I can't help myself, I love sending out Christmas cards

And the finished product, front and back.

Brutal truth.

E picked up a cute new pair of Super Mario pj's for G.  He intended them for Christmas pj's but he kind of forgot to mention that to me.  So I washed 'em up.  I called G into his room a few minutes ago and pulled them out of his pj drawer.

G: "Oh mommy, you did that for me?  You made me in such a gooder mood."

Me: "You're welcome, buddy, I'm glad you're happy to wear them."

G: "When I grow up I'm gonna take good care of you and my son."

Me: "I bet you will!!!  But what about daddy?"

G: "Oh he'll be dead by then."

Me: "Aw, that's a terrible thing to say.  Daddy is going to live to be an old, old man."

G: "He already kind of is an old man, mommy, he told me.  But don't worry, we'll have pictures of him and we'll take those with us wherever we go."

Me; "Um, okay."

Our gingerbread adventure

I swore I'd never do another gingerbread house with G.  I did one a few years ago and it was a freaking disaster.  Somehow I talked myself into it again.  Great.

G asked if he could take some pictures with my DSLR.  Sure, why not?  So he took one of Gunner and when I caught him on the floor taking one of Siren's butt I took my camera away.

We got that decoration when he was 2.  He still loves it.

He was working really hard.

In between sneaking bites of frosting that is.

What?  Don't all gingerbread houses include zombies?

Oh Christmas Tree...

G wasn't feeling good, he had gotten some shots the day before and he was just feverish and crabby.  But not too crabby to go find our Christmas tree.  E knew exactly where he wanted to take us to look and I knew exactly what kind of tree I wanted to find.  Usually we put a tree in the front windows, which is the lowest point in the ceiling.  This time I wanted a much taller tree in the middle of the house where the ceiling pitch is the highest. 

Tired boy!

We found the perfect one!  I remember not too long ago where E could lift G up to put the star on top.  The tree was almost too tall for E to get the star up there and G weighs too dang much to be lifting him up like that.  

G loved, loved, loved decorating the treet.  He picked out each ornament and either asked me the story behind it or made up a story of his own.  He picked out this one and said, "Really, mom?  We have a Big Bang Theory ornament?"  No, kiddo, we bought that for what was technically your second Christmas when you were 18 months old because you'd started walking that year and we called you the Flash."  "It's Sheldon, mom."  Okay then.

Didn't he do a great job?  The first thing he does every morning when he gets up is turn on the tree.  Then he grabs his Lego Star Wars Advent calendar.  

Christmas can be a lot of work.  More than I'm inclined to put forth.  But G adores it already.  What kid doesn't right?  He talked me into putting up my Bearfoots Beartivity.  Then, of course, we read the story of Jesus' birth.  

I was working in the office and G hollered at me from the living room.  "Hey mommy, come look.  There's a gift from God under the tree for you."  I got up and went out there and sure enough, G was under the tree.    

This kid of mine, I tell ya.  He knows how to get me right in the feelers <3

Yep, all I want after a day like today...

Let's just say today was not a banner day for us.  G was in a mood, I was in a mood.  Those two moods did not work well together.  Good thing that doesn't happen often.

What's in a face?

This is what happens when a 6 year old boy doesn't listen to his mother and climbs to the top of a gravel pile covered in crusted snow (because it hasn't snowed for a few days but it has rained) and then slides down the pile (which has a plow berm all around it) on his belly.  Genius.

Cabela's Santa and the Mantrum (i.e. man tantrum)

Yay for Cabela's giving those of us who are tired of paying $15 for one 4x6 picture at the mall a free picture!  It's the first time we've been to the new store in town, it's only been open for a month or two now.  G was so excited to see Santa, he's a big fan.

There was almost no wait and the Santa crew was very sweet.  The picture isn't top quality but that's okay.  G was excited to see the jolly guy and get to chat with him for a few minutes.  I was happy to browse in the women's section while he did so.  Is it just me or is Santa kind of diminutive in that chair?  Or is G really that big already?  Either way. happy happy happy G.

E, not so much.  As we were headed to leave he stopped to look at something specific.  I kind of took his arm to steer him away from it because it's something that's already been purchased for him for Christmas.  He kind of threw my hand off his arm and loudly made some comment like, "Oh I can't even fucking look?" and he stormed out the door.

Full on man-trum (i.e. man tantrum).  Normally I'd laugh about seeing a man throwing a mantrum at Cabela's but when that man is sitting in my car it isn't nearly as funny to me.

In retrospect I could have just ignored him looking and then if he wanted to purchase it I could have talked him out of it.

My bad, as usual.

maybe it's just me...

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/helen-louise-moores/motherhood_b_6177282.html?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000037&ir=Parents

"I say hello to everyone I walk past, smiling and hoping they will smile back, just so I can feel visible to another adult."

Do you ever feel that way?  Try being a stay at home/work from home mom of an only child and living in a very isolated area.  Sure, I see E every day (mostly) but otherwise I am kind of invisible to the real world.  Well except for some internet pals who keep tabs on me to make sure I haven't died and it just didn't make the paper.  Okay, or more accurately I post five times a day on Facebook in the hopes that someone might acknowledge that I exist.  I should probably stop doing that, it's a little attention-whore like.  A little something like this... 

Anyway.  This post, like so many on my blog, is kind of pointless.  

His Toy Story

Toy Story 3 was on this evening.
It was the only thing on TV and though he didn't sit down and watch it, the TV was on while G was playing (i.e. Legos, drawing, etc.).
G used to love Toy Story.
I remember when E bought him a Buzz Lightyear for his 2nd or 3rd Christmas.  Stupid thing was like $60 but E said G had to have it.
I remember when G found a Woody doll (kids meal toy from Burger King or something) at my mom's house and packed it with him wherever we went while we were there.
When I put him in bed tonight he had already put Buzz and Woody up in his bunk and he told me, "My buddies are going to keep me company while I sleep tonight.  I've missed them."  I pulled up his covers and he was sure to make it so that they had their heads up on a pillow next to him and that the blanket didn't cover their faces or anything.

Cute, right?
So sweet.

It took me back.  Back to when I slept with the Pound Puppy an aunt made me for Christmas.  It wasn't the name brand pound puppy all my friends had gotten but I loved it.  Or my Cabbage Patch Kids.  Or any number of things that are now categorized as "vintage" (http://www.buzzfeed.com/briangalindo/35-awesome-toys-every-80s-girl-wanted-for-christmas).

Now I get why when I see a My Little Pony my heart flutters a little bit and I smile.  My eyes see what my memory had tucked away, an old happiness attached to a time in my childhood.  Getting to live childish things again through my son sure is a blessing!

  

I believe!