Its running again

AAA got my car up and running -- it only took 4 hours! The first truck they sent out was the wrong one, so they sent out a second with battery service. They replaced the bad battery and we were on our way.

Too late for the zoo, but we went to the Dino Musuem. See future posting for details.

Car problems

My car won't start. I suppose I should be happy it happened in our garage and not at the zoo in SLC (we were headed there today, see www.kathrynfindsadeal.blogspot.com for details).

Not only were we headed to the zoo, I filled the car up with cardboard to take to the recycler at the school on our way out of Payson. Yep, I'm going to empty it all back out.

I need my Utah readers help -- name of garage, phone numbers, anyone who's actually open today or tomorrow. I'm calling AAA in a few minutes, this just sucks.

Tomorrow we were going to take the kids to see Bolt. One of our gifts was a family gift for the movies. Very awesome, now must be postponed. And I was going to get a couple of fun things (eggs for cake) to make a more festive evening out of tonight.

Christmas 2008

This year, I did gifting a little bit more strictly, than in years past. With 4 boys, it quickly got out of control last year. One thing that helped me was shopping online. You're not really browsing, you're just getting what you need and getting off the computer before Seany climbs the walls and Ryan tries to help by yanking him down.

Take our neighbor gift situation, I had to give 19 neighbor gifts and we received 22 before I stopped counting (I think we got 26 but I'm not sure). Do you have any idea how much baking I had to do? I made 8 batches of cookie bars, 6 boxes of cupcakes, and still had to use candy to fill in the empty spaces. By the time I add up all the ingredients, plates, etc -- we spent at least $75 baking for people who all did their own baking too. There has to be a better way.

In all this we celebrated 4 birthdays and 3 early Christmases.

Next year's neighbor gifts are done, I bought every holiday dish towel in Kohl's the Sunday after Christmas and I'm slapping a bow on them next year and calling it a gift. Seriously, I like the LDS, but they don't have to ALL feel like we need to be remembered. I'm flattered that they don't want us to feel lonely, left out, whatever. But, I'm sure they're just doing the people on their street or close friends, etc. It was out of control. I'd like to do maybe half that many -- the people around town that help me out and the people on our street and the chicklets playmates. My leg was killing me, my dad was sick, my mom was sick, I was sick, chicklets were sick. Plus we were throwing festivities in there.

For the chicklets, I arranged 1 gift for each brother from each brother. I think that was my favorite thing. They each delighted in being the giver of their own gifts to their brothers (tee shirts and games and none of it over $5 an item). Mark and I gave each chicklet a gift (so that was 2 from the parents). And Santa gave them 3 ( but they were very inexpensive). I spent a total of $320 on the chicklets and they loved their stuff.

Mark and I each got a gift from each kid and a gift from each other and Santa. There were plenty of other things the chicklets wanted and in years past I would have gotten more, but I deliberately controlled the presents and they seemed to enjoy it just as much.

And for the first time, I stuck to the budgets I set for all the grandparents, family, chicklets, and friends gifts. I love shopping especially for gifts. It was hard for me to not buy something else cute I saw for someone. But, I had a budget, if the item broke it, I didn't buy it. Excellent rule. The only exception was Mark's robe which was $5 over. And I changed one of his other gifts to compensate (instead of a cool gadget, he got tongs).

We know a lot of religious people, we hear "Remember the Christ in Christmas" deal a lot. We do. We pray, we give, we share, we church (when not rushing someone to the ER for $1600). I just don't pretend not to enjoy giving and receiving gifts with our families who can't come on Christmas day and therefore we celebrate with them EARLY (when they are actually with us). I love the Early Christmases the chicklets seem to appreciate the time spent with their extended family more. And we are one of the few who actually leave Christmas up during the ACTUAL Christmas season! If the stuff is down before New Years, you're not remembering the Christ bit. So stop spitting that kind of phrase out at us, I find it grating, really. (FYI, yesterday, Andrew said in response to Alex, "NO! December 25th is Jesus' birthday. That's what Christmas is so special for Alex!"

Christmas Eve, we spent the day preparing for the evening. The evening we went to church, dinner (too late for Alex if we went home, poor kid was STARVING), did the Christmas Eve traditions and went to bed.

Christmas Morning, we got up at a normal hour, opened stockings, ate a special breakfast, opened presents, had lunch, played with all manner of gifties, baked a cake, made a kid friendly dinner, played more, ate dinner, watched a new movie, had our dessert, and called it a fabulous Christmas.

Snow shovels abound

With their Christmas money from Uncle Jason and Jazmine, the twix and Andrew got snow shovels (I still have the left over). They are delighted with them. Alex uses the spare grown up shovel. Kids snow shovels are hard to come by. These must have been a bust Christmas morning and returned. Our lucky day.

Today, the chicklets and I went down to the mailbox and shoveled out a path through the berm to the boxes. Hopefully all our neighbors will apperciate all their hard work. Ok, it hasn't snowed and they desperately wanted to shovel some snow.

Icicle

Every morning, I look out the kitchen window at the mountains past the back yard. One morning after the Christmas storm, I was distracted by a reflection. It was the light reflecting off this icicle. It had to have only been there for a day or two.

It was at least 2 feet long, when Mark whacked it down and Andrew turned it into a sword.

Snowboarding and sledding

Alex on his snowboard in the front yard.

Andrew stopped prepping his snowboard when he saw the camera.

Yes, I did pile all the snow there for them to enjoy.

So while we were inside enjoying the holiday

Yes, yes I did shovel all that snow off our 3 car garage driveway (8 inches). Mark did do his stall before leaving. And I also did the street through the berm (no more getting stuck backing out of this driveway). Yes, yes is it a lot of work and yes, yes I was very tired when I finished 3 hours after I started.

The play yard covered in snow.

The rest of the yard, also covered in snow.

Pastry Chef

This Star Wars Clone Wars solider/ranger/chief/whatever, helped me make this kid friendly peanut butter cup with peanut butter frosting dessert.

Ryan even decorated the cake with a couple of snitched and bit candies.

The aftermath

The hallway.

The Christmas room.

The organized garbage/recycle collection location.

Yes, chaos reigned again this year -- though ever year it gets slightly more controlled.

From Auntie Erin and Geoff

The twix screamed, "Its a box." Very important that Mark did the following for them.

Yes, its a snow fort! They love this! Its so cool, they play in and around it. Ryan is the twix peeking out the door.

Sword fighting

For Sean and Ryan from Uncle Steve

Andrew in Seany's knight gear.

A beak nosed Ryan in his knight's gear.

Seany got his puppy (and so did Ryan, but I can't find the picture).

Yesterday, I was folding endless loads of laundry, really endless. Ryan brought his puppy over and laid him down on the couch (in my way). "Mommy, shhsh. You quiet Mommy. My puppy sheeping." Then he proceeded to get his blanket and cover all but the puppy's head and then making mewing noises at him, stroked his head to sleep.

The twix would really love a real puppy -- me thinks they'd love it too much.

Gifts for the big guys from Uncle Steve

Andrew and Alex got some kind of sound effecting Transformers which is super cool.

And they got this Hyper Slide game. Totally addictive -- Alex and I played it for at least an hour before I forced us to stop.

From Uncle Adam and Carrie

Sean got a MONSTER truck.

Alex got UNO attack -- ok this is so fun.

Andrew got a 'bad' transformer to battle the 'good' one he got for his birthday.

Ryan also got a MONSTER truck too.

From Joe and Laura

We all got Wall-E. Andrew called it, "Walllllll-Eeeeeeeeee."

Thank you.

Gifts for Mommy & Daddy

I finally have wireless internet!

I got the Last Lecture. Look for a review.

Andrew got both Mark and I spring form pans -- the kid really loves cinnamon rolls.

Mark, sideways, got Tales of the Beadle Bard (also look for a review).

Santa's special gifts

Andrew really wanted (and needed) his own DS case.

Seany (with Mark) and RyGuy got lacing animal boards. We need more than play-doh to get through a snowy afternoon.

Alex got a case full of army men (green and tan), complete with choppers, tanks, mountains, play mat and the case.

And Mark got a luxurious robe that, I'm happy to say Santa chose so well, Mark's worn it everyday.

I got a box of Kahlua chocolates -- Santa knows me well. No picture though as I was doing the snapping.

Santa was more...cheap, er furgal this year

Alex and Andrew got a SW Clone Wars action figure and blaster gun.

Ryan in the green helmet and Sean in the blue helment got their own blaster guns (and helmets).

Random gifts

The BEAR scout got his guide book.

Sir Ry got a trains game.

Seany got a Mickey, Goofy, Donald tee (actually so did Ryan).

Andrew got an ISPY game -- he really really really likes the books.

Out of the Stockings came

Chicken Little and a DS game for Andrew.

Slinkies, trains, cars, and candy for Ryan and Seany.

And they also got to take a look at their winter gifts.

Ryan and Seany got air slicks (like sleds but very light weight for trudging through snow with).

And Alex got a snow board and Andrew got a saucer. Technically its a snowboard, its a $25 version instead of a $350 version. But Alex couldn't care less. He loves it, been on it everyday since Christmas. And Little Andy who hates the snow, only comes in complaining for hot chocolate.