Not long now!

Christmas is less than 3 weeks away! Am I ready? Heck no! LOL! The older 2 kids saved up their allowance and tooth fairy money and splurged on getting gifts for everyone. They have their gifts all wrapped and under the tree now. I've managed to write out my Christmas card list and they are ready to go. I'll try to get stamps this week and get them out. My friend in Sweden will probably get hers a little late but I don't think she will mind.
The elves arrived last week and the kids are thrilled. Even though the oldest knows about Santa and the elves, he has fun helping out. So far they have climbed the Christmas tree, snuck into bed with them, playing monopoly...I think tonight they will be making some rice krispie squares.
Still lots of things going on this month...concerts, skiing, parties, etc. And that is just at the kids school. Still have other things to do...today I'm working on more cleaning around the house...something that never seems to end. ;) Too bad the elves can't help out with those things eh? :D

Last Rudolph day

Yesterday was the last Rudolph day. Wow! Time sure does fly...just when I think I have plenty of time...I don't! LOL!
Yesterday for Rudolph day I started my Christmas cards. I had asked others to help me update my address book but very few have replied so I guess I won't be sending out many this year...which will save me money. ;) I like being able to save money as I can use all the help I can get. I also listened to Christmas music which put everyone in the Christmas mood and the kids seem to get more excited. Later after supper there was the Santa Claus parade. It was very cold and all of our feet froze pretty quick. They had other activities but with the amount of people there we'd have to wait a good hour in line for the different things they have there...for hot chocolate, to see real reindeer, to get a hot dog, etc. With young kids in this cold we wouldn't have much patience. So we decided to head home for hot chocolate and watched a Christmas movie called The Muppets Christmas Carol. So not a bad day all in all. :) I'll have to buy some wrapping paper and figure out what I will be getting for stocking stuffers for everyone.

Christmas too soon?

Where does the time go! Christmas is in 47 days! Yes, I can see how it can be appealing to get things ready for Christmas once Halloween is over. I'm all excited for it but I find if I do it too early then after a while I get tired of it and can't wait for it all to be over. So I have a rule in our house...no decorating for Christmas till after Remembrance Day. I have many family and friends in the military who have been in wars...most have surivived but I have lost family unfortunately to war. So in my family Remembrance Day is important and I try to take time to remember them all.
But...doesn't mean I can't plan and prepare. I've started baking extra banana loaves already and have bought Christmas presents. Preparing I find helps me not get too frazzled when it gets closer to Christmas...pacing is a good thing. I need to because once Christmas is over, a week later is my daughter's birthday so that also needs to be kept in mind as I prepare for the holiday season.
I've started seeing Christmas commercials on tv whether it's for candles or toys to which I always hear from my youngest, "I want that!" LOL! Yeah, no."
I have decided to try and do something about Advent...the weeks leading up to Christmas so we will see if I can find anything online to help.
I was recently hired casual so it's a little pocket money that will help. That reminds me...I should write a Christmas card list so I can figure out how much I'll need to buy for stamps. :)

Getting closer

The days are starting to remind me that Christmas is getting closer...the temperature is dropping so it has caused me to start getting the sweaters out and the winter clothes washed and checked to see if they still fit the kids or if they are too worn or old that they can't be worn anymore. I'll have to get my three kids all new winter boots as they are growing so fast.
I've been working on my Christmas list and started buying gifts little by little. I've been going through my elf binder and rewriting my list of things they will be doing this year and should start writing a list to send out Christmas cards. This year it will be a lot less. As much as I love to send out Christmas cards it can be expensive if I go overboard. LOL!
When I was looking at the Halloween decorations in Walmart I saw they were already starting to put the Christmas things out on shelves. I imagine they will be full of Christmas stuff a week after Halloween is over. I haven't seen any Christmas commercials on the tv yet but the commericals for toys has been in full swing for the past month and I am constantly hearing from my youngest, "I want that!" I am constantly trying to teach my kids it's not about the gifts but...I don't know if I'm getting through to them at all. But I'll keep trying and maybe one year they will surprise me eh?

Catching up

Wow...with all the birthdays, festivals, hoilidays and summer coming I have been really busy. I'm terrible when it comes to regularly blogging. I get busying doing one thing then see something else that needs to be done and go do that and eventually have to come back to the first thing I started...I'm always multi-tasking. No wonder I'm always tired! LOL!
Rudy Day will be coming up soon but with Thanksgiving this weekend and Halloween coming up soon I'm hoping I'll be able to get a little bit done that has to do with Christmas.

So to start off to get in the Christmas spirit here is a video...



I found this video on another blog ( http://merryandbrightblog.blogspot.com/ ) who found it on another blog. LOL! I just love this song and it would be great to add it to your music collection. Go download it if you wish and give them a helping hand. They made this song and video without corporate backers.

www.florinstreet.com

Christmas is coming faster than we realize folks! I've already started to purchase a few Christmas gifts and will continue to pick up a few now and then so it will be a little easier on the pocketbook. Perhaps this Rudy Day I will write my list of names to send people cards and also a list of what stocking stuffers to get.

A long break...

I usually have a bit of a break from my Christmas (and Halloween) blogs. As much as I love these holidays...I'm afraid if I have too much of it I'll get sick of it. The horror! LOL! I wouldn't want that. Usually in May I start getting the itch as it were for both these days. Today I'm more of the Christmas kinda mood so I'm writing in this blog for today. :)
With three kids my life is never dull with their school and church and other activites going on. May/June are usually very busy months for us here. I just had my parents anniversary, then mother's day, my older daughter's First Communion, my birthday was just a few days ago. Then my brother's birthday and my son's birthday is next week and of course the trips to the library for library programs and such.
My son't birthday is on the 25th which is Rudy day so I think I'll wait till the weekend to have my Rudy day. I will be going through my Christmas binder and see what is what and go from there to see what I need to to to start preparing for Christmas 2011! :)

Starting to get busy...

With parent/teacher interviews, skiing, skating, and this week will be the kids christmas concerts just having to deal with the kids school activites are keeping us busy. My son got to ski for the first time and despite sore feet when he came home he loved it and is looking forward to going out again.
Then there are getting the Christmas cards mailed, the gifts bought and will need to be wrapped I still have to go shopping for Vic's gifts without any kids around to help me be less stressful. :) I'll also have to keep in mind about my older daughter's birthday as it is one week after Christmas and will have to start planning for that as well.
I'm not sure how much baking I will be able to get done. I have two banana bread loaves done (one with chocolate chips one without) I'm hoping to make some more so I will be getting a list done up with more supplies I might need to do more baking.
Our elves are keeping the kids busy getting into the occasional mischief. Every morning they wake up and rush downstairs to see what they are up to.
The Santa's Gone Loonie day we had last week was okay. There were more tables with people selling things for kids to purchase...even had the "stuff a bear" thing there. Unfortunately we couldn't stay long as my 4 yr. old was not feeling well and so we had to go home.
The weather is cold and lots of snow on the ground. I'm hoping the pond nearby will be frozen enough for me to take the kids skating. The city usually shovels the snow off the ice which tells people when it's safe to go on it. I love skating and find it quite relaxing. Perhaps I will take the youngest out for her first time and see how she does. :D