My Sunshine

I went shopping for the main squeeze in my life for Christmas. I saw this shirt. It fits. Especially if you know my husband...or Lee...or Eli.


Close up of the shirt (at least he chuckled when he saw it). He's worn it at least once that I know of.

Well it made me laugh anyway.

Christmas Came and Pictures Were Dumped!

So since we all know that Santa came, now we are on to the rest of the gifts and the rest of our Christmas day at home, together.

And for Eli Christmas really did come, with lots of Elmo movies and the marathon began. Just thrilled! But that baby was happy! Our family has pizza Christmas day...normally we make our own personal pizzas, this year however I made the dough and I was only going to make 3 big sheet pizzas. Plenty in my opinion but the littles had other opinions. Either way, my bread maker walked it's self right off the counter and broke it's self, so we only had 2 pizzas. I'm devastated over my bread maker, I need a new crock pot/roaster oven and a bread maker. Stupid bread maker breaking it's self...sigh! This is mine and Frank's pizza...guess which half is mine!

Charlie in LOVE with his new bed!

Eli and Dru on their vehicles from Santa. Now all they need is some decent weather to really feel the wind in their hair!

Buzz Lightyear from Star Command came and stayed with us (those are wings strapped to his chest, he pushes a button and up they come). Buzz came in peace (thank heavens!).

Charlie on his other new bed...this bed is for his kennel.

And Charlie went back and forth to each bed after like 5 minutes...he just couldn't stand it! Two beds AND two new toys! Sadly, his new toys didn't last long, his 'cousin' Coco came over for a Christmas visit and ate his blue toy (well not really ate but took the squeaker and stuffing out) and broke the squeaker in his other toy. Such is the life of a dog!

Our own Papa Frank! Better Pizza! Papa Frank!

Proof Santa came! No beer was left for Santa this year...don't really know why though...hhmmm...

Christmas morning!!! Can you see the anticipation in their eyes? Well at least Ian and Lee's anyway. Dru however had us rolling before we even got out of the room. Last year if you recall he made his brothers wait for at least an hour before he rolled out of bed, much to the torture of Ian and Lee (mostly Ian). This year however, he was up about 15 minutes after they were. He TORE out of his room and ran into our room and said "Daddy! Daddy! I'm so sorry I forgot to wake up!". That kid I tell you what...too cute! This was the first thing Eli did after walking to the tree and looking at gifts. He ransacked his Christmas stocking and took out M&M's and goldfish crackers (which were not his mind you) and proceeded to eat while we all opened gifts. He was not going to budge from this seat...I think that look says it all 'I triple-dog dare you mother!'

Ian in LOVE with his gift from Santa...Nerf gun (just like he ordered that is just like his longest, bestest bud ever), vest that holds a Nerf sword AND more clips full of darts, and lastly an ammo box of at least 100 more darts! Today is gonna be a good day Tater!

Here is Lee...see the joy in his face??? Yeah us either...there is always one right? Normally it's Ian, this year however it was Lee. His Papa about died cause he wasn't as happy as his Papa imagined him to be. Lee spent some time in his room sulking Christmas morning...we continued to open gifts...he eventually came out. He's aptly named Eyeore for a reason, and has been since he was born.

Well there was some of our Christmas day. Hope you all had a wonderful day and some good times and memories with your families!

Amazingly Enough, Santa Came!!!

As I mentioned before it was touch and go whether or not Santa would make it to the Paulson household. Sure enough, he did! Lucky little boys!

Here is our tree...I have to keep reminding myself it looks like this cause we have 4 boys and the living room is well, you can see. This is overwhelming to me... Dru's gift from Santa...Buzz was the theme this year. I think Santa pulled it off quite well.
Eli's gift from Santa...a smaller theme but one none the less.

Lee's gift from Santa...more on this story later...*eye rolling* . Just know there is always one kid out there that's difficult.

Last but not least...Ian. Who felt like he made out like a bandit! He got a Nerf gun from Santa just like his buddy Lane has...something...something Long shot...just go with it! And more darts than one little boy could dream of...OK not really but in moderation right?

And wouldn't you know it...Charlie even made it on Santa's list! Who knew!?! He was in doggie heaven! More pictures on that later!

OK, well now that I've been up for longer than I'd like...I'm going to head off to bed and I'll try and pick up on Christmas day...I think that one will be a two parter or it could just be a picture dump. I am undecided.

Meet My Twin

My Twin... I JUST had to match with SOMEONE this year! Tired of feeling left out, so I bought guy pj's and figured that was easier than finding woman's pj's for Frank to fit into.

So there ya go! Frank and I even got in on the act!

Christmas Eve Pj's

So this year was tough all around for pj's for this family of 6! I don't know what was wrong with retailers or the fact I had to wait longer to get them pj's but there was a cruddy selection out there. Nothing really fun at all. This year it was a bit stressful this year trying to find some. Normally we try to get them all to match but as you can tell it didn't work out this year. It made me a bit sad, but it was this or no pj's.

It makes it a tad hard when Ian is getting to that point where they don't exactly make the pj's we like (like what Dru and Eli are wearing) in Ian's size. Depending on the store we can still find some, but it is slim pickings. The kid is just getting too tall and well I'd like it if he'd stop.

So here are the pj's, and if you know Ian at all, you will understand just how funny and fitting that shirt is for him. He did ask if he could wear this shirt to school and I said no, it was pj's. Dru and Eli I was able to find matching pj's, and they both just love their pj's. Ian and Lee together, I think they both have had a growth spurt. I can't believe how tall either one of them are...they should have gotten bricks for Christmas to put on their heads. Where was Santa on that one???

Double Trouble here!

Heartbreaker right there! Can you guess what was the topic of conversation this Christmas season? Go ahead, let me know what you think it was....
By the time bedtime rolled around the kids were very amped and ready for Christmas. However, they went to bed fairly well...all except Eli. He went to bed like normal and then was up an hour or so later. I was not happy! I had plans! I had got all the wrapping done before Christmas Eve and I was going to go to bed before midnight!!! it also meant I could watch Christmas Vacation w/o wrapping AND w/o kids! Sigh...he was up for at least 3 hours...Santa was never going to be able to come! EVER! I finally got fed up and laid down with him in our bed and sure enough about 10 minutes later he was snoozing away. So, never fear Santa did come and all was well!

Long Awaited

FYI: This was last night...but because I am who I am...I already have a post for last night, so I'm posting it today...so just pretend you read it last night :)

Well...with out much fanfare...we got the tree up today. This year we actually have more ornaments on the tree...wow! I'm impressed with myself!! *patting self on the back*

Anyway, tree is up, the kids started noticing all the other families/homes had theirs up...when did it become important to keep up with the "Jone's"? Who are the Jone's anyway? Inquiring minds would like to know.

I try to remember to take a picture with the boys in front of the finished product...notice something missing? Well someone anyway? You do??? Huh...I lost someone... OH! There he is! See my Lee-Lee? You don't? He's the Eeyorish looking fella there...still need help...he's the one that looks like he's been drug into a picture against his will. Find him? I know it's like looking for Waldo but it's really easy. Just so we are all aware...after all was said and done and this was the best picture I was going to get, I took the picture and let them all go. After we were done doing the group thing...well he was ready to take pictures...by himself!!! He's going to be the death of me!!! *sigh*

Here is the tree lit up...sadly I cut the poor angels head off...whose bright idea was that? Our tree is a fake tree and it's seen better days, I had to add 2 strands of lights onto it because apparently we are missing a whole bulb on there?? I have no idea how long we've had it but there have been rumblings about wanting a real tree again. Thankfully, Frank and I at least agree on the type of tree...we like the really full ones. Whew! Check that one of the list right? My dream tree (at least once and when the boys will leave well enough alone...it could happen!!!) is a flocked tree, with colored lights, and colored balls. I can see it in my head and it's absolutely beautiful! Can you see it?

Another shot of the tree, not lit. Again...who took this picture?? Cutting the head of the angel can not been seen as good!!! Like the painting by the tree? Frank's Grandpa painted that, it's of Snoqualmie Falls...which is by where I grew up. We also have a painting from Grandpa of Mt. Rainer, where Frank grew up...we have it on a wall on the other side of the window. But thanks to a little boy named Lee, who didn't listen (shocker I know!) he kicked/threw a ball and it bounced right to that painting. Kid is lucky to be alive to be honest...the picture is not completely wrecked...just needs a piece of the frame glued back on and it will be good as new.

Lucky, lucky kid! Well, kids can't wait for Christmas to get here...kids are getting anxious...and I'm ready for it to come....ssshhhh...don't let everyone know I actually said that out loud! HA! On top of it all, this is a red letter moment folks...I actually got the Christmas cards out this year....before Christmas!! What an achievement!! Of course they were from last year and already addressed but whatever right?

Well, in theory I was suppose to be wrapping presents...which I have yet to actually start doing. If I want to not be up until the crack of dawn Christmas morning...I better get going! So good night one and all...

Cramming It All In

So we have been busy, busy! I don't think I've stopped to breath since the 10Th of December. Whew! OK, keep up

Here is Dru at Highpoint Village with his preschool class. They came here to sing to the elderly, I invited Dru's Greats to come watch him sing. They are so wonderful about coming to any of their great grand children's functions. My boys do love them so! Frank and I were not able to stay and watch this, as we had two conferences to attend...I'm telling ya busy! Here is Dru in his preschool Christmas program. He asked to be the cow again and so he got his wish! He was the best cow ever and the loudest mooing cow! This was his class and the other 4/5 year old class. They all did wonderful and Dru sang his little heart out, too fun to watch!

I know it's a tad blurry but it was important to sit down and eat the cookie and juice he'd been waiting for since early that morning. Goofy kid!

Our Charlie dog is finally squeaky clean! I love where we take him, they don't charge an obscene amount of money to bathe, clip and all that other doggy stuff, $25 covered it all! He smells so clean and looks so darn handsome! He's a keeper! Sure hope he was good this year...I hope Santa brings him something...new toys or something! See his blue bow tie? Gosh darn it that's not cute too!

Well I think I have finally finished my shopping for just about anyone I know. I HATE waiting to go shopping this late in the game. So stressful and by the time I got out shopping everything was so picked over! So depressing! It's a wonder I make it year to year with this stress. And before you ask, no my tree is not up and probably won't be up until Wed. or Thur., which is just fine with me! Tomorrow we will go meet Frank's family at Coulon Park to walk around and look at the lights, then off to dinner the grandparents will take everyone. Kid Valley vs. Ivars....if anyone knows me they know what I'll choose. On Sunday we visited Frank's grandmother and great grandmother's graves. Kids put little Christmas trees on the grave stones, decorated with bulbs and garland, and then off to RR for lunch (I will be shocked if I've not gained 10lbs by the end of this season, honest!). I know there is more going on, but I'd rather just wait for that to come and maybe even go...ha!

I do hope everyone is doing well and getting through this season. I have been wishing, since the week of Thanksgiving, for a white Christmas. I just had a feeling we'd used up all our snow for the year...and I think I'm going to be right...no snow for Christmas. Sigh...that's all I wanted...really...ok, not really but I'd have been happy as a lark!

Candy

So...every year my mother in law makes Divinity for Frank...well for everyone but he's really the only one who eats it. One of those is enough for me...well not those that are pictured, but my mother in laws. Anyway, she's got a bum arm/shoulder this year so I told Frank I'd give it a try...attempt #1...a gloopy flop! I really thought I'd get this...I am going to try one more time. If I don't get it that time...I'll try again next year. I can only hope that my attempt at homemade Almond Rocca won't have such a bad turn out...keeping all things crossed!

Dru and Miles

I just love these two boys! They always play well together. This time they had to sit down and watch Mickey's Christmas Carol because Eli was sleeping when Dru's buddy Miles came over. These two guys are about a year apart but you wouldn't know it...Miles is going to hit a big milestone in a few more months. He's going to be a big brother in April...poor kid has no idea what he's been thrown into...Dru will help him. What are friends for right???

Penmanship

Tonight it counted! Your neatest and most well written letter of the year! Here are the Paulson fellas writing their letters or dictating their thoughts to their personal secretary. It's a big deal this letter...Christmas morning hinges on that very letter!

Well boys I hope you were really good all year and you get just about everything you ask for!

As Much As You Can

Other titles could have read...Candy+Kids=Bad Idea or Let's guess which kid will act like a nut first?

Well, every year for the last few years my mom has made a gingerbread house for the boys and we either go there or they come here and they decorate it together. At the same time there is a contest of wills between who is shoveling as much candy in their mouth and who is monitoring the kid whose doing it. Very funny! This year, we were unable to decorate with Oma and Grandpa Jolly so they sent the house home and we were finally able to decorate on Sunday. This year's theme...put as much candy on your house and get done in 5 minutes or quicker! I think we were going for under 5 minutes. I really was hoping to make this last a bit longer.

On a side note, I bought Kraft's marshmallow gingerbread flavored mellows in the shape of gingerbread men....GAG! Those are SO gross! I know my opinion in this area lacks because I don't like marshmallows to begin with but may I repeat again...GAG!!!!

Well there's some Christmasy things we are up to these days! I hope you all are doing well and staying afloat in your boat houses!

Nativity

Meet your cast of characters...and I do mean characters!
Here is Gabriel. He did quite well with his lines and I'm so proud of him! He got right up there and didn't seem nervouse and just spoke his lines like nobodies business! I would have been a puddle of nerves! He didn't get that from me! Way to go Ian! He did put his wings on later...not sure about the whole angelic thing though.... Here's our little cow. He was the best cow EVER! He was so excited to be a cow! The preschool/Kindergarten class were the animals at the manager and they did a great job all of them. They all sang so well.

Here is our Lee, our shepard! He did well also. I only had to tell him to stop eating part of his costume once and to quit swinging his arms around like a propeller once. Progress people!!! This boy loves to sing and I had to laugh at one point (the teachers had the words up so they could sing and follow along) and I look up and there's Lee moving his head left to right, frantically trying to catch up to where we were all at singing. As soon as he found it he started belting out Hark the Herald Angels sing...again with the angel business... ;)

And no story is complete of the boys with out Eli...and the word angel does not describe this boy either! He was trouble the whole time! What the heck! Last year in my sling was so much easier...sorta. If I could get that kid to like his sling and sit in it well we'd be much better off!

We all had a good time at church watching the Christmas play with our children in it. It was made even more fun with the Great Grandparents and Grandpa Lee. Sadly Grandma Cheryl couldn't make it, she had surgery on her shoulder on Friday and was not feeling up to it by Sunday. Can't say I blame her! So the boys sent extra hugs home for her.

Good Luck

I have to say this doesn't happen very often, but today was Ian's lucky day! We had breakfast for dinner today and I made pancakes and eggs. This was going to be Ian's, that's two eggs I cracked open and the last one had two yolks in it. Ian and Lee were quite impressed. So much so that when Lee found out this was for Ian and that I couldn't replicate this again, he was upset to tears. Thankfully it wasn't long and he sat down and ate his. I told them though I've had this happen before but it was so long ago that I can't even remember! I think this was pretty cool, and I told Ian this means he'll have good luck. We'll see what he does with that. He's a goober on so many levels, but he's my goober!

Concert

I had to bribe him 2 cookies to do this. I see since I flipped this the wrong way I may have to up my bribe so I can reshoot!

An Attempt At Finding Lost Things...

Helllooo there!
Attempt #1

So it feels like forever since I last posted something. So as you all may realize we are in the month of December. If you also haven't noticed on past comments I struggle with the holidays...I really, really hate them. I really think my motto is Bah Humbug this year...OK well every year. For years the holidays have been beyond stressful for me....many things factoring into that. I do have to say though, that when we moved into our house, about 4 years ago, that first Christmas in our home was probably the BEST! We stayed at home with our new born son and his brothers. This was HUGE! And so now every other year or if we have a new baby (I refuse to go anywhere on a holiday with a newborn) we take turns. We stay home and then the next year is with the husbands' family, and it has worked out great for us. Some of his family not so much but what can I say, hard to please them all! Boy I sound grumpy...I'd laugh but this attitude I have is bothering me! I did set out this season to try and have at least a better 'tude than normal...lasted all of 5 secs...next year I'll shoot for 10! Progress people!
I'd grade this attempt as: FAIL

Attempt #2

This one started a week or so ago..probably a week. I had been toying with it for a long time but the biggest hump for me was well...me. A sad pattern here I know. But I was and am trying to achieve better on this one. My attempt was to try and lessen the yelling that I do at my son Lee. I love Lee like he was my own (bwahahahaha) but that kid has a stubborn streak, well I'd say a mile long but I'm sure it's longer than that. I have always said I need to figure out how to use his super power (stubbornness) for good. Being stubborn is not a bad thing...just need to know how to use it well. This is a typical day for Lee...and I know you'll all think I'm cruel...I go in and wake Lee up by ripping his covers off and getting him out of bed, by grabbing him at his ankles and dragging him out. Make him sit at the table and eat maybe a quarter cup of cereal, he acts like I'm making him eat a box (they have to eat something before they leave for school, leave it to my kids to have the school call me asking why I didn't feed my children), then he's to brush his teeth and wash his hands and face, THEN he's suppose to get dressed and get his things ready for school. After that he's to pick up his room, after all of that he has free time, so to speak. Because Lee is who he is, he skips most of that and goes straight to his room and plays. So then I spend all of the morning yelling at him and threatening him with in an inch of his little life to get his act together and MOVE! Just so you know, we start our day at 7am...he doesn't have to be at the bus stop until 8:30am...ample time. Not for Lee.

So, I decided I'd have to follow through with one of my threats (so far he's not made me make him go to school in what he's got on or not on...thank you Lord!). I told him we had to start getting up at 6:30am. BLINK...BLINK...BLINK... I am not up that early...sure my alarm goes off but that's why I have the snooze go off for the next half hour. I actually have to get my butt out of bed! Ugh! This kid I swear (and yes I do every time I get up in the morning...it's too early!). All I can say is at least this had some results early on...good results I might add. My yelling has been less and that half an hour (I tried 15 minutes and that was a joke). It has given him just enough time to wake ...in my opinion however it gives him too much time cause now he was to chit chat while he's eating. I however have no desire to chit chat let alone listen to anyone talk to me...makes me want to put an ice pick in my ears. But that's just a side note...I am taking the good results and running (not away) with them.
I would grade this attempt at: Pass...barely!

Well, I'd say there's what's been going on in a nut shell, but I'd be lying...and I better not. You know the big guy is checking some list...

Well I hope everyone has a great start to their week, sadly this is the last week of school. Much to my horror and dread! I suppose at some point we should put the tree up, but I don't want to, and do some other holidayish stuff but eh...

If someone finds my Christmas Spirit could you send it back to me? Might make the season easier to get through, thanks! I know my family would appreciate it :)

Willow

I thought this was so cool, especially after I read the little leaf down below. Really it seemed something out of Alice in Wonderland...you know the one with Depp in it.

Enjoy the Willow trees. Click on this and it will explain the trees...really, really cool!

View

Fiddling with my camera and some taking some shots of some bouquets I got.