Journal Jar Friday
December 6, 2007 
I haven’t done this in awhile. So, I went through until I found one that had to do with Christmas. If you want to join in on your blog, feel free to!
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Describe getting a Christmas tree with your family as a child. How did you decorate it? When did you put it up? Etc. We went out every year and cut one down. It was so much fun. We would usually go out the day or two after Thanksgiving to cut it down, and we would always have donuts and hot chocolate. After we got home it would sit in a bucket of water in the back yard for a day or two before we put it up and decorated it. Mom has an eclectic assortment of ornaments. A lot of home made ornaments that we made as kids, ornaments that were my grandmas, ornaments that she was given and different ones from different vacations. We always used colored lights on the tree and had a star that would blink. I loved laying under the Christmas tree growing up. As an adult, this is one tradition that I have carried into my own family. The first year that Bryan and I were married we went out by Delta (we didn’t draw out at our first choice area), but the maps weren’t very good. There wasn’t snow, just a lot of sand. We ended up lost and then the truck got stuck. We had to walk out. We walked for about 8 miles before some random guy just happened to pull up and offer to drive us into town. Well, as it turned out he was going to Orem (we lived in Orem at the time) so he took us home. We eventually had to get a tow truck to get the truck out. What a mess it was. We ended up using a two and half feet tall fake tree that year. We had much better luck all the other years!
Our tree
December 5, 2007 
The rain broke long enough yesterday for me to get the lights hung on the outside of the house, so now we are officially decorated for the holidays. Last Saturday we went out to get a tree. My brother came with us and we went to a little tree farm about 15 minutes from our house. It was so much fun, and it snowed on us the whole time which was an added bonus! I love the snow. I miss the snow. Anyway, we got three trees for $25! My family got a Colorado Spruce that is very fat and about 6 feet tall for $15, and my brother got two Frasier Furs for $5 each. They said that they had a lot of them and it was easier to sell them cheap than to cut them down and chip or burn them. They were probably 8-9 feet tall.
We came home from tree hunting and had hot chocolate and donuts (from Alberston’s…I miss Krispy Kreme) before we decorated the tree. We had an odd assortment of ornaments because we buy ornaments on vacation so they don’t match. We have a saw blade from Sister’s, OR, a penguin from Park City, UT; a cowboy from Texas; a Scottish Santa that a visitng teacher brought me years ago, and a Santa holding the Eiffel Tower that my father-in-law brought us last year. And of course, we have all the handmade ornaments that the kids have made in nursery class and preschool. Under the tree is the snowman tree skirt that I made 6 years ago.
On the mantle, I have lined up seven of my nativity scenes, and the five stockings are hung there as well. My kids are thrilled because this year we have a chimney so Santa will be able to get in easier. We’ve been listening to Christmas music non-stop (which I think is driving DH crazy) and trying to convince youngest to stop touching the tree. Also trying to convince oldest and daughter that Christmas is still a few weeks away, so they don’t get to open presents yet.
I took advantage of preschool time this morning and went out and did a bunch of Christmas shopping while I just had one kid with me. Luckily he doesn’t pay attention to what I am buying yet, so he has no idea that I bought oldest’s present.
My parents are coming to Oregon for Christmas. I have a cousin that lives in a town about 20 minutes away and my aunt, uncle and cousin (and her family) from Canada are coming to town too, so we will get to see them. Even though, Christmas is not my favorite holiday, I am really looking forward to it this year. I guess I’ve caught the Christmas spirit!
Movies
December 3, 2007 
Over the weekend we rented movies and waited for the promised 90-100 mph winds. The wind didn’t come but we were glad to have the movies anyway. We rented one for the kids (Meet the Robinson’s) that they liked and two for us. Here are my reviews:
Waitress PG-13
With Keri Russel. Oh. My. Goodness. Do NOT waste your money on this horrible movie. Even while we were watching it, I wondered why we were watching it. In the movie everyone (seriously. All the main characters) was married and having extra-marital affairs. Like it was nothing!
Keri Russell’s character is supposed to be really good at making pies and wants to win a contest so she can leave her husband, but finds out that she is pregnant and he wont let her go to the contest. She has an affair with her OB/GYN. The problem was though that they didn’t do a good job of portraying her husband as the horrible guy that they said he was.
I will say that I thought that the ending was cute. I wont spoil it in case someone really wants to watch it, but I wouldn’t recommend it.
Amazing Grace PG-13
This movie is about a man that tries to bring out about the end of the British Slave Trade. It was good. Parts of it were kind of confusing, and keeping track of all the different people was tricky for me, but it was very moving. And it was appropriate. It seems like sometimes with these types of movies they make them to graphic, but with this movie they got their point across with out being overly graphic. And the soundtrack was fabulous. Definitely a thinking movie. See it if you get a chance!
There Are No Children Here…Alex Kotzlowitz
Just finished reading this FANTASTIC book. It is a non-fiction book about two boys, Lafeyette (12) and Pharoah (10) Rivers, growing up in south side Chicago projects in the late 1980’s. It follows the two boys through a couple of years of their growing up years and the nightmare that is poverty, drugs and gangs. It is well written by journalist Alex Kotzlowitz. If you have a chance, read it, but only if you have some tissues handy.
Christmas Meme
1.Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper all the way.
2.Real tree or artificial? Real! In Utah, we went out on BLM land and cut a fresh tree for $5. It was the best way to do it! Here, I guess that we will go to a tree farm.
3. When do you put up the tree? Usually the first weekend in December
4. When do you take the tree down? Growing up it was on New Years Day, but in Bryan’s family they think that it is bad luck to leave it up that long. So it comes down a day or two before New Years.
5. Which do you prefer: Hot chocolate or apple cider? Hot chocolate.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? Probably my Nintendo. I don’t really know though.
7. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, several. Probably 8 or so.
8. Hardest person to buy for? Bryan
9. Easiest person to buy for? Oldest. He loves everything.
10. Worst Christmas gift ever received? I really can’t think of one. I guess that I have blocked them out!
11. Mail or email Christmas card? Mail. And usually homemade.
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? How The Grinch Stole Christmas. Maybe the Polar Express13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Some time at the beginning of November. One year I did it all before Thanksgiving but that made going to the stores and mall in December no fun, so I wont do that again!
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Yes. I don’t remember any specifically, but I am sure that I have.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Growing up we always had cheese fondue on Christmas eve and it is so good. Also, my mom (and now me) makes home made chocolates and they are so good!
16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? I love colored lights but Bryan likes clear lights so we used to rotate so that there was clear outside and colored inside and vice versa. But, then in our old neighborhood everywhere you looked was clear lights so we decided that colored lights go outside and clear lights go inside. It works well.
17. Favorite Christmas song? Right now they are “Behind the Scenes” by Cherie Call and “Mary, did you know?” by the Bar J Wranglers.
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay home. But I have always had my family close by so I haven’t needed to travel, and this year my parents are coming to us! Yay!
19. Can you name Santa’s reindeer? Yep – Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blizten and Rudolph (but only because it was on Jamie’s answers!)
20. Do you have an Angel on top or a star? A star. Love it. It is tradition for us. We always had a star growing up. Ours is covered in silver glitter and looks nice with enough lights.
I found this at Jamie’s. Join the fun! If you do, let me know so I can be sure to read your answers!
Clumsy Old Me
As a youth, I was athletic. I played volleyball, softball, basketball, tennis and excelled in PE class. However, I was always clumsy. I was famous for falling up and down stairs. I broke both arms. Sprained a knee, and ankles. Broke several fingers and toes. Crashed on a sled and whacked out my back. Kind of amazing that I have never had stitches. As I got older, I grew out of this a little. It has been awhile since I injured an extremity or fell on my face.
Cut to yesterday. Oldest and daughter and I were playing Hearts by the fire (just like some perfect family out of a magazine) while youngest and DH were at the bank. After a couple of rounds we decided we were done and I went up stairs to get a hair rubber-band. My hair was making me crazy. I hadn’t been upstairs for more than three seconds when screaming and crying started on the floor below me. I came down the stairs hollering about how I can’t leave the room for more than 30 seconds without fighting starting, and, just as DH and youngest were walking in the door, I fell. On my bum. And bounced down the stairs. I sat there and tried not to cry while youngest repeatedly asked me if I was okay (at least he didn’t tell me I was “stoopid” for falling!) while DH stared at me in unbelief. Now, my arms are bruised, my bum is bruised, my back hurts and my head hurts (from having my brain bounce around inside my skull and all.) I guess, once clumsy, always clumsy.
Help!
It seems like I am always asking for advice…but I get such good advice that I keep coming back. And now, I need some more. My two-year-old has picked up the words “stupid” and “idiot.” He gets upset and uses this low, evil sounding voice and says, “You are stooopid” or “You are iii-dioot.” I really don’t think that he knows what “stupid” and “idiot” mean…he just knows that it makes his brother and sister mad/sad and that he gets a reaction from Mom and Dad (“Don’t talk like that! Stop it!”), but I need to figure out a way to put an end to it. I am dreading sending him to nursery Sunday because when he gets mad at someone and starts spewing in his evil voice, I know that they will think I am te worst mother in the world, because what kind of mother teaches their two-year-old the words “stupid” and “idiot”…. Selfish, I know. But. It’s the truth. I worry about what people think of me. Sigh. I swear, though, that I didn’t teach him these words. Oldest tends to say that things are stupid (even though not long ago he got after us if we ever said anything was stupid) but I really don’t know where he got idiot. Help!
Our holiday
Last week we played games: Skip-bo; Yahtzee; Blurt!; Imaginiff (so much fun!); Speed; Oh, Heck; Carolina Rummy (a personal favorite); Boom-O; and Freeze Tag
Watched movies: The Santa Claus 3, Hairspray (soo good) and Enchanted (very cute)
Assembled Puzzles: Eric Dowdle’s Portland puzzle (1000 pieces…took forever!) and a Christmas Santa one
Went shopping: Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club and black Friday shopping at Wal-Mart and Target (up at 4 for this!- it was worth it though!) We stopped at K-Mart but ended up not going in.
Visited with DH’s mother, brother and sister and their families. Visited with friends. Played with my old volleyball team for a night (oh, how I miss it!)
Did haircuts – 11 of them!, plus I had my own hair cut and colored – love it!
Prepared food: I did the rolls, veggie tray, pumpkin pies, dip.
Enjoyed food: rolls, mashed potatoes, turkey, pie (way to much of this), veggies, eggs and more
Went on walks: to lunch one day and along the river by my folk’s house
Visited restaurants: Cracker Barrel, Panda Express, and Subway.
No wonder I am so tired! Although, I wouldn’t trade it for anything! I had a hard time saying goodbye and coming home. I loved being with my family and seeing some of my old friends. I could hardly stay awake on the way home, and now I can see why! It was busy, busy, but it was oh so good. We drove the 13+ hour drive in one day both ways. My kids did so good and I am so glad for this (thanks goodness for the dollar aisle at Target and portable DVD players.) We will spend the next few days getting back on a normal schedule, getting the house decorated for Christmas and cleaning out the car. It is covered in trash (despite my cleaning it out along the way), slinkies, books on tape, cds, movies, jackets, blankets, pillows and everything else that kids bring into the car, but don’t take it out.
Or maybe instead of doing any of this stuff, I will spend my time catching up on blogs.
Hey, I know what is important right?
Thanksgiving
Today we are with family in Utah, and we are having such a good time. I can’t imagine heading home and going back to the daily grind. I haven’t really had a chance to sit down and think about what I am thankful for until now, so here is my top five:
1. Hairspray on DVD. This movie just makes me happy.
2. Health – myself, my husband and my kids.
3. Family – I had no idea how much I would miss my parents and siblings when we moved…and I have three great kids and the best husband ever.
4. Mashed potatoes and my mom’s rolls. Really, need I say more?
5. Quiet. I just put A in bed, and he has entered a screaming/yelling phase and I might go crazy before it ends.
I hope that everyone had a fabulous Thanksgiving day with family and friends. What are you thankful for today?
Disappointed & Pleased
When I weighed in Monday, I was disappointed to see that I had gained. I am trying to take comfort in Mahina’s comment from here. Because, really, I do feel different. I feel better. It will get there, right?!
I haven’t got near as much done before my mom arrives as I had hoped, but that is okay. I will spend the morning getting the house cleaned and clean sheets on the beds. I have clothes to fold and a stop at the grocery store to make. I’m planning on sloppy joes, baked beans and veggies for dinner tonight with my family, mom, brother and sister. Love the idea that Stie has over at her site right now. Share your recipes and maybe win! And, if you want, share your recipes with me too! I’m always on the prowl for new recipes…
I tried a new one last night and it was pretty good, I was pleased with it. It is from the Kraft magazine. It was for Speedy Chicken Stir-Fry. Here it is:
Cook 8 oz angel hair pasta (I used spaghetti and it was fine) according to directions. Add 2 cups chopped broccoli for the last three minutes. (I used a broccoli, cauliflower, carrot frozen veggie mix).
Cook sliced chicken breast in a pan on the stove over med-high heat (spray with Pam first) for 6-8 minutes, add 1/2 cup Light Asian Toasted Sesame dressing, 2 TBSP soy sauce, 1/4 tsp each of garlic powder, ground ginger and crushed red pepper (I left this out); cook for 1 minute. Drain pasta and mix with chicken mixture and serve. Very good.
