Life.

This post is completely random.

A collection of a lot of little things that never made it into a category of something to post about other than the fact that they are meaningful to me in some way. These little things are the reason I do my blog because they are real life. The events where the kids are dressed up and I'm looking my best or setting a pretty table aren't representative of what goes on here on a day to day basis. And when I look back at this years from now I want these posts to spark memories of the little things. Not just the "events" in our life.

So here's a little bit of life in our house recently.
I'm having to shelve my pride for a few of these photos.



First off, can we just say Yay! For Christmas vacation!!! The kids' backpacks were stuffed full with art projects (homework :( ) and all sorts of fun things to look at. I loved this picture that Matthew drew.  I loved the joy of the arms open wide.  I thought it was so perfect for the first day of christmas vacation.

Here was something that cracked me up.  You might have to really know Andrew to see the humor in this, it is just so him.
There was a packet of Math work in Andrew's backpack.  There were 4-5 workbook pages that Andrew did not complete.  Nothing was written on them at all.  It was like he was absent.  The cover of it had a note from his teacher that read....


"Andrew did not keep up with whole group/auditory directions.  Review/Finish/Return...."
(She's great at telling me what type of situation he was struggling in ~ it's helpful for me to know.  But here's the best part...)



"I asked him What was he doing during Math? -- 'I think I was resting.' "

That handed me my laugh for the day.  I love his innocent honestly.  And I know his teacher well enough to know that she included that detail because she found it funny and knew I would too. 
I do understand better now though ~ he asked me just yesterday if writing was exercise and I said, "Not really" and he said, "because it makes me SO tired."
It's nice to understand why now, and know that it really does and not to dismiss him or get frustrated with him.  Honestly, there were times I just thought he was lazy.  I feel badly about that now.
So a little rest during Math was probably in order.  :) :)

But something GREAT was probably the best writing Dan and I have ever seen from Andrew....




Here's a random self portrait from my iphone that Katie requested we take. We were all "resting" together.



Andrew saw this the morning of our North Pole Breakfast and said, "Hey wait a minute!"

And then ran and did a little comparing



Dots are starting to be connected over here. I'm sure the clock is ticking...but I'm savoring every second while I can. It's just so fun. I don't want the magic to end!



I've never been into angels. But since my Dad passed, I find them comforting. I saw these angel wings and loved them. I hung them on dad's picture right by where I stand all day in the kitchen and they make me smile to think of him in heaven.


This is the other new decoration this year.


More angels.  And I just liked what it said. 

I've been really busy doing things like this....



Making teacher's gifts, which were Christmas cookies this year. I was at a loss for ideas and decided that everyone likes sugar cookies, right?



And lots of other things on the to do list too. And for a couple days I was spending an unusual amount of time in my bedroom organizing gifts, and wrapping, etc. And before I knew it, this had happenend.



Dan took this photo because it's CLASSIC me. I mean, usually not THIS bad.  I usually clean up after myself at the end of the day, but I was just really busy and totally exhausted at the end of these days and forgot about them until I was going to bed and didn't want to make another trip downstairs.  My cups are the thing that both drives Dan completely nuts about me but has grown to be an endearing trait as well (I think!).  :)   He was so pleased with himself for taking this photo that I can't deny him the pleasure of seeing it on the blog. And I always tell Matthew how important it is to be able to laugh at yourself, so there it is.  The ridiculous thing is, that is probably only two days' worth of cups!  Can you tell I have a thing for straws and starbucks insulated cups?  :)  And that little chapstick right there?

It's the best.  I've had horribly chapped lips this winter and Aquaphour and this are the only things that have helped and I've tried everything.  Dan loved that it was on my nightstand because that's the other thing that is everywhere right now.  I have to have one in arms reach all the time ~ my lips are driving me crazy!

Here's the other one he was pleased about....



It was 12:30 on a saturday and I was still in my robe ~ he loved this picture of me (the table was a mess of things I was working on) and Katie peeking out from my feet (who was in her coat and ready to head out with Dan).  Can I just say in my defense that I was SO productive that morning and got so many things off my list.  There was simply no time for showering.  :)

The last photo he took I can't bring myself to post.  But he was just having all sorts of fun taking incriminating photos that day.  What a guy! :)  you should have seen how pleased he was!



This was taken tonight as I was cleaning the kids' bathroom. Katie LOVES to help me do anything and especially cleaning! She was wiping the counter with me and we were singing "Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it's off to work we go!"  she was doing the whistling part here.  :)



Just for fun.

I can't believe Christmas is NEXT weekend!  Where did December go?

I am SO happy it's Christmas vacation and I have two weeks stretched out with no school!  Of course we have lots of things planned so I know the time will pass way too quickly, but I'm looking forward to time with the kids.

We're kicking things off this weekend with Grace's birthday party tomorrow and then off to Grammie & Grandpa's house for Christmas with them!

Have a wonderful weekend!