Kind of random for a title today...

So I haven't been a very good blogger lately. It's not that I have nothing to write about... it seems like we've been really busy the past week or so. Not busy with big stuff, just busy with a lot of nothing, you know? I've actually been hesitant to write because I have so many little things I could babble on about, I'm afraid for you readers. I'm afraid once I get started I'll keep going and going and going... I'm like the energizer bunny when it comes to writing. So I'll do my best to be brief.

Let's see... last week what were we up to?
Not a whole heck of a lot. I took Savannah shopping one evening just her and I to get some little gifts for her teachers. That was fun. I'm planning on taking her to the movie Happy Feet next weekend for a little mother/daughter date. She's only been to one movie in the theater before so she's really excited. I'm trying to be sure and spend more one on one time with her, because she's been acting up a lot lately. (I think it's a combination of also not getting enough sleep too- now that she's wearing underwear all through the night, she wakes up early to go to the bathroom and doesn't fall back to sleep. Add that to her rare naps anymore, and that makes for a tired three year old.) I feel like we've (I've) had so much on our minds with our projects and gifts and baking and decorating that we've been a little distracted in spending real time with her. I mean, yeah I'm around her all day, but how much of that time have I been trying to get Christmas cards addressed or dishes done or laundry folded or crafts painted/glued/sewn or blogs read or emails written or I'm sure I could go on and on. Sawyer and Porter are different because they need my attention and need to be more taken care of. I can send Savannah in to get her own snack while I'm reorganizing the playroom, or to get herself dressed while I read my favorite blogs. Anyway, I think it was really starting to get to her and she's picked up a bit of an unwelcome attitude around here. So we're working on that. (Which is another excuse for not updating my blog more often in the past week)

Friday evening we went to the mall to see Santa. I had taken the kids to do a super quick trip there in the morning and Savannah was so excited to see Santa there and wanted to go SEE him, see him but I was in a hurry and I told her we would talk to daddy about it later. Well, she wouldn't let it drop so when Ryan got home that evening we had a quick dinner and headed back to the mall to see Santa proper.
I was asking Ryan on the way over there if all the Santa rackets were just huge photo sessions now. What happened to just waiting in line to sit and TALK to Santa? And maybe get a
poloroid out of it? Now theres not much talk, just smile and say cheese and move on because other kids are waiting. And then they charge some ridiculous amount for these horrible pictures. The cheapest thing to get was 1 5x7.... and that cost us $10. Santa on a big Polar Bear background to just sit with the kids and smile and not even a candy cane for the kids to take home. Can you believe that? Not much to choose from around here I guess. I was so irritated by the whole set-up, I just can't even believe we did that. All night, I just couldn't get over the stupidity of it all.
And here's what makes it worse...
The next morning we get up and decide to do a run over to IKEA and up to the outlets in Howell. IKEA was the only place we could find one of the gifts we really wanted to get for Sawyer, and I had a couple of things to return and that I wanted to get at the outlets so we decided to combine it into one last big shopping trip. So I get online first thing in the morning, because we're thinking we want to head out early and I know IKEA doesn't normally open until 10am, so I thought I'd check and see if they had special early holiday hours. Well, the actual store still doesn't open till 10, but the restaurant opens at 8:30 and guess who's in the restaurant to eat and visit and take pictures (with your own camera) with the kids *FOR FREE*?!? Yep, jolly old St. Nick, himself. With 99 cent breakfasts and a free breakfast for the kids, I might add. Oooooh, I was kicking myself.
So we hightailed it out of our house and headed to IKEA (which is an hour drive) and race upstairs to see Santa again. And this Santa rocked! He was an awesome Santa. He was jolly and friendly and so good with the kids. He joked with the parents and made the kids laugh and he was just about what I would imagine the *real Santa* to be. Savannah sat on his knee for quite a while and then got a hug from Mrs. Claus and a candy cane from his little elf helper. She was smitten. We sat and had breakfast almost right next to Santa's chair and she just watched the kids come up and laughed with them too. Of course we were in such a hurry to get out of the house that morning that I forgot to grab the camera. I was bummed about that, but oh well. I have the $10 picture right?!

Well, we spent too much money at IKEA (of course) once again. We were going for a simple $40 table and chair set and we left $140 later with new furniture and toy bins for the playroom, a little pop up tent for Sawyer, some storage boxes, light bulbs, and I don't know whatelse. I hate that store. Or love it. Whatever you want to call it.

Ryan and I did our first puzzle together this weekend. We started it Friday night, worked on it a little last night and finished it up this evening. We were a bit surprised when we realized we had never done a puzzle together. I really enjoy them, and Ryan has a few cool ones, we just haven't taken the time to do it. I figured out the last time I did a puzzle was in 1999. Maybe 98. Could have even been 97. Okay, so I didn't really figure out the time, but I remember the apartment I lived in and I lived there for amost three years and that's where I finished my last puzzle. Anyway, my mom got me a puzzle for my birthday, so we got it done. Thanks Mom and Dad!

Well, I know I had a lot more running through my head that I wanted to share, but I can't think at the moment so I'm calling it quits for now. I'll try to get on here a little more regularly and keep up with what's going on around here. Savannah has her preschool Christmas program tomorrow so I'm sure I'll be back here with pictures and the rundown for that.


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Happy Belated Birthday to Sunshine last week. Hope you had a great day!
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And Happy Anniversary to Jade and Leslie... hope you guys enjoyed your weekend!!
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And Good Luck Nic on your interview tomorrow. I'll be thinkin' of ya!