Ahhh....the sounds of Christmas

I love Christmas movies! They make me happy. Can you name which of my favorite Christmas movies these quotes are from? Good luck!!

"What are you? Some kind of wild animal??"

"Don't ever say Hickory Honey Ham again!"

"There are two things in this life I hate: heights and jumping from them."

"I'm singing. I'm singing. I'm in a store and I'm singing."

 "If you can't believe, if you can't accept anything on faith, then you're doomed for a life dominated by doubt."

"Daddy's gonna kill Ralphie!"

"Keep the change, you filthy animal."

 "I love being home. But I don't like being left behind. Now I am the one going ahead. I am not afraid. I can be brave like you."

"I invented chill."

"Isn't there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?"

"Put the cookie down....now!"

"The thing about trains... it doesn't matter where they're going. What matters is deciding to get on."

So I Married a Deaf Man: The LAW

This year, he laid down the law.

Growing up, my parents let us open our presents early Christmas morning. No, like really early. As in 3 or 4am. Crazy, right? Except I loved it. It somehow made Christmas that much more magical.

Hubs' family, on the other hand, did not. I don't think they opened presents until Dec 26th. Okay, so that is a slight exageration. They slept in like normal. Like that's fun. Weee.....snoring.  

So for the last 11 years, we have let our kids wake early. Yay for us! Until this year...

"We will not be waking up or opening presents until 6am," he declared. THE LAW.

There was much weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth...some from me, I admit. But that was it. The LAW had been spoken.

That was it until... 2am when Kobe woke up and woke everyone else up. Which was fine....because they all headed down to the livingroom, looked what Santa had brought them, counted and sorted the presents, then put them back under the tree. No biggie. I was fast asleep so all was well.

Then Brody crawled into bed with me.

"Mom. Why can't we open the presents right now? I can't wait," he begged.
"Honey, everyone else is asleep," I mumbled.
"No they aren't. Everyone else is awake."
"Well, you remember what Daddy said. Not until 6am," I reminded him.
"Why? Why can't we just open them? Please, Mom. Please," he pleaded.
I looked over, and there slept the LAW, oblivious to the begging.
"Nope. But you can sleep right here by me." I rolled over and tried to ignore the begging, which progressively got louder and longer each hour.

Finally, 6am arrived and presents were opened and all was well.

"See, waking up at 6am was so nice. Everyone got enough sleep. We should do it every year," Brian proclaimed.

Maybe he didn't notice the bags under my eyes. All I can say is next year I am sending them to his side of the bed.

Law indeed.

Puzzled

I love puzzles.

It's kinda a Christmas tradition with me. Only I haven't been able to do this tradition since I had kids. You know, with the little ones eating the pieces it would have been impossible to finish...oh...wait. Ahem... I mean too much of a choking hazard for the little ones.

(Just to clarify they would be choking on the puzzle pieces...not me choking them. Just so we're clear.)

Until this year, that is.

Puzzles in the house, baby! Whoop! Whoop!

I busted out the puzzles and my house has gone to pot. (Not the legal kind, sillies. The messy kind.) Once I get started I can't stop. I become completely oblivious to what is going on around me.

Want proof?

This is what happened this morning while I was doing a puzzle. And I am being completely honest when I say I had no clue until I turned around and there it was. 

Woah!

How did I not hear this happening.

I nust reeeeally like puzzles. 

Not exactly as I would have planned...

What happens when your husband decides to change jobs at the end of the semester?

14 appointments, that's what.

You see once Hubs switches jobs, all the health insurance goes away.

And so we have crammed in eye appointments and dental appointments into the last 2 1/2 weeks.

14 of them.

Because that is what I want to spend my money on month of December.

Nothing says "Merry Christmas" like a root canal.

Nothing!

All over the floor

What is Christmas without nuts?


What's Christmas without this little guy?

 
What happens when the two meet??
 

This...

 

...and this

 

Yes, things have gone a little nuts here at the homestead. 

Literally!

If you weren't diabetic before...

Today is a special day.

Today is "Load up on all the sugar you can" Day...aka Gingerbread House Making Day! My kids are totally chuck full of mini M&M's, licorice, icing, chocolate, marshmallows, icing, suckers, Cadbury chocolate balls, peppermints, icing...

Yeah, they are bouncing. Off the walls.  Too bad I had to run off to work.

"Huh? What's that, Hubs? What are you supposed to do with these kids? Not sure...I have to go to work. Just protect the tree. Love you! Mwah!" Hubs is awesome. Half of the craziness is hearing the craziness. So he is only half crazed.

(Singing) I have pictures! 
I made this one.

.

Okay, so maybe not. I don't have time to make my live-in house look that nice. It's so not happening for a gingerbread house that will be crushed and ruined in about 10 minutes.

 

You would think that a 2 yr old's house would have candy overload. Not mine...although he had finished off like 5 suckers. But still. (He is so cute!!!!Sorry...mother moment.)

Kobe, being the big boy that he is, designed, built and decorated his all on his own. Fantastic!

Kyla is my artsy girl. She is my only girl. And she is artsy fartsy. Not really farsty...that would be my four boys. Anyway, she is very particular about how her house is made. And it looked great!

Brody never holds back. It's all or nothing for him. And as you can see...tonight it was all. 

Camden also didn't want a lot of help. And just do you know...you are looking at the "naked" side. A future Brody, perhaps? 

The next three are my super cute nieces and nephew. They, too, are part of our tradition. Nothing like living close to family! We love it. We love them! Booya!

 

And so ends our gingerbread extravaganza! Good luck Hubs!

Think of us, my friends, as you brush your teeth tonight.