A Traditional Latte

It's Christmas Eve, that means that we're getting ready for our traditional Christmas Eve bowling outing. Technically this is only the second year that we've gone, but it's a tradition in the making. The kids will also get to open their traditional Christmas Eve gifts tonight - pajamas, a book, and a new ornament. With 3 kids each getting a new ornament each year, I'm going to need a second Christmas tree soon. Tomorrow I will break out my fine china for the annual Christmas brunch, a sausage, egg, cheese casserole with fruit and ham on the side. Grandparents, Aunts, and possibly great-grandparents will join us for that portion of the day. It's the one time of the year that I use the fine china. And one of the few times that I cook if the truth be told.

These are all traditions that I have created and for my little family. None of my kids actually eat the brunch casserole that I make each year, and Mason would rather pick the gift under the tree of his choosing to open instead of pajamas on Christmas Eve. My dishes have to all be washed by hand. Still, I'm hoping that these traditions will continue. Maybe one day my kids will start to like my holiday food. It's possible that they will grow up with a different view of our holiday family traditions than mine, and that's alright. I'm trying to be flexible (it's not always easy - but that's another story).

For now, I'll just say - traditional or not - enjoy your holidays! I thrive on the chaos of Christmas, and love that it's an over-the-top kind of day for us. Some people enjoy a quiet day or a nice vacation from it all. Now I'm off to find an outfit that goes well with bowling shoes!

A Status Latte

This is isn't a superior latte by any means. Although, I did have an exceptionally good non-fat vanilla chai latte from my favorite local coffee spot, Octane, today. They make their own vanilla, yum! Today's latte is actually about my status, specifically my status updates on Facebook for the year. Let me start by saying that I have been home with sick children for over a week now. I'm getting a little stir crazy, and, as usual, spending more time than I should on my laptop.

As a rule, I ignore all of the applications, games, etc on Facebook, but I could not resist this year-end one that I saw on a friend's page. It creates a collage from random status updates (somehow chosen by this app) which you have posted over the course of the year. I enjoyed my look back so much, that I decided to post it here since some of 3 or 4 readers do not spend any time on Facebook. Here is a latte to go along with this, take a moment (or a week if you're home with sick kids) to reflect on your year. Look at old pictures, journals, or status updates, and appreciate all you and your family have done...

My Year in Status Updates:

loves that it was nice enough weather to stay outside for a while after school before the low 40s and rain move in for the end of the week and weekend once again * Why does Valentine’s Day feel like the new Halloween at school? We really don’t need all of that candy. * “There’s something about the Southland in the springtime...” * Orange bandana for my Grounded Kid - if you know my kids you can guess which one that is. *might be developing an ebay habit, don’t tell Rob * my 7 year old used air quotes to emphasize a sarcastic remark to me. He actually used them correctly, too. * Starbucks should offer delivery to people who are stuck at home with sick kids and who have broken espresso machines. * Mason quote of the day “I love April Fool’s Day! You can tell lies all day and not get in trouble.” * June 2006 - the wait began; Summer 2009 - #62 on the waiting list; Summer 2010 - we’re in. Venetian Pool, here we come! * Mary Jane to me at 10 this morning, “Mommy, I didn’t just eat a cookie. It looks like a cookie and tastes like a cookie, but it’s not a cookie.” * We made it - 4 adults, 3 children, 2 laptop DVD players, 1 top carrier on the rented Tahoe. Houston and back in less than 5 days, Uncle D is now a married man! * Is it ok to recycle Corona bottles with the lime stuck in them? * They call it the Magic Kingdom for a reason! Great trip but the bar has now been set pretty high for summer fun, and we’re only 2 days into summer vacation. * “Way up on Lookout Mountain, there’s a camp that’s really swell...” * Back from a weekend at a place that might be more magical than the Magic Kingdom! * MJ and I just looked through Mason’s baby book (volume 1). I realized 2 things, 1. I’ve got to get a baby book put together for each of my girls one of these days & 2. Sadie was a huge dog (75 pounds) to have next to such a little guy for his first few years. * Thinks I might just stay in Sea Pines forever. And I just said goodnight to my 7 year old little boy for the last time, he’ll wake up as an 8 year old. * You know you’re a grown-up when you get really excited about a new vacuum cleaner * If the chocolate is from Whole Foods, does that mean it’s a little healthier? * Surprise tickets to the opening night of Cirque de Soleil, a great way to celebrate 10 years of marriage! * DHHS grads - we’re everywhere! * Considering I’ve been house bound all week with a sick child (2 sick children today and one more who is still sleeping), I’m thinking my house should be much cleaner than it is.

An Over-committed Latte

Parent involvement is a great thing. One of the truly fabulous things about my kids' elementary school is that the parents often fill in the gaps left by public school bureaucracy to get things done. There's just one thing, if you're a parent at the school and you give a hint that you might have a few free hours one morning a week or a special interest in something, they'll ask you to volunteer away all of your free-time.

Being a parent volunteer starts early. When my kids were very little and I was sleep deprived and desperate for adult interaction, I did things like coordinate our weekly playgroup. Then came preschool. The opportunities for volunteering as a preschool mommy can be overwhelming to say the least but also fun and rewarding if you find the right committees. Then you're ready for elementary school. I am a good target, I'm very social and enjoy working with groups of other moms. Lots of moms are very good at the juggling required to get it all done - they have lists and calendars and yahoo! groups. I have a hard time even keeping up with email these days much less a calendar or three.

With Mary Jane only in pre-k, I have many years left to volunteer at school, but, this fall, I'm feeling like I've already reached my limit. I still haven't typed up the minutes from the last PTA meeting which I need to do since I'm secretary, and I spent too much time to count getting wrapping paper delivered to the right students since I'm in charge of that fundraiser. I am in awe of the people who somehow manage to take on much more than I have, and they seem to do it with ease. I am also developing a new respect for those moms who have no problem saying no. Signing up to be a co-Daisy Scout Troop leader for Charlotte has turned into way more commitment than I bargained for, but I think I'm in it for the long-haul now.

Here's my latte for all you volunteer moms, take five minutes and drink a latte before you say "yes". Is it something that you or your children will really enjoy? Charlotte is thrilled about scouting which is why I said yes to that one. While joining a committee can be a great way to meet people, it's not a good idea to join just for the social aspect. Real work will probably follow. Then you might feel guilty if you're not giving it 100%. If you want to get together with other moms, just make plans, and it is amazing how much fun it can be to go out without an agenda or to-do list in front of you. Now I'm off to type up those minutes.

"I have a photograph..."

In high school I listened to a wide range of music - Billy Joel, REM, Indigo Girls, James Taylor, 10,000 Maniacs, Bon Jovi. The list goes on and also includes Simon & Garfunkel. They had a great little song called Bookends which contains the line "Time it was and what a time it was, I have a photograph. Preserve your memories..." I've had that line stuck in my head all day.

Today is the day I finally began to tackle the huge box of pictures from the last 5 years that has been growing in the basement. Mason's baby book ends around age 2, but it does take up 2 volumes with captions for all of the big events. The girls each have a handful of photos thrown into an album, I feel a little guilty about that. I actually put off getting a digital camera until Mason turned 1. I wanted to have pictures to hold and save. I was worried that if I went digital I wouldn't have anything to put in albums.

Turns out, I still have quite a few printed pictures to sort through. For now at least, I have decided to forgo the individual albums and just get the pictures into some sort of order. What works best for me is to put pictures from one event together with a caption, and not worry too much about chronological order. I am going to devote one album to birthday parties, my sorting revealed some gaps in prints so I will spend some time in the coming days sorting through Snapfish in hopes that I can find missing parties.

Here's my picture sorting latte - first, have a latte to keep you going while you sort. Then make sure you have the time and space to spread out for a while without any small folks coming and trying to "help". Then get ready for a trip down memory lane, you'll be singing "... I have a photograph, preserve your memories..." for hours after.

Queen for a Day (again)

This is a recycled latte from last year. One great thing about The Melon Festival in Milan, Ohio (my husband's hometown) is that pretty much all of what I said last year still rings true this year. As I sit here with the giant stuffed animal my father-in-law won for me at skee ball, we are all exhausted from the weekend fun, and I think I gained five pounds from the festival food. It was fabulous, and here are last year's observations...

I like to refer to Atlanta as a small town, but we all know that it's not. My husband, on the other hand, is from a true small town. A tiny little town in Northern Ohio, population about 1200. We just spent Labor Day weekend there with family as we have many times in the past.

Like many very small towns, I've learned, they have one weekend a year for some type of festival. In Rob's hometown, Labor Day weekend is the Melon Fest. Since I grew up in Atlanta, I never got to experience these festivals as a child. I think I missed out, and I can understand why our kids ask to go every year. There are carnival rides, games where you can pay $3 to win a plastic or stuffed prize, and festival food which is the best - brats, fries, tacos, funnel, cake, and the BEST corn on the cob I've ever tasted (sweet corn for those Ohio natives). Not to mention the cantelope and watermelon ice cream.

And then there is the parade. In all the years I've attended the festival, at least 5 now, I've been to the beer tent and two bars many times, but I've never made it to the parade until this year. Here's what I found out, each town in the area has some sort of festival during the summer, and at each of these events a queen is chosen. That queen then gets to go ride in a convertible or float at all of the other local parades. I'm pretty sure that Charlotte thought she was watching a parade filled with live princesses waving right at her. To top things off, almost everyone hands out candy as they pass by.

I don't know that I have a latte from all of this, it's more of a shout-out to the joys of small town America. I'm glad it's an experience my kids get to enjoy. I have quite a bit of fun myself, and even if they don't sell lattes from a booth at the festival, the corn on the cob is really out of this world!

The Sound of Silence

For 8 years I cherished any time that I had completely to myself because it was not something that happened very often. Don't get me wrong, it was totally by choice. I wanted the chaos of having kids who were close in age - Mason is 46 months older than Mary Jane with Charlotte right in between them.

Then it happened, we were in what seemed to be the middle of a great summer when, all of a sudden, it was time to go back to school. There is one huge difference this year, Mary Jane is joining her brother and sister at the elementary school. She won the lottery and got a spot in the coveted pre-k program at the school. As she starts the 2nd week, I think that she feels more tired than lucky. She is not an early riser by nature, and the school day is now starting 10 minutes earlier (can they really do that?). 7:15 - 7:45 has not been a fun time for us, I'm hoping it will get better.

What does all of this mean for me? My kids are all in school from 7:50 - 2:20. Wow! Since I wasn't really ready to be done with preschool, I've taken a job helping out a couple of mornings a week in the toddler room there. I'll still have some free time on my hands. Maybe I should give cooking a try, and perhaps I'll finally get organized around here. Exercise has got to make it onto my to do list. But first, I've got to get use to the silence. I'm off to get a latte (alone) and run a few errands. And I'm a little sad that I don't have anyone to buckle into a carseat while I'm out. I guess it would seem strange if I stopped at the zoo by myself.

My days are still busy, after school we have homework, playdates, karate, gymnastics, choir, etc. I just have a different type of day now, and Mary Jane and I need to adjust to the new schedule. I'm glad that for 8 years I spent most of my time with my kids, it has flown by. Today's latte - listen to your kids, it's much more fun than the sound of silence.

A Whole Foods Latte

Literally, I had a latte today from Whole Foods and it inspired me to write again. Who knew they made such a good iced, non-fat mocha with half the mocha? The summer is winding down, and we're spending this last week of vacation shifting gears so that next Monday won't come as quite a shock. We were running low on practically everything and expecting some friends for lunch so off to Whole Foods we went.

I know, it's a little pricey, and I've heard it referred to as "Whole Paycheck," but it really is a great store. It is worth it to me to spend a little extra money to shop in a store where my kids don't keep asking me to put more junk food in the shopping cart. They seem to have figured out what I'm doing. Today Mason asked if I would buy a box of lollipops, "but Mommy, they're organic" was his plea. We didn't get the lollipops, but we did get some sorbet from the gelato counter right next to the lattes.

I realize that Whole Foods might not be the right place for every mom to shop. I would prefer to grow tomatoes in my own garden, but since I haven't gotten around to that, yet, I feel better knowing that I'm getting local organic tomatoes for my family. Today's latte is to at least go try a latte, they're really good and actually a little less expensive than at some other coffee shops, and while you're there, stroll around. I've gotten a few great organic cotton tees while shopping there. My kids may not understand what organic means, but they know it's something healthy, and so that's a start.

A Summer Latte

Summer is flying by! The last six weeks have been a blur of Disneyworld, pool, playdates, Hilton Head, humidity, trips to Starbucks, Super Mario on the Wii, and more time at the pool. I had visions of being organized this summer - packing a picnic for a walk to the pool each day, educational and fun outings in the afternoons. I was going to give up caffeine and write new lattes at least once a week. Then reality set in. After a week of packing lunches, pushing the stroller to the pool and spending several hours each day in the sun, I was exhausted, sunburned, and my house was a mess.

I don't think I've found the summer balance, yet. Today is a playdate day. My kids need to be entertained by friends every few days so that we don't all go a little crazy. My house is still a mess, but that is really nothing new. A lovely new Starbucks opened near us, and Mason and I biked there yesterday morning to check it out. Maybe I'll go there to write one of these days, in my mind I've composed at least a dozen lattes about a wedding, video games, family vacations, and organizing pictures to name a few.

In no time at all, the summer will be over and I will be both relieved and sad. I am enjoying this time that I have with my kids, but I also struggle to let them make their own choices and to not get mad when things go wrong. They all make their own beds in the morning, it's getting a little easier for me to not go in and remake them to my liking each day. Tomorrow morning I'll pack some lunches, load up the stroller, and we'll go to the pool. Perhaps we'll all learn something along the way so that I can chalk it up as an educational summer outing.

Party Time

Cinderella was not in attendance, neither was Sleeping Beauty. There were not any clowns, magicians, or storytellers, and there was not a bouncy house anywhere around. For 2 birthday parties, here's what we had - pancakes, bacon, a sandbox, tree house, craft projects (including decorate your own cupcakes) and lots of little girls running around in pajamas. The six year old party was Friday evening from 5:30 - 8PM, and the 4 year old party started at 9:30 Saturday morning.

I'm pretty sure that the parties would not have been a big success if the best Grandma & Grandpa ever had not been at the stove keeping the pancakes and bacon coming for all. Friday night we topped them with whip cream and Saturday morning we had chocolate chips. Who knew that, with the last minute delivery of the piano bench from my dad's house, we could fit 11 giggling girls around our dining room table.

I won't lie and say that I didn't get stressed while planning these soirees, but once the cupcakes were baked (another thank you to Grandma) and the party favors were assembled, things ran relatively smoothly. Of course, a week later, I'm still looking for some of the items that I put away (hid) at the last minute so that the house would appear relatively clutter-free.

I'm sure that I will have new insight and party lattes each May as we tackle the 2 parties in a row for the girls. Here it is for turning 4 and 6 - top everything with lots of sugar, and, for some reason, wearing pajamas is a huge hit with little girls. Running out for a latte before the arrival of the 2nd round helps, too.

Letting go...

"Mommy, try letting go!" That is what Mason said to me last week as he was riding his bike. Granted, it's time for him to learn to ride. He boycotted the bike when we removed the training wheels a year ago and the scooter has been his preferred 2-wheeled transportation. Still, his words caught me off guard and I found myself getting a little teary as I ran along beside the bike.

Now I can't keep up with him as he bikes all over the place. He has mastered yet another skill. I can check "teach bike riding" off my to-do list of parenting. Now Mason would like to be in charge of teaching it to his sisters, and I know I should let go and give him room to try.

As I sit here on Mother's Day - here, of course, being Starbucks, I'm trying to figure out how it is that my baby will be 4 tomorrow and her sister will be 6 on Thursday. My kids are almost 4, 6, and 8, letting go is going to be a bigger part of my job every day. That makes me a little sad, but it will put my kids on the path to becoming independent adults. Although I never say no when Mary Jane asks if it's alright if she lives with me forever. I'm taking baby steps to letting go. Happy Mother's Day!

5 year plan...

5 years ago my life got busy. Charlotte was almost a year old, and I was settling into life with 2 small children. In early May, we spent several days basically homebound while we worked on potty training with almost 3 year old Mason. Soon after that, we decided to move back to Atlanta from our home in Denver. Now, as we approach birthdays 4 and 6 for the girls, we are almost 5 years into that move.

"Where do you see yourself in 5 years?" was once a standard interview question. Now, it's probably a question that the job candidate asks the potential employer. We are living in a state of constant change. When we bought this house, I had a 5 year plan in mind - it involved some very drastic renovations. My plan did not involve putting the house on the market for 2 weeks and then changing our minds about a cross-country move. I still have a plan for renovations, but they are on a smaller scale. After living here for almost 5 years, I realize that we have alot of what we need without moving walls around.

5 years ago, I was too busy chasing toddlers and changing diapers to realize that in 5 years my kids would be done with preschool. I could not have imagined that I would blink and all of a sudden we would be done with diapers, sippy cups, and episodes of Barney. I guess it's almost time to plan for the next 5 years, at the end of which my babies will be "tweens" whatever that means. I'll probably still have renovation ideas that only exist in my head at that point.

I haven't come up with my plan for the next 5 years. I know that my husband is hoping there will be fewer trips to Starbucks during that time, but I have a feeling I'll need some good lattes. As I gear up for another birthday party weekend (the girls' parties are a week away) and the end of another school year, I'll make the switch to iced lattes for the summer and I'll try to soak it all in because if I blink another 5 years will have passed and I don't want to miss a thing.

A wedding latte: Part 1, the road trip

A wedding is a wonderful thing. My baby brother got married last weekend, and it was a truly fantastic event that took place in Houston, TX, 800 miles from here. We drove there. 4 adults, 3 children, 2 laptop DVD players, and 1 top carrier on the rented Tahoe.

My husband loves a good road trip. I tolerate it. My kids don't know the difference, although Mason did notice that everyone else did seem to get there much quicker by flying. I will admit that the Tahoe made it a much easier trip so did having my in-laws along for the ride. Geographically, Louisiana is an interesting state to drive through so the scenery on the way was new and different. As soon as we arrived at our destination, after 14 hours and only 2 stops on Thursday evening, I realized that Sunday morning was going to come way too soon. The drive home was not so smooth. 15 hours and too many stops to count. I think that Mason logged upwards of 10 hours on Super Mario that day, and we wore out the car charger for the laptops.

The mood is always less festive when returning home from a trip. The flower girls and ring bearer lasted until almost 11 at the wedding reception on Saturday night after being ready for pictures by 4 in the afternoon. Everyone was tired, cranky, and impatient. When I say everyone, I really mean me and Mason. But we made it. A stop at a Target with a Starbucks helped a little. I got a soy mocha, the kids picked a toy from the $1 section. At each of the many stops the kids and I all did 10 jumping jacks before getting back into the car.

My latte is this, sometimes happier memories come from thinking of the destination - a great family and fun filled weekend - and not the journey.

Follow Through

I've come to the conclusion that follow-through is not my strong suit. I'm good at starting things (like this blog), but I then let them dwindle. I haven't even followed-through with ordering a replacement piece for my coffee maker so I can make lattes at home.

I'm much better at staying in reactive mode. So much of being the parent of young children revolves around being able to change plans at a moment's notice (and often after very little sleep). Today is the 4th day out of the last 10 that I've been at home with a sick child. It's hard to make many plans with those odds. I've already cancelled plans for tomorrow just in case. Perhaps I'll use the time to finish a project or two. I still have mounds of pictures that need to be sorted into albums sitting in the basement. Besides, there is never a shortage of laundry, dishes, dusting, etc to do in this household.

My latte today, or regular coffee for those of us who have a broken machine and sick kids keeping us from going to Starbucks, is to follow through. Pick a task and stick with it so that you don't become overwhelmed by all of the loose ends in your life.

"I am the Entertainer"

That's a line from a Billy Joel song, in case any of the 5 or so people reading this aren't as big of fans as I am. When I was in my early teens, I think I owned almost all of his tapes (yes, it was a pre-CD world). Anyway, that's a line that I think of often these days because I often feel like my job is to be an entertainer. Not to huge crowds in sold out arenas (like Billy Joel who I've seen live 4 times and is a great performer), but to very active kids living in a city filled with cold, rainy weekends and busy after-school schedules.

Mason has karate on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 5-5:45. It's a great class and the instructor gives feedback to the parents during class. That means that the other moms and I are sitting to the side trying to keep our younger kids entertained and quiet. This usually involves markers, Polly Pockets, tea sets, and lots of snacks. Through the luck of scheduling, Charlotte has ballet from 5-5:45 on Wednesday afternoons. At least the kids can run around a little during her class, but snacks and toys are also a must. It is not a time when it is easy to set up play dates to leave the kids at friends' houses. By 5, most kids are starting to get ready for dinner or are too tired to deal with sharing and entertaining friends.

Lattes actually help me get through these afternoons, but I've learned that I don't need caffeine that late in the day. Greentea is my late afternoon latte of choice these days. Starbucks also now offers a lovely selection of kid-friendly, semi-healthy snacks, but there is a hefty price tag associated with a pre-dinner run to Starbucks so I would suggest sticking to the drive-through. My latte for today (I should rename this blog My Weekly latte, I'll try to do better), is to pack a big bag of tricks if you're heading out late in the day. At least for Mary Jane, snacking is part of what gets her through the hour while her brother or sister exercise. She is happy to eat healthy snacks so it is up to me to make sure that's what is in the bag. It can be quality time to interact with kids without any TV or computers nearby if you're well prepared going into it.

The Process of Parenthood

"It's a process." That's an expression that I have used over and over again since I first became a parent, whether referring to sleep patterns, potty training, or eating habits of 5 year olds. What I realized today is that it's all a process - I guess a journey is another way to phrase it. Until we become parents, we have no idea what it will be like or of all of the processes involved.

Today I used my administrative skills to update the calendar with everyone's activities for the coming weeks, my culinary skills to get some "growing foods" into my kids, my finance skills to pay some bills, my (somewhat-limited) housekeeping skills to ensure that my house doesn't look like a tornado struck, and my well-honed negotiating skills to get everyone in bed at a decent hour.

Who knew that this is what my life would evolve into? Before Mason was born, I had never had anything fancier than a vanilla latte from Starbucks. A whole other world was waiting. Luckily, I now know that I can have things like a venti soy mocha as I did today while I visited with 3 other moms over coffee.

Today's latte - enjoy the many processes of parenthood. They are constantly changing, but many depend on each other. Where would our kids be if we had not first taught them how to sleep through the night (usually) and how to use the potty?

Domestic Diva

I am a Domestic Diva! Not really, but I think I might right a novel and start it with that sentence. Something with a heroine who stays home with her kids, drives an SUV, and has a very expensive latte habit that her husband is trying to break. But back to the domestic diva - that might be stretching it a bit, the laundry is starting to pile up and there are still dishes to be washed in the sink. I do feel as though I've had a productive couple of days on the homefront.

I've taken on closets as my new organizational project. I won't bore you with the details, but I've taken out a full bag of trash and all of the girls clothes, toys, and most of my bathroom items are now up to date and accessible. All of this without buying one new container of any sort.

My domestic diva latte is this - look around. You might have more cute and functional storage containers in your house than you realized. I've repurposed a tin watering can as a holder for all of the girls' fairy wands. Mary Jane laughed at me, but now she knows where to put them away.

Don't Worry, Be Happy

I know, it's a catchy title from a somewhat annoying song, but there is some truth in the phrase "Don't Worry, Be Happy." As a parent, it is very hard not to worry about everything. I think I say "be careful" and "stop doing that or you'll get hurt" a few dozen times each day. Rob tells me that I should relax, let them run around the house in socks on slippery floors while holding sticks, but I just can't help myself.

Now I realize that it's not just me. My 2nd grader is also a worrier, he is learning so many new things right now and questioning all of them. He wants to know if Vampires exist, if the earth is going to collide with the sun, if the Halloween candy has gone bad and how do I know that it hasn't? So now I also worry about the fact that he worries so much. It's exhausting!

But my latte today, as you might have guessed is don't worry, be happy. Try to look on the bright side of things. Even though I started the year by putting my husband's Blackberry in the washing machine (not a good idea), I've also managed to channel my inner-Martha Stewart (not an easy thing to do) in order to make a crafty headband holder for the girls' room and a cute wire display for artwork.

Not too long ago I wrote about Happy Thoughts and how writing some down each day might help your outlook on life. I'm giving it a try this year. You can check out my new blog Happy Year Project . I am going to list 3 things which made me happy each day for a year. I'm already finding that some days it's easier than others to come up with a list. There will still be lattes for the new year, too.

New Year, New Latte

Resolutions don't really work for me. Last year I resolved to keep up with my blog, and that didn't really happen. At least in 2010, my new wii fit might help me finally get into shape. I'm realizing that New Year's doesn't come at the best time for me to make big plans. It's right after a very exciting and highly anticipated Christmas for three Santa-believers. They all received just what they requested and more. A tip - take kids to see Santa as early as possible in the season. I just heard a mother say that 2 days before Christmas, her 4 year old asked Santa for some items which he had not mentioned at home. Yikes!

By the time New Year's rolls around, I'm more tired than ever and my house is a huge mess thanks to lots of new toys and weather that has kept my crew indoors for much of the break. On Tuesday we'll start back into our routine and all of the chaos that goes with it. I'm going to finally tackle the boxes of artwork and pictures in the basement that need to be sorted. It's a new year, anything could happen. Maybe we'll finally get in to the neighborhood pool this summer - we've been on the waiting list since June, 2006. The Christmas decorations have all been put away until next year, new lattes await for 2010.