"Hey!  You know what tomorrow is?  Give up?!  It's my 5th birthday!!"

"Yeah, I'm talking to you Silly Monkey!"

"Don't forget because I just might get a little upset."

"And you don't want to see my upset...trust me!"

The future's so bright...

...I gotta wear shades, I gotta wear shades

This must be the case because these shades were worn well after the sun had set :)

Proof a cute wiseman did indeed exist...

Spencer played the part of a wiseman in his preschool's Christmas play.  This is his second year of preschool, therefore, his second Christmas play.  His "performance" proved his confidence has improved because last year our little drummer boy was practically tossed on stage.

Tossed or not, I love the kid :)

Christmas lights are even better with friends

Natalie and I took our four kiddos out for a Christmas light tour. While the kids enjoyed the lights for a bit, I think they were far more entertained to have a buddy along for the ride. It got a little loud at times, but we're pretty good at talking through the noise.

Homemade wrapping paper

I've had a roll of brown craft paper in our closet for a long while now.  After looking through my craft boxes I found some very old (10 years plus!) Christmas foam stamps.   We used a few foam brush to apply the paint to the stamps and voila!  Because I made due with what I already had on hand (including some semi-dried up paint), this was a complete freebie.  Hopefully, Alfonso reads this post :).

Cute as a button

I saw this craft on a site I like to frequent for ideas.  I thought this was the perfect way to use those extra buttons Spencer's been begging to create with.  Because I had the buttons, this craft cost under $5 (I bought a stiff version of felt in white and black).  The kids had fun and now I have a neat keepsake.  Win-win!

One more reason to love Trader Joe's and my kids

Honestly, this was the easiest gingerbread house we've ever put together.  Must be the ingenious design; A-frame is the way to go.  We actually enjoyed the assembly involved with this project...weird!

Alfonso was really bothered by the absence of a daddy in the gingerbread kit.  A quick look through the kiddie toys and problem solved.  I snuck "Daddy" into the scene and it only took a few hours for Alfonso to notice.  Big time brownie points!

I'm thinking I should replace mom too.  While my nose isn't small, I'm not so sure I like to be represented by the model with a very, very pointy version of what's actually on my face.  Oh, well!

The tree's officially cluttered!

I have friends far more crafty and creative than I am, so I "steal" ideas.  No harm's done during my thievery and my kids think I'm a genius.  One of the creative ideas I've taken on this December is an Advent calendar, but not one filled with chocolate (although that sounds good right about now).  I didn't snap a picture of my creation, but it just involves a large piece of cardstock with little paper pockets attached.  Each one of the 25 paper pockets has a little tag inside.  Every morning the kids pull out a tag that has listed our activity for the day.  The activities are for the most part very simple.  So far we've done wreath making (ha, ha, ha) and hot cocoa, a themed movie night, Christmas light tour, Christmas parade and ornaments.  Instead of sealed envelopes, I opted to use tags so I can fill them out as we go.  So, yes, most of the tags are still blank...shhh!  Spencer's asked a few times to peak at the next day's surprise.  If he did pull out a blank tag, I just might introduce him to the magic of invisible ink.   Do you think he'd buy it?!

I went to the craft store with the kids today.  Not only was a weekend day, but did I mention both my children were with me...shopping?!  Apparently popsicle sticks are all the rage this season, so I didn't find what I was really searching for.  I did found some neat wooden crosses the kids decorated with jewels and glitter.  While were not big-time Santa supporters, I think reindeer are pretty darn cute, so the kids made candy cane reindeer too.  

The reindeer have congregated in one section of the tree which just adds to our already cluttered look.  But the joy I saw as my kids placed their creations on the tree has erased any desire I had for that Better Homes look.  Tacky works just fine here.

It's a tree!

And I was there!! The proof's in the pudding picture.

Thanksgiving Day

Alfonso was forced to work Thanksgiving day. When he called with the news I had two options: Option one (my favorite): pout...loudly. Option two: be thankful my husband has a job. You might be surprised but I did indeed choose option two, though option one sounded far more thrilling. I'm not a saint and my habitual tendency to choose option one is proof of that.

I met my parents, sister, and Grandma at my Grandpa's house. My Grandpa has always been a fan of Christmas so when we mentioned leaving his tree up year round a few years ago, he was sure happy. We spent part of the day removing the Easter decorations and replacing them with ornaments. I'm not sure if Grandpa noticed, but I know the bright lights will surely catch his eye soon enough.

Cabin getaway

This past weekend was spent with friends in a beautiful cabin.  The weather was gorgeous.  While we had no fresh snow while we were there, we found just enough snow to do some sledding and make a few snowballs.  With no itinerary, we spent quality time with good friends.  

Mia took out the powerwheel for a ride during one of our walks.  The poor kid was later pummeled with more than a few snowballs.  It wasn't the snow on her that seemed to bother her, instead she was upset about what landed on her "bikt" (you'd probably call it a "bike").  As she brushed off the snow, she looked at me and said, "Mama, my bikt".

I call this "Going,..."

"...going,..."

"...GONE!"

Maybe severing of the tongue was a possibility, but at least the noggin was protected

Park Day

Yes, yes, here's post two for the night.  If I'm lucky I might even get a third in too.  We've been gone ten out of the last fourteen days, so life has been a little busy.  I know...poor me.

I meet up with my friend Heather because it had just been too long.  The kids had a blast and no money leaving the ol' pocketbook is always a good thing.  And because its still early, I'll offer a little photo narration of a part of our day.

The kids are on safer "ground" in this picture. We had tried to tour the pond, but found ourselves instead running from geese. Despite the reveal of empty pockets, the geese were certain bread was hidden somewhere. All eyes on the geese.

Initially we believed the chase was over, but the geese were relentless. Maybe it was the look of fear in Mia's eyes. Here's Mia observing the return of our stalkers.

And in case you missed it, or you find a little one clearly in distress hysterical, here's a closeup.

Before you judge me harshly, the geese were really, really far away and the picnic bench was plenty tall. 

Spencer allowed me to snap a few pictures of him.  What a handsome little guy.

St. Louis/Illinois Trip

 Spencer digging for "gold"

Our trip to St. Louis/Illinois was just what we needed.  We got out a bit, but didn't overdo it.  I'm beginning to realize the best times are often spent doing nothing.  Without a ringing phone, email to keep up with, and a slew of household chores, even I kicked up my feet.

We went to the St. Louis Zoo again.  Really, who can possibly pass up the free admission?! 

Another attempt at domesticity

Here's what was for dinner, and most importantly, dessert tonight.

Despite the story the picture may tell, this is the best meatball recipe I've come across. I found it in our MOPS cookbook.

Neely Family Secret Meatballs
(and you're in on the secret)

1 lb. ground beef (90% or better...I used 96%)
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 T ground black pepper
1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded (I used freshly grated Parmegiano Reggiano)
1 egg
1 cup Italian style bread crumbs (I just used overly toasted bread and dried basil and put it in our mini food processor)
2 T olive oil

Mix all ingredients (except olive oil) together with your hands. Form into small balls (about the size of a golf ball). Heat a large skillet over medium heat; add olive oil and heat until hot, but not smoking. Place meatballs in pan; cook for about 10 minutes total, turning every 2-3 minutes, until all sides are browned. Serve with pasta and sauce.

Blueberry Pie

Pie crust
Two bags of frozen blueberries
Add sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon to taste

I baked the pie for 15 minutes at 450. After that I (sloppily) added foil to the edges of the crust to prevent overcooking. Continue baking at 350 for approximately 60 minutes. Watch hubby drool (I love that...it doesn't happen much here!)

Popeye and Olive Oyl

I'm completely partial, but I don't think I've ever seen a cuter Popeye and Olive Oyl.