Sunday, November 29, 2009

Oh, Christmas Tree...Ohhhhhhh Christmas Tree


Last year, my beautiful (not cheap) Christmas tree (that had all sorts of guarantees about lights staying on, even if one burned out) started having complete strands go out in strange patterns. So, in an effort to save money this year, I spent two days this week unlighting my non working prelit tree....BIG pain in the booty. This picture does not do the amount of lights in my recycle bin justice because it's a huge amount. They were wrapped around and around and around..... Anyway, since we saved money, we were able to buy the really nice, bigger-bulbed, electricity-saving LED lights. So after rewrapping our tree with the new lights, it looks fantastic. Special thanks to Erica, J, and Alan for their help in the unlighting process. Lesson of the Day: Do not buy a prelit tree in the first place.
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My Two Favorite Reindeer


"Now Dasher, now Dancer, now Prancer, and Vixen.
On Z, on J, on Donder, and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! To the top of the wall! Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"
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Saturday, November 21, 2009

Goofy Glasses and Crazy Shades Night at Awana

This Wednesday was Goofy Glasses and Crazy Shades Theme Night at Awana. Check out the glasses Z and I put together. I love the dollar store. We bought the glasses then glued on the jewels. Z and I thought we looked maaaaarvelous. A lot of people actually thought my glasses were great and that I should wear them on a normal day. I think not! They're hideous. J wore the classic nose, glasses, eyebrow, and mustache combo (I'll try to get a picture and post). But his nose would light up and change colors...another dollar store find. Lesson of the day: The dollar store is GREAT and a lot of my friends have questionable taste!
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Thursday, November 12, 2009

Orphan Shoes...what's with that?



Okay, I'm constantly amazed by the number of orphaned shoes on the side of the road. Just yesterday, I was headed to Sams and there next to the curb was a once nice adult sized tennis shoe that had obviously met it's demise by the wheel of a car. Orphaned shoes always spur a plethera of questions like, "Does its owner know its gone?" "How did it end up there?" "Were they hanging their foot out the window and the shoe fall off?" "Did they leave their shoe on the top of their car?" I just don't get it. Shoes aren't cheap. I can almost understand if it's a kids shoe. I remember spending the good part of an afternoon searching up and down, in between, and under every isle at Target looking for a brand new sandle of J's. I also remember Z taking off her shoe and chunking it across Walmart about a year ago. But these aren't just kid shoes. In fact, most of them are adult shoes. I've seen everything from boots to flip-flops, sandles to tennis, high heels to crib shoes. I guess I'll aways wonder about it...the orphaned shoe on the side of the rode. Lesson of the Day: Don't hang a foot out the car window...you might just lose a shoe!

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Meet Super Turkey

Faster than the consumption of pumpkin pie, stronger than the smell of Thanksgiving dinner cooking, able to leap small tables in a single bound, it's a bird...it's a turkey...it's Super Turkey!

Picture one: Super Turkey (J's latest art project for school) with Merlin the pumpkin (J's last art project), plotting a way for Super Turkey to avoid becoming Thanksgiving dinner.

Picture two: Ahhhhhhhhh!

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Thursday, November 5, 2009

Meet Cloe the Monkey-Armed Doll


After making my new daily visit to thelongthread.com (thanks Thomas...I'm now addicted), I decided to make this doll for Z because the ones on the website were just WAY too expensive. Z named her Cloe. Cloe has since been on several car rides and has eaten plenty of play food. Her arms are a little long (like a monkey) but Z likes that Cloe can give big hugs. Lesson of the Day: A little Craftiness can save you a lot of money!

Indiana J and Z the Garden Fairy





Before the kids went Trick-or-Treating we all (including cousins, Julianna and Melody, and Aunt Andi) went to Aunt Lauri and Uncle Greg's house for dinner. The kids practiced their "trick-or-treating manners" with Lauri. J had a great time whipping flowers. I think we were all a little scared to get too close to him. Lesson of the Day: Be careful when giving a 7 year old a whip.

The Garden Fairy