Kelly's Dreams - 0, The Blobs - 1

This week has been full of at-home time.  We don't have our normal routine to pull us away from the house in the evening.  I get to go home from work everyday to see N and Zoe, still in pajamas, playing some kind of new game.  Last night they made a boxcar.  It was a real box turned into an imaginary car.  They were fixing a flat tire.  It's the kind of scene that makes my heart smile to the point of bursting!

I'm not the type of person who likes to sit around and relax.  It's safe to say that my idea of relaxing and N's idea are on opposite ends of the spectrum.  Because I have at-home time in the evenings, I have ideas.  Two nights ago I made homemade salsa and guacamole.  I know, nothing quite screams Christmas like salsa and guac.

We are doing a non-traditional taco bar for dinner on Christmas.  I even found a place here that makes homemade tortillas!  I got a taste of those in Austin and I fell in love.  I think I'm feeling more Feliz Navidad than Merry Christmas right now!

I've also go other, sweeter ideas.  The Pioneer Woman had a segment on her blog dedicated to frosting sugar cookies.  We're talking royal icing, piping and all around fancy.  I figured since I would be home, I would have the time to do fancy.  I had dreams of taking pictures, posting them to this here blog, with comments like, "it wasn't as hard as I thought!" or "they turned out cuter than I imagined!"  My mind became boastful and excited!

Last night Zoe helped me roll out sugar cookie dough and we decided to make stockings, candy canes and ornament shaped cookies.  Our first batch was some cute stockings.  Our cookie cutter was about the size of my palm.  Oh, they would make such cute cookies!  We set the timer on the oven and started to cut out candy cane cookies. 

Then the timer went off.  I opened the oven and gasped in disbelief.

I had no idea store-bought sugar cookie mix contained a secret ingredient.  Something I can only refer to as "the Incredible Hulk."  Those cute, palm-sized stockings had turned into a blob of cookie that grew to three times its original size.  No longer were they cute stockings, they were blob of cookie that couldn't be decorated into anything recognizable.

The candy canes did the same thing.

The ornaments, well I can't even talk about them.

All my plans were thrown out the window.  My desire to have fancy sugar cookies was dead; killed by cookie blobs.

N, bless his heart, said "I'd still eat them!"  Unfortunately he'll never know if he's eating a stocking, a candy cane or an ornament that now resembles a rectangle cookie with a weird point at the bottom. 

That Little Dough boy is probably at his bakery going, "mwahahahah!  Think you can pass your sugar cookies off as being homemade?  I'll teach you!" 

At least I'll still have the blissful memory of cutting out sugar cookies with Zoe.  She was precious and even had a little flour by her eye and on her forehead.  It was a time of innocence and hope.

I refuse to let this be the year that the cookie blobs won.  My New Year's Resolution is to find the perfect homemade cookie recipe, practice it to perfection and next year have all the fancy. 

If that doesn't work, I'll call the grocery store bakery, order about 2 dozen sugar cookies and then use royal icing to decorate them.

A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do!

Ho Ho Ho

There were no tears, some smiles and she asked the man in red for the same two things she's been talking about for the last month.



She even wore her cowgirl boots for the occasion.  She said they helped her be brave.

I'm not entirely sure how she's gotten so grown-up.

Smitten

I've been incredibly blessed.  I have three, amazing daughters who I love completely.  They freely give love and purpose to my life in a way I never dreamed possible. 

I have four, adventure-loving nephews that I love completely.  They let me love on them with cuddles, hugs and kisses when they were/are young.  They continue to let me love on them with hugs as they get older, so long as I keep it on the down-low and where no one but family can see.  You gotta respect their game if you're going to get hugs.

Nothing totally prepared me for having a niece.  Maybe it's because I have daughters that I have a different type of bond with her or maybe it's because she's personality plus, like my Zoe.  There is something about H-J that I can't get enough of.  Maybe it's this face:

In the last 4 days I've chatted with her on the phone a couple times.  There is nothing more precious than atting on the phone with a 9 month old who is a talker.  I rarely get a word in at all.  I'm not 100% sure I know what she's saying, I think it's something along the lines of, "how do I walk?  Zoe tried to teach me when you were here, but I've forgotten.  Mommy is a little nervous about me being totally mobile, so give me some tips Aunt Kelly.  I need to get this down."  Then she smooches the phone before she's off for her next walking attempt.

Whlie I'm on the phone with her, Zoe comes over, "is that H-J?  Is she coming over today because I'd like to play with her." 
It's safe to say I'm not the only one who is smitten. 

The Boy Bands Will Be Calling

Last night Zoe and I had the opportunity to see T-Dog and Con-Man (my nephews) perform in their school Christmas program.  In the past it's a musical and dramatic production.  The kids audition for speaking parts, the remainder of the children sing in the choir.  One year my oldest nephew, MJ performed a rap.  It's all very fun to watch and see my nephews perform.  We all share a love of the stage, so it's fun to see them shine.

This year there was some issues with costumes and other things that I don't quite understand.  Speaking parts were cut, the program was shorter and there was way more singing.  Con-Man had a speaking part that was cut, so there was some concern about him singing since he didn't have to learn any of the songs until this week.  They put him in the front row of the choir and we got to watch him sing some of the words and yawn and look around totally bored the remainder of the time.  He totally makes me smile!

Shortly before the program my sister informed T-Dog that he won't have to do any more music classes.  Apparently it was like Christmas came early for him.  Instead of being nonchalant like he usually is, he went out with a bang.  He sang with all his heart, danced, exaggerated and really looked like a member of a boy band.

My sister was next to me giving him signals like a third base coach.  From the look on her face, it was "knock it off!"  While she was doing that, I was giving him a thumbs up and Zoe was making funny faces. 

It was honestly the best school concert I've ever been to.  I laughed until I cried and beamed with pride and my ham of a nephew. 

The Legacy Begins

A couple months ago I mentioned some BIG news in our house.  D was chosen to be on Cabinet. 

It's a big deal simply because you get a shirt with your name on it, plus you get to speak at assemblies and over the intercom at school.  Maybe it's because I'm a ham, but I've always LOVED microphones. 

I'm proud to say, that while we have no shared DNA, we do share a love of all microphones.  We were both equally excited when D was chosen to have a speaking part at her first assembly last week. 

I actually got a bit choked up to see her doing this:

She stood there with poise and confidence.  As I looked over to her mom, I knew I had the same look of proud on my face.

D, we are SO proud of you.  Can't wait to see you do your first skit.  Love you sweet girl.

We Did Some Decorating

I thought, since I love Christmas decorations, that I would give you a tour of our home.  Plus, The Nester is hosting a tour of homes today.  I figured I would be better late than never.

The buffet in our dining room is full of fun stuff:  a present-shaped cookie jar, a reindeer name plate, a pretty candle, a frame with our Christmas picture in it and my favorite find, a cake stand with a verse from Luke on it.

Every year we have a birthday cake for Jesus, so I thought this would be a perfect way to display it.

This year I've also caught the quilting bug.  I saw this pattern by Sandy Gervais and I just had to do it.  It's called Adoring and it was so easy.


 

It's in my dining room so everyone can see it.

I love our tree.  It's a Martha Stewart tree, but you can't really tell it's not real.  Except for no smell and no needles, which is perfect for me.  I was informed by Zoe that WE.HAVE.TO.HAVE.A.STAR. on the top.  That's next year's plan.

We can't forget the actual nativity.  It's a Little People kind, which is so fun to play with.

We don't actually have a mantel, so the stockings are hung on the window with care.

A wreath from N's childhood!

A snowman star over our laundry room door.

A little bling for the kitchen.



Hop over to The Nester to check everyone else out.

The ATL Meets the GEG

My sophomore year of college wasn't too exciting.  I had contemplated not returning to Western Baptist because of some rules that I didn't agree with.  My mom told me that she wasn't paying for an extra year of college if all my credits didn't transfer, so I was stuck.  I went back not the happiest camper. 

One afternoon while I was working on a paper or maybe playing solitaire, I got a knock on the door.  It was a girl from down the hall asking if I wanted to run an errand with her.  Steph was someone I had always thought seemed like a super fun person, but was always imtimidated to talk to because she knew EVERYONE!  That day she asked me to run an errand with her.  I got her in Ford Fiesta and she threw a baggie on my lap.  As I unwound the baggie, I asked her where we were going.  She said, "Petsmart!"  As she said that I looked at the baggie and noticed a dead fish inside. 

"He jumped the tank and died, but he's under warranty so we're going to get another one."  I sat in the car, holding that dead fish, seeing spots and freaking out on the inside because there was only a small layer of plastic separating me from a fish carcass.  I kept my cool because I really wanted to be friends with Steph.  That is how Steph and I became friends.  It's a story that I was able to retell at her wedding and will share with all her children and grandchildren.  It's so touching, how could it not be shared?

After she got married to her amazing husband, she moved to Atlanta since that's where he lived.  I tried to talk her into a long-distance marriage so she would stay close, but obviously she really loves Kendall!  It's rare that we get to see each other because neither of us have private jets (which is a great Christmas idea!  We only need one between the two of us!).  When she came up to see her grandparents, I took a day off, loaded Zoe into the car and drove to wherever they would be. 

It was well worth it!  We got to spend time with Steph and her beautiful girls. 

It is such a blessing to have a friend that no matter the physical distance or the length of time between phone calls, we can still connect, still catch-up like it's only been a short while.  We've always said that our girls would be BFFs and guess what, they totally are!  They didn't even need a fish carcass to do it.  Progress!

Steph,

Thank you for being the friend I can always count on, no matter where each of us are.   Thank you for your constant support, encouragement and Modern Family quotes.  I'm not sure how many friends can form a live-long friendship over a dead fish carcass.  Honestly, you're the only person I'd ever touch a baggie with a dead fish in it for! 

I'm having N work on getting me a private jet so I can come to your neck of the woods and visit.  I love you friend!  Remember, your friends will run away if they're afraid of being chewed!

Kel

We Decked Some Halls

This weekend we were a full family.  All three girls were home so we decided to deck out for Christmas.  Because we were in Austin for Thanksgiving, our annual weekend after Thanksgiving decorating had to wait.  Honestly, it was great having three helpers this year.  Why I never realized we needed to tap into child labor is beyond me.  I don't think the tree has ever been put up so quickly before. 

Now that D and E are taller, the decorations can get put up higher.  For awhile the tree looked like Zoe did the whole thing because they were all at about the 3 foot level. 

We drank hot cocoa, listened to Christmas music, watched N break ice off the roof so he could hang his new LED lights and then we had a karaoke contest.

What?  You all don't do a karaoke contest post-decorating?  I'm proud to say I mastered a High School Musical song and am working on another one.  I actually think I do a pretty good job at being Sharpay.  I always wanted to be the mean girl in school.  That and she sings lower, so I can hit her notes easier. 

I'm waiting for the Grease version to come out.  I will totally rock those.  Maybe that could be for New Year's!

I'm a Whole, Not a Step

When you are expecting (whether through your womb or adoption), everyone tells you how rewarding, yet difficult it is to be a parent.  You nod, smile even and make some comment like "I'm sure it is!"  Yet you never really know what they mean until you're blindly wading into it.

When Zoe was a baby, I would be so tired of her every-two-hour feedings and her noisy sleep that I was sure we'd never get through another night again.  I'd get meaningful hugs as a woman whispered in my ear, "this will pass.  You'll get through it!"  I'd nod, smile even and not believe a single word she said.  Then, almost randomly it seemed, Zoe started sleeping through the night. 

As she did that, the next phase started.  The one where she knew what she wanted, but couldn't say the words.  There were moments of frustration for both of us when she just wanted something on the counter and her pointing didn't help me understand.  Then she started talking with clarity and I knew "nee-nee" meant binky.  I cannot describe how awesome it is to hear your child talk and actually communicate with you.  I felt gray hairs actually turning back to brown.  It was glorious.

As a step-parent nothing prepares you for what it's like to have children you love, children you want to impact and influence and yet you have no control over how they are raised.  You also don't go through the phases like you do with your own child.  You're thrown into pre-teen years without going through the lost teeth, the sleeping in a big girl bed, the skinned knees, the learning to ride without training wheels.  You're part of a totally different game.  It's a game where your heart plays in every inning without the benefit of having your name on the roster.

We are wading through some heavy waters right now.  As a mother my heart is burdened.  As a step-mother my mouth stays quiet to them and very continuous to God in prayer.  I want all my girls to know right from wrong.  I want them to all know that they can come to me with whatever they've done and I will lovingly accept them.  I want them to know that I will love them all forever and for always, but sometimes there are consequences for bad choices.  I want them to realize there are consequences for their choices, both good and bad.

Most importantly I want to be the mom each of them needs.  It's a fine line because two of our girls have a "real Mom" as they remind me often.  I think the hardest part is seeing, from the outside, how our girls' behavior is a consequence of someone's elses choices.  I'm powerless to stop it.  I can see the cycle and yet all I can do is love on them.  All I can do is show them, through my actions, that I love them, no matter what their choices. 

I can love on their daddy as he has to deal with this and the gray of his goatee gets a little more after each of these hiccups. 

I actually never knew how hard being a step-parent would be.  How emotionally invested you are.  How much you can love.  How little you can do.  I just pray that God shows me what He wants me to do and gives me the heart I need to have as their mom.  While society may put a "step" before my title, there is no "step" in front of my love. 

What to do in the Texas heat.

I'm a little teapot, short and stout...

...Here is my handle, here is my spout...

...When I get all steamed up hear me shout!  Tip me over and pour me out.

Almost Wordless Wednesday

She was born in the wrong state.