Goodbye Stress Ball... Hello Gingerbread Martinis!

This week was a blur of crazy, straight out stress!  From the hectiness of our schedule, to my crazy business at work, I was a complete and utter stress ball.  Which in retrospect, always makes me angry. It was a tough week to get through and I wish I could control that pent up, I can't breath, rushing around like a lunatic feeling and just take a step back and slow down.  Life doesn't always work that way and even though you have every intention of enjoying every single itty bitty minute, life does sometimes have a way of setting you off course from time to time.  I wish it weren't like this and as we are winding down the week, I wish I could have dealt with it better.  Take it back and have a do over.  It is what it is, and I cant go back so instead I am moving forward and taking one breath at a time.  I fully intend to enjoy this weekend and take in all of the memories with the kids.  I also intend to try and get some Christmas shopping done since there hasn't been a moment to do that!  YIKES!  I should probably plan the Christmas Dinner menu since we are hosting the second annual Murphy Christmas Dinner in our new/old home!

Speaking of the new/old home, how excited was I that I finally got the reindeer lit?  My father bought these two yard light up reindeer when I was probably in Junior High School or High School.  They were always my favorite decoration and he always made it known that one day they would be passed down to me someday.  Well that day has come and they are now up glowing brightly in my new/old front yard.  LOVE THEM!  Thanks Dad, for handing down this tradition that I will make sure it will always stay in the family!

The kids, oh these boogers, they are all over the place.  Cameron has been a bundle of fussiness.  I am guess teeth or maybe the remnants of a virus.  The child is constantly hurting himself and mostly banging his head and face.  CONSTANTLY...and I mean at least 6 or 7 times a day.  The other evening I was giving him and Layla a bath.  They were fighting over a bath book when Layla let go and Cam went flying face first into the side of the tub.  To say he looks like Rocky Balboa is an understatement.  THANKFULLY, our Christmas pictures were done the day before!  He is understanding so much more lately and trying to pronounce things like "Light", "Shoes", "Socks" and "Kitty".  He also nods his head "yes" now.  It seems crazy to me that he is growing out of his baby stage so quickly.  His favorite word of all that he repeats at least a dozen times a day however is "truck".  So you can guess what will mostly be under our tree this year!  He also loves to say," Bu-bye."  He is getting so much more brazen and the tantrums have begun as well.  If you say "no" or take something away from him that he shouldn't have, it's an all out throwing himself around, banging his head tantrum.  Can you say the male version of Hannah?  He is very strong willed and if I had a penny for every time I have to say, "Don't touch!" to him, I'd be rich!  Aside from this though, he is still a cuddle monkey and often loves to just be held by Mama and nuzzled.  He even loves to get me my shoes in the morning when I am getting dressed.  He also likes to go in the drawer and grab Daddy's toothbrush and brush his teeth with it.  We wont tell Daddy about that one!

Hannah banana is in the full out I want everything for Christmas mode.  God bless this child.  I have tried everything but bang my head upside a brick wall to get this child to understand the meaning behind Christmas.  To appreciate what she has and learn the joy in giving this season. To use kind words and stop having meltdowns when the word "no" is used.  From day one, Hannah never could adjust to the word "no".  I always feel like it is never enough with her.  No matter what I do, I can't seem to make her 100% happy.  (Hmmmmm I wonder who she takes after???????)  Besides this however, she has been a huge help with the kids for me.  She is always helping me with getting out of the house in the morning.  Being it entertaining Cam, or putting on his socks or coat to grabbing some bags to help me, she does do this.  She is so talented when it comes to drawing and anything creative.  She always amazes me with her creativity.  She has been much more huggy and kissy lately and has even found her way into our bed many nights recently.  I swear it's her way of trying to make up for some of the things she puts us through during the day.  She wants to be close to us and let us know that she is sorry.  The little strong willed spoiled booger!  On occasion when she is good for a period of time, she earns a prize.  Recently she completed two weeks of good behavior and she was rewarded withe Biebs Christmas Album.  Um, I am totally going to lose readers by posting this, but I seriously REALLY like it! LOL  We jam out every morning and every afternoon in the car to it!  Even Cam gets into the jam session.  Leave it to the Biebs to hook me!

Layla bug, oh Layla bug.  The kid continues to amuse us beyond belief.  The other day I asked her if she would like some water and when she responded,"yes", I said, "Yes, what?"  To which she responded, "Yes, Yes?"  To which I responded, "Yes....????" to which she then said..."YES WOMAN!"  I nearly fell to the floor with laughter.  She has been getting a bit fresh lately which I am hoping is just a phase or maybe a little school influence?  Or Hannah influence?  I am trying to nip that in the bud immediately.  She has been doing GREAT with potty training and is getting it down pat.  She wakes up dry every morning now and only occasionally does she have an accident.  I am so proud of her and so happy that I listened to my instincts and didn't push this issue with her.  When they are ready, they are ready!  PERIOD.  End of story!  She is doing great in school and I cant tell you how it feels to walk in the door to pick her up and have her pop up from her nap time cot and run over to me with the biggest smile while screaming "MOMMMMMYY" and wrapping her arms around me.  She is so full of love.  She exudes it.  I can't believe how much she has grown up in the past several months and it is making my heart ache.  I always felt this way with Hannah but then I could get through it by saying well at least I have Layla.  The baby girl in her is so quickly vanishing. ...  :( and now I feel like I have no more baby girls... sigh.

We are off to our Annual Romano Ornament Party this evening and I think I am most excited to show up in my pj's and new slippers that I treated myself to this morning. (I am rationalizing it by saying they were cheap and I deserved it after the week I had!) I am looking forward to celebrating with my family and getting dizzy on Gingerbread Martini's! LOL   So happy last week before Christmas!  Here's to getting it all done and having it all go smoothly.  Even if it doesnt, just look around and count your blessings.  Live each day as if it were your last! 

Check out bruiser... with an icy pop all over his face! ADRIENNNNNEEE!   

The house.. with one reindeer lit! :)  Just like it always looked.  My Christmas Miracle!

My good friend Andrea, entertaining the girls!  Love her!

Our Ski Lodge foam house.  All I can say is 3 hours later and a lot of cussing.. it was done!  LOL  The girls got tired of it after 15 minutes and the thing didn't even come with directions!!!

I married MacGyver.. and this is his tree watering creation!  LOVE HIM!

Why I am thankful and blessed this Christmas...

My high school friend Gretchen Day needs your help!  Please read!  I can't imagine the strength she has to muster up to get through each day.  I know how worried you are during a pregnancy period.  To have cancer and be pregnant and going through Chemo has to be just plain terrorizing and awful!  I HATE CANCER!  This baby boy will be such a miracle baby!  Bless them both and keep them in your prayers!  PAY IT FORWARD PEOPLE!  Be grateful for your blessings and give back!

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas....

I think I have just come out of my Turkey Day induced coma! We had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend with much celebration. From Hannah the Thanksgiving Indian at Mass, to our first Thanksgiving dinner in Auntie Leanne's new home, to a Happy First Birthday Celebration to Miss Stella and then finishing out with my mother in law's, Surprise 60th. It was a whirlwind of fun and everyone truly enjoyed themselves.  It's weekends like this when you truly have to stop and take a moment to realize how blessed we really are and how fortunate we are to have the family that we do.  I am so lucky to have such an unprecedented closeness with my family and Billy's family as well.  There is so much love it could melt the darn icebergs in Alaska!

Also on deck is jumping right into the holiday spirit.  Even Billy, who despises any and all holidays has jumped on board.  (He is the real life Grinch when it comes to holidays).  We've dug out the Christmas decorations and I am happy to say that the entire inside of the house has been adorned.  We even went and cut down our Christmas tree yesterday!  (Check mark next to the box that says get things done early!)  It was surreal to hang the stockings in the same place as I use to as a child.  It was so very special and so perfect in so many different ways.  Everything about the house feels right.  I am still so comforted by the sounds and creeks it makes and can still envision my mother and father occupying different portions of the house.  For instance, every time the stairs creek, I think of Dad and sometimes turn my head and expect to see him walking up the stairs.  When I cook on the stove and the smell of garlic takes over the upstairs, I can still see Mom, in her apron cooking away.  When I walk into the mudroom, there is still this extremely distinct smell that I don't think will ever go away.  Mandy.  I still smell her.  She use to sleep in the mudroom at night.  I can still see her, smell her.  I almost feel like I'm in the Scrooge movie revisiting my past and realizing how wonderful my life is and was.  I know that there are bumps in the road.  I know that my family is faced with a situation that has been extremely difficult to maneuver though.  Yet, we are still so blessed.  So lucky to lead the lives that we do.  I am forever grateful. 

Next in line is getting the Christmas lights on the trees outside.  TREES!  YES!  This year we will have TREES to decorate!  We had none at the old house.  Watch out Chevy Chase!  I so want that light up MOOSE!  Then it's on to setting the Christmas menu, baking the Christmas cookies and then SHOPPING!  I only have one gift bought!  YIKES!  I am so not stressed about it this year though.  We are toning it down quite a bit.  I want the girls especially to learn the true meaning of Christmas.  I want them to understand that it is about giving and not receiving.  About loving and being together and being grateful for all that we have.  I'm going to have to pull a few tricks out of my sleeve but I am determined to teach them right! 

So let the good times roll.  Let the merriness begin.  Let the Christmas lights shine bright on you and yours.  And if you are still having trouble getting into the spirit, then I strongly advise you to purchase Michael Buble's Christmas album.  Aye Ca rumba I die for it.  (FYI - Cold December Night is my favorite!)

Layla standing posing near our tree!

Cameron quite inquisitive about the snoring Santa...

My Thanksgiving turkey

My girls!!!

Looking so pretty!

Banana in the 9:00AM Thankgiving Mass celebration with Makenzie and Mia

My early Christmas present ..   :)

I LOVE THESE MONKEYS!

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care...

Our first tree in the new/old home!