Mommy Resolutions...

The holiday decorations are packed in the attic and we've eaten the last of the leftovers, it's time to ring in 2010. Here are a few Mommy Resolutions for 2010:

1. Find calm in the chaos (I resolved this last year and will probably resolve this every year until retirement)
2. Bribe less, show praise with words more
3. Be more patient with my VERY independent toddlers
4. Bring back date night
5. Stop eating Addy & Lilly's snacks
6. Play in the snow more...

The video is about 4 minutes, so pop some popcorn if you must, and enjoy!

Leave me a comment and share your New Years resolutions! Cheers to you and yours this NYE!

Guest Blogger - Aunt Cat visits for the holiday

Three generations of red-heads on Christmas Eve

Addy & Lilly have said "Happy Birthday Baby Jesus!" approximately 400 times since I arrived last Wednesday. On Christmas Eve we went to church and they walked up to the nativity and wished Baby Jesus a happy birthday and then proceeded to have a little wrestling match over who got to hold Baby Jesus. They also enjoyed the electric candles at the service and kept turning them on and off. All in all I think they were very good at church; however, the irony of the two of them singing Silent Night was not lost on anyone in the congregation.

We left some cookies for Santa and some carrots for the reindeer and an Addy & Lilly dictated note that said (verbatim):

Writing our letter to Santa...

Dear Santa, Will you please bring me & sissy some gummis and some toys and some wine for Grandma and some french fries? Give Rudolph some carrots and enjoy the cookies and milk!

We had a little bit of a discussion about what Santa would like to drink, Lilly thought Santa would like a "cold beer." I think maybe someone needs to have an intervention with Addy & Lilly's mom & dad and grandparents.

On Christmas morning they were really excited to see if Santa ate the cookies and they got a note from Santa that thanked them for being such good girls and told them to have fun on their new bikes! So they ran into the family room and saw their new bikes - no tricycles here! They figured out that a much more fun way to ride a bike is to be pushed on the bike by an adult and have a race with sissy all over the house:)

The loot...Santa was good to everyone!

Lilly loved opening all her new books and gave them a quick flip through to make sure the books were to her liking. Addy loved opening up all her dolls for her dollhouse. They quickly zeroed in on their interests. They loved their magic fingerpaints from Uncle Jon - the fingerpaints only work on the magic paper - otherwise I think Mommy would have put Uncle Jon in a timeout. We made cupcakes together which was a little bit like the blind leading the blind - I told them I would have been better off making toast. A Christmas miracle happened and the cupcakes actually turned out pretty good!

Addy with a few of her new dolls

Baking Christmas cupcakes with Aunt Cat

Lilly with her new blanket from Jeremy's Aunt Cindy

Sadly they refused a nap on Christmas Day - but they were troopers through our 20 person dinner! They had a wonderful time at the party and seeing their family and "helping" to open up more presents.

My brillant, beautiful nieces are growing up though - they have opinions and god help you if you don't listen to them. They do operate on the whoever talks the loudest gets to speak rule. They each have a bit of a dictatorial streak in them and I think there is general consensus that they get that from their mom! They are so kind and loving - always giving hugs and kisses. I think we need to get Addy & Lilly run & hug on tv! They actually run at each other (olympic speed) and crash into a hug - all the while screaming at the top of their lungs "RUN AND HUG - RUN AND HUG!"

Addy & Lilly - I love you two! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year - Happy Birthday Baby Jesus! I cannot wait until I see you again - don't grow up too fast and try for the sake of your mommy and daddy to get some sleep - I think if you slept a little bit more mommy might need a little less wine and daddy might need a little less cold beer:)

Grandpa Ian with Lilly, Aunt Cat with Addy, checking out Baby Jesus in the church nativity

Christmas Caroling....

With still 6 days until Christmas, my girls have broken: 5 ornaments, a stocking hanger, a Santa figurine, a wooden reindeer, 2 snow globes and wripped pages out of 3 holiday books....

And today in Indiana--SNOW! Hope you are enjoying the holiday countdown!

Guest Blogger: Daddy Duty

Not sure how and why I agreed to "lone" parenting for 5 days....but it sure did happen from last Saturday until Wednesday night. Aimee flew to Jacksonville, Florida for her annual work conference called AFA. She presented an educational seminar, facilitated the Gamma Sigma Alpha semi-annual board meeting/dinner, and "hob knobbed" with fellow higher-ed junkies from all over the country. Aimee also spent some time with one of her (and Jeremy's) favorite people in the world, Jenny Levering. I might add that although this was a heavy dose of work, it was a good change of pace for her. You might have to twist her arm for her to admit that though! :)

All this was going on in sunny Jacksonville and the "reliever" was brought in for 5 days of playing "zone" defense, changing dumpy diapers, and entertaining 2 rowdy toddlers. I was not alone during this 5 day period, as we shifted to "man to man" and a "full court press" defense with the help from Gaga Ian, Gaga Linda, Gaga Jody, Uncle Joe, and of course one of Addy and Lilly's favorite friends Jordan Underwood (Uncle Joe's lady friend). My mom and Gaga Linda helped me on Monday and Tuesday as I ventured to work, but Wednesday I was on my own.

All in all, I absolutely loved every second I spent with my girls over the course of that 5 day stretch. We made pancakes, french toast, sugar cookies, went to the YMCA, went to BW3's, played with poker chips (a new game I invented, where I hide poker chips all over the house), colored with crayons, paints, and magic markers, made paper snowflakes and put them on the tree, went to Jared and Ashley's open house, built a two-room fort in the basement with a secret entrance and a secret hiding spot that Lilly loved, and of course went to the Children's museum (see pics).

I was enlightened during this past Wednesday, as I realized that I am going to take off at least one day a month for "daddy" day. Be it spent at the zoo, children's museum, or just in the basement in the fort, it's going to be a day that I spend solely with my precious daughters. Mom, you're invited for lunch.

As usual, I did find myself being reminded as to why Aimee is sometimes a little tired when I walk in the door at 6:00 from work. It's hard work helping these young ladies advance through life.....not to mention how many times a day we still change diapers. Can potty-training be a new year's resolution?

Addy and Lilly laughing in a babies cradle in the Children's Museum "Playscape".

Uncle Joe and Lilly coloring

Jordan and Addy going down the one-story slide. Think Christmas Story slide. [Ralphie is shoved down the slide, but he stops himself and climbs back up] "No! No! I want an Official Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle!"

"GERMS will drown if the lid is down" - Daddy putting anti bacterial gel on Addy's hands. (I had Jordan take a pic to prove to mommy that we were protecting ourselves from H1N1) .

I Wanna Be a Supermodel

We got the hook-up on a fun local event, partnering Gap Kids with a local photographer (http://www.footprintsofgrace.com/). They helped pick outfits for the girls and Addy & Lilly got their shot on the "runway". It was hilarious and Jeremy and I are still laughing at Lilly's behavior during the shoot (imagine a 2 year-old crawling toward the camera while posing, with NO instruction to do so). Addy took a bit longer to warm up, but the pictures are priceless. Enjoy!