Train potty

{Fiona Apple, anyone?}

I've always wanted to make a wedding shadowbox for my friends who are getting married. It would be so easy: just keep their Save-the-Date, keep their invitation, grab an extra ceremony program, maybe try to snatch a menu or a place card or something from the dinner table, and then after their big day you could easily put one of these together for a friend. I've never actually done it because I wasn't sure if any of my bride-friends were doing something similar on their own. But I think it would make a fabulously personal gift, don't you?

It is days like today that I am pretty grateful not to be a working mom.
Right now it is 11:21 and all I hear is quiet. Thank God.

You see just a mere 30 minutes ago I was coming in from moving the sprinkler (some day I am going to sell my soul for a sprinkler system) and tromp, tromp, tromp....down the stairs come my two little angels, "Mom, we STILL can't sleep."

This was trip NINE since their original bedtime at 8:15. I sort of wanted to cry. Or maybe beat my fists against the wall in a furious temper tantrum. Instead I sighed and replied, "You guys are going to be a mess tomorrow if you don't hurry up and get yourselves to bed. You have swimming lessons in the morning and if you don't get sleep you are going to fall apart after lunch. Then I am going to be cranky and start yelling (see my previous admission to engaging in tornado siren imitations) and then Daddy is going to come home and he is going to start yelling that everyone is yelling...so PLEASE, just GO.....TO.....BED!"

11 o'clock came and the blissful silence finally fell.

Earlier today my little Starman started cutting his second bottom front tooth and he was busy yelling all day to express his displeasure with this turn of events. This kid skipped all of his naps today. He basically sustained himself on two, thirty-minute cat naps. Finally, after yelling his head off for over three hours, he passed out in his swing at 10:05.

Now, if I was a working mom I would just now be starting to prepare lunches for everyone, getting the diaper bag packed, making lists of everything I would have to do in the morning to make sure everyone had what they needed for the day. Then tomorrow I would stumble out of bed in search of coffee and cursing my children for robbing me not just of sleep, but of personal time before having to put my nose to the grindstone for another day.

Instead, I can stay up and write this blog because I can doze through swimming lessons tomorrow, put on a movie, and assuming Starman sleeps at some point, I can lay down and rest for a while. This would be something I would not get to do if I was working a normal 40 hour a week job.

The physical demands of child care combined with the severe sleep deprivation that accompanies small children can sometimes push into borderline torture. And yet working moms get up and push through it day after day. I honor and applaud you for your dedication whether by necessity or by desire. While most days I wouldn't mind joining those ranks, today? Today I am happy just to be me.

Obviously I have a ton of pictures to share. Our trip was extremely revitalizing and much needed. I didn't realize how much I missed Missouri until we were on our way down there and I couldn't WAIT to get home. We got to see plenty of friends and family, we ate our way through the weekend, slept an obscene amount and chatted the days away. And that's what I call a great trip home for the holidays:) Of course, it wasn't fun driving the 500 miles back to Milwaukee on Christmas Day but oh well, we made the most of our short stay and will have to plan another trip very soon.

So our main meal on Sunday night consisted of: ham, turkey, yams, twice baked potatoes, green beans, carrots, corn, jello fruit salad, regular lettuce salad, rolls, and two kinds of pie. It was a feast and I even assisted in the kitchen! Just call me Betty Crocker, folks:) I think Nate was shocked that I cooked without being forced, but it was pretty fun. Here we all are, ready to chow!

While the women cooked the boys were hard at work. Pepaw installed storage cabinets in our garage, so Nate and my dad gave him a hand. Turned out pretty nice, eh?
After Memaw and Pepaw left, our family went to Christmas Eve church service and snapped a picture in front of the big tree. Love how Nate gets to be in the center of the whole family now!

My mom had the house decorated to perfection. I wonder where she got this idea?
And of course she put a sign on the front door [as always]. This one says "Welcome, family, to a Merry Missouri Christmas." She's so cute!
Milldogg and Ariana came over on Monday and we got a chance to catch up on life....in between potty breaks and coloring with markers. Whew, I give the girl credit for being so full of energy! Here we are with our babies, some more of a handful than others:)
Then on Sunday night we opened presents with Memaw and Pepaw. They loved their family wedding pictures. I'll post more on the gifts I gave later, but they were a hit!

Mom and Dad liked theirs, too. Love Dad's face in this one, right?

Here I am exhibiting my brother Michael's stellar wrapping technique. He leaves peep holes into the gift itself to add some flare. I take no responsibility in his wrapping skills.

Memaw and Pepaw left on Monday in their cute little truck. We were so happy to see them because they are the busiest grandparents you'll meet. You have to squeeze yourself into their hectic schedule:)A Bultmann family tradition: taking a picture under the wrapping paper. My parents did this even before I was born but for some reason, my brother tried to weasel out of it this year. I'm not sure Nate was really thrilled either, but it's tradition, people. Even Stewie from the Family Guy got into the picture...kind of creepy, huh?