Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Advent Time Again

Each year (at least for the past four or five years I guess) I’ve been getting the kids an advent calendar. Not just any advent calendar with nasty chocolates in them that have been there since last year, but cool ones with toys from Playmobil.

It’s been fun and the kids are always excited to see each morning to see what might be behind the doors. Having put them together, I already knew but was excited for them. And then they would show each other what the other got.

However sadly it might be, the kids are getting older – Felix especially. The joy of toys in a paper calendar is not exactly what it used to be.

Sad for me since this is one of the very reasons I didn’t want kids; I HATE to see them grow older and lose that child “thing” – whatever that might be.

So while Daddy was here visiting last week, we happened to be walking down the streets of Mt. Vernon (because Robee was still thinking he might want a toy calendar) and came across a thrift store (my ultimate favorite places to shop) and lo and behold, but what to my wondering eyes should appear!! But an unfinished wooden advent calendar, just begging to be bought for a mere three dollars. So I did, never THINKING it would become such a great hit with the kids.

felix adventThis is how it turned out. I even freaking SHADED the beard. I found gold sparkly paint and did the doors. Felix LOVED it ……. and so did the boy child. He started thinking that he would like one of those too and then I could put in whatever sort of thing be it candy or prize or toy I choose for them to discover.

The only problem with that plan is that this calendar was the 2008 model and the 2011 models were crap. The doors were tiny and mostly all broken.

New plan – drive all over, call all over, surf all over looking for a comparable advent calendar.

Thank you Fred Meyer!!

robee adventYeah, I didn’t paint it … nor sparkle it … nor personalize it. But it was the best I could find. The big doors open to 24 little drawers to hide the surprises. Robee was so happy to have his own calendar. I told him that next year, I can repaint parts of it so that it’s really his.

Tomorrow starts the countdown! Christmas here we come!!

Friday, November 25, 2011

A bit more from the Actress and the Drummer

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Felix in her “Thank you so much for coming to see the show” line. And with one of her most favorite teachers, Clarkie. Felix looked gorgeous.

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Robee playing in his first Keynotes concert. Rainbow tie. Yeah, his mother helped pick that one out. And the girls LOVE it. I love his hair.

Friday, November 18, 2011

Stop the World, I want to get Off.

Gah. I am going to take five minutes to do this and then I’m off on another series of “have to do’s today” list.

Seriously, I do NOT think God meant our lives to be this chaotic. I don’t like it and I really do better in calm. I’m like a cat. Of course, if I were really like a cat, I’d be peeing all over in my house in protest of chaos. I just might do it.

The reason for my series of small strokes??

I have two kids (and thanks to birth control, common sense and old age, no more than that) and both kids are involved in school and after school activities. Don’t misunderstand; I love them to my toes, but keeping them busy is crazy. I also have 82 animals but I can sort of throw food at them and move on.

Robee is the drummer for both Keynotes and Jazz bands in school as well as taking drum and guitar lessons. Felix is in piano lessons and was fortunate enough to land an understudy role and extra in the high school murder-mystery “Rehearsal for Murder.”

Rehearsals for band are at 7 am every morning which means we leave at 6:35 each crack o’dawn. Rehearsals for the play were everyday after school until 4 ish, lengthening as the show drew closer to opening. Piano is also after school so we had to re-arrange her piano to 6 pm on Fridays.

We also have TKD on Tuesdays beginning at 5. However, since the surgery, I’ve been on leave until the first of December which is my date of clearance from my doc. Then we have church/scout activities on Wednesday nights. Guitar is Wednesday afternoons. Drums are right after school on Friday. That doesn’t count our yoga classes that are at 7 am on Tuesday and Thursday and Saturday or watching the little kids on Mondays and Thursdays.

Guess, just GUESS how many miles I put on my truck? Guess how many times I have to fill up the tank?? It’s freaking unbelievable. There was one day two weeks ago that I spent from 6:30 am until 5 pm running around. I’ve decided to start wearing a diaper and installing a small kitchen/bedroom in the front seat of my truck. Why bother finding a bathroom? Just do as the babies do.

Okay. So Felix and the show. Here are some pics from her understudy show night. She was quite excited. And she smokes AND drinks coffee in the show. THIS she thought was quite exciting. Yeah. She’s a Rebel.

Felix getting hair done Felix smoking

felix with evan  hair

robee at the show Kristi and Stephanie

That’s me helping out with hair backstage. I only burned the girl once. She got off easy. Robee is just so cute, I had to put in a pic of him too.

And there is so much more to November (as I can see, it’s the 18th and it will be Thanksgiving next week) but I have used up my five minutes with an extra 10 minutes so I have to leave. Next time.