People with only one child do not understand.
Just think how easy it must be for them to get a Christmas card photo.
There’s never anyone touching or bothering someone in the picture.
No one has suddenly sprouted bunny ears in the picture.
There’s no arguing about everyone facing the same direction.
But then again, I could be wrong.
Happy Weekend Everyone!
Guess who enjoyed the Norway pavilion…
Perhaps a trip to Oslo is in their future.
Of course, the lack of viking ships and people fighting dragons might throw them off a bit.
I’m talking movies today so I’m sure you think I’m going to discuss the Golden Globes or the Oscars.
Unless we’re talking fashion it will be hard for me to discuss any of the nominated movies this year because I have seen exactly zero of them.
My 10 year old? He’s seen Lincoln twice.
Me? None.
Today I’m going to talk to you about what I deem “Classic Movies.”
Casablanca? Gone with the Wind? Breakfast at Tiffany’s?
No. No. and No.
These might be official classic movies but not my classic movies.
My classic movies are ones my husband and I are having fun introducing to the kids. Movies we remember enjoying when we were younger. The TRUE classic movies. At least to me.
I’m talking about Mary Poppins, Annie, Star Wars, The Sound of Music, Home Alone, Ghost Busters, Honey I Shrunk the Kids, E.T., and Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.
Also on the list are The Parent Trap, Goonies, Jumanji, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Mrs. Doubtfire, The Karate Kid, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, The Mighty Ducks, Back to the Future, Jurassic Park, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, and Uncle Buck.
There are several more movies on the list but for now I would like your help.
Soon I’m going to be sharing my Classic Movie list as a printable but I’d like to get your opinion…
What Are Your Favorite Classic Movies?
I’m sure there are many movies I haven’t thought of so go ahead and share. After all, it’s for my kids 🙂
Well, that was quite a long break for me but one that was quite necessary.
You see, we had the holidays, then we went to DISNEY, and then my middle child got the flu.
Yep, even though he received the flu shot in October, he got the flu.
Apparently the flu shot covers three out of four types of the flu.
Well, he got the 4th one sometime while we were at Disney.
Mickey Mouse, roller coasters, and the flu.
Thankfully, he only missed the last day of fun and he felt so bad he didn’t care that he missed going on rides.
Here are just a few shots from our trip:
Only rained one day
Animation Class
Fun Fact: I won the teacher’s artwork by answering the following trivia question:
Name one of Mickey Mouse’s nephews... answer at the end
Yes, we spent $45 on face painting on this trip but it was completely worth it
Me: Let’s all three of us ride together
Alex & Caroline: No
Me: Please can we all ride together
Alex & Caroline: No
Result: Loser Mom is riding the Dumbo ride all by herself and trying not to look anyone in the eye
Little girl souvenir haul: one princess nightgown, one cheetah, one princess bank
Oh, and one princess hat
And in case you were wondering, Mickey Mouse has two nephews, Morty and Fergie.
Years of reading Disney storybooks finally paid off.
Hope your holidays were wonderful!
Hope you holidays have been wonderful.
Our break even included lots of snow!
A white Christmas in Texas!
I’m going to take another week off to enjoy with the kids before they head back to school.
Hope you are getting to spend some time enjoying the holidays!
I think this will be the last year my oldest will believe.
In fact, he may not even get to the 25th but I’m crossing my fingers.
Now, we haven’t completely sheltered our kids – they’ve known sadness, been aware of world events, and been a part of serious dinner conversations.
It’s just that, to believe, is so magical and child like. Once he stops believing, he’ll be so much more grown up than he was just moments before.
He can rattle off the names of Civil War battles, go into detailed plane descriptions, and listen to eight straight hours of football coverage.
But he still believes.
When I hear him discussing reindeer characteristics and sleigh routes with his brother I smile.
So I think we may go see the Christmas movie before it hits the dollar show in March and buy the extra large gingerbread house to work on as a family.
And hopefully we’ll get through this last season with everyone believing.
***I am reposting this from 2 years ago – the only change I will be making for this years advent calendar will be at the end of this post***and sadly, I have to report that there was no big Powerball win for us last night – here’s to hoping no one won!
Last year the kids and I made a paper bag Christmas tree which they partially decorated using markers. Here’s the way our advent tree works.
On December 1 they receive a paper ornament which states something we will be doing, watching, or making that deals with Christmas.
One of the boys gets to glue it onto our tree. The next day the other one gets to glue it on.
On certain days they receive their ornament before school while other days they receive their ornament after school (it depends if I have my act together or not). Here’s a picture of the finished project.
Here’s a close up of some of the ornaments. Some days they would receive one ornament while on other days they would receive a bonus one.
There is a small part of me that cringes when these are glued onto the tree every which way. I do have to tell myself that having symmetry in this craft is not the purpose. But oh how I sometimes try to make suggestions of where the ornament could be placed.
This year I’ve made a tentative list of activities for our family. Some will change based on schedules and weather but it’s a start:
***Changes this year – Now 3 children will be placing ornaments on the tree *** Our activities each day has changed *** I am using large brown craft paper that I also use to wrap gifts in***
Do you have any unique ways your family celebrates the holidays?
By the time you read this I just might be a millionaire.
I mean a gazillionaire!
Yep. You guessed it.
I fell into the Powerball craze.
The jackpot is currently at $500 million and it’s going to be MINE, ALL MINE!
Well, except for the part where I give a lot to charity but really most of it’s MINE!
Oh, and maybe my husbands’ too.
When we discussed going to buy a lottery ticket he said, “Sure. Go buy one.”
Which of course meant, “Buy five. It will increase our odds greatly and we will become kazillionaires. There’s a 10 in my wallet.”
I obliged and bought the tickets.
Of course, I brought along my two oldest children because this was an important life experience.
Yep, taking them down the dark and dirty road of gambling.
As we were walking into the store, Andrew said, “Let’s buy a mansion if we win.”
(I’m sure he totally meant, let’s buy a house for someone else…yadda …yadda…yaddda)
At that, Alex, my oldest, said, “Andrew, we’re not going to buy a new house. Mom and Dad just refinanced the house and that was a lot of paperwork. They aren’t going to want to do that again. You have to think of something different you want.”
Practical. That will be good when we are BAZILLIONAIRES!
So, if I don’t post tomorrow I’m probably in Tahitit in the celebrity suite at the finest hotel there having a massage (contemplating how I will help the less fortunate, obviously).
Oh. And if you win? I’m totally your best friend, right?
Thanksgiving is a time of family, food, and fun.
We had all of that.
Plus a whole lot of vomit.
Yes, family, food, fun, and vomit – all parts of our Thanksgiving celebration.
And unlike many of you who only had three days of family time, our family was lucky enough to have 9 days off together.
Yes, nine days of being together (sleeping in the same room allowed for a quick response time)
Nine days of food (aka Gatorade and Saltines).
Nine days of fun (My entire next paycheck is headed to Redbox).
Nine days of being thankful for our washer and dryer (vomit, enough said).
And while I am thankful for that time spent with my family, I am hoping the 12 days of Christmas turns out differently.
When you take your family to the zoo, don’t you just love…
waking up extra early to take the dog for a walk….
packing a bag full of snacks…
driving over an hour to get there…
waiting while the attendants can’t find your preordered tickets…
walking for miles and miles…
convincing a child to sit in the stroller…
arguing with other children that they are too big to sit in the stroller…
repeatedly explaining as to why ice cream was not going to be purchased at 10am…
faking a cheery attitude at the thought of spending more time at the meerkat window…
And finally, don’t you just love when you place your child in their seat after spending all day at the zoo and they tell you their favorite animal today were the geese.