For the Record Books

November is going down in Home Sweet Home Place history. The only month since I've started this blog with NO POSTS! Notta one!! I'm not exactly sure how the month got away from me but it did. This truly is the busiest time of year!

I do appreciate all those who have checked in - inquiring why no posts, making sure I'm alive and well - and yes, I am here! Alive and well! Just busy! Just running from one thing to the next. Shuffling from one activity to the next.

I told my sister a few weeks ago that it is just a year....just a year of shuffling the kids everywhere. With Charlotte in school twice a week (an hour away) and Grace going four days a week with short little bursts of class, (meaning by the time I get home from dropping Grace off, it's time to turn around and go pick her up), not to mention the regular errands - I end up spending A LOT of time in the car. While I can multitask the best of them under the table and not yet  outlawed here in the US yet, blogging and driving is NOT recommended.

Thus, no blog posts. Good news though!

Grace's 5th birthday party is this Saturday! Once that has been properly celebrated, and I only have Christmas looming before me, I should be back to my regular posting schedule! I am going to try and do a bunch of back posting - more for my benefit than yours - so that I can look back five years from now and have some recollection of what we were up to in late 2013.

Here are just a few pictures taken since December 1.

North Pole Breakfast

Elfie came! He brought a friend too...more later!

Advent calendar!

Homemade advent calendar. Ran out of time - didn't get to make the ornaments. Had to buy some cheap-o ones. There is always next year!

My 35th birthday! Yeow!

Another year older, another year....

School, school and more school!

A few sick days too!

Keep in mind, it is only December 9 at 6 am as I write this! So all of this in basically eight days! Not to mention we've been making merry and decking the hell out of the halls!

I'm in hog heaven people.

THREE CHRISTMAS TREES!

You read that right! 

THREE!!

So stay tuned. I am going to do my darndest to keep all the balls up in the air and make some birthday/Christmas magic up in here. Fingers crossed!

Hoping to be back in the space again soon!

Hope your holiday season is off to a happy and healthy start!

Another Year Older, Another Year...

How I spent my 35th birthday.

Alone in the car while Charlotte was at school. I treated myself to a cupcake. 

Maybe two.

I might have a problem. 

Went to dinner where I was treated to my favorite ice cream. 

Not just a scoop. But a whole Baskin-Robbins-size container!

I think 35 is off to a sweet start!!

Sick House

Only hours after North Pole Breakfast, Charlotte got hit by the flu. Luckily, we were able to stay at home and just relax. She was SICK all morning - spending most of the morning on the couch or sleeping. 

By mid-afternoon, she perked up and by dinner time she was back to herself and we even went out to dinner! Weird, right?

Best sick day in the history of sick days for sure!

North Pole Breakfast {2013}

December 1 marked the return of our dear Elf friend, Elfie!

We were worried that he wouldn't arrive on time. After all, it has been a very hectic season, even for the elves and we didn't know if Elfie had gotten the memo that we have moved!

But good ole Santa pulled through and in the wee, wee, weeeee hours of the morning Elfie arrived.

Aside from bringing the standard North Pole breakfast fare - doughnuts and hot chocolate - Elfie also brought a few other goodies, including a new friend!

Meet Flyee.

Elfie and Flyee also brought a Nutcracker puppets and puppet theater (made by me)! These will be a hit in the years to come I am sure! 

We also kicked off the advent season with an advent calendar I made. My goal was to make two - one for each girl - complete with handmade ornaments. I only got one done and had to buy ornaments. New goal for next year right?!

Elfie likes to bring items each year - like a Santa night light and Christmas movies.

 

We also had an "activity" advent calendar. Elfie knew this month was going to fly by with a to-do list a mile long! So he stocked us up with lots of fun things that would keep the girls busy! He's such a nice guy! Thank goodness for Christmas magic otherwise this would take hours collecting and wrapping such goodies…am I right?! :)

The only item not an activity per se (although I consider sleeping a most important activity - especially in December) was the December 1 gift.

Both girls got cozy, Christmas bedding!

I've never been a fan of flannel bedding myself…until now. I am telling you their beds are so warm and cozy!! Thank you Elfie and Flyee for another wonderful North Pole Breakfast. There isn't a better way to kick off the season!

Halloween Wrap-Up

Anyone else exhausted? Halloween kicked my butt this year! 

The Halloween festivities started Wednesday when the girls had a friend over for a witch-hat decorating party. It was tons of fun and the girls really made some cute hats!!

Might just have to do this every year!

After our hat-making guest headed home, we carved our second round of pumpkins. Grace wanted a "scary" pumpkin and Charlotte wanted a "silly" pumpkin. After I cleaned the pumpkins, I let the girls go at it with a crayon to 'design' their jack-o-lantern. They are both too young to design a pumpkin BUT they felt like they were part of the design process. Very important. On a sketch piece of paper, we worked through the details and then I did my best to make their visions come to life!

Behold...our (only photographed) jack-o-lanterns of 2013!

Grace = scary

Charlotte = silly

It was so fun turning off the lights and watching them glow!

Not sure what they liked more, the glowing pumpkins or the glowing candles!

I soon found them huddled under the coffee table talking to each other in the candlelight.

I was able to get a few cute ones of Grace in nothing but candle light and thought what a great Christmas card this would make...but Charlotte wanted nothing to do with sweet, candle-lit poses.

The next day, Halloween, Grace had a party at school! I volunteered to be a parent helper in her classroom and my MIL graciously agreed to watch Charlotte for me. On the way to school, Grace and I stopped to pick up CHOCOLATE RING DONUTS that we had specially ordered the week prior so that we could make some Pinterest inspired treats for her classroom.

They were supposed to look a little like this...

{source}

Well, the donut makers forgot TO MAKE the donuts and Grace was heart broken! I made the mistake of telling her what the treat was we were bringing before hand - the girl loves a chocolate covered donut - and when it was a no go? Tears, tears and more tears!

Luckily, they had exactly the number of bar donuts which didn't totally stop the tears but once we dressed them up...

 and said our thank you words...

everything was ok.

Ok meaning she. ate. single. bite!

I have to say she was one sweet bat-girl!

Then it was off to trick-or-treat.

Not gonna lie. This was a little rough. Both girl were tired upon arrival.

But they trooped on - walking the entire way - through our downtown event 

(held during daylight hours! BOOM!!)

and while they LOVED LOVED LOVED the idea of getting candy 

and singing Trick - or - Treat, Smell my Feet along the way...

they were soon READY to head home.

We were on our way home when we spotted one last spot...it had a loooong line, so we knew it had to be good, right?

And it was!

A good one to end on!