craziness.

Corey and I had forgotten about this gift from Grandma last year.

The kids were a little bored by it. :)

As of today, he no longer dances. He sings... loudly... but no more dancing.

There was another video where the kids were taking turns running up and knocking him over. Then Lawson ran up and kicked him across the floor.

I'm thinking that might have something to do with it.

finally.

We finally got our tree up! (this was a week ago... just slow to post) The kids were just a little bit excited!



Doing a little "happy dance."



Putting on the angel...


twice.

thankful.

Sweet...

Miss Casa 2008

Our town does an annual fundraiser for CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children) called "Men in Tights." Two great friends of ours were nominated to be a part of the beauty pagent this year.

This is our next door neighbor, Craig. Isn't he pretty?


Some of the other contestants...


Craig was crowned Miss Casa 2008. Our other friend, Larry, was named Miss Congeniality and won the People's Choice Award. We are so proud of them! :)


Craig's talent... a cheer routine to "Mickey."


A beaming Miss Casa with his better half, Amy.


(Sorry, Craig. I had to get this documented somewhere so that we would always remember!)

cookies.

I was feeling ambitious over Thanksgiving and decided to try making these pretty little Christmas trees...




Sophie loved the pink trees.
She didn't believe me that they were red. :)

playing daddy.

This sweet little man is very into babies right now. Feeds them, covers them with blankets, carries them around. (He also throws them and steps on them... he is a boy, after all.)

The babies that he is so carefully fastening into the stroller today...



an umbrella, a green balloon and an I Spy water bottle.


(This was after the crazy dancing snowman kept falling out of the stroller.)

things i have learned lately...

* I can function on only 5 hours of sleep.

* 1st graders are crazy in December (I already knew this, I just forget every year.)

* Laundry never ends.

* My neighbor is a cross-dresser. (Not all the time, just when it's for a good cause.)

* I require more than 5 hours of sleep.

* Dancing snowmen make 5 and 2 1/2 year olds crazy.

* Cancer doesn't discriminate, it doesn't do background checks and it takes no prisoners. (A 20 year old was wise enough to write this. Our music teacher's husband lost his fight with cancer yesterday. He was 49 and was diagnosed this summer.)

* 1st graders can be very sensitive little people. We told the kids yesterday about Mrs. Harder's husband. I had wet shoulders from 2 little girls.

* Crying is contagious... even when you're 6. An hour later, there were 8 kids in my class crying.

* I love my job, but I hate that it takes me 2 hours to tell someone else how to do it for me for a day.

* A day at home (when no one is sick) is just what I needed to get caught up on laundry and to finish decorating.

* I am really behind on blogging.

More blogging to come... lots of pictures... including the cross-dressing neighbor. Sorry Craig. Laundry is calling my name now. My to-do-list is still very long.