Advent Ideas

I love the Christmas season. I love to decorate, bake, attend plays, sing carols, all that stuff. But I feel like it goes by fast and unless I do alot of planning, we miss something. I am putting together an advent list, something to do everyday until Christmas. Here are some of my ideas, not in any order...

Watch it’s a wonderful life
Watch the Grinch
Bake cookies and deliver
Put up tree and decorate
Go Christmas shopping
Wrap presents
Make salt dough ornaments
Take and drive and look at Christmas lights
Sing Christmas carols & play instruments
Attend a Christmas pageant
Make a food garland for wildlife
Read journal of holidays past
Put on a Christmas play
Talk of Christmas around the world
Invite a family over for games & goodies
Make an advent paper chain with scriptures inside to read each night
Have a special meal with food Jesus and Mary would have eaten in their life
Make a snowman craft
Donate gifts to less fortunate
decorate and mail cards to family far away
go sledding
visit botanical gardens for light show
cut paper snowflakes and decorate
visit santa
see the nutcracker ballet

What do you do for the season? Any other ideas?

Human or Octopus

Baby girl must think I am going to forget about her. She feels the need to remind me a lot, in very strong karate-kick ways. Usually, just as I am settling down for a rest.

Or maybe she is hearing the battle-cries of her brother and sister. She has started training for the rumble with kickboxing. She will need it.

But really I think I am giving birth to an octopus. It feels like a large octopus is stuck in a small space and is trying to get out, using all its tentacles.

I actually love this part of being pregnant. It really helps me bond with baby and force me to think of her. What is she doing? Was that a foot or a hand? Can she hear us?
Pregnancy is really a strange, amazing thing.

kids in costume

My fairy and triceratops had lots of fun for Halloween. I dread the day they will want to be something scary. I like sweet happy costumes!

When I grow up

My kids have a cute lil critter book called "When I Grow Up". I started thinking of a list called “When my kids grow up” (well a little bit more anyway) in the same spirit

I will buy a kayak & have great adventures discovering hidden beaches
I will paint - oils, acrylic, watercolor, anything
I will join the mycology association and become an expert mushroom hunter
I will become a serious rockhounder and uncover treasures around the world
I will go back to school – (I was on schedule to go back this fall and start a nursing program but
baby #3 popped in. Some people can multi manage this but not me. Also my brain turns off alot when I’m pregnant. )
I will have interesting and fun dinner parties.
I will become active in an important environmental group.
I will travel to Spain and Italy.

hmm, what else? How about you? What dreams do you have on hold?

movie night

In a rare turn of events, I actually got to watch a movie of my choice the other night. I had wanted to see a new one called “The Other Boleyn Sister.” I really knew nothing about it except I liked the actors in it (Eric Bana, Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson) The movie was great, with very entertaining characters. I loved seeing Portman be a bad girl. Then I found out the whole story, down to nearly every last juicy detail, is real. It is a brief story of Henry VIII, and some of his wives and mistresses. You should see it. It was a shocking history lesson. It makes me want to learn more.

Here are a few movie favorites:

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers - a classic packed full of humor. A kid favorite too.

Taming of the Shrew, with Elizabeth Taylor-

Chocolat -- a good message

Hour Of The Wolf - or anything by Swedish Director Ingmar Bergman – he is a little dark and disturbing but I like it

Alfred Hitchcock films – like Rear Window

As you can see, I don’t get to watch many shows. What are some of your all-time favorites?

pregnant nun

My tummy is getting big! I really look like a swallowed a basketball. I started thinking about how to fully take advantage of this shape for Halloween. I have a few costume parties to attend and need to dress up. I dont think I am brave enough to paint my belly and let it hang out like a jack-lantern. Here are a few ideas I have found:
Nun
Cheerleader
Pilsbury Dough Boy
peapod
Bride
santa claus

Any other ideas?

Tickled Pink!

It looks like a baby girl is on her way, set for Valentines day. Perrie is soo excited. She is not liking "brothers" much right now. I am excited too. Owen can always be my mamasboy now. Now to come up with a name we can agree on. hmmm...