Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you all have a wonderful, happy, joyful, festive, family fun-filled day!

Love, Maggie

Freezing rain? Really?

Well it doesn't appear that any of our local weather men can decide what the weather is actually going to be like on Christmas Eve or Christmas day so BLAH! We COULD get freezing rain, or we COULD get snow, or we COULD get just rain. It COULD start tomorrow afternoon or tomorrow night OR Thursday morning. What good is all the Doppler 27,000 radar and future cast and interactive radar if I STILL don't know what the weather will be like in a day and a half?

Did I mention that we got about 3 or so inches of snow today that was TOTALLY unpredicted? Why did I move UP to Wisconsin? What was I thinking?

I know I shouldn't complain since the east coast got slammed this week. I feel bad for them but was so thankful it wasn't us!

Maybe the 9pm forecast will have better results! That is if I can stay up until they actually show the weather!

The countdown is on

So Christmas is less than a week away and I am DONE with all of my Christmas chores. Shopping is done, wrapping is done, baking is done (or almost done as the last batch of pre-made, pre-cut sugar cookies is baking now - yes I am miss domestic thankyouverymuch!). Now I can just relax and enjoy these last few days before Christmas arrives.

Who am I kidding? There is a potential for snow on Thursday when we are supposed to drive down to Illinois and more snow on Friday (Christmas) as we go from one house to another to home. There is packing everything for our mini-journey and trying not to forget important things like Maggie's peep squad (her gazillion stuffed animal buddies) or her sound machine (essential). Then there is work to worry about. This time of year is our absolute busiest trying to get ready for 1/1 and making sure clients are all ready. I don't have my new Blackberry yet so unless I am in front of my computer I am in the dark. Ugh.

So fa la la la la people!

I really am in the holiday spirit! Christmas always seems to sneak up and BAM here it is! It sometimes feels like the chance to "enjoy" it is gone before you know it.

So here is to a slow, quiet, joyful week leading up to the holiday. I think I will start it off with an overly frosted cookies with extra sprinkles!

We wish you a Merry Christmas!

Maggie's Christmas program was tonight and it was oh so cute!  After dinner we got her all dressed up in her pretty Christmasy dress and new pretty shoes and went off to the show.  It was a little touch and go as we were on our way out the door (she felt she NEEDED her sunglasses - ugh) but we finally got in the car and were on our way.

Luckily we got seats in the second row - though unfortunately the pictures didn't come out very clear.  They did record the whole thing (it was only about 20 minutes long) so I am hoping they tell us how to get copies.

Anyway - here is Maggie in all her glory!  She knew the words better to her songs than a lot of the 3 year olds and even some of the four year olds.  She is a girl after my own heart though - notice when she gets distracted by the very soft dress on the girl next to her!



Again - forgive the quality - I think our camera is on it's last leg.

It was a fun night for all!

It's done

The Christmas tree is decorated!!! Yeah!  It has more than a measly ten ornaments on it AND it has silver tinsel garland.  Yes I am old school and love the garland.  I'm big into actual tinsel too but since we got the cats I have broken that cheesy habit.

And can we all say hi to Steve?  Blues Clues is our newest fav!

Now I know the tree still looks a little bare.  To be honest I usually put up ten times as many ornaments as are on there now.  No one but us is going to see the tree this year and the thought of packing them all back up again made me keep them to a minimum.  Maggie hasn't touched them at all so I figured why mess with a good thing.

I got the stockings hung up as well (well three of the five - yes I have stockings for our kitties!).  We hang them with the 3M hooks laying flat on the mantle because I have nightmares about Maggie pulling down one of the heavy stocking holders down on her head.  Anyway - I only had three of the sticky tape thingys for the hooks and haven't gotten more yet. 

It is going to be a busy week here.  I have a "team meeting" starting tomorrow and ending Thursday.  Luckily it is in our Wisconsin office so I only need to drive in everyday but there will be dinners to attend and "team building" activities and so on so I will be pretty scarce until Friday. 

Maggie's Christmas program is this week too.  Is our daycare the only one that puts on a Christmas program?  I am not exactly sure we will be going because the darn thing doesn't start until 7pm, which is Maggie's bedtime, but also because by the end of every week her naps get shorter and shorter to the point where she is falling asleep at the table.  I don't think the 2 year olds are doing much so it's not a huge deal.  I would love to see her dressed up all Christmasy and singing with other little kids.  I guess we will wait and see.

Oh how should I wrap things up.  No clue so I guess I'll go makes some chocolate chip cookies!!

Have a good week!

TGIF - and thank goodness Maggie is in bed

Let's just say that after a 30 minute temper tantrum during dinner, I am so thankful that Maggie is in bed.  What a way to end the week!

Can I just say I really hate it when after a snowstorm people don't clean off their cars but STILL think it is safe to drive them with say a 6 by 6 inch "hole" cleared on the windshield.  OR the top of their SUV / minivan has so much snow on top that my car gets pelted with huge ice chunks while going 50 miles an hour down the road.  It's downright scary!  Clean off your cars people!!!

Now I am really almost done shopping for Christmas (just the 15 year old left!).  One thing that has been difficult is getting Maggie's teachers gifts.  First, I don't KNOW them super well to really have a good idea what to get them plus - THERE ARE SO MANY OF THEM!  YES I AM YELLING!  Last year I had to get gifts for 7 or 8 people.  Her two main teachers, the assistant teachers, the afternoon "helpers", the cook, the floater (who I think makes out like a bandit) and the director.  Yikes!  This year I just bought 6 of everything and plan on putting them in gift bags and being done with it.  Don't get me wrong - I WANT to show my appreciation - it just gets out of hand at times with the number of people you know?

I am going to go relax now and eat some Snickers bars.  It's Friday and I'm going to live it up!

Oh - and this weekend - I AM going to finish decorating the Christmas tree!

Cheers!

WW - Snow clean up and calamity

Here is the evidence of yesterday's snow disaster.  Oh mail box post - you served us well......

And here is Sean clearing off the driveway for the first time today....

 We got about 8 - 10 inches (I think?).  It stopped for a short bit this morning but has been snowing and blowing since 8am or so.

Oh and a quick update on the sidewalk.  Right now the city will continue to clear it until they do some additional research to come up with a decision.  The guy in charge of streets and sanitation (the department in charge of cleaning streets and sidewalks) didn't even KNOW our sidewalk existed until some stupid person complained about it!

Happy Snow day!!!