Glad it's over!

WHEW! I am glad Christmas is OVER! Don't get me wrong, it's not that I don't like Christmas because I do. It was just a long, hectic holiday for us.

Both of my children were sick for most of December. They caused both my husband & I to get sick as well. I know, it is part of having little ones. The littlest one has been crabby, whiney & beyond clingy. I can't forget her not sleeping through the night & getting into bed with us at 2 a.m. Once she wakes us, we are awake for the rest of the night. That also aided us in getting sick.

On December 22nd, we spent ALL day baking & decorating sugar cookies. On Sunday I helped my daughter ake her gifts. We made a pincushion for my mom, using a frosting conatiner, polyfiber fill, tulle, felt & cotton. Another gift was a bank for my brother. Again we used a frosting container, scrapbook paper & metallic star stickers. Finally we made a pen/pencil holder for my dad. For that we used a round, plastic drink mix container, scrapbook paper, a Christmas tree colored by Liz from school & snowflake & gingerbread men stickers. My husband took the little one to the store so we wouldn't be trying to keep her out of the supplies to make gifts.

December 23rd, I got to go to the store to buy a few last minute gifts for my husband & our girls. I picked up some DVD's & a metal camping table for him. For the littlest one I choose a pair of Dora the Explorer play shoes. The oldest received an UNO card game featuring "Cars" by Pixar & a set of 4 plastic card holders by Leap Frog. I also threw together a big fancy bow from wired edged ribbon for the wine we were taking to the Christmas Eve/housewarming party.

My husband is half Itallian & he said it is custom to present friends with a bottle of wine & a loaf of bread at a housewarming. The ribbon made it look much nicer, you know...like an actualy GIFT! We also brought sugar cookies for their party, per their request. The gift was a pair of digital thermostats for their new home. They were pleased.

They gave us 4 tickets to see the Disney Princesses on ice...row 12. They brought back a pretty bracelet for me from Greece & postcards from Greece & Italy to use in my Postcrossing activites. It is 224 miles round trip to their house & back. We got home about 11:30 pm Christmas Eve. We were wrapping gifts for the kids until about 3 am.

Christmas day we got up earlier than we would have liked. One was becuase children are impatient to see what Santa has left for them. The other was that we had too much to do! From 7am until 12:30 pm I did the following:

Opened gifts from Santa & each other.

Made & ate breakfast while fighting to keep the kids out of the candy canes that Santa leaves on the tree each year.

Wrapped the gifts to my Mother in law, brother & parents. My sister in laws gift was already wrapped.

Did three loads of laundry.

Gave the kids a bath.

Took a shower.

Ran the dushwasher.

Baked 3 dozen cookies for my dad becuase he LOVES my chocolate chip cookies.

Made my siser in laws 2nd gift.

Wrote out a few receipes for my brothers gift.

got the kids & myself dressed & loaded into the car.

Husband & I loaded gifts into the car.

Husband & I forgot the gift I made SIL & one gift for my MIL, but didn't know it until we drove the 75 miles to MILs house.

Drove to MILs house.

Most of this would have been done BEFORE Christmas Day if the girls had not been sick & had not gotten us sick as well.

See why I said I was glad Christmas is over?


On Chrismas Day after I was finished eating, I was the 2st one done btw, I got up & just started doing the dirty dishes. I did this because my MIL would not let me help her with setting the table or anything before hand. I didn't say a word I just got up & started cleaning. My husband broguht me his dishes & next some other guests dishes. Gradualoly all the dishes were brought to me. I was washing them & putting them in the dishwasher to dry. My MIL looked exhausted & over heated. I lost count of how many times she thanked me. It's not like her own daughter would do such a thing. I think my MIL was trying to give me time to visit with my family. That is why she wouldn't let me help her before dinner. She is sweet that way.


As it turns out the Receipe book was the perfect gift for my brother. I made sure to include the ones he had written out for me back in 1998. He had told me today that those were all receipes he had before the fire burned them up. My husband picked up some bakeware for him becuase the one he was cooking with needed to be replaced. he was very pleased.

After I up load some pics I am headed to bed.