Christmas Part 3

So we finally had the last day of Christmas celebrations on Thursday night. It began with a much needed date for me and John. We went to dinner at Abuelo's with our dear friend from high school, Bond, and her husband Sean. They are the sweetest couple, and we were totally blessed to spend some time talking over good food. Next, it was on to the present extravaganza at my grandma's house. This time it was with my extended family from Austin. Too much fun! I got some great gifts--workout pants! Yessss! The kids got spoiled rotten. All in all, Christmas 2007 finished off with a bang. Our week is still not over though. Be sure to watch for pics from the hockey game on New Year's Eve, as well as pics of Sheridan's family who is currently visiting. :)
Caitlin and Christian hanging out with their cousins Alex and Sophia and waiting for present opening to begin
I think Caroline liked playing with the boxes and paper better than the actual gifts!
The aftermath of present opening

Christmas Parts 1 & 2--Surprise Party Too

The Haskell household is actually having 3 Christmases this year. Since there are several families within our family and not all of us can be together on Christmas Day, we choose to do it this way. I will post Part 3 tomorrow after we have that get together tonight.

Christmas Eve:
This is when we had our celebration with Pappaw, Mimi, and Uncle Josh. We got to have a yummy dinner (it was actually breakfast items, but we love that) and then it was on to presents. The kids got all kinds of cool stuff---books, CD's, musical bath toys, Moonsand, dinosaurs, baby dolls, etc. Momma and Daddy got some great items too! Remember in my previous post where I wrote about the silly gift exchange rule that John and I have? Well, we ended up buying things for each other (as usual). I got John an I-pod Nano, and I got a beautiful Fossil watch with diamonds all around the face of it, as well as an awesome hat, scarf, and gloves. Thanks to John and the kids for "surprising" me. :)
Christmas Day:
We got to have the main celebration at our house for the first time ever. It was so much fun! Grandpa & Grandma Haskell and Uncle Nate came over, and we had a present-opening frenzy. The big gift was a handmade wooden kitchen. The kids got pretend food, pots and pans, and accessories to go with it. They haven't stopped playing with it yet! Other gifts included books, awesome snow boots for all 3 kids, stuffed animals, power tools, clothing, a DVD, bean bag chairs, and more. Momma got a beautiful necklace too!
The gifts that were the most fun to open and see were the ones that were made by the kids. We made bowls using their handprints/footprints for both Mimi and Grandma Haskell from the Cherished Prints party I had a few weeks ago. Also, Caitlin made me a beautiful plate at school with her own picture drawn on it and a calendar for John with each month decorated appropriately with her drawings. Too cool!
For Christmas dinner, we went to John's Aunt Connie's house. Connie's son Clinton and daughter Christy and her 2 girls, Shalese and Ashlee, were there as well. We had a great time eating with them. The girls played with Caitlin all day so that was something special for her. All in all, it was a terrific Christmas!
The 3 C's on Christmas morningCookin' in the kitchenA sweet Momma/Baby momentAunt Connie and Celia
Christian, Caroline, and Cousin Ashlee
Me with John's cousin Christy

Now on to the surprise party....
Since John had recently graduated with his Bachelor's Degree, we all decided he needed a party to celebrate. My mom, Celia, and I have been planning and scheming behind his back for weeks. It was PERFECTLY executed. He had no clue, and we had a great time. He got some very cool gifts and ate yummy BBQ, but the most important part was the fellowship with family. Also, I was able to keep a secret from him!! :) That's never happened--I usually give something away. Ha! Thank you to all of the family that came and celebrated with us. Your support means the world to both of us!
John with his "totally surprised" face and a graduation hat my mom made him wear :)
My brother experiencing graduation hat envy
The awesome cake I so secretly ordered
John's dad, aunt, and brother--the guests
My uncles, brother, dad, Caroline, and grandma all watching as John read his "nuggest of wisdom" that my mom gave him
Caitlin-the ultimate party hostess

I've Been "Posh Spiced"

I have the most wonderful hair stylist in the world--Sarah Woolsey. She works at Montage on Georgia Street (there, that was my pitch for the day--go see her if you want a great cut at a great price!). Caitlin and I have been going to her for about a year now, and she has been slowly coaxing me out of my "haircut shell." When I came to her, I had not had a real haircut in about 3 years. I have always been under the impression that since my hair is wavy and very thick, I can't wear any of the cute styles that are most popular and that long and flat-ironed hair was what I was doomed to live with for it to look good. I have found that that is no longer true. Every time I go to just get a trim, Sarah convinces me to try something new and cutting-edge. Last night was no different. I went in for a trim and came out with a totally wonderful 'do. Basically, if you know who Victoria Beckham (aka: Posh Spice) is, then you can fully understand my haircut. Victoria Beckham brought back the swing bob and made it a modern phenomenon. Needless to say, I LOVE IT. I am finally at a stage in my life where I will try anything within reason to keep the styling to a minimum while still looking young and hip. :) A big thanks to Sarah for seeing past the long, straight, red hair and teaching me that change can be a GOOD thing! Here are some pics for your entertainment. Ha!

12 Random Things About Christmas

I have now been tagged again thanks to my dear friend Keri. Basically, I just have to jot down 12 random things about Christmas (hints the title huh). Let's get to it, shall we?

1. My favorite Christmas song is Oh Come Oh Come Emmanuel. I admit that I do in fact like The Little Drummer Boy as well, especially when Christian sings it. This year, he has actually taught Caroline to say "parumpapumpum." It's precious!

2. John and I are the king and queen of Christmas stocking crap. One of our favorite things to stuff stockings with is flash trash from BSA. All of my sweet relatives delve into their stockings, only to discover they have been stuffed with BSA band-aid holders, little emergency sewing kits, fly swatters with "Call 9-1-1 for Emergencies" written on them, and pencils with the same thing. Truly, I don't think that anyone uses ANY of it...except me. :)

3. I try to order 99.9% of gifts online. I DETEST actual shopping that requires more clothing than house slippers, pj pants, and a ratty shirt. Also, if I have to drag Christian and Caroline along, it's totally not worth it.

4. John and I play this sick game every stinkin' year where we tell each other not to buy presents for the other one. Yeah right. John NEVER sticks to his end of the bargain. Last year he bought me an I-pod Nano and I actually followed the "agreement" and didn't buy him a thing. What annoys me is that he gets around it by saying that he doesn't buy me anything--the kids do. Last night, we were talking about this subject again and I made it very clear that I was NOT to get a present from him, the kids, Santa, or even the dog Charlie---I told him not to use any of those stupid excuses. He then said that it wouldn't be his fault if Bo's (my dead cat) spirit sent something my way...are you kidding me?!? Such a dork. We'll see who actually keeps the deal this year!

5. We draw names for gifts in my family. Since it's very taxing to buy something for everyone, we draw names at Thanksgiving and put a $$ limit on it so Christmas doesn't get out of hand. Actually, truth be told, it's fun that way! The kids, of course, get something from everyone though. It definitely makes Christmastime more relaxed and less frustrating.

6. I learned a lesson as a child about Christmas: put more than 1 thing on your wish list. The way I know this? When I was about 10, my dad requested Dockers dress pants for Christmas, and that's all he wanted. I am sure that when you request something like that, you only expect a pair or two. However, my dad received roughly 8 pairs in every color imaginable! Mind you, he needed them. I just thought it was hilarious that every time he opened a box, out came a pair of Dockers. Wait a minute--he might have something there. Wonder what would happen if I just asked for Ebay gift certificates....

7. I am one of those moms that will give my children clothes instead of toys. My belief: they get enough toys from relatives. I just love the funny looks on their sweet little faces on Christmas day when they open a box with a nice pair of pants or a shirt in it....touches me down deep. :)

8. I sadly admit that this is the FIRST year that I have ever watched "A Charlie Brown Christmas" from beginning to end. It's actually very cute and has a great message!

9. I am one of those thrifty people that shops the after Christmas 90% off clearance at Target. That's where I got my stockings, tree, and 1/2 of my ornaments. Oh and Christmas cards too!

10. I once had a starring role in an elementary Christmas play. We did one EVERY year, and the music leader's daughter was in my class. Naturally, she got picked for everything. In 5th grade, I had had it. I auditioned for the lead part (which required singing) and very impatiently waited for the results. I was SO impatient that I asked the music leader EVERY SINGLE DAY before class if I could have the part. I think he gave it to me out of pity and the desire to have some sanity. I could be wrong--there was a slight possibility that he was crazy over my angelic voice and natural acting ability. I know, I know--whatever I have to tell myself...

11. I learned a random fact about the reindeer that drive Santa's sleigh. They are all FEMALE. That's right! In real reindeer, the males lose their antlers at this time of year. Go ahead--google it. I swear it's the truth! Now how does that make you feel guys?!? It takes females to drive the sleigh and deliver presents. Ha!

12. We have one family tradition that is my favorite. Every Christmas Eve, we all dress up in our best and go with my Grandma to her church's candle lighting service. We sing carols and hold our little candles up in an otherwise dark room---it's truly touching. I hope it's something my children remember as being special as well.

Well that was fun and painless! :) I now tag Misty, Sheridan, and Tina. Ladies, please only do this out of fun and not obligation---or else!! Hee Hee The rules are simple: write 12 random things about Christmas, either past or present. Please specifically tag people and not just say that if you read this blog then you are tagged. I can't wait to read your answers!!!

For Grandma C and Grandpa Haskell

Thank you for the wonderful winter gear!! It has been nice and frosty around Amarillo, so they have definitely come in handy. All 3 children love to wear them! Here is a picture for your enjoyment! :)

Caitlin, Caroline, and....Christina????

I am an Ebay fanatic; there is no hiding that. I buy EVERYTHING there, including ornaments. I recently ordered 3 different ones. The first was a beautiful Snow Baby that has Baby's First Christmas 2006 written on the front. As you can tell, I am a year late getting Caroline's 1st Christmas ornament--embarrassing as that is. The second one I purchased was a cool firefighter sign-type ornament that has little danglies on it--way cuter than it sounds. I have to buy a firefighter one every year, because it's tradition around our house. Ok, so the third one I ordered was a very special one. It was supposed to be hand-painted with 5 snowmen/women. It had a Daddy, Mommy, and 3 babies, and it was to be personalized with our names and then "The Haskells 2007" at the bottom. I was so excited to get this, because ornaments with 5 family members are hard to find. Anyway, the lady said it would take a while to make and ship, and she wasn't kidding. I ordered it on November 30th and it finally came TODAY. I quickly tore open the package, pulled it out, and my smile turned to a frown. Here is how the names read: Caitlin, Caroline, John, Melissa, and....Christina. What?!?!? Last time I looked, I had 2 girls and a boy. I checked on my receipt, and I am 100% positive I gave her the right names. Argggggg!!! All of this suspense built up and I was horribly disappointed. Oh well, maybe we'll get it right next year. It's too late to have it re-made. I guess it will be one of those ornaments that's saved for the back of the tree. Bummer!
If you look closely, you can see the mistake. It's very noticeable in person. :-(

It's The Birthday Girl!

Today is Caitlin Claire's 9th birthday. How old does that make me feel? :) Caitlin is truly the sweetest little girl in the world. She is EVERYTHING a momma could wish for in a daughter. I am so very thankful that she is in my life. Caitlin has kept me grounded, and she has taught me that the small things in life are often times the most precious. I remembered thinking that I was so unprepared to have a tiny baby to take care of. I was afraid I'd mess things up. Honestly, I know that God gave me the sweet, calm, easy-going child first so that I would know that I could do it. Thank you Caitlin for being such a wonderful child, and for loving me even though I stumble and fall. You are my saving grace, and you make me smile and laugh like no other can. You are a huge blessing, and I am excited to see what year #9 holds! Kisses and hugs! :)

Stupid Santa

Ok, now Christian is going to get lumps of coal just like his baby sister. :)
Today, I went shopping with Misty and her 2 littlest girls. Christian was in rare form, being as ornery as he could. I was getting to my boiling point, so Misty kindly helped me. She bent over and told Christian that if he didn't stop being so ornery, she was going to give me her cell phone and I was going to call Santa and tell him not to bring Christian any presents.
That shut him up right then and there. Throughout the store, I had to remind him periodically to be good or Misty would whip out her cell phone and I'd use it to call Santa. We left that store and were on our way to another, when Christian piped up from the back seat.
"Stupid Santa. I'm gonna call him and tell him that YOU touched stuff in the store too."
So there you have it folks. The boy is officially on the naughty list! Ha!

Lumps of Coal...

That's what Caroline is going to get for Christmas after her behavior last night. We went to a Christmas party at Randall and Teresa Ator's house, and Santa was there. All 3 of my children had different opinions of him. Caitlin didn't want her picture taken--something about being too old for this (and since when?), Christian jumped right into his lap and snuggled in, and Caroline...well...it was a tragedy. I got within 3 feet of Santa and she threw her head back and went into hysterics. She dug her fingernails into my arm and I could not pry her off. Nope. Not havin' it. Since it was a photo opportunity, I decided to hold her and stand behind Santa so we could at least have proof that we were there. She screamed and cried even then! I turned her around so she couldn't see him, just long enough to calm her down for the picture. Afterward, I put her down to walk around, and if she could see him, she would cry. Needless to say, I think her stocking will be filled with lumps of coal after that! Ha!
Daddy is in New Mexico on another business trip, so the 3 C's and I are fending for ourselves for a couple of days. I hate cold weather! It totally cramps my style. I can't get out and do things without putting the kids in their "puffalump" jackets (you know, the kind that make their arms stick straight out and their faces puff up like they are full of air) and that's a chore in itself. Caitlin is now finished with volleyball, so that's no longer an excuse to putt around town. Hmph! I guess it's a chance to get some sewing finished huh. :) Speaking of Caitlin, her birthday is Saturday, and we are having our first official sleepover. I don't know if I'm ready for that yet, but it should be fun. We ended up getting her a pair of Heelys (those shoes with a single roller skate wheel in the heel that they can ride around on) and I am not looking forward to the learning process she will have to go through to be able to properly wear them. I would love to put her in a helmet and knee pads 24/7 with those shoes, but that wouldn't be very cool, now would it? In other news, I am hosting our group's monthly Bunko party this Friday night, and I am very excited! I love having people over, and there's nothing like a house full of good food and chatty women!
I can't wait until Christmas--only 14 days left!!

I've Been Tagged!

My friend Jill tagged me. The objective of this post is to use an adjective to describe yourself using the letters of your middle name, so here we go!

B---Boisterous---Yes, all that know me know that I LOVE to talk, laugh and have a great time. I have been told by certain unnamed loved ones (you know who you are--JOHN) that I have a very loud and sometimes annoying laugh. So be it! Also, if you ask some of my friends, I get extra boisterous when I've had a Red Bull. It's possible that I come out of my shell a bit every now and then.

E---Eager Beaver---I love to dive in head first on a challenge. I am one of those people that will push myself to the limits to attain a goal. No matter what it is, I'm usually the first to sign up, and I don't mind getting out of my comfort zone a bit!

T---Tender-hearted---Beneath my rough exterior is a soft heart. I can't stand for anyone to be upset or fighting. I am a peace-maker deluxe. I am also one of those that will adopt an animal just to save it's life, whether or not it's truly what I wanted. I cry at sappy movies, and I take things too hard sometimes.

H---Happy---This word is so simple, yet it really sums me up. I am happy with my life, my family, my relationship with the Lord, my friends, my husband, and my children. When I sit back and look at everything I have been blessed with, I have NO REASON to be anything other than completely satisfied. Happiness is something that people can spend their entire lives searching for, but I can honestly say that I don't need to bother. Everything I could ever want or need is right here, and for that I am SO happy!

Phew! I think I had it easy on this one, being as my middle name only has 4 letters. Ok, I now tag Misty, Sheridan, and Amy B
Have fun and I can't wait to read them!

The Princess And The Hulk

I just had some cute pictures to share. The first one is Princess Caroline (yes, she goes by that around here) modeling her new pink puppy dog slippers. She LOVES to wear them around, but they sometimes throw off her balance when she's walking. She cracks me up! The second picture is of Christian modeling his new green hands and mouth. We made Jell-O jigglers today so he could use his cool new Christmas cookie cutters--a gingerbread man, an angel, a tree, and a star. He picked lime Jell-O which I thought was a great choice at first. I left him sitting at the table with his jigglers while I put the baby to bed. I came downstairs and he was in the bathroom washing his hands, so I started cleaning up his small mess of lime goodness he left for me on the table. He came slinking into the kitchen and showed me his hands. "Momma, I look like the Hulk!" he said. Yup, we couldn't get the green off. We got some funny looks from the ladies in the gym nursery this evening! :)

Projects, Projects, and More Projects

I am slowly getting things finished for this year. The key word here is "slowly." I feel like I just don't have the time or the energy to do all of the cool things I had planned. Oh well, I still have 26 days left in the year right?!?
I took on a project that I really thought was going to be the death of me. A woman I recently met insisted (and let me emphasize that I did not really desire to and actually tried to get out of this on multiple occasions) that I hem her daughter's wedding dress. She said it would be a simple hem, and the dress has a lace overlay that would cover it anyway. The problem came in when her daughter came over and modeled the dress. It was going to need 6 inches removed and then hemmed. Yikes! I FINALLY buckled down and finished it tonight, so here are some pictures of it. The dress is very beautiful, and I'm sure no one will be looking at the hem anyway. Let me take a moment to say that I love to sew, but I will not be hemming anymore wedding dresses.
On to the next project I completed...
I bought these beautiful wool stockings when Target had all of their Christmas stuff 90% off. I got them for roughly $1.29 a piece, which was a steal in my book! They had ugly sewn-on letters on one side which came off easily. Then, I embroidered all of our names on the other side to complete the look. I am so pleased with them! So there you have it--another sleepless night thanks to sewing. Ha!
The beautiful wedding dress--notice that there is still a bunch of tulle hanging down. She didn't want that cut so that made the job easier. :)
The back with the "lace overlay" that only covers the back half of the dress
The stockings are hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that my children won't touch, rip, or tear...

The Ickies

That's right. The "ickies" are going around, and let me tell you it's NO FUN. Caitlin came home from school yesterday morning with a severe tummy ache, so she spent all day in bed. Then, Caroline woke up with a 101.5 degree fever, and she basically sat in my lap wrapped in her favorite blanky all day. I took her to the doctor at 3:15 and didn't get home until 6:30, so that just shows how much crud is going around. After several tests, pokes, and prods, they found that she has a very bad UTI. What's weird is that there's a virus going around called the adenovirus that can cause children to have a UTI, and that is what the doctor thinks she has. She got a rocephin shot in the office, and then we have to go back this afternoon to get a 2nd one. To top it all off, Christian was up all night last night on the potty with a stomach yucky. Right now, I would pay money for just one good night's sleep. :) The one blessing in all of this is that my children don't stay down for long. Caitlin went back to school today, Christian is smiling and happy, and Caroline is back to her old self again!

Tattoos & God

I know you are reading the title and thinking, "What in the world could these 2 things have in common?" Honestly, I didn't think they had ANYTHING in common myself--that is until Saturday night.
What originally started as a date night with dinner and a movie turned into dinner and tattoos. Yes, we are those kind of hoodlums that feel the need to ink ourselves occasionally. We entered the tattoo parlor (yes Mom, it was sterile and very clean!) and began to describe what we were wanting. The guys told us it couldn't be done and asked if we were interested in anything else.
*Let me interject that what we had asked for can actually be accomplished, but that's for another blog at another time*
So, sure! Why not get something else while we are there and in the position to do so. We picked our designs and were inked. Me first, of course. The only thing was that John didn't realize it was going to take FOREVER to get his finished. I feel for the guy, really.
The tattoo artist taking care of John this fine evening was also named John. He was quizzing my hubby about the significance of what we had originally asked for--not what was being added now--and we told him. He was impressed that it was something to do with Christianity. In fact, that opened a floodgate of conversation. He proceeded to tell us about how he goes to Trinity Fellowship too, and that he went on the men's retreat back in September. He then began to tell us about how he is sadly in the beginnings of a divorce. Something about needing love to sustain a relationship--then he was quiet. He said that unfortunately the church was overbooked in the marriage counseling department, and he didn't know what else he could do. I felt so sorry for him. I made mention of the Marriage Today program, and how that truly helped us mend our marriage. He listened, but it didn't seem like he had much hope left.
By the end of the night, my heart was aching for him and his wife. Needless to say, he didn't completely finish John's tat, so he will have to go back. We are praying that in the mean time, God will help us find the words...or the SOMETHING...to help him out. My first lesson learned here--don't ever judge a book by its cover. You may never know where or when God will use you, and you can't have a judgmental heart when it comes to the affairs of the Father. There are more lessons to learn I'm sure.
I know that you are all wondering what it is we inked on ourselves this time, but those pictures will have to wait as well. We are still under construction. :) This is a story that will end with:
to be continued...