The Great Stocking Dilemma

Here it is- The great 6 year dilemma of the Christmas Stocking.

(This is a 6 year dilemma because TODAY is our 6th ANNIVERSARY!!-- Making it 6 years that I have struggled with this problem)

THE CHRISTMAS STOCKING DILEMMA

I try to not be this person- but sometimes I am. The person who wants things to be just right- and if they aren't just right- then I will just WAIT to do it until it can be just right.

Examples:
I will not go to Disneyland with my kids until I can afford to pay for it all in cash- and be able to buy the toys I want and stay in the cool hotel.
(which is why I am not planning this trip for at least two more years, this isn't about money- it is about doing it right)

I will not put socks on that don't match. I would rather have barefoot, cold feet than two different socks on. (not because of the matchy thing- it is a texture thing-- don't ask)

I would rather NOT have Christmas Lights on my house than to have funky lights flipped different directions.


SO-
The issue with the Stockings:

I have SEARCHED the internet, every Holiday store, every possible sale for "the RIGHT Christmas Stockings"

Christmas Stockings are difficult. They are kind of like the centerpiece of the Christmas Decorations. (ok, I just reread this- and realized that OF COURSE- Your Nativity is the Centerpiece of Christmas...)Anyways, Your tree changes every year (at least it SHOULD- accept for all of you Fake Tree People), other decorations are more subtle, you can even change WHERE in the house you place your other decorations. (Ugly Angel can go on that shelf over there this year) But the STOCKINGS are HUNG by the CHIMNEY with CARE.

Right there- the mantle- the middle of the Living Room. You hang up your Stockings every year. Which means there is no Freedom to Change Styles. Luckily I did not buy them when we were Newly Weds. I would have bought plain red and white stockings and then added Felt Green Lettering with our names on them BECAUSE that is what I HAD GROWING UP. Now, mom, before you get all offended, I LOVE THOSE STOCKINGS. (I love the picture of Beth and me in our bare bums just out of the bath tub admiring the long line of stockings over the fire place) But the point is- that was MY FAMILY'S TRADITION, not JT's, and not OURS.

If I would have bought them two years later- I would have bought the Pottery Barn ones with Snowflakes that I like and paid the extra money for them to be personalized with our names on them. Therefore spending WAY too much money, and then I would have discovered the next year (when it would be time to buy Blake's) that they would discontinue that line of Stockings leaving me with 3 matching and a new one for Blake!

(as we know by now, I CAN NOT do the NOT MATCHING thing)

THEN if I bought them that year, I would realize how much my style would have changed. I would have bought the crazy sassy ones I saw at Pier 1 with high heals and sparkles and crazy colors. I would have loved that they were unconventional and crazy.

But then I would have had ANOTHER BABY! And I would have gone back to Pier 1 and tried to buy a 5th one in that style and found that they have changed their designs too and don't have the same line. And if they did have one close enough to appear match- it would still look like Macie was our After Thought child!

SO I have still NEVER BOUGHT Christmas Stockings.
I have never seen the PERFECT STOCKING that really matches my style. That isn't going to go out of style by the next Christmas.
But that isn't the ONLY PROBLEM...
(because I DID see the PERFECT STOCKINGS the other day for $30 each!! And could not BARE to spend $150 on STOCKINGS!!)
But the other problem is: I have never known HOW MANY TO BUY.

Do I just buy 5? WHAT IF we have ANOTHER CHILD IN 5 YEARS? Am I suppose to buy EXTRAS JUST IN CASE??- and then have the Monogrammed with the names they MIGHT be?? (maybe this is why my mom used Green Felt)

WHAT IF I BUY THOSE PERFECT BUT EXPENSIVE ONES AND CHANGE MY MIND AND DECIDE I LOVE THE VICTORIAN STYLE INSTEAD? (I can't even write that without cringing and laughing a little, that will never happen)

WHAT IF I BUY HEALS AND SPARKLEY STOCKINGS AND BLAKE IS TOO EMBARRASSED TO EVER HAVE FRIENDS OVER TO OUR HOUSE BECAUSE OF OUR STOCKINGS AND HE BECOMES FRIENDLESS BECAUSE OF ME?? (ok, I actually already ruled out the sparkly ones)

so, here we are, 6 Christmases together and No Stockings.

oh, maybe I should just SEW them.... I never thought of that...
just kidding

I Just ReRead this and realized that I am DEFINITELY MISSING THE REAL MEANING OF CHRISTMAS!! WHERE IS THAT CHARLIE BROWN SPECIAL WHEN YOU NEED IT???

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!
WHAT?! IT's DECEMBER??
Oh well, better late than never!




Riley LOVED digging in the guts and pulling out the seeds. She is SO NOT MY DAUGHTER!





This is how I dig in pumpkins! I am NOT a GUTS kind of girl. Ask my little sister, I think I convinced her to dig out all of the guts in my pumpkins growing up! I should have thought of gloves as a kid!






I DO like the CARVING part. I am really proud of this little lady. You can't tell, but she has Hi-Lights that Glow in the dark, and the longest false eye lashes I have ever seen on a pumpkin. Yeah, she's a cutie.


JT carved the kids because I was working on mine. This is how we do things. He does the Yucky Stuff. Then he helps the kids do theirs while I work on mine :) Oh, and I take the pictures.





What is on my kids' faces?? OH, that. They went into the Bathroom together with the markers they had for "painting" the pumpkins... and ended up making faces on each other! Thank goodness for Washable Markers!!




TRUNK OR TREAT!
This is Riley as a princess. Why is this my only pic? You know why, I am lame.


Macie was our other princess! Not a great pic either. Once again. I am lame.




I didn't even get one of Blake at the Trunk or Treat party?? Don't act surprised- I am lame!


So here we are.
Riley was a Princess
Macie was, of course, a Princess.
Blake was an Astronaut.
Jt was dressed as The World's Best Dad :)
Katie- was just happy to be dressed and all in one piece and to have at least blogged it a few months later!

Have you ever....

Have you ever been at the Gym, listening to your ipod and doing your abs at the end of your workout... over on the mats where you can stretch or whatever... and accidentally Passed some Gas????

And then tried to play it off like you didn't notice because if you can't HEAR it- you obviously DIDN'T DO it. And then you could not make eye contact with the other guy who was there doing his push ups.
Anyone?

Yeah, me neither...

Things I learned from my Mother

THINGS I LEARNED FROM MY MOTHER, WHETHER OR NOT I BELIEVED HER WHEN SHE TAUGHT THEM TO ME IS IRRELEVANT :)

• to Talk with my HANDS (no, not sign language- more like flailing)
• that Name Brand doesn't always matter-- accept for TOMATO SOUP and MAC n CHEESE. (and don't follow the directions on the Campbell can and add water like JT did when we first got married and I almost cried...)
• shopping at Thrift Stores is COOL! (she was the original Ashlee Crabtree- before Ashlee made it cool) And that Value Village is "overpriced".
  
• how to mark my scriptures (ok, that was actually my Seminary Teacher, but she WAS my Seminary Teacher so I think it still counts)
• to let my daughter wear a TuTu all winter long if she wants to (I just read how this is a good developmental thing for young children to have ownership over decisions that they are capable of making... I don't know if my mom knew that or if I was just TOO STUBBORN to fight with at age 5)
• that the Dollar Store is a wonderful wonderful place (I was too cool for that information until I moved closer to one- now I am hooked!)
• that a Glue Gun is an essential tool in any home
• how to DECORATE a CAKE and the importance of creating a Rockin' cake for your Kids' Birthdays because they will brag about it and you will feel really cool!
• how to sing- and a LOVE of BARBARA STREISAND's Christmas Music as well as Carol King, Neil Diamond and Jim Croche (no not their Christmas Music)... ahhhh I am smiling just thinking about them. (oh, my mom doesn't actually TEACH how to sing. But growing up I thought she was so crazy to turn down Broadway to raise a family!! At least I THOUGHT she had done that - since she was such a wonderful singer!... ... ... ... this is awkward since I don't know how to finish this one...)
• Since I am on the subject of her amazing-ness (has anyone read Josh's blog about 'ness') she knows ALL the answers on JEOPARDY.
• how to make Peanut Brittle, Elephant Ears, Swedish Pancakes and other yummy favorites
• the importance of a Good Sense of Humor and laughing at your own jokes-- oh, and that it is kind of funny to call your parents by their First Names ;0)
  

Just thinking of her today and all of the fun things she has taught me :)
LOVE YA NANCY

Won't it be funny to see what Riley says about me in 20 years...

• a love for ALL things SPARKLY
• a need for 100 pairs of shoes
• how to make a mess in the kitchen

we'll see

This is for YOU

I THOUGHT I was writing this Blog for myself

I THOUGHT this was to document the evolution and events of my little family.

(you can SEE how diligent I have been with that by noticing the pictures on the side of the blog of my beautiful family... wait, are we missing someone? is Blake still crawling in that picture?)

I THOUGHT I was cool enough to not care what other people think.

I WAS SO WRONG...

Ok, all of you BLOG STALKERS out there. I KNOW you are reading this. I KNOW you know who you are. I KNOW are busy/lazy/boreing/forgetful but seriously-- HOW WILL I KNOW IF ANYONE IS READING THIS IF YOU NEVER LEAVE A COMMENT??

oh, what? There is something I can do through Google to find out who has been visiting my Blog? or how many of you there really are? Oh, that thing my sister in law tried to tell me how to do- but I was to computer illiterate to figure out how to do it on my own, that?

Well, I don't want to do that (ok, yes, I do. I seriously just could not figure out how to do it. But I did find out you could COPY something by pushing Ctrl and C at the same time!) Anyways, I just want you to LEAVE A COMMENT ALREADY!!

Is it rude to *yell* at my cyber audience?

sorry, I guess I got a little carried away.

Just, you know, let me know if you are reading this- before I give up and start posting really lame stuff...

oh, what? my stuff IS lame already? Ok, well, YOU don't have to leave a comment then. But everyone else does.

:)

Change of PLANS- WAX NIGHT

Hey Everyone-
We have a CHANGE of PLANS for the Girls' Night:

a) Jenni Warner wants to have a project night on Sat and we didn't think hubbies would like us girls out on Friday AND Saturday

b) Blake is STILL throwing up- and Macie just started in on the Diarhea so I doubt you all want to come over HERE tonight-- although I have been spraying everything down all day!

SO Let's move the Girl's Night WAX Party/Project Party/ Whatever you want to call it to get out of the House Night to:

JENNI WARNER's HOUSE
TOMORROW SATURDAY 13th AT 8PM
BRING YOUR PROJECTS AND YOUR BROWS (or whatever else you need to wax) AND LET'S PARTY!

EVERYONE IS INVITED. Call me for address if you don't have it :)


If you were planning to come tonight and you CAN'T do tomorrow night- CALL ME I CAN STILL WAX TONIGHT :) It just may not be as much fun as a Girl's Night!

Girl's Night

Even if you don't feel like waxing- come play at my house (since JT will be at work and I will be baking anyways!)

the good news and the bad news

BAD FIRST:

I have REALLY REALLY decided to not do Hair anymore... I know, I know, I say this every few months- but this time I am actually going to be strong and follow through on this. (as hard as it is) Sorry Everyone. :(

I will still probably do a few YW's hair in the ward that I trade hair for Baby Sitting, so if you see a YW and she says I did her hair- don't think I am being selective or anything (I just can't handle PAYING a babysitter!)

GOOD NEWS:

I am STILL DOING WAXING.

AND I decided I will try doing a WAX NIGHT GIRL'S NIGHT

NEXT FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12th
8pm - till I fall asleep


If you are not interested in Waxing just come and hang out. (You know my house always has Yummy things to eat- and there should be lots of laughing and no kids around)


If you ARE interested in Waxing please let me know. I will do this like an Open House so you can come whatever time you like- OR you can schedule a specific time - I will just keep the wax hot so when we are sick of eating we can start waxing!

PRICES:
Brows: $8
Lip or Chin: $5
Lower Leg: $20
Full Leg; $35
Bikini: $20 (By Appointment Only) really, don't be a chicken-- you know you have always wanted to try it :)

let me know if you are stopping by :)