The Elf Returned

Jerry the Elf returned right after Thanksgiving. And this year, instead of simply hiding around this house, he seemed to get himself into quite a bit of mischief. And occasionally make a mess.

Oh, Jerry ...

In summary

We started with this....

Had lots of this....
And this.....


And ended up with this.....

It was a most excellent weekend. Even if the Hogs did lose by three in overtime....

Oh! And look who's back!!

PS - The Bloggie Doggie says hi!

It's Christmas Eve!

Merry Christmas Eve!!

What a special day it is. Lots of excitement and anticipation today. Everything seems to twinkle a little brighter on Christmas Eve doesn't it? It's one of my favorite days of the year.

My kids are very excited. They will get to open their gifts from us sometime today. Then we're headed to Connie's for Christmas Eve dinner. I am looking forward to all of us being together today.

Jerry has made his final visit to us this morning.




When he leaves tonight, he won't be back until next Christmas. I'm gonna' miss that little elf. Good bye Jerry!

Have a wonderful, sparkly day people!!

Joy to the World

Cooper was busy with a project last night. He was coloring and cutting and gathering supplies, and singing "Joy to the World" with "custom lyrics" while he ran around the house working. He would occasionally ask for some help with the computer or looking for a hole puncher. I really wasn't paying too much attention to what he was doing. (He was making just enough recognizable noise for me to know he wasn't getting into too much trouble!)

Then he brought me these...

And asked me to put them here...

Just like this....

He was very specific about the order that they hang. Insistent that the angel be highest, then the star, then the baby Jesus.

And when he was finished, he stepped back and looked at it and said in his little six-year old voice, "That's puhfect."

And as I type these words this morning, I am crying again, just like I did last night....

His "little porch" is becoming quite festive, isn't it?

Jerry was a bit hard to find this morning. But I finally spotted him on the shelf in my kitchen.

It's Christmas Eve Eve! I'm sure you are all very busy doing your cooking and last minute shopping and just getting everything all ready. Enjoy your day people, whatever you are doing!

Today....

....I am home all day and am very excited!

....my kids will stay in their pj's all day long.

....I have a little laundry, house cleaning, and cooking in my future.

....we will play lots of Wii!

....we are still talking about our visit with Santa Claus last night. And yes, he is the real Santa.

....we found Jerry in the candy canes.

(Here are some of his other landing spots this weekend...)

.... I will do my best to keep Cooper out from under the Christmas tree and away from the chocolate candy.

....I will finalize my grocery list for tomorrow's big Kroger run and doublecheck my "this really IS the last time I'm going to Target" list.

....is gonna' be a great day!

Can your true love afford this?

For 24 years, PNC Wealth Management has calculated the cost of the items in "Twelve Days of Christmas" if purchased at current prices.

If your true love purchased one set of each of the gifts in the song, it would run him (or her) $21,08.10.

The cumulative cost of these gifts with the repetitions in the song is $86,608.51.

It's an interesting little site and breaks down how much each item would be, including some prices from prior years.

They point out some interesting things that have changed since they started this holiday tradition back in 1986.

The internet. Sure, it's convenient to order your turtle doves and your french hens online, but convenience comes at a price, mainly due to the shipping costs. If your sweetie purchased all your gifts online, it would cost $31,956.62 ($131,150.76 for the "entire song set").

The swans are the most "volatile" part of the index with wild swings up and down over the years.

The cost of entertainment has greatly increased. The ladies dancing and the lords-a-leaping have seen an increase of over 300%.

Here's hoping your true love can spring for a calling bird. If I had eight maids, I sure hope they would be doing something other than "a-milking"!

Actually I'm not getting any of this for Christmas. I got three painters painting remember? And Me and Captain True Love (sounds like a super hero doesn't it? Captain True Love!) decided we would get a new TV for Christmas. He got it yesterday and surprised me when I got home. Wanna' see it?

Looky there! Take a closer look! It's Jerry sittin' up there on the new TV...
Today is the kids' last day of school and my last day of work! It's gonna' be a five golden rings kind of day people!

Let's talk Christmas....

I saw these Christmas questions and just knew they would be perfect to share with you, my beloved blogophiles!

Wrapping paper or gift bags?
A little bit of both. I will wrap anything that is already square or rectangle. Or that can go in a box. Everything else goes in a gift bag. I tend to start my gift-wrapping with good "box intentions" but then settle for bags as the process goes along.

Real tree or artificial?
Artificial. I grew up with an artificial tree too. The Captain grew up with a real tree. I just don't want to spend the amount of money I would need to, to have the size of tree I want. Plus the whole watering thing and needle dropping thing. No thanks. I know people talk about the great smell of the tree. One word for them: candle.

When do you put up the tree?
I start all the decorating the Friday after Thanksgiving.

When do you take the tree down?
The day after Christmas. This year, we will have family arriving in town late in the afternoon on Christmas Day. Guess that would be scrooge-ish to be taking my tree down as they are pulling in the driveway. Will have to postpone that a bit this year. But definitely by Sunday afternoon.

Do you like eggnog?
It's good. I don't like it as much as the Captain does. And the Bloggie Doggie gets to lick the empty glass, so he likes it too.

Hardest person to buy for?
Probably my mother-in-law. She has everything. And she really has no interests. She is a toughie.

Easiest person to buy for?
My kids. Also, my sister. We have the same interests. I usually end up buying myself one of everything I buy for her.

Do you have a Nativity scene?
I have a Willow Tree nativity that I love love love. The Captain gave me the pieces over several Christmases.

Mail or email Christmas cards?
I quit sending Christmas cards three years ago. And my life became much simpler. I didn't have time, money or energy to put into the whole process. It definitely gets very "competitive" with the perfect card, cutest picture, etc. So I just quit. And besides, why should I send you a picture of my kids anyway? Sometimes, I will write a little letter to a few friends we don't keep in touch with regularly.

Worst Christmas gift you ever received?
A bag of a dozen lemons. But there were only eleven in the bag. Long story. But it was not a gag gift. Yes, this is a true story.

Favorite Christmas movie?
I love Christmas Story. Ralphie and his quest for the Red Ryder BB gun makes me laugh my head off. Just classic humor there. Of course I love all the animated specials too. Wouldn't be Christmas without them.

When do you start shopping for Christmas?
It's not uncommon for me to have Christmas presents for the NEXT Christmas even before this Christmas rolls around. I actually shop all year round. It's much easier on the pocketbook and the stress level.

Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?
No comment. I just hope you like what I got you this year....And no, it doesn't look familiar.

Lights on the tree?
Of course. White.

Favorite Christmas song?
There are a few I guess. I would have to say "Oh Holy Night" ranks up there (Martina McBride does it best). I also like "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" (maybe the Kenny G version). And "Little Drummer Boy" and "Carol of the Bells".

Can you name all of Santa's reindeer?
Absolutely! (Cooper attempted this and he threw in Pluto and Dickson)

Angel or star on top of the tree?
Sadly for me, neither. I grew up with a star on top. The Captain grew up with nothing on top. I have not been able to find something that I really, really LIKE or that would stay up there. I fret about it every year, but just can't find the perfect thing.

Open the presents Christmas Eve or Christmas morning?
Grew up opening our family gifts on Christmas Eve. Usually our immediate family gifts are opened at some point on Christmas Eve. We have "Present Night" with Mom and Connie's crew on the Saturday before Christmas. Sounds weird I know. But it kind of evolved to that after we factored in the Captain's police schedule, Bro-in-Law's medical oncall schedule, out of town family, etc. It's a neat tradition. We all love it. And, for those following along at home, this year's Present Night is THIS Saturday! Hooray!!

Most annoying thing about this time of the year?
People get in such a hurry trying to get it all done they are not nice. Cutting you off in the parking lot, getting impatient waiting in line, etc. They forget why they are doing all this in the first place. All of that, plus rude or indifferent retail clerks. Don't get me started.

Favorite Christmas foods?
I make that standard but yummy overnight breakfast casserole for Christmas morning. That has kind of become a tradition at my house. We also make sausage balls and Chex Mix (more than once!)

What do you want for Christmas this year?
Well, the Captain and I are getting a new TV and also getting almost our whole house painted. So Merry Christmas to us. But if anybody is interested in getting me something, just leave me a comment and I can email you my "real" wish list!

Snow on Christmas morning?
I wish...but usually no.

Feel free to jump in and answer some of these Christmas questions too!

Jerry has found a very festive little spot to perch today. Ho Ho Ho!

One week from TODAY is Christmas people!! Are you ready!?

Has Anybody Seen the Phone?!

We said that more than once at our house this weekend. And will probably be saying it a few more days. It is no accident that the first four letters of paint are P-A-I-N. It has been a little painful. And I'm not even the one painting! It's just all the work that has to go into getting ready for painting. Moving all the furniture away from the walls, taking things down from shelves, moving things around...it's just a little nuts.

And then, when you move this stuff away from the walls, guess what you find? DUST. Oh. My. Word. The dust. Please tell me I'm not the only person who doesn't regularly clean behind their furniture. Or clean their baseboards. Or wash their windows (Which was another grisly disovery when the blinds came off. Yuk! I don't wash the outside of my windows. I thought the rain did that....)

Our painter (who is wonderful and I would recommend him in a heartbeat if you are looking for a painter) did the den, foyer, dining room, and hallway (and all the trim, crown moulding, mantle, window frames, etc) on Saturday. Man, a *real* painter sure is fast! He's coming back tomorrow to do the kids' bathroom, the stairway, our bed & bathroom, and some additional trim touchups.

The new paint is gorgeous and I love it! Even the Captain, who tends to be a little indifferent, loves it.

Before.....

After.....

The color is called Trench Coat. It's kind of like a brown paper bag. Even though it kind of looks greenish in the picture.

I also noticed that we replaced the pictures backwards from how they were originally. Oh well. Doesn't matter.

As upended as this house has been, Jerry seemed to still be able to find a few safe places to land this weekend. A few times, we really had to search hard...

The weather today in Memphis is gonna' be nuts. At 4:45am, the temp was 63 degrees. By 5:30am, it was 42. They are predicting freezing rain by the end of the day. Nuts I tell you.

Be careful out there people!

One more thing to celebrate

Happy Poinsettia Day! Did you even know there was such a thing?

The poinsettia was named after Joel Poinsett, who introduced the plant to America from Mexico. Poinsett was a botanist, a US Congressman and Secretary of War under President Martin Van Buren. He died on December 12, 1851 and that's why today is National Poinsettia Day.

Also, contrary to popular belief, poinsettia plants are not poison. Read about it for yourself.

After all these fascinating facts about the poinsettia, I know you still have a burning question that I have not answered....

Is it pronounced poin-se-ti-a or poin-se-ta?

According to my ol' buddy Merriam Webster, either one is ok.

How do you say it?

Online Surveys & Market Research

And here's one more reason that made me blog about poinsettias today....

Happy Friday people! Peace. Out.

The stockings were hung....

These are our beautiful stockings. My mom made these stockings.

These stockings are really just for pretties. These are not the stockings that Santa fills on Christmas Eve because they are not sturdy enough. And heaven knows, they are not big enough!

We had stockings like this when we were growing up. Mom made those too. Then when Connie and I each married, Mom made nine stockings. We each got to pick our "husband and wife" stockings. Then, as each child was born into our families, we would pick a stocking from the cache for them. And Mom would embroider their name on it. First Niece M, then Nephew T, then Jordan, then Cooper. And yes, if you are keeping track, that leaves one stocking remaining. At the time of all her sewing, she didn't know how many grands would be in her future, so she made five total. I'm not sure where that extra stocking is. But I can promise you one thing - it won't ever be hanging on my mantle.

Take a closer look...

These pictures really don't do them justice. Look at the detail...The sequins and the beads....Must have taken her forever to do this.

Mom didn't make the Bloggie Doggie's stocking, but he hangs it by the chimney with care too...in hopes for a Milk Bone.

And I had to blog about the stockings and mantle today because...look who is perched up there!

Two weeks from today is Christmas people! Can you believe it?!?

Deck the Halls

I have officially finished decorating for Christmas. It's not that I'm finished. I'm just quitting. I think I could just go on and on moving things around and adding and switching and fixing. But then there comes a point where I have to just stop.

Wanna' take a look?



I love this big red platter. It was a gift from a friend a few years ago.




These two cute Santa guys are new this year. Aren't they cute? I actually think they are candle sticks. They are very happy sitting on top of my bookcase in my den. (Don't look too close, I think you can see the dust up there.)



This deer picture was actually a gift bag. I loved it, so I bought it, cut it apart, joined him with a little holiday scrapbook paper and framed him. Voila!


He kind of matches this plate.... Or at least we will pretend that he does.

And I guess they both match this....

That's Fred. He is half of the infamous Head Brothers. His twin is Ed. We affectionately call them Ed & Fred, the Head Brothers. Ed actually has to be temporarily removed so we can put up our Christmas tree. Yes, I'm a good wife for sporting not one, but two deer heads in my den....

I've got a few more things I want to show you, but I will save them for another day.

Until then, let's go look for Jerry.....

Oh there he is!

Have a happy, happy day people!