Embracing Life

Happy Anniversary to us!

Please email me, and I will send you the code. Thanks!!!

Lately, a few of the online groups that I belong to have been discussing Christmas. When you have small children, you Santa starts shopping early to get the best deals.  I've begun putting together the kids' Christmas lists based on things they have mentioned after looking at some of the toy catalogs that began arriving this month. While working on theirs, I cannot help but think about what would go on my wish list this year.  I've always had a list in the back of planner where I write down things that I want.  Currently, I have two lists going - my fun list, filled with the things I want, and my real list, with that practical stuff I find myself needing. I thought it would be fun to share my lists. (Plus I tried a peppermint mocha today from McD's, and now I am just a tad in the holiday spirit!) Fun (otherwise known as Not-going-to-happen) List: A trip to New Orleans Kindle Fire (even though I love my Kindle second generation) Money to buy more Kindl...

Lately, Connor has been more helpful than usual. Not sure if it's because of kindergarten, or just growing up. His new thing on the weekends is to make my bed. By himself. He is always so proud of his work. And I'm happy to see him so happy. And despite my OCD kicking in, I leave the comforter uneven and the single pillow sham askew Because it's perfect the way it is. ***Don't forget - last chance to enter my giveaway for 25 free cards from Shutterfly!***

It's your last chance to put your name in for my giveaway:  25 free cards from Shutterfly! Enter now: http://lifewithconnorandthetwins.blogspot.com/2011/10/thinking-ahead-giveaway.html

Now I know it's a bit early, but with Keith having back surgery soon,  and my to do list having oh, about 200 things on it,  I've started thinking about Christmas cards.  This is what I did last year: Thank you Shutterfly ! Right now, I'm debating between these cards  for this year: Although this means we will have to work on the nice family picture...... (just another thing to stress about!) And now for the giveaway!!! Shutterfly has generously offered 3 of my readers 25 FREE cards each! That's right - free cards! And you don't have to use the code for just holiday cards because Shutterfly also offers greeting cards and birth announcements . Contest rules: Mandatory entry - visit Shutterfly's Holiday Card page   and leave me a comment as to which card is your favorite. Additional entries: "Like" Embracing Chaos on Facebook (just click the button to your right!) Follow Embracing Chaos on...

I was lucky enough to be a chaperone on Connor's first kindergarten field trip. I got to meet his two best friends. We painted a pumpkin, rode on a hayride, and wandered a corn maze. I was so glad I got to go. He had a great time, as did I. He told me he was glad I came. He also told me: Mommy, you're my best friend.

Today's prompt for Working Mommy Wednesday  is: How do you carve out personal time for yourself? I'd like to say that I excel at this every day. But I'd be lying. In fact, I just realized that I don't carve out personal time for me. At all. Sometimes I go to the gym. Does that count? Sometimes I run to Target at 9 p.m. at night to return something. Does that count? To be honest, this is the one area where I fail. And because I don't take time for me, I feel stressed almost all the time. I'm having heart palpitations again. And my kidneys are leaking protein. I'm basically falling apart because I don't take care of ME the way I should. A pitfall of being a mother. So let me ask you - How should I carve out personal time for myself? Besides leaving my family behind and booking a flight for Hawaii...........

I wait all year to get my Halloween stuff out! And this year is the first time that the Bride and Groom make an appearance in five years! When you press the button on the Groom's hand, their eyes light up (red) and they sing "I Got You Babe." Apparently this is frightening to small children, but this year, the twins loves to dance around to them singing. As long as they stay on the bookcase, of course. We got them as an engagement present and had them sitting on the cake table at our wedding reception. Connor isn't falling out of the chair, he is just "hiding". The sign on the front door says: A Happy Witch Lives Here With Her Little Monsters

    Today the prompt for  Working Mommy Wednesday  is to talk about your favorite holiday during the last quarter of the year. It's truly hard to choose one. Halloween of course is my favorite, because my wedding anniversary is October 30.  Keith and I had a Halloween wedding, complete with jack o' lantern cake toppers: Thanksgiving is always a fun family day, where we gather at my grandma's house to be with family: And Christmas - how can you not love Christmas carols, decorating the tree, Midnight Mass, and of course, the annual reading of The Night Before Christmas:

Last weekend, Connor went to Chuck E Cheese for his first time.  A fellow kindergartener was having her birthday there.  Connor had a really good time.  Since he was new to all these types of games, I felt it was my duty as a mother to show him Mommy's favorite game - skee-ball!  He is in the green shirt. He loved it, and can't wait to go back there again. Side note - I am not the type to just drop off my baby in a strange place, and I am very glad I stayed. Supposedly they stamp your hand so that you cannot leave without a parent whose hand is also stamped the same.  Connor handed the man his LEFT hand to be stamped.  On the way out, the guy barely shined the special flashlight on Connor's RIGHT hand, and then let him leave the building with me.  Not too safe in my opinion.)