Chicken or Snail?

I feel like this chicken.  You wind it up and it just goes in circles really, really fast, but it never gets anywhere.  Then it just winds down and sits there looking pitiful.

While I cleaned the stove the chicken just sat there looking.  For whatever reason, it held one foot up, just slightly, the entire time.  

Seriously, look, it is just sitting there with the cracked sea salt like it owns the place.  Wings all perched back like it has somewhere to go.  

What are you looking at chicken?

And such a photogenic do-nothing.  Never blinks for  a shot, doesn't have a bad side. 

Yes, I know the green pot needs to be washed.  Thanks chicken. 

What's that?  You like the tree?  Me too.  You look lovely reflected in its light.

Yes, you can see your wind, but it is nothing to be ashamed of.  We all have something that makes us tick!

Ah, snail.  You just chill and wiggle your antennae.  Can you have a chat with chicken?  Chicken is stressing me out.  Can you teach us how to slow down, but I would rather not leave that trail of slime.  Not cool snail, not cool!

Oh Christmas Tree - You Mean So Much to Me!

Putting up my tree is so much fun, and so exhausting.  It never fails, every year when I open up the boxes I am flooded with memories of Christmases past and as much as it makes me smile, it really, really hurts.  I miss my Momaw, I miss my Grandma Sis, I miss my Grandma Grace, I miss my Grandma Juanita, I miss my Aunt Brenda, I miss my Uncle John, my Uncle Kenny, I miss those giant family gatherings full of a bunch of nuts that were so loud you couldn't hear yourself think and there was so much wrapping paper someone always lost a present, but most of all I miss the Grandmas.  They really are the glue you know?  Once they are gone it is never the same.  

I do really revel in my tree, and I take pride in the fact that it looks like it belongs in a candy store.  I really, really do!

I love her every year, more than the year before.  She is as old as me, tattered and tacky and priceless.

A newer arrival, fresh from the Pottery Barn.  The place I would live in the event of a zombie apocalypse!  

A drummer for Greggie.  So shiny and alert with his cymbals ready to crash. 

New this year, direct from Pier One, where I shop, because I cannot afford Pottery Barn., an Owl I converted in to a tree topper.

Our first married ornament.  So cheesy!

Avery's 2nd Christmas.  Love you Hallmark!

The first Baby's first Christmas ornament, and the model for the coming years. 

I have a ton of these.  Stolen from my mom's box.  She loves to tell the story of how my dad thought they really were cookies and not styrofoam.  YUCK!

Also for Greggie's love of owls, many throughout the tree.  I love them now too!  Maybe I am Julia Roberts in run away bride.  Which bird do I really like??

From my friend Ginger, a new tradition.  The Christmas pickle.  I still think it looks like a green SHUT YOUR MOUTH.

Another owl. this one from my favorite, more affordable store, TARGET!

Another cookie stolen from my mom.   

A new addition from World Market last year.  A Zeppelin carrying an elephant.  That's reasonable.  

Another lifted little lady.  She's missing a ski, but she can still shred!

Bath and Body reindeer in a hoodie.  Yes indeed!

Extra special.  These nests are floral pics I put in the arrangements at our wedding.  I grabbed them all up before we left for Charleston and pepper them all over the tree.

St. Nick ready for some football.  Damn you Hank Williams Jr. for ruining that phrase!

Sweet St. Nick.  An oldie but a goodie.  He matches the skier!

Cheese!

Have you ever tried to take a picture of a stand-up-comedian-princess-tom-boy-live-wire-mexican-jumping-bean-with-wandering-eyes?  I have.....

I had her lined up perfectly for this shot, and at the last second she leaned forward and moved 2 feet to the left.  Still super cute!

Stinkin' cute right?  I want to post them all, but her mom would KILL me!!  Surely just this one won't gt me in trouble will it??

Thanksgiving? No Thank You!

So, Thanksgiving?  Normally I love this holiday.  I get off both Thursday and Friday from work.  SCORE.  I love being off on Black Friday.  Major perk of my work.   This year, I am DONE with Thanksgiving.  No offense to the Pilgrims or the Indians.  I just can't take one more minute of Thanksgiving 2011.

It all started Tuesday at 11:30.   We were heading out to Downtown Deli to eat brown salads.  YUMMY!  The whole gang was there minus one person.  We hadn't been out in forever, but my phone beeped.  It was school.  Avery wasn't being himself and seemed to feel bad.  I ride the elevator back up, call Dr. Stone, and head out to get Avery.  Now, a little back story here.  Greg was on vacation, perfect right?  Not so much.  Greg had taken Eva Dog Linkous for the old spay/neuter (we don't want Bob Barker after us) and a back dewclaw removal.  CRAP.

I take Avery to the doctor where he is diagnosed with a bad cold.  We head home armed with antibiotic and decongestant.  Ok, we can do this.  I log back on, get some work done, get the dog picked up, spend almost $300 doing it, and settle in for the night.  My plan is to leave Avery at home with Greg and go to work the next day.  HA!

At about 7 pm Avery starts throwing up with nothing more than this warning, "mommy, i not feeling good!"  The vomit did not stop all night long, and then I got sick.  Wednesday we were all feeling much better.  Eva included.  On the mend right?  Wrong!

Thanksgiving, immediately after eating, I start feeling really, really bad.  So, needless to say, I too have the bug.  I go to change Avery's diaper and realize he has a swollen, blue testicle.  No doubt a side effect of all of the vomit strain.

Up Friday morning, to the doctor again, yes, that's another $25 copay.  Turns out Avery has a hernia.  We knew he did, but we thought it had cleared up.  All of the vomit conjured it back up, or down, as hernias work.  So we have to go see a surgeon.  GREAT.

We come home to collapse.  I let Eva out of her pen, and one of her back feet (dewclaw removal) is HUGE.  It is swollen, red, and it looks terrible.  My dear, sweet, mom, loads her up and heads to the vet.  Eva is having a reaction to the bandage and comes home with antibiotics.  Thank the Lord my mom could take her.

Now, as I type this, Greg lay in the bed, sick as a dog.  I am sure he will vomit any second.  I hope for his sake it is soon.  It really does feel much better after the vomit.

Isn't this a great family picture?  It makes me so very happy!

So, if you are wondering why I am done with Thanksgiving 2011, you should be clear now.  Good riddance already!

Pack of Boys - Happy Birthday Brenner

Wow!  We have been on a birthday marathon.  Most of the kids in Avery's class have turned 3 since the beginning of October.  We have been working the birthday circuit like it was a profession.  Today wasn't at a bounce house or a museum, but in someones back yard.  Who I can't say, because I didn't ask permission, but I can tell you all about it.

The boys played football.  Legitimate, tackle football.  I was a nervous wreck, but the kids loved it.  It was a lot of fun, and as luck would have it, I had my camera in the car.  Cha-ching!!  It is amazing to me how quickly boys become BOYS, and girls become 16 year olds.  So much fun to watch!!

So serious!

One of my favorite FBCCC families

All eyes on the ball

Seriously, they are tackling each other!

nice wide stances

more tackles, please note avery's distance from the pile up!

Get him!

Huddle up kids!

Bryce is so stinkin' cute!!  Love him!

The b-day boy in action.  Go Brenner!

It's my party and I'll cry if I want to!

Happy Birthday cutie pie!

Adorable cheerleaders right??

Reagan

A kiss from Daddy.  Melts my heart!

Brenner and Mommy - twins??

Check out that serious stance!

Room 115 buddies!!

Thanks for sharing your birthday with us little guy.  We had so much fun!

Happy Thanksgiving Everybody!

Friday was Thanksgiving at Avery's school.  It is always so much fun to get in there and see Avery in action.  Especially when he doesn't know you are watching.  His little friends are so cute.  I know I've said it before, but I wish we had a house full.  I love kids!

Avery's place mat, napkin ring, hand print,  turkey, and apple.  Beautiful!

Not to go on too much, but how cute is this stuff?  I mean really, all the money in the world can't buy this stuff.  SO CUTE!

You really have to love anything made with that little hand print!  Swoon!

best napkin ring ever!

gobble, gobble

cheese, or should i say, turkey?

crazy about daddy

Avery's teachers, all of the teachers at his school, had done a great job with the crafts and the room looked so cute.  The things they make are so precious to me.  Lunch was GREAT!  The food was so yummy, especially the sweet potato casserole.  It was a full room and a fine meal.  Well done FBCCC! Well done indeed!