Finally...

I scrapped again! It's been ages, and I've been suffering major withdrawals! :)

Here are my two latest creations:

More Birthday Wishes

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JuBean!!!

I love ya and hope you have a fabulous birthday, followed by a terrific year!

XXOO,

Little E

Look Out World!

Nick's family is obsessed with the card game Pinochle.

Every holiday that they spend together, 3 members of the family end up sitting around the kitchen table, playing this confounded game for hours upon hours (usually into the wee hours of the next morning!).

Nick and his dad attempted to teach me how to play Pinochle a few years ago. I "got" parts of it, but other parts (especially the whole strategy thing, which I stink at!) escaped me.

This Christmas, Nick's dad, brother, and sister visited us for the holiday weekend... and of course they brought along a Pinochle deck. Dad and Brother went home yesterday, leaving Nick and his sister without a third player... So, guess what?? I got roped in again.

Last night, we stayed up until 1am playing this darn game! And this time, I think I may have finally "gotten" the concept... I even surprised them both by pulling some strategy out of my behind! :) AND, I won a game with an impressive score of 122! YAY ME!

Mostly, though, I just bring "comic relief" to the game that I've discovered they take extremely seriously! They are cut-throat, I'm tellin' ya.... it's ALL about winning. So, I told Nick last night that when we were finished playing, we were going to find the definition of the word "game" in the dictionary... I think his family missed that part of it! (I even heard a rumor that a member of their family once SHOT someone over a Pinochle game--- Should I be scared, do you think?)

Anyway, it was fun joining in on one of their family "traditions" (and even more fun to kick their butts once! LOL).

Now, Nick and I are in panic mode, wondering whatever will we do when his sister leaves town later this week! So, fair warning to any local friends and relatives--- LOOK OUT, we're compiling a list of people we might be able to recruit to play with us! :) Be afraid, be very afraid. There might even be a gun around here somewhere....

More Birthday Pics

A Letter to My Baby on Her Special Day

Dearest Avery,

Exactly two years ago, you and I were walking down the ice-covered sidewalks of New Martinsville, WV. Daddy and I were so anxious to meet you that we thought "pounding the pavement" might convince you to come on out and join us and your big brother! :)

After our cold, wintery walk, Mommy attempted to get some rest, assuming that you were never going to arrive, no matter what! But, apparently the walk was invigorating for you and you squirmed and kicked all night, just to let me know you were still there! Halfway through the night, I was pretty darn uncomfortable and started feeling those "familiar flutters," which eventually turned into "OH S#$%! contractions."

At 8am, we packed up, called Papaw and Uncle AJ to come stay with Damon, and Mom and Dad (and you) headed to the hospital. Twelve hours later, I heard Grandma scream, "ERIN, It's a GIRL!!!" and there you were... a squirmy little 7-lb, 3-oz miracle placed on my belly.

You were perfect, from the very first moment. You were the little girl that I had dreamed of having ever since I was a little girl. Our family of three suddenly became a family of four... and you completed us, in so many ways.

Today, we will be celebrating your 2nd birthday. And you are still perfect. You've brought so much joy to all of our lives, Avery. You are my very own "Mini Me" with your chubby cheeks and big blue eyes. You are Daddy's little angel, and can bring out every ounce of tenderness in him. You are Damon's little sister... but, more importantly, his best friend.

At two years old, you are a handful! You are the most curious little thing and have to investigate and "get into" everything! And, of course, "WHY?" is now your favorite question. The supposed "Terrible Twos" are definitely upon us, in so many ways! In the last week you have: learned to climb out of your crib, become obsessed with going to the potty every 5 minutes (and then climbing into the bathroom sink and playing in the water), and started fighting with your big brother over every silly little thing. You definitely keep us all on our toes, Little One! But, at the same time, you are absolutely the SWEETEST child that ever lived. I have never met a toddler who hugs and kisses and loves on people as much as you do. Your new favorite thing to say is: "I wub you, Momma!" And my heart absolutely melts every time I hear it (even if it's the 53rd time I've heard it that day).

So, today, on your second birthday, I am shedding a few tears: one because I know I have been so blessed with you; another because you're growing up so quickly and I really wanted you to stay a baby forever; and another because I'm overwhelmed with how much "I wub you," too.

Happy Birthday, Avery Brooke. I hope this day and all the days that follow bring you joy and new discoveries and lots and lots of "wub."

You may be trying to grow up on me, but to quote one of my favorite children's books:

I'll love you forever,
I'll like you for always.
As long as I'm living,
My baby you'll be.

I love you, Baby Girl!

Mommy

Holiday Lights on Christmas Eve

My favorite part of our Christmas holiday was on Christmas Eve when we got together with family and friends and went to see the Holiday lights on display nearby.

It was bitter cold outside, but we all bundled up (see pic of Damon below for proof!) and had a great time, riding the little train through the lights.

She Loves Her Daddy!

A tender moment caught on film.

AWWWWWWWW!

Avery and Daddy

December 2005

YAY! I get to play!

I've been tagged! For the first time in my life, I think... Thanks, Angie, I'm a sucker for things like this anyway... So, here are my Seven (times seven) Things:

Seven things I want to do before I die:
1. Own a home of my very own.
2. Hear these words from the mouths of my children (and feel that they actually mean it): "You were a great Mom, and we love you."
3. See the Pacific Ocean (do you suppose it's really all that different from the Atlantic?? Still, I'd like to find out first-hand!).
4. Unleash the spirituality/faith that I'm sure exists in me somewhere.
5. Figure out what I want to be when I grow up, and be it.
6. Be happy with my weight/appearance for the first time in my life.
7. Be caught up on scrapbooks for my children/grandchildren/great-grandchildren... you get the point!

Seven things I cannot do:
1. Change a tire (much to my greasemonkey hubby's dismay).
2. Stay away from my computer for several hours at a time without getting the shakes.
3. Read a simple e-mail message, magazine article, advertisement, etc etc. without copyediting it.
4. Let go of past relationships/friendships easily.
5. Quote the Bible.
6. Yell at my kids without feeling guilty, even when they need to be yelled at.
7. Remember my life before I was a mother.

Seven things that attract me to my spouse:
1. His huge, good heart.
2. His dreamy blue eyes.
3. The fact that he always knows what I need the most and when I need it.
4. His patience.
5. He's not perfect, and he knows it.
6. He makes really cute babies!
7. He is a fabulous, loving, kind, patient, playful, responsible, proud father to our two kids.

Seven things I say (or write) most often:
1. LOL
2. :)
3. YAY!
4. NO, Damon, quit that. You have to be careful with Avery, she's much smaller than you! sheesh.
5. NO, Avery! Get down from there... What are you, a monkey??
6. DADDY!!! Could you help me out here, please??
7. Your dog crapped on the carpet again.

Seven books I love:
1. Harry Potter (the whole series) by JK Rowling
2. The Awakening by Kate Chopin
3. The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks
4. Light in August by William Faulkner
5. Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas by James Patterson
6. Angry Housewives Eating Bon-Bons by Lorna Landvik
7. Love You Forever by Robert Munsch

Seven movies I would watch over and over again (and have, as a matter of fact):
1. The Breakfast Club
2. The Notebook
3. It's a Wonderful Life
4. Pretty Woman
5. Dirty Dancing
6. Breakfast at Tiffany's
7. Sliding Doors
[I agree with Angie on this one... I could come up with a much longer list. But I'm playing by the rules, so I stopped with seven!]

Seven people I'd like to join in (be tagged):
1. Grandma Chris
2. Trish
3. Linda
4. Nancy
5. Bonnie
6. Karen, the mysterious blogger
7. Kristeena
[I'm assuming I can't tag someone who's already been tagged, or else I would've tagged Julie, too!]

YAY! That was fun! :)

What on Earth made me think...

... that I could possibly enjoy 5 minutes of relaxation when both of my kids were running around the house with nothing better to do than make my life miserable?

You don't know how many times I've had a mini-meltdown, and thought "Calgon! Take me away!" or actually been advised by well-meaning friends to "go soak in a tub and relax." As appealing as that sounds sometimes, I know that it will be anything BUT relaxing, thanks to my offspring.

Well, today, I proved myself right when I attempted to do this (for the first time in, like, years), and my children were suddenly drawn to me, and the bathtub, with an animal-like magnetism.

I lit a candle, I poured some smelly, bubbly stuff in the running water, I gathered all of the tools necessary to remove unsightly hair from various places on my body (which has been neglected for longer than I care to admit), I actually made it INTO the tub and let out an audible sigh, "Ahhhhhhh." This is the life.

For, ummm, about 2.5 seconds (and that's being generous).

Suddenly, two little people, who, just moments before, were completely oblivious to my existence (they were busy building towers 3 feet tall out of every canned good in the lazy susan), flocked to the side of my bathtub. Four little eyes were wide with wonder ("What is Mommy doing in the bathtub?!?! Do you think she's okay?"); four little feet were frantically trying to invade on my space in the warm, bubbly water; and then, my 2.5 seconds of peace and relaxation vanished before my eyes.

So, my bath experience turned into a family affair. Before I knew it, there were THREE of us in the tub (how we all fit in there, I'll never understand). Damon was asking, "Mommy, why do you have hair on your tummy??" Then answered his question with another question: "Because you're like a GUY??"

There isn't enough Calgon in the world, people!

So, the next time someone suggests that I unwind in a nice, relaxing bath, they better watch out. I think there just might be a few more cans left in the lazy susan, and I am not above hurling one in their direction!

Calgon.... HA! Any other suggestions?

My Answers to the "Holiday Get-to-Know-You" E-mail

Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Hot Chocolate
Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Both; usually sits them under the tree, though (b/c his "main elf" is really lazy! LOL).
Colored lights on tree/house or white? White
Do you hang mistletoe? No. My mom has one of those "kissing ball" things in her house this year, and I think that's pretty cool... but I don't have one of those, either! :)
When do you put your decorations up? The day after Nick's birthday (Dec. 12th)
What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? My all-time favorite for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners (which have always been the same spread in my family) is the STUFFING. YUM. Mashed potatoes are a close second, though.
Favorite Holiday memory as a child? It always involves my brother, oddly enough, although it varies depending on our ages. When we were young kids, my fondest memory would be him waking me up at 4am, and then the two of us sitting together with ants in our pants until we were "allowed" to wake Mom at 6am! One year when we were older, but still living at home (I think I was 16, he was 21), we stayed up late that night watching movies in his room, and I fell asleep with him in his bed (nothing incestuous going on, I promise! LOL). But, it felt nice to be "close" to him on Xmas, just like when we were small kids.
When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I don't remember... obviously it wasn't very tragic for me. Because I had an older brother, I'm sure "the magic" didn't last very many years.
Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? When we were kids, we were always allowed to open one gift (of our choosing) on Christmas Eve. My kids don't do that... yet!
What kind of cookies does Santa get set out for him? Whatever we have on hand! Usually Chips Ahoy! :)
Snow: Love it or Dread it? Love it! Always get excited when a storm is forecast... but then, I get sick of it really quickly once it's here!
Can you ice skate? A little. But I'm much better (or used to be, anyway) on roller skates!
Do you remember your favorite gift? This is an easy one---Avery Brooke. Although she was a day late, she's by far the best Xmas gift I've EVER received!
What is the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Family and traditions. Although, I'm usually disappointed in the lack of enthusiasm from most of my family. I just hope I can instill some in my children so that they experience the "magic" of Christmas for years to come.
What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? My stepmom's sugar cookies with sprinkles!
What is your favorite holiday tradition? In the past: watching It's a Wonderful Life several times each season with my dad and stepmom. More recently: going to Oglebay (in Ohio) and driving through their Festival of Lights display, listening to Christmas carols on the radio.
What tops your tree? A really obnoxious star with different colors and lights... UGH. (Damon loves it!)
Which do you prefer Giving or Receiving? Definitely giving, especially when I just know I've found that "perfect gift" for someone!
What is your favorite Christmas Carol? Let There Be Peace on Earth
Candy Canes! I don't care for candy canes. Especially this year... they have become my #1 pet peeve, b/c Avery keeps discovering them and she's been a red and white sticky mess for a week now! LOL

My Little Snowbunnies!

Okay, so the title of this post is VERY misleading... and, the pictures are even more misleading!

We had our first snow of the season yesterday... So, today I knew I'd have to bundle the kids up and take them out to make snowmen, snow angels, stinging snowballs, etc. Damon started asking to go out as soon as he woke up this morning. Actually, he was asking yesterday when there was still no accumulation on the ground.

So, this afternoon, I spent 45 minutes getting everyone ready to brave the cold air and snow outside. I managed to take a few cute pictures before Avery got wet and cold and was more than ready to come back inside (What can I say?? She's her mother's daughter!).

And, even though our "snow fun" only lasted a few minutes, now I'll have these pictures forever... Years from now, the kids will look back at these photos and think, "Wow! We had some fun playing in the snow for HOURS that day!"

What they don't know (or remember), won't hurt them!

Happy Birthday, Emily!

Another reason I'm happy today is that one of my closest friends turned 30 today, a good 2.5 months before I will! :)

AND, I actually had the chance to call and talk to her on the phone this afternoon... always a treat. She lives in Tennessee and we don't talk or see each other nearly enough these days, especially for two girls who were literally "attached at the hip" during their formative, teenage years (AKA The Good Old Days).

Happy Birthday, Em... I still love you, even if you're an "old lady" now! I promise to come see you in the nursing home, honey! :)

'Tis The Season To Be Jolly

Or grumpy, overwhelmed, depressed, exhausted, poor... pick your own adjective!

However, today, for the first time this Holiday Season, I'm feeling quite "jolly!" YAY!

I think it's because I took the kids out early this morning and went shopping! Always great therapy. First we stopped at Grandma's house to get all of her "leftover" Christmas decorations (enough to completely decorate three houses, I'm sure!). Then, we hit my favorite store of all time---the Dollar Store! There, we picked up a few more Christmas decorations, including a cool "Christmas Countdown" thingy that kept Damon entertained all afternoon. We were unable to come up with the star tree topper that he had visions of, though... but, never fear, WalMart really DOES have everything, folks! :)

This evening, I visited Wally World by myself (no kids for once! YAY!), and that was fabulous. I wandered around that store for HOURS, and got completely sucked in to their Christmas/seasonal department. My goodness... who knew there were so many different types of Christmas lights and ornaments and wreaths, etc.

And, the reason I know for sure that I'm finally feeling "jolly" is that when I came across the "24/7 Christmas Carols" radio station today, I didn't moan and groan and change it as quickly as possible (like I've been doing for the past two weeks). Instead, I actually turned the volume up and sang along. Many of the songs took me back in time to my high school chorus days, which I loved. I've decided that "Peace on Earth" is my all-time favorite Christmas carol (just in case anyone cares), and today I sang along with Vince Gill's rendition of it more than once.

And, one more thing... last but certainly not least is the fact that we are anticipating our first Winter Storm (SNOW!!) here on Delmarva tomorrow!! Inches (yes that's multiple) of it. WOW. It's been a banner day around here, I tell ya.

So, on that note, "Let there be peace on earth" and "Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!"