Another quick one.

Just another quick update, since that is about all I can handle right now.

We signed the papers for our new home on Friday Dec 23rd.
The 24th we went to the zoo, as is our tradition.Christmas was spent in Coolidge with the family, after opening gifts at our house first.
Monday we had a nice family day at home.
Tuesday, the 27th, we headed up to see some SNOW! This trip deserves a post all to itself.
Wednesday we came home from the snow trip and found out that Will had the keys to our new home, which means the real work begins (for him- getting the house ready for us, and for me, getting this house packed up.)
Thursday Natalie turned 9 months old, and my mom came up to help me pack.
Which leads up to today- more packing, we actually have a few rooms nearly packed, a dent has been made in the super massive black hole o'crap we own.

Merry Christmas Eve

They are all so excited for Santa to come.

All she wants for Christmas is...

her other front tooth. Since the front right tooth broke through in the last few days. We had been singing that particular Christmas gem to Natalie for a week or so.

Why am I struggling with Christmas? I love the whole season, but I always feel inadequate this time of year. Like I should have done more, given more, made more, been more. But what more could I do, give, make and be?

I've made plenty of gifts- my knitting needles have been clacking away for a month. I didn't finish some of the gifts I wanted to make. I made caramels, fudge, chex mix. I still need to make cookies- gingerbread mainly but I can't find the mix I usually use, so I guess I will have to make them from scratch. Also I want to make sugar cookies, but only because I want to eat them. So perhaps I should wait until after the holidays.

Our house hasn't closed yet. This, while not a huge deal, is causing stress. It seems like such a pain in the backside trying to buy this property. We thought we'd be able to move in the 2nd week of January. Maybe we still can... maybe. But I am totally not holding my breath. Chances are better for late January maybe even February. Ugh.

Gwennie's teacher had a little going away party for her today, because we thought we weren't coming back- but now it looks like they will go back for a few weeks while I pack and get ready to move.

And I. am. freaking. out. The move, which seemed so exciting is now terrifying. The closer it gets the scarier. But I am still looking forward to it, I can't wait to be through this part, to be moved in together. This is probably the single biggest reason that I am struggling with Christmas.

There has been some drama around the Christmas gifts that Santa was getting the girls. Its fixed now, but it added more stress and a sleepless night.

And I have a few Christmas movies to watch. Maybe that will help.

Weekly Gratitude

Let me resume my gratitude posts, I really need to.
~Will was home this weekend, in fact he was able to make it home on Friday in time to go with us to the Advent Spiral Garden at the girls' school. I spent the time outside, since Natalie decided to talk loudly while it was supposed to be reverent.

~I am thankful for family. We visited Will's younger sister (and only full-sibling) this weekend. She has 2 children, a boy that is just about a year younger than Rhayn and a girl that is about 8 months older than Natalie. K gave Natalie a fun noisy toy as well as a box of really nice winter clothes. I can't wait to put them on her! I enjoy going to K's house, because I can see what Gwennie will (most likely) look like when she grows up. Its also nice to sit and chat with her.

~I asked Rhayn if she wanted to see Santa this year, she said she was ok with not doing that. I took Natalie and Gwennie on Friday the 16th. The line was not long. Natalie loved Santa, she petted his beard and smiled big for the camera lady. Gwennie was chatty with the lady in front of us in line, but when she got to Santa, she got really shy but was glad to see him. I love the wonder in her eyes.

~Today is bittersweet- This is the last week the girls will go to their school. We've been there for 6 years and we love the school. I am excited about our move, and terrified at the same time.

So far this week-

Christmas is almost here. Are we ready? I sure hope so. Yesterday I did a little shopping. I am still not done though- I have a picture to paint, a few hats to knit and caramel to make.

Tonight is the spiral walk at the girls' school. They are only doing it for pre-kindergarten to 4th grade, and Rhayn is sad about that (being in 5th grade). Tomorrow we are going to visit Will's sister and her kids. My children are so lucky to have so many cousins, I only wish we got to see them all more often. Growing up, one of my best friends was my cousin, Hairball. Even now, she is one of my favorite people to go out on the town with.Monday and Tuesday of this week were drizzly and rainy. So nice to have that sort of weather. The girls kept reminding me that this was exactly like our trip to San Diego in 2008. I was grateful for my umbrella, I knew there was a reason it lives in my car year round.

Wednesday night was the school's Winter Concert for 5th to 11th grades. It was well done and we enjoyed it, for the most part. Rhayn sang and sounded lovely. I had heard her practicing for weeks and it was amazing to hear those songs. Natalie didn't freak out quite as much as she did at the Spring Concert. Thank goodness. She was loud and after the concert, Rhayn told me that they could hear her from the stage "singing along" and talking.

Semi Silent Sunday

Watching a 3-D movie at my parents house.

Too darn many dogs in one living space.

She stands

Can someone please tell baby Natalie that she needs. to. slow. down? I am so not ready for walking, but it is literally a step away.She can't stand up for very long, only a few seconds, but she gets sturdier every day. It won't be long now. (Also its nearly impossible to get a picture of standing girl.)

Oh the drama!

Head lice has been going around the girls' school. It is almost always going around the school but this year it has been in both of their classes. Rhayn's class has had at least 1 kid out a week because of it (it seems). The children are required to wear a hat when they are out at recess.

Tuesday I was joking around with a friend about lice, and how just hearing about it makes my head itch. And also how we hadn't dealt with it. Rhayn's hair is short, and Gwennie's is really light though it is thick. So I haven't worried about it.

But that afternoon my head itched- like uncontrollable itching. I had sliced my finger open on Sunday and it had been probably been 6 days since I had washed it. I figured that the itchiness was from dirty hair. So I scrubbed it clean and went about my business. But that night, it was still itchy, so I took a benadryl and went to bed.

Wednesday morning it was still itchy. By the afternoon I was obsessively looking at my head worrying about it. I started googling lice. I found quite a few teeny tiny little white specks attached to my hair in the front. And with embarrassment I asked Rhayn to check the back. She looked and said she thought she saw a bug and she saw a lot of the white specks.

Thursday I kept Gwennie (who shares a brush and sometimes bed with me) home. We went to the doctor that afternoon to check my head. I wasn't sure if it was lice but also I wasn't sure what I could use since I am nursing. The doctor pulled a white speck off of my hair and looked at it under a microscope- yes, lice. And she said I could use anything since they are topical. I also decided to get a flu shot. It didn't hurt then, but now it feels like I was punched in the arm and it is bruised.

I went to pick up Rhayn from school and ran into my pal, A. I told her what was going on and she offered to help me comb the irritants out of my hair. I picked up some lice stuff, and headed to her house. An hour and a half later we were done but I still had a head coated in the stuff.

We got home close to 6pm. All seemed well, I made dinner (heated up green chile) and then went to change over laundry, because I had been washing bed clothes to rid our beds of the pests. The floor in the laundry room was covered in 1/2 an inch of water.

Crap.

Rhayn helped me clear out the laundry room while I coated Gwennie's hair in the lice stuff. The I coated hers and they "soaked" while I got out the wet/dry vac and started cleaning up the floor. When it was all cleaned up, I put 2 towels in and ran a light cycle. It started leaking under the washer. It is most likely fixable, but a few weeks ago it had stopped mid cycle with a full load in there I think we will be replacing it (and possibly the dryer which works, but does some weird things, too).

I think I held myself together pretty well last night, even though what I wanted more was to curl into a ball and bawl.

Its Friday now, and my laundry room, like the rest of my house, is in total disarray. I also have a migraine. What fun.

It feels like life is whirling ever faster. We are only a few weeks from Christmas which is (hopefully) only a few weeks from our move. And I am not ready for either.

Our house is decorated for Christmas, our tree is up and the stockings are hung. This morning we were visited by St. Nicholas, who left the girls each a small gift, some Christmas socks and a bag of mixed nuts (in the shell- they look forward to that tradition each year). This is not something we celebrated growing up, but a tradition that they celebrate at the girls' school. I first heard of it when Rhayn was in kindergarten. And honestly we don't do it every year- I think we forgot last year. This year though, I am/was on the ball.Yesterday I had an eye appointment so Natalie and I spent a little time at the mall play area. She was not really sure what to think, and really she just wanted to nurse. It is a decent place to do that at least. I will be going back with her in a week or so and hopefully she'll play for a little longer. My prescription for glasses was upped again, just a little bit but I knew it would be. Things are not as crisp as they used to be. So I spent some money on new glasses. Totally different frames this time- which I will have in a few weeks, and yes, I will post pictures when I get them. I am excited about one pair- though I was told they are quite delicate and I did get a warranty on them. The second pair was $39.95 with purchase of a first pair, so I went ahead and bought a cheapish pair of at home glasses. If I don' t like them (or if Will doesn't because it matter what he thinks!) I can exchange them within 90 days, and they were from Sears which has a location in Sierra Vista and I think it has an optical center.

Don't tell Gwennie I posted this on here, though I only promised not to post it on Facebook, I said nothing about my blog. Sneaky, sneaky mama. Both she and Rhayn have tried on this Christmas gift, and I really hope its recipient enjoys it, too. I am done with 3 gifts for relatives, only 2 more to go. I have some ideas for the girls, too. I just need to get working, though much of it is hard since Natalie wants to be held a lot. She won't always feel this way and I try to remember that when I am holding her sleeping body while I am trying to knit over her head. But I love that she snuggles, Rhayn only did when she was sick. Gwennie remains a snuggle buggle and most of the time I really love that.

Silent Sunday