It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

I'm so proud of myself. In spite of a hellacious cold that started December 4th (and is still lingering a bit even today) I only missed one day of work and managed to get everything done that *had* to get done. The tree is up and decorated, presents are wrapped, goodies were made for teachers, and I survived my preschool Christmas party. Whew!

Of course, you'll probably be receiving a Christmas card from us somewhere around New Year's, and it's not going to be homemade, but it's the thought that counts, right? ;)

The girlies left yesterday to spend some time with Nana, Papa, various aunties, uncles and cousins. I plan to do some baking for Christmas Eve and clean out a few drawers and baskets while they are gone. I also plan to sleep in until at least 10 AM, so don't call me before then, okay?

I think I'm probably the last person in the family to post about it, but waaaaaay back on December 5th, those of us who were local to the south GA area gathered in Tifton so we could all make Granddaddy happy by having four generations of the family participate in the Tifton Christmas parade.

The parade didn't start until 5:00 PM, but we had to be in line by three. The day was cold, so we didn't get to show off our Christmas edition "Granddaddy" t-shirts like we wanted to. James decided to have his own version of "Cattells Gone Wild".



We had three vehicles in the parade. Dad's truck (with Grandmom and Dallin in the front and Matthew, Tabi, Evan and Brittany in the back) pulling the trailer with Mom, Helen and Ryan, David and Eileen and most of the grandkids on it.

















Our friends the Giggeys were next in line, and James and I rode in the back of their truck. Mom said we looked like the ultimate redneck tailgaters.





The Giggey boys looked too cute, and I had to take a picture of Dallin and Noah in their hats. (Believe it or not, Dallin and Noah were born just a few weeks apart, with Dallin being the younger of the two. I think he outweighs Noah about 2-1!)





Behind us was the golf cart with Andrea, Granddaddy, Jed and Nathan, and behind then was Aunt Susan walking with her History Club from school.







After m-u-u-u-u-u-u-ch waiting, we FINALLY got started. Mom was THE MAN and got us registered as the first group to go after all the city official-types went, and this was our view as we turned onto 2nd Street.





We had a lot of fun throwing out candy to all of the bystanders, although we tried to avoid throwing it to weirdos like these people:



By the time we got to the end of the parade, it was dark. We got permission to drive the rest of the way home (about 3 miles) just as we were- in the back of the trucks, trailers and golf cart. Only in a small town, right? I was pretty frozen by the time we finished that ride, in spite of my many layers of clothes and blankets.

I think we can safely say a good time was had by all, and we *might* just do it again next year!

Maybe.

Fa la la la la la la la la

I love our peditrician. He's awesome in general, and he's more awesome in particular because he kept Isabella out of the hospital earlier in the year. Every year his office hosts a Christmas party for the children in his practice, complete with Santa and his reindeer.

James took the girls last Tuesday. I missed out on the fun because I was hosting a book club meeting, but since he is a good husband he remembered to take pictures.

'Tis the Season

Oh December 7th, how did you get here so fast?? The holidays are in full effect around here:

A tree has been purchased



and decorated by happy, helpful and lovely elves.



We've rode the train and viewed Christmas lights at Chehaw Park.





Santa snowboards...


and camps!!


The park had a set of lights with a "Twelve Days of Christmas" theme


The 3 French Hens were pretty good,


but the constipated 6 Geese a Laying left a little to be desired (keep in mind this was an 'animated' display)




The girls even put up their own little trees (this one is Isabella's)


and decorated their dry erase board with a holiday theme (along with subtle suggestions from Madeline as to her Christmas wishes)








All these activities were done at the end of November, and we still have a lot more holidaying to do!

Observation #3

Have you ever seen a book, thought it looked really interesting, had a great time reading it almost all the way through before you realize you've already read it?

Yeah, it's happened to me *twice* in the last month.

Observation #2

If reading the books I buy for my family for Christmas before I wrap them up and put them under the tree is wrong, then I don't want to be right.

Observation

Does anyone else think the birds on my blog background look like they are wearing do-rags?

Just me, then??

I've got a Swanson's Dinner in the freezer with your name on it

Jimmy Fallon=Genius

If Jimmy Fallon as Neil Young doing a cover of "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" doesn't make you laugh, then you are cold and dead inside.



As a bonus, the always ALWAYs polarious "Idiot Boyfriend".

Heh

They say a person's house tells a lot about them. I've always thought that was true to a certain extent. I don't particularly think my furniture and home decor says anything but "These people shop at IKEA a lot and desperatetly need new carpeting. And they should really dust more often." But the other day it occurred to me that this saying is absolutely true in one respect.

Our last big move was from Tifton to Albany almost five years ago. We had four boxes marked "clothes". We had thirty-six boxes marked books. We have a lot of bookcases in this house and we need several more.

Kitchen bookcase #1 with cookbooks


Kitchen bookcase #2 with craft books


Master bedroom bookcase (which also houses our DVDs, but it's mostly books)


Library Book Basket #1 (What? Doesn't everyone have a basket by their front door to put library books in?)


Library Book Basket #2


Playroom Bookcase #1


Palyroom Bookcases #2 and #3


Side tables in the girls' room, which I make them clean off the accumulated books once a week


Bookcase in the girls' room


Books from my bedside table


Living Room Bookcase #1


Living Room Bookcase #2 (Both bookcases were custom made for me by my awesomely handy husband, because he's cool like that. During the holidays he's going to add some more shelves to the top somehow and make it look totally cool.)


How many boxes do you think we'd need now??

Friday Night Lite

The girls are off spending the night with a friend (aka our third daughter, Katie). It's a Friday night, *and* it's payday (for both me and him) so you'd think we'd get dolled up and hit the town (such as it is in Albany), making the most of a free night.

You'd be wrong.

James is painting road show props for tomorrow night, and I'm keeping him company in the kitchen by playing DJ with iTunes. (Currently "Fool in the Rain" by Led Zeppelin is playing. I'm trying to figure out what, umm, artificial stimulants Robert Plant and Jimmy Page were taking when they came up with song. It's like they were listening to salsa music while on a bad acid trip. Not that I'd know what a bad acid trip is like, mind you.)

Moving on...

A few weeks ago we met up with all of the Vicars and the Coxs and went out to Mark's Melon Patch to pick pumpkins and look at sunflowers.

(Holy Cow! iTunes just went from Led Zeppelin to "I Know That My Redeemer Lives". Talk about a bad acid trip!)



They insisted on having their picture taken with the tallest sunflower.


All the kiddos (minus Meghan, who was with her parents somewhere)


Mama V and Papa Rich took Nathan and Samantha off to Cordele to see Thomas the Tank Engine, and Helen, Ryan and Meghan came back to our house to pick up a load of wood. The girls decided to have some fun with Meghan and my camera.

(Now this is just ridiculous. iTunes just went from Coldplay's Don't Panic to The First Noel.)





Obviously someone took this picture before the subjects were ready!








Such cuties!

And with with "You Want It" by Cheap Trick, I'm done. Adios!

That Autumnal Rush

If I was pregnant (WHICH I'M NOT!!!) I would call what I've been doing "nesting". Since I'M NOT PREGNANT, I'm just going to call it...something. I'll let you know when I think of the right word.

I've been stretching myself a little more lately. Moving out of my comfort zone. I was out of the house past 6 PM THREE NIGHTS IN A ROW last week. Crazy, I know. :P After talking about it for three years, I finally got a Relief Society book club going. I've also started one for the 8-11 year old girls at church. I've been putting a lot of effort into preschool. I've been thinking about my health and well-being (both mentally and physically) and actually DOING something about it. I've been trying to be a better wife and mother. I've been reading a lot. I've cleaned out a few closets.

It's all good.

Halloween was a hoot. The girls and James went to various parties while I stayed home to hand out candy to Trick-or-Treaters in the neighborhood. I think a good time was had by all.

Madeline was a flapper and Isabella was Tonks from the Harry Potter books. I think they both looked great, but I'm especially proud of Bella's handmade 'Weird Sisters' t-shirt.