December's Totals

14.35 hours
50.64 miles
6540 calories

(I slacked during the week of Cmas, so I had to go over 7 miles today to reach my goal, but I DID IT!!!!)

I also got a membership today at a gym. Now that Paul and I are going to week-long visitations with Patrick, I'll be able to go to the gym. My plan is to do some spinning and ab classes and the elliptical machines. I WILL LOOK HOT in those bridesmaid dresses.

Here's to reaching new and BIGGER goals in 2008.

3 generational cookie party

Mom, Patrick and I hosted a 3 generational cookie party. The kids were CRAZY! I say that, Patrick got everyone riled up. Each lady brought cookies to share and the kiddos decorated Christmas cookies. We had some creative bakers. The only thing missing was the wassail. Just kidding mom. Then champagne punch did hit the spot. (Patrick was too busy being a Rock Star to be in the last picture.)

Snowy Saturday

Patrick told me the snow was "DEEEEEEEEEEEEElicious." I guess so. He loves to eat the snow. The Spiderman suit was hung by the chimney with care. . . Patrick decided that's where we needed to keep it.

Santa brought me an early Christmas present. An entertainment center for the Tech room so I could take my TV off the card table. My parents came over Saturday to build it while I was making cookies. Patrick was convinced that Doodah and Papa J needed his help. Yeah, I know it was freezing outside and my kid was just wearing his underwear. But if you asked him he was in his "black Spiderman" suit. Sometimes there's just no convincing that little 3-year old Taurus of mine. I finally took Patrick out to look at Christmas lights so my parents could build in peace. WE saw Santa on a bicycle, on a motorcycle and in a car. Patrick decided we needed to get Santa a motorcycle for Christmas. We are going to color him one. When we came back (note he has clothes on now), Patrick got to help Papa J hammer with a plastic hammer. And would you believe that's the only hammer I have?! My own tools are on my list for Santa, too. The Tech room is almost finished. I'll post pictures when it is. I also still have to post pics of my new bedroom, too.

When "The Cherub" sings. . .

Patrick is really into Christmas music. Here are some of his versions. . .

Shrek the Holy Spirit la la la la la la la (Deck the halls with boughs of holly. . .) He has the tune down pretty well, though.

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a happy new beer. Or he sings and a happy new you. Either way works for me.

He's also totally into this song "I want a hippopotamus for Christmas." I downloaded it last year. He will listen to this song over and over to Jean's. And he can sing the whole first verse. I asked him if he really wanted a hippo for Cmas and he said yes. I asked him where it would live and he told me my room. I told him it wouldn't fit through the door. He informed me he wanted a little hippo, with a very "duh, Mom" tone of voice. I found one online and he's getting it at Doodah & Papa J's Christmas.

Christmas Science

Thursday our sitter was getting new carpet, so Paddy and I stayed home together and did SCIENCE! Those are pine cones in the bowls. Patrick gathered the pine cones in Colorado this summer to put in the fireplace this winter. I found an activity that makes the pine cones glow different colors in the fireplace. Here's how
1. Pour 1/2 gallon of hot water into a deep bowl or dish.
2. Dissolve 8 ounces (1 cup) of ONE of the following chemicals in the water. These are what we did
Table salt: for a yellow flame
Borax: for a yellow-green flame (20 Mule Team Borax - you can find it on the laundry aisle.)
Epsom salts: for a white flame
Other chemicals that I didn't want to run out and buy - strontium chloride, boric acid,
calcium, calcium chloride, saltpeter. They all make a different color flame.
3. Soak the pine cones in the solution for 6 hours. I needed to use something heavy like a plate or a bowl to keep the pine cones from floating.
4. Dry them for at least 3 days in a warm, dry area on a news paper. (Mine are sitting underneath my ceiling fan on a old bath towel.)

Whatever you do - DON'T MIX the chemicals. They can make toxic fumes.


Here are my paperwhites. I still see some more blooms. I hope they are still blooming for Christmas. My amaryllis is pretty pitiful, so I didn't take pictures of that one.

Good Grief

He decided he "needed to wear" my glasses.

Last night he was watching Charlie Brown Christmas and Charlie Brown kept saying "Good grief." He said Charlie Brown says "good grief" like Doodah. Yes, she does say that a lot.

Then I asked him what Doodah called him, and he said "Sweet P." I asked him if I could call him Sweet P and he said "no," but I could call him "Sweet Celery." Hey, at least the kid knows his vegetables. I do say I prefer Sweet Celery than Sweet Broccoli.

Christmas Music doesn't get any better than this

I really don't think Christmas music gets any better than this. I am a hug fan of Christmas music and have a pretty extensive collection, and this cd by Sarah Mclachlan makes it perfect! It's very "Sarah" - enchanting and romantic, yet Christmas-y without being too cheesy Christmas. I heard her version of Joni Mitchell's "River" on the radio and HAD to have this cd! She has the traditional "Silent Night" and "O Little Town of Bethlehem." But it's her versions of "River" and "Song for a Winter's Night" (originally by Gordon Lightfoot) and "In the Bleak Mid Winter" that keep me listening all day. I listened to it 3 times as I wrote Christmas cards last night and haven't taken it out of my computer cd player all day. I'll probably listen to it on my way home, too. I am so glad I added this Christmas cd to my collection.

My other favorite Christmas cd is James Taylor's that was released last year. He also does a version of "River" and "In the Bleak Mid Winter." Both of these will definitely be playing Christmas morning at my house.

C is for COOKIE

We decorated gingerbread cookies after the Carol of Lights on Friday night. These are dairy case cookies that already come in shapes! I LOVE THEM! I'm not so good at cookie cutter cookies, but I really want to have the decorating experience with Patrick. These cookies are perfect! He's really been into gingerbread this holiday season.
Some of his gingerbread men and women were pretty Picasso-esque. And he loved piling on the red gel icing and little M&Ms and making baseballs with the round ones. And he was decorating with his left hand. If this keeps up no catcher or quarterback he'll be, but there's always first base.
He was very proud of his cookies. This is a gingerbread man with crooked white chocolate chip buttons. We took all these to Jean's - our sitters - for the kiddos this week. Jean said they LOVED them. I asked Blaise if he liked the cookies and he said he had a Muffin Man - like from Shrek. I just love how their little minds work!
He wanted to go help Papa J in the yard on Sunday but didn't want to put on his shoes, so he grabbed Doodah's orange fuzzy slippers. And what did he want to play with - the snow shovel! He ran all around the drive way with that shovel.
He's also been very into his $5 train set, that now somehow only runs backwards??? This is him making a tunnel for the train.