My Sweet Babu

reindeer food

Sprinkle this reindeer food outside tonight,

the moonlight will make it sparkle bright.

As the reindeer fly and roam

this will guide them to your home!

My son made this "reindeer food" each year that he was in preschool as part of his holiday crafting, and this year, my little girl made this baggie of reindeer food in her little class that we attend once a week.  She was so excited with what she had made, and it really was the most simple activity!  All you need is some oatmeal, glitter and a baggie or a small baby food jar...

What I love the most about this is it's place in our Christmas eve ritual.  Each year we visit out inlaws on Christmas eve and since we return home kind of late, we leave out our milk and cookies for Santa and the carrots for the reindeer before we head off.  It is really magical to see the excitement on your little one's face as they toss the glittery oats around outside.  It is such a small thing, but it is so fun and such a neat little tradition!

Hope you had a lovely weekend!

a.

being santa

Has anyone seen the commercial on television for Target where the mother, father and 2 girls are sitting around the tree on Christmas morning, and the mother unwraps the new, large flat screen televsion?  The father, somewhat wide eyed, tries to slip in a comment about "santa spending too much money" and that "maybe santa was not aware that we are in a recession".  The mother says something through clenched, smiling teeth, that "santa" did not really spend that much and then finally leaves the father speechless when she says, "well maybe santa doesn't need any help doing santa's job!" 

My husband and I crack up every time we see this, because this is totally us.  If you had asked us a couple of months ago what we were getting the kids for Christmas, or how we were going to pay for all of it, we would not have had a clue.  Well, this "santa" did not need help doing "santa's job" this year, that's for sure!  I don't know how it happens, but extra money seems to find us when we need it {like selling something, or not having a car insurance payment for a few months...random}, and then we are just really smart about how and where we choose to spend it!  My baby nesting mode had me cleaning out closets and selling things on Ebay like crazy and I was also really lucky with some of the purchases I made on Ebay or with online coupons as well.

This time of the year, especially this year, can be more stressful than joyful for many families.  We are not wealthy by any means, so this includes us too!  However, there are sales to be had and smart shopping purchases to be made if you take the time to look.  There is nothing like having your 6 year old tell you what he would like from Santa, and you knowing that you have purchased these items and have them stashed in the attic!!   SO here are some of tricks this "santa" uses to make the most of the holiday dollar: 1)  Quality over quantity when it comes to gifts, 2)  Shop Ebay...don't be afraid to email sellers to barter for a lower price, the worst they can say is no.  3)  Shop Marshalls and take advantage of their layaway, 4) take advantage of coupons and 5) delegate gift ideas to relatives that you could not swing on your own {for example, inlaws are purchsing Holztiger animals for our daughter and "santa" is bringing the barn...bought on sale, free shipping, ofcourse. 

Finally, when your kids ask for something, talk up what a great gift X would be and how special it is....{"wow, that would be really special, I hope santa can swing such a special present"}  By building up the suspense and uncertainty of whether they will receive the gift from Santa, it makes it just that much more special and important.  It is so great to be able to build up a child's sense of hope and then have it fufilled.  When they open gift X on Christmas morning, they will be out of their minds!

So happy shopping to all of you!  I hope you all find great deals on wonderful items for the one's you love!

a.

christmas trees, part 1

A couple of years ago, our live tree fell down twice, breaking many an ornament and leaving a huge mess.  I decided that I was going to purchase an artificial, pre-lit tree, however, when Christmas came around, I caved and bought the live tree too.  So now, each year, we put up 2 trees....hence the "part 1".

 
For this tree, {my pre-lit tree} I wanted all of the ornaments to be gold.  I decided we needed to fill in someof the gaps and was reminded of an ornament that still hangs on my mother's tree that I made as a child.  Having quite a bit of cardboard from boxes kicking around, I cut out a bunch of star shapes.  My son and I used glue to attatch different kinds of macaroni to the stars, then once they were dry, I spray painted them with gold paint.

 
We used a glue gun to attatch ribbon to hang them and I think they make a wonderful holiday decoration, of would make a wonderful gift to gife to family members?  Easy and beautiful! 

*These also work wonderfully when done on the wooden cut outs available in craft stores...then attatch a magnet to the back!*

a. 

the rules of school

As much as I would like to focus on holiday, since I spent a good deal of time during the summer writing about my big boy begining traditional school this past September, I feel I should touch on what that transition has been like...

{this is all of the work that Tobin has done in class since he started school in September!}

School is wonderful.  Since we live in a small town, there is not a bus and parents are responsible for dropping children off each morning and picking them up in the afternoon.  Although I'm not the biggest fan of being out the door so bright and early each morning, I do love seeing him off to school each day, seeing his teacher, and talking to the parents of the other children in his class.  I am amazed at what he has learned in school and with the number of activities that they are able to include in one day!  His teacher is just amazing and has confirmed my thought that being a teacher for this age group truly is a "calling".  I don't know how she does what she does...but I am so thankful for it! 

However, there are many more components to school than the obvious ones I just mentioned.  For one, the school is public and there is not a school directory, so early on, I hand wrote notes to some of the other children's mamas to try to set up play dates.  Then there are the birthday party rules...you can stalk each parent for their address to mail home an invitation, or invite ALL the boys or girls...or the entire class, and send home the invitations in their folders.  Oh, then there is the birthday school celebration...no sweets please.  Yup, the days of baking cupcakes are over.  We placed an order to Oriental Traders for a "winter time" activity book and pencil to send in as a token gift instead. 

There are PTO meetings and fundraisers.  Parent teacher conferences, special student "VIP weeks", and planned days to come in a be the guest reader.  Even though I am very grateful for the hours my guy is in school, there are still plenty of things to keep us parents buys as well!  And this is all great.  I would gladly trade having some of our neighbors see me in my jammies at drop off once in a while for the level of comfort and involvement that this school has provided us with.  I am pleased.

a.

a little cpr

Sunday morning is a quiet one for a change.  My big boy is sleeping at Mimi's house, my husband left early in the cold of the morning to mountain bike, and I am left sipping a coffee in bed with my baby girl, thinking... Although it was my intent to write more frequently, as you may know, that is not actually what has happenend...  Sadly, I think I have been a bit bummed by not hearing from some of the gals that used to post on my blogg and also a bit computer shy about writing from the heart, or about much of anything, after the "mama drama" that I wrote about a while back. 

 We've been busy with a wonderful Thanksgiving, my big boy's 6th birthday {WOW!}, his school happenings {since he is our first in kindergarten, this is new to us}, our Christmas trees going up...and oh yeah, being just 6 weeks away from having another baby!  I have been dancing around the idea of giving up the blogg all together, but in the last 24 hours, I have recieved a little "blogger's cpr".  I can't tell you how getting a random, encouraging post from another mama can be so uplifitng to someone who has a little blogg like I do.  Another bit of a boost came when a friend fowarded me the article she wrote about me and my little endeavor, which she plans to include in a local newsletter she is begining.  Reading her kind words, and seeing my own words in print was a reminder of why I began doing any of this blogging or crafting in the first place...

So I am going to hang in there and am going to try to play catch up with some of what we have been up to and the projects we have been working on.  This is my favourite time of the year and there are so many wonderful things happening in our lives right now.  Even when things are tough, I know that there are always a million reasons that I can think of to be thankful.  This is usually where I like to "be"...feeling a bit zapped of positive energy lately, perhaps that is what has unconciously kept me from writing?  I feel rejuvinated though...hopeful, inspired, optimistic and thankful...and so I will continue to type.   

a.