary and devil looking. Seriously I'm a freak about them. Maybe one day I will get more creative but for now I love my bow!

18. Which do you prefer: giving or receiving?
Giving! Especially to my girls. I know they LOVED all their special things they got for Christmas from the relatives but I think I picked out their very favorites! (of course I am w/ them 24/7 and would know what they play with more then anybody but whatever)

19. Candy canes: yuck or yum?
Eh they are yummy crushed up in hot chocolate! But I can't just sit there and eat a candy cane. It's not my fav

20. Favorite Christmas movie?
Oh I have tons! Of course I love the classics, Elf, Christmas Vacation, The Christmas Story, but I also love The Holiday, The Family Stone, & all the movies on Lifetime/Hallmark/ABC Family (seriously people I am a SUCKER for Christmas movies. This was the first year we didn't have cable and I almost died missing all the cheesey goodness :( ) But my ALL.TIME.FAVORITE. forever and ever is called All I Want For Christmas. Nobody has ever heard of it or seen it but it's awesome. It's super cheese, it probably helps that I was like 11 the first time I saw it and was madly deeply in LOVE with Ethan and my 2 best friends loved it so every year we would watch it!

21. Saddest Christmas song?
Saddest?? That is dumb, nobody likes sad Christmas songs. Some move me until I cry (SAP!) but I don't think they are sad. This ? is weird...........

22. What is your favorite Christmas song?
Do we really want to go there? I LOVE so many. I should just post every single song from my ipod on here so you get a better idea.........if you wanna know email me and I'll give you some to download for your listening pleasure ;)

My Big 1 year old

Oh my sweet baby Ellie, how is it that you can be one year old already?!?!?! Time is flying by to quickly for this Momma's heart. Well, in most ways. I am ready and have been ready for the past 9+ months for you to sleep through the night. You don't seem to understand how precious sleep is in this house! One day you will get it ;) I'm trying to re-teach your big sister as well, what is with you girls?? I guess you both just LOVE your Momma so much you have to be with me all the time. No time for sleeping when we could be cuddling huh?!? Here are some stats and fun things about my sweet Christmas girl;

-You probably weigh between 19-20 lbs. You really slimmed down and aren't a chunker since you learned to crawl. We don't have health insurance for awhile so you won't go to your 12 mo well check. We will check your weight probably at 15 mo! You are super healthy and growing, right on track with your age and clothes size so I know your fine :)

-You wear a size 4 diaper. You could fit into a 3 but I just bought bigger sizes so that is what you wear ;) It holds more too so I don't have to change you as often. A win-win for Momma if you ask me!

-You wear mostly size 12 mo clothes. Some 12 mo pants are to long for my short girl. My poor girls will never be tall super modals. That's OK you're both still gorgeous to me and your Daddy! You can wear 9 mo pants, some 9 mo shirts, and some 6-9 mo stuff and 6-12 mo stuff. Baby clothes are CONFUSING. They need universal sizing between all brands. This Momma can't keep up!

-This is where I would insert what size shoe you wear, but my dear you are just like Hailey and HATE shoes. You ball up your toes and refuse to let me put them on you. Whatever I give up! So no shoes for you. Momma doesn't let you walk in public places anyway so it is what it is! Your sister did this for about a year and now is completely obsessed with shoes (to the point of driving her Mother crazy) so I have hope!

-You never have and never will take a binkie. That is OK with me, you never wake up during the night cuz it fell out :) BUT I can't just pop it in and you go back to sleep. You MUST nurse if you wake up at night to go back to sleep. Ugh. Weening is not going to be easy or fun with you!

-You nurse about 5 times a day. 6-7am, 10am, 1:30pm, 5pm, and at 10pm. I am trying to get rid of the 5pm and 10am. But honestly it makes me just as sad as you, I know what your crying for and I give in! It's my last little baby to nurse so if it takes us 6 more months or so to fully ween that is OK with me. I like that we have more flexibility and I can be away from you for longer time periods. We'll get there :) Of course I wouldn't be offended if you dropped the 6-7 am feeding and slept from 10:30-9am :hint hint: but you have a pretty good little schedule and are flexible!

-You still nap twice a day. At 11am for about 30-45 minutes and then in the afternoon from 2-4:15 with Sissy. 99% of the time I just swaddle you and plop you in your crib and your out, no fussing! I also have to wake you both times. Silly girl, NIGHT time is for sleeping not during the day! I swear you haven't grown out of the newborn nights/days confusion ;)

-You are 1, and you are STILL swaddled. Not from lack of trying on my part. I have tried sooo many times to not use it, or keep your arms out. It might work for a day or 2 then we're back to screaming uncontrollably until I swaddle your arms. I know you won't go to high school and have to be swaddled, but honestly it's kinda crazy that we have gone this long with them. You still fit in them fairly well so I'll figure it out in the coming months! I don't want to stop nursing AND swaddling at the same time so we'll ween both slowly :)

-You are a total 2nd child. Your clothes never match, you wear the same bib for multiple meals (your sis had a brand new clean one for every.single.meal. We went through like 5 bibs a day! Crazy!) and I barely have any pictures of you :( I'm sorry. It's not that Momma doesn't love you, I am just way to busy!!! Keeping up with you & your sister is exhausting!

-You are FULLY WALKING! I am so proud of you! You started the week of Thanksgiving and have really taken off. I don't think I've really seen you crawl much the last couple days. It's taken you awhile b/c your so little but we are super proud! It's so cute to see you coming around a corner. I'm still not used to it! You've had plenty of falls and bumps and bruises but you're a tough cookie and just fuss a little and get up and keep going!

-You can't talk but man can you communicate your wants/needs better then ANY Baby I have ever been around. Probably b/c you're strong willed like your Momma and Sissy ;) You scream and point at exactly what you want. When you don't want something you shake your head NO back and forth. It's hilarious! If your poopy you play with the diaper wipes. When I tell you to say something you ALWAYS talk back to me. I'm sure your giving "your" answer to my question! Smart Girl :) I know people will think I'm crazy but since about 9 months I swear you've said thank you. It sounds like "tan ya" or some baby gabble but it sounds JUST like thank you. Your Uncle Andy, Daddy, and Sissy agree that is exactly what it sounds like! And of course you do the normal baby talk that sounds just like real words. All parents think their babies are brilliant and said "YES Dada" but really all babies do that! I'm sure you'll be an early talker unlike Hailey!

-You do sign language for all done and more. It's A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E and it really helps if you want more to eat, etc.

-You clap for yourself! I swear it took Hailey until 15+ months to clap! You love to stand and if I say "Yay for Ellie!" and clap, you beam and clap for yourself! Usually you haven't done anything I just LOVE seeing you clap. It's one of my most favorite baby things :)

-You are very ticklish and if I tickle your sides you give the most adorable belly laugh. Gets me every single time!

-You officially have 4 teeth! The bottom one came up w/out me every knowing you were teething (no drooling nothing! But, all of the sudden one night you were up screaming for 4 hours straight! I nursed you no less then 6 times in those 4 hours and you would NOT GO TO SLEEP! Bless your heart as soon as I gave you tylenol you were out!). Then the 2nd one came in much easier. The top 2 have taken at least 2 months to come in! Holy Moly! We have an amber teething necklace and I think it has helped a LOT. You haven't lost any sleep over the top 2! But, you seem to be extra whiny/clingy. Whatever I know it will pass and you sure are cute and fun to cuddle.

-You HATED to cuddle as a little tiny newborn. You just wanted to be left alone. When it was time to sleep, no rocking, or cuddling for you just straight in your crib. The last 4-6 weeks you will just come up to me or Daddy and lay your head on our shoulder and lay there for a couple seconds before going again! (you NEVER.STOP.MOVING!!!!!) It is soooooooo precious and I think I enjoy it more now then I would as a newborn. You are soooooooo sweet and cuddly now! Of course my favorite time of night is when you fall asleep on me while nursing. I usually hold you for just a few minutes longer before putting you to bed. I LOVE my sweet sleeping princess!!!

-You LOVE your sister something fierce. She hung the stars, moon, sun AND made sliced bread as far as your concerned. I find this hilarious, just the other day she was trying to "help" (honestly she was) and flipped you on your back from a standing position, causing you to hit your head about 3 times going down. You cried and cried and was so dramatic, then about 2 minutes later she was running all over the living room spinning around and being crazy and you loved it! You were hilarious! She pushes you down, takes your toys, and "loves" you wayyyy to hard but you are still obsessed w/ her and want to do exactly what she does! It's adorable. She is pretty much the only one that can make you laugh (aside from us tickling you). You give the biggest hardest belly laughs I have ever heard when she says pe-ew at her food. Seriously hilarious! We have so many videos of you laughing super hard at her. It's adorable and I know she loves you, just doesn't quite know how to be gentle and loving with you yet. My hope is for you girls to be the very best friends, and I can see that happening already! <3>

-Along with shoes you loathe socks. It's a never ending battle of me putting them on and you ripping them off. Silly girl it's like 13 degrees outside you need your socks! I guess your going to be a flip flop girl like Momma and Hailey ;) Luckily you always keep them on when we're out, but they just get in your way at home!

-It's hilarious when I ask "Ellie do you want to nurse?" you immediately drop WHATEVER your doing and rush over to me. You definitely know what it means!

-You are finally sleeping better. You go to bed around 10:15-10:30 and sleep until 6-7, nurse and are up for the day sometime between 9-9:30! YAY! Of course you have your random wanting to eat at 3,4,5 am night but I can deal w/ it every now and then and not every.single.night! 

-I know you won't nurse, be swaddled, and cry at night forever, but girl I am afraid you will go off to college with no eyebrows :( Poor sweet Girl, you just don't look very feminine w/out your eyebrows. You don't have anymore then you did the day you were born. When will they start growing?? (don't worry you are my gorgeous girl and Mommy still loves you the same. But I don't think I will be very good at drawing them on!) 

-I hope you know how much we love and adore you sweet Girl, but mostly I hope you have a heart and a passion for Jesus. He loves you even more then I can ever imagine! I hope I can plant a seed in your sweet heart for him, and that you see Jesus' love through your Daddy and I. We love you like crazy and know you will be a light in this world! 

 

We love you with all our hearts, you are the sweetest funniest girl ever! You complete our family and we couldn't ask for a better Ellie Bellie! :) Love you sweet girl, Happy Birthday!!!

P.S. Please remember not to hate your Momma one day that you were born ON Christmas :/ It wasn't my choice and just remember, God had it all planned and must think you're pretty special to share the day w/ Jesus!

Workin out

Imagine my surprise when Old Navy let me get a free dress last month AND then I got picked on Crowdtap to get "activewear"!! WOOHOO MORE FREE CLOTHES!
This frumpy old Momma is super excited about free stuff, let alone clothes for myself! I tend to always buy the girls stuff and I get shoved to the end of the line. So if it's free I am all about it!
This time I chose my sweet friend Amy, who picked me to get free t-shirts and told me to sign up for crowdtap! Also her daughters are Hailey's BFF's, so when Hailey heard she got to hang out w/ Zo she was super duper excited!!!

 The pants I ended up getting! SUPER comfty and perfect for lounging around the house with the girls!

 We were dying laughing at Amy's socks! Such fun festive socks! :) She didn't get either items, she got some fun black yoga pants and a zip up comfty sweat shirt!

The sweatshirt/top I ended up getting but in white. My budding little photographer Hailey took this pic. Not the best but she was pretty proud of herself!

It was a fun morning and I got some super great clothes I can actually wear and will wear a TON! Thanks ON and CT! ha

Why I never........

So my most amazing MOPS groups has a theme this year and they were making all the leaders tell thing they SWORE they would never do before coming a Mom..........I loved hearing their answers and it made me think of my own! Now luckily I don't have to get up on stage in front of 100+ women and tell the things I was so naive about before becoming a Momma!

-I SWORE my kids would never eat in the car. I washed and vacuumed my car at least once a month. (well, when the weather in Nebraska would let me!) I took such immaculate care of my cars. It was something people always remarked when they road in my car, how clean it was!
Guess what, they eat in the car almost every time we go somewhere! I have a super hard time getting Hailey to eat breakfast if we have to be somewhere before 10am. So she eats whatever I can get in her in the car on the way there. I throw cheerios and puffs back to Ellie just to get 2 minutes of quiet so I can drive in peace. There are stains ALLLLLL over my backseat :( It still drives me nuts but it is what it is!

-I never ever thought I would take so many naps! I could never sleep during the day before. Now? I am ready for nap time by 11am most days!

-I never never ever thought I would go so long w/out taking a shower. I haven't been this dirty/greasy haired since I was 12 and decided showers were a waste of time. I know they are good, and would LOVE to take one everyday but honestly those 20 minutes are better spent doing other things some days. :sigh:

-I never ever thought I would be so CRUNCHY of a Mom! You always end up being opposite of what you think you will be like right?? I never thought I would; babywear,  breastfeed, non-vax, chiro, amber necklace wearing, all natural labor, distilled water drinking, vitamin taking,and be so PASSIONATE about it! I realize my thoughts are my own (and my Hubby's!) and I never try to push just educate as best I can!