I only caught the last little bit of this because I couldn't find the camera. It went on for about 10 minutes before this...
Stop Punching Women In The Face
11 years ago
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Santa Makes House Calls
As I have said many times before, we live in an amazing neighborhood with the most phenomenal neighbors imaginable. Thanks to one particular neighbors' generosity (and very high tolerance for shame), Santa made his second annual "house call" to the Coles family.
It is truly spectacular to witness "the big man himself" show up and knock on your kid's door, complete with nice list and the mention of the very toy your kid is hoping for this Christmas. We are so blessed.
The video is a little dark, (and painful to watch considering my loud southern mouth) but it gives you the idea!
It is truly spectacular to witness "the big man himself" show up and knock on your kid's door, complete with nice list and the mention of the very toy your kid is hoping for this Christmas. We are so blessed.
The video is a little dark, (and painful to watch considering my loud southern mouth) but it gives you the idea!
Sunday, December 13, 2009
The Black...Something or Others
Charlie loves the song "I Got a Feeling" by The Black Eyed Peas. They are playing here sometime soon, so the local radio station has been running promotions for the concert for weeks now. The other day after I picked Charlie up from school, I had stopped to buckle his car seat in the parking lot and was standing outside talking to a friend, when Charlie began to shriek for me at the top of his lungs. When I stuck my head in the window to see what all the fuss was about, Charlie said, "Mom...my favorite song is about to come on. The lady on the radio just said "The Black Beans" and that's who sings my favorite song!!"
I have no idea how he knew the name of the band who sang that song, even if he was a little off, but I sure got a good laugh out of it!!
I have no idea how he knew the name of the band who sang that song, even if he was a little off, but I sure got a good laugh out of it!!
Lights!
One of my favorite things about having a young family is making our own traditions. As a child, I can remember loading up in the car one night after the sun went down, already dressed in pajamas, surrounded by blankets, listening to Christmas music on the radio as we paroled the streets for the best Christmas lights. I don't know if that was a tradition, or if we just did it once or twice, but it must stick out in my memory for some reason.
Last year, I began this tradition with Charlie, and this year Anna joined us as well. And thanks to a very festive family that lives in a neighboring town, I was able to take it to the next level.
About 20 minutes away from us, there is a family that has spent the last several holidays putting on a much-more-than-average light show on their front lawn. They have a local FM station that you can tune to, and every 30 minutes from 6-10 pm you can catch a "light show" in which the lights on the house are synced up to the music. The family collects donations and gives them to a local charity.
So, one cold and rainy night last week, I loaded the kids up (pajamas, blankets, and all), made a stop at the Chick-Fil-A drive thru for an on-the-road dinner, and headed to the light show.
The kids had a great time crawling around the car before the show began, and I think the highlight for Anna was getting to sit in the driver's seat of the van. Charlie, however, was enthralled with the lights from start to finish. Once the show was over, the person who owns the home came out and gave the kids candy canes and red-and-green festive light sticks. It was a great addition to my Christmas memories.
Last year, I began this tradition with Charlie, and this year Anna joined us as well. And thanks to a very festive family that lives in a neighboring town, I was able to take it to the next level.
About 20 minutes away from us, there is a family that has spent the last several holidays putting on a much-more-than-average light show on their front lawn. They have a local FM station that you can tune to, and every 30 minutes from 6-10 pm you can catch a "light show" in which the lights on the house are synced up to the music. The family collects donations and gives them to a local charity.
So, one cold and rainy night last week, I loaded the kids up (pajamas, blankets, and all), made a stop at the Chick-Fil-A drive thru for an on-the-road dinner, and headed to the light show.
The kids had a great time crawling around the car before the show began, and I think the highlight for Anna was getting to sit in the driver's seat of the van. Charlie, however, was enthralled with the lights from start to finish. Once the show was over, the person who owns the home came out and gave the kids candy canes and red-and-green festive light sticks. It was a great addition to my Christmas memories.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Oh, Christmas Tree
Tonight we brought home the tree that will (hopefully) fill our home with the piny smell of a fresh forest rather than millions of baby spiders (I've heard horrific stories of this and it's one of my greatest fears!).
But, really, it was one of the best Christmas-tree getting experiences I've had in a long time. Usually, they involve Will and I bickering over height, width, and sparseness in a sea of imperfect trees.
This year, we decided to go to the local volunteer fire department and show our support for what they do for us, while scoring a holiday fir. As soon as we walked onto the lot, we saw our tree. I don't know if it was the fact that the options were few, that we were spending hard-earned money on a good cause rather than just a tree (of which we have millions in our backyard) that will go to the landfill in a few weeks, the very real possibility of one of the kids running into oncoming traffic just a few feet away, or if it was just meant to be our tree...but either way, we were happy.
The firefighters were amazing with the kids, took pictures for us, and even invited us into the station to take a closer look at the fire trucks. Volunteer fire fighters are truly remarkable people. Wherever you live, check out your local volunteer fire department to see if they are selling trees and support them!
But, really, it was one of the best Christmas-tree getting experiences I've had in a long time. Usually, they involve Will and I bickering over height, width, and sparseness in a sea of imperfect trees.
This year, we decided to go to the local volunteer fire department and show our support for what they do for us, while scoring a holiday fir. As soon as we walked onto the lot, we saw our tree. I don't know if it was the fact that the options were few, that we were spending hard-earned money on a good cause rather than just a tree (of which we have millions in our backyard) that will go to the landfill in a few weeks, the very real possibility of one of the kids running into oncoming traffic just a few feet away, or if it was just meant to be our tree...but either way, we were happy.
The firefighters were amazing with the kids, took pictures for us, and even invited us into the station to take a closer look at the fire trucks. Volunteer fire fighters are truly remarkable people. Wherever you live, check out your local volunteer fire department to see if they are selling trees and support them!
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Dancing Queen?
Over the Thanksgiving holiday, we were able to collect many laughs of the kids with their cousins. Between mine and my sister-in-law's kids, we total 4 kids aged 4 and under (not counting our husbands). Getting the four of them together is my absolute favorite thing to do on holidays. They laugh, wrestle, bicker, and wreak havoc in ways that only little cousins can.
The highlight of the affairs of this trip was, for me, (and according to my sister, my nephews' as well) when Anna decided to break out some, umm... less-than-Caucasian dance moves.
We had moved the ottoman out of the living room to prepare for a family picture when the kids decided to take advantage of the extra space for bustin' some moves, if you will. Before we knew it, the entire family was grouped in a large circle chanting "GO ANNA, GO ANNA, GO GO GO ANNA!" as she "broke it down" in a dance I have truly never seen the likes of outside of the jungle. It was hilarious.
I've tried again and again to have her recreate that hysterical dance, and have failed every time.
And describing it in words would just not do it justice.
I've included a clip of video in which I was able to capture just a "glimpse" of what that night's dancing entailed. It's funny, but it's just a small taste of her previous performance.
Hopefully, we can recreate it for the camera, when her cousins come to visit...
The highlight of the affairs of this trip was, for me, (and according to my sister, my nephews' as well) when Anna decided to break out some, umm... less-than-Caucasian dance moves.
We had moved the ottoman out of the living room to prepare for a family picture when the kids decided to take advantage of the extra space for bustin' some moves, if you will. Before we knew it, the entire family was grouped in a large circle chanting "GO ANNA, GO ANNA, GO GO GO ANNA!" as she "broke it down" in a dance I have truly never seen the likes of outside of the jungle. It was hilarious.
I've tried again and again to have her recreate that hysterical dance, and have failed every time.
And describing it in words would just not do it justice.
I've included a clip of video in which I was able to capture just a "glimpse" of what that night's dancing entailed. It's funny, but it's just a small taste of her previous performance.
Hopefully, we can recreate it for the camera, when her cousins come to visit...
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Bringing Back the Blog
There was a time, just months ago, that blogging about the "ins and outs" of life with my two little ones was second nature. A near-daily occurrence. Like folding a load of laundry or making a box of Kraft.
But, somewhere along the way, it slipped away from me. I never made a conscious decision to stop blogging, the days just piled up between posts until coming back seemed too daunting a task. How to make up for all the lost memories? All the words Anna has learned to say? All the hilarious thoughts Charlie has shared? All the precious moments of watching them grow into inseparable siblings?
Then it occurred to me: I didn't just stop blogging...I stopped remembering.
There is something about being a mother that makes you think you could never forget that cute little way the "r's" are pronounced as "w's". Or how amazing it feels to celebrate the Christmas season with a four year old.
But, the truth is, you do forget. Looking back over old posts this evening, it amazes me how little I remembered. What an incredible gift I have given myself to have these memories of life when my children are young, under my roof, under my wing.
I don't want to forget this. Mostly because I don't think it can get any better than having every day with my two children and my husband.
So, I am back. With a resolution a little early this year: Don't let these memories slip. Put them into words the best you can, so you can all carry a piece of this precious time together.
But, somewhere along the way, it slipped away from me. I never made a conscious decision to stop blogging, the days just piled up between posts until coming back seemed too daunting a task. How to make up for all the lost memories? All the words Anna has learned to say? All the hilarious thoughts Charlie has shared? All the precious moments of watching them grow into inseparable siblings?
Then it occurred to me: I didn't just stop blogging...I stopped remembering.
There is something about being a mother that makes you think you could never forget that cute little way the "r's" are pronounced as "w's". Or how amazing it feels to celebrate the Christmas season with a four year old.
But, the truth is, you do forget. Looking back over old posts this evening, it amazes me how little I remembered. What an incredible gift I have given myself to have these memories of life when my children are young, under my roof, under my wing.
I don't want to forget this. Mostly because I don't think it can get any better than having every day with my two children and my husband.
So, I am back. With a resolution a little early this year: Don't let these memories slip. Put them into words the best you can, so you can all carry a piece of this precious time together.
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