We went over to a friend's house on Thursday for a Girl Scout meeting and I saw that she had her Christmas decorations up already. I started to give her a hard time about it, and then she told me how they are never home for Christmas, they are leaving to see family on the 19th, and that her kids are little and she wants her decorations up as long as possible so they can enjoy them. That rang home with me.
I thought about it more and more and how it applied to us. We never put our decorations up before Thanksgiving. On the years we come home on Saturday we may put them up the Sunday after Thanksgiving, but it's usually the weekend after and it's never long enough. For the first year in I don't know how long we actually had no plans the weekend before Thanksgiving so we decided to take the plunge.
We put the tree and inside decorations up on Saturday and were going to wait on the lights, but the weather can be unpredictable here (two years ago we never put our outside lights up because it was always freezing and snowy on the weekends and then it was too late) and yesterday was beautiful so yesterday afternoon Charlie, Andy and I took care of the outdoor lights while the girls rode their bikes. See, unpredictable.
As a result, I have a little less stress and we get ready to leave for Miami for Thanksgiving, and one less thing to worry about when I get back. I've got my Christmas cards ordered too, now just to write that letter...
Monday, November 23, 2015
Sunday, November 22, 2015
Entrepreneurs
On Monday night we got about eight inches of snow. On Tuesday the kids had their first ever Snow Day. They've had snow days in Texas before that were really ice days, no snow but you can't get anywhere because it's too icy, but never a true snow day where there was actually snow on the ground and you're stuck at home.
Andy came into my room just after 7a while I was trying to enjoy the fact that I didn't have to get up for anything that morning and asked if he could shovel the driveway for $20. I immediately said yes, because I didn't want to do it and Charlie was out of town. I started thinking about it a little more and realized that when I was 12 years old, or now for that matter, my dad would have never given me money to shovel the driveway. It was just expected, I was told to go out and shovel the driveway and I did. I grumbled about it, but I did it. But here's the thing. Last year at the beginning of the winter when we had our first big snow a kid about Andy's age came to the door and asked if he could shovel our driveway for $20. Again we did not want to do it so we happily gave that kid $20 to do it. Andy was a little miffed and we decided that if we are willing to pay someone to do a job for us, why not keep it in the family and let him do it for the same amount? I'm not sure that jives with the "contributing to the family" thing or whatever we are supposed to be teaching our kids these days, but I think things have changed from when we were kids.
Anyway, the snow was heavy and thick and the job wasn't as easy as he thought it would be. They don't keep those kids home from school for just anything! He got about 3-4 rows shoveled and then decided it was too much and came in. That would have been it for him and I would have seen myself outside shoveling until Sarah decided that she wanted some money and she was going to do it. Man that kid is growing on me. So she got on all her gear and went out to shovel which made Andy go back out there which even got Amanda out there for a bit but I'm not sure if she made more of a mess or helped them.
In the end, my driveway did get shoveled and all the of the kids got some money. A win-win for everybody.
Andy came into my room just after 7a while I was trying to enjoy the fact that I didn't have to get up for anything that morning and asked if he could shovel the driveway for $20. I immediately said yes, because I didn't want to do it and Charlie was out of town. I started thinking about it a little more and realized that when I was 12 years old, or now for that matter, my dad would have never given me money to shovel the driveway. It was just expected, I was told to go out and shovel the driveway and I did. I grumbled about it, but I did it. But here's the thing. Last year at the beginning of the winter when we had our first big snow a kid about Andy's age came to the door and asked if he could shovel our driveway for $20. Again we did not want to do it so we happily gave that kid $20 to do it. Andy was a little miffed and we decided that if we are willing to pay someone to do a job for us, why not keep it in the family and let him do it for the same amount? I'm not sure that jives with the "contributing to the family" thing or whatever we are supposed to be teaching our kids these days, but I think things have changed from when we were kids.
Anyway, the snow was heavy and thick and the job wasn't as easy as he thought it would be. They don't keep those kids home from school for just anything! He got about 3-4 rows shoveled and then decided it was too much and came in. That would have been it for him and I would have seen myself outside shoveling until Sarah decided that she wanted some money and she was going to do it. Man that kid is growing on me. So she got on all her gear and went out to shovel which made Andy go back out there which even got Amanda out there for a bit but I'm not sure if she made more of a mess or helped them.
In the end, my driveway did get shoveled and all the of the kids got some money. A win-win for everybody.
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
All I Want For Christmas
I've been trying to get the kids to put together their Christmas lists, but they haven't been very interested. This morning I got an email from my sister-in-law asking what they wanted so I thought I would try a different approach.
Me: Kids, Aunt Nanci sent me an email today asking what you wanted for Christmas. What should I tell her?
Amanda: Candy.
Me: No.
Amanda: Money.
Me: No.
Amanda: Bounce House.
Me: No.
Amanda: Van.
Me: No.
Amanda: Unicorn.
Me: No.
Amanda: Trampoline.
Me: No.
Amanda: Pool.
Me: No.
Looks like someone will not be getting anything for Christmas unless her list gets a little more realistic.
Me: Kids, Aunt Nanci sent me an email today asking what you wanted for Christmas. What should I tell her?
Amanda: Candy.
Me: No.
Amanda: Money.
Me: No.
Amanda: Bounce House.
Me: No.
Amanda: Van.
Me: No.
Amanda: Unicorn.
Me: No.
Amanda: Trampoline.
Me: No.
Amanda: Pool.
Me: No.
Looks like someone will not be getting anything for Christmas unless her list gets a little more realistic.
Sunday, November 15, 2015
Kid Quote of the Day
Sarah: Mommy, Sarah means princess.
Me: Yep, that's right.
Amanda: Mommy, Amanda means unicorn.
Me: Um no, no it doesn't.
Me: Yep, that's right.
Amanda: Mommy, Amanda means unicorn.
Me: Um no, no it doesn't.
Friday, November 6, 2015
Kid Quote of the Day
"I hate my Tooth Fairy, I want a new one!"
- Amanda, after finding out that the Tooth Fairy left glitter on the pillow of one of her classmates. Way to make it difficult for everybody else Ainsley's mom!
- Amanda, after finding out that the Tooth Fairy left glitter on the pillow of one of her classmates. Way to make it difficult for everybody else Ainsley's mom!
Sunday, November 1, 2015
Kid Quote of the Day
The craziness of Halloween is finally over and as we had a slight lull in conversation in the car today, Amanda says to me, "Mommy, how many days until Christmas?"
In case you were wondering, it's 53. 53 days until Christmas, 53 days until we see Grandma and Grandpa and all the cousins from my side of the family. 54 days until she starts asking how many days it is until her birthday. Please give me patience.
In case you were wondering, it's 53. 53 days until Christmas, 53 days until we see Grandma and Grandpa and all the cousins from my side of the family. 54 days until she starts asking how many days it is until her birthday. Please give me patience.
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