Showing posts with label 2015. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2015. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 13, 2016
Thanksgiving 2015 plus the last of November
Thanksgiving 2015 plus the last of November
(Im going to try my hardest to refrain from going on about how far behind I am in blogging and just pretend that Im on top of things and posting as events happen.)
We were invited to the kids daycare to celebrate Thanksgiving at a special lunch event. The kids think its pretty cool when they get to see us in the middle of the day. Except for the part when we leave to go back to work and dont take them with us.
There is really no reason to ever get the kids anything but cardboard boxes and trash - its really all they ever want to play with (and fight over).
Thanksgiving with the Basham clan was a hoot.
And the Fonner side was pretty fun too....noisy in our small house....but fun.
The kids helped make some brownies for the Thanksgiving festivities and by "help" I mean clean the bowl.
Sometimes they play so good together... here they are hiding in the corner playing tablets side-by-side.
These half-moon eyes belong to Papaw Jim. I cant look at this face and not see his Papaw.
If I didnt know any better, Id think this girl was meant to be a dancer. And then I have flashbacks to last January where this child went to dance class and cried every time.
Ty initially freaked out when he felt bubbles on his face - God forbid BUBBLES get on ones face! But then Joel convinced him to put even MORE bubbles so hed look like Santa. Only THEN was Tyler cool with it and not clawing crazily at his face attempting to remove bubbles.
It was kind of a big month for Lily - she moved up to her big girl car seat. I wasnt really ready for this yet, but her other carseat was giving us fits. The straps werent moving freely anymore and it was time to get rid of it. Rather than spring for another 5-point harness carseat that she would use for 6 months or less, we went ahead and got the booster style. Youd have thought Christmas came early, the child was so excited.
Tyler was back seat driving / navigating.
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Friday, December 9, 2016
Building the Word for 2015
Building the Word for 2015
In the beginning of December, I started to think about what my word would be for 2015. I had already determined that my word for 2014, Strive, was absolutely on point. I challenged myself and refined processes that were lacking in my life. I took steps to further my career and made myself vulnerable by pursuing a passion. With confidence, I can say that I pushed myself to strive in 2014.
I asked myself: How could I build on the work Ive already done? I know that the coming year has to rest on the foundation laid in the prior year but also make sense for the the season I am in. I made the decision to invest in my future in 2014. I dont expect to see a full return in 2015, but I know that I have to be in a position to make the most out of the investment I made. Does that make sense? It seems so... hard to explain. Let me try to break it down further.
I began playing an unfamiliar game in 2014. I understood the goal but was a tad fuzzy on the rules, so I figured I would learn as I went. In 2015, I would focus on using strategy to win the game. When it comes to strategy, the most important tool is to recognize what is working and what is not. Then, its about knowing how to re-calibrate mid-game.
That is the best way I can put it. I had already taken the time to review the great strides I had made at becoming a functioning adult. What I did not do is review my margin of failure. I did not get a 5/5 out of each goal. The next question had to be which goals did I fail to achieve and why? Here are the goals I failed:
Get my house in order.
Save more money.
Ask for help.
Do it.
Go to Vegas, see Britney.
Its less encouraging to look at each goal as a pass/fail. I had nine total goals and on the fail list up there... well, theres five. So that sucks. But Im shaking it off and I still feel like a winner. I look at those goals and I dont see the failure, I see the progress that I have made and that Bryan has made. He was essential in getting the house in order. He and his Dad did all the big projects and he did most of the deep cleaning. I am happy to say that I contributed by trying to be less of a hurricane, doing laundry and by purging all the crap we had in our house. I even cleaned the bathrooms a time or two. Go me!
I see that we couldnt quite gain traction in saving money but other than my schooling, house and one car, we have no other debt. I see the teamwork in paying bills, the many conversations, and budgets we set (even if they failed). I look back and see all the meals we made at home and the nights out we turned down. Progress is progress!
Of all of those, the one that feels like a punch in the gut and a huge revelation all at the same time is fighting my inability to ask for help. I grew up feeling like an afterthought, far from special or important. I developed an inner voice that recites, "You arent worth showing up for." It is what I told myself when my sisters left for college and rarely (if ever) made it back for any of my school functions or birthdays, when my Dad was too drunk to pick me up for school or hell, even walk me down the aisle. It is what has kept me from making friends or drawing any attention to myself. This inner voice is detrimental to my self-worth, my relationships, my marriage and my future. I couldnt put it into words until 2014 and after I did I realized that it was a MAJOR player in what I faced in 2012/2013. It is the reason I never asked for help and why I never felt worthy when it was given.
I have been in friendships, romantic relationships and jobs that I would go above and beyond for and would be met with silence when I was in need, or when I wanted to take the next step. My friend Colleen is the catalyst that caused me to identify this issue. She came to me in a time when I had nothing to give, when I was so sad and so broken and she poured into me and encouraged me. In that, grew a desire to expect more from the people/relationships/job in my life. I think on it now and realize that she made me feel worth something at a time that I felt worthless. At first it made me so uncomfortable. How could I ever repay her? I felt indebted because surely there was a catch. And when I would voice it to her, she would kindly tell me to shut the hell up.
Because of that, I started to question that inner-voice and soon I started to get a little fiesty with it. When I felt that I wasnt "whatever" enough I would tell myself: I am WORTH showing up for. I am worth staying sober for. I am worth investing in. I deserve more than broken promises. I deserve more than an entry-level job. I deserve more that just accepting what is easy accessible or given. I can do more. I can be more. I wont accept scraps and I wont settle for less. I have a purpose and Im worth pursuing it.
I started with asking for my work to believe in me and to support me in going to school but they werent able to financially help. It was a stumbling block, but I refused to let it stop me. They encouraged me to apply anyways and said they would support me an any way that they could. My heart was sure that the program would turn me down. I expected a letter nicely saying "Thanks, but no thanks. You arent educated enough. You arent worth investing in." When I received the yes phone call saying that they didnt care that I didnt have a degree, that they wanted me in the program and they would train me to be successful in school business I was thrown. So Bryan and I said wed figure the money stuff out and I was off on my new path.
This program is intense and with all of the other things I was juggling, there were times that I needed help. I would say that I just sucked it up and didnt ask for help about 60% of the time. But my progress lies in the 40% that I did. I asked for help and sometimes the answer was yes. Sometimes it was no. At first, I took nos hard. What was most likely a conflict of timing or availability, I took personally. And from the depths of me I would hear, "See?" I would falter for a moment only to rally a moment later. No does not mean this person doesnt love me or wont show up for me. Sometimes no is just no. Just like that, I would be back on the path of changing that inner dialogue.
Can I just pause and say DANG I didnt mean to get this heavy in this post. Yikes. Sorry about that.
The last two failures were Do it and Go to Vegas, See Britney. Having a goal of "Do it" really equates to "Stop being lazy and stressed out and DO SOMETHING PRODUCTIVE." Yall know Im lazy. Sooooo lazy. Which is a problem because successful people dont have the luxury of being lazy. At least, not all the time. I knew I had to fight that and stop wasting so much dang time! I wasted much less time in 2014... But I was still lazy. Im pretty sure this is going to be an ongoing struggle. I dont think you ever overcome true laziness. You just learn to compartmentalize your lazy. There has been progress but there can be much, much more.
Then there was Go to Vegas which on the grand scale of "life goals" is on the "Not Essential but Would be Nice" end. So Im not sweating it.
Since Ive been extra chatty, Im going to try to wrap up all my crazy as quickly as possible. I mentioned in my last post that for most of year I felt like I was scrambling. Because of that, I definitely did not feel like I was succeeding. Now, when I say scrambling, I definitely do not mean hustling which is completely different. There was a lot of hustle going on. Hustle happens when you are trying to chase dreams. Hustling and scrambling are two very different things and most of the time that I was hustling, I felt like I was scrambling. Which was not ideal OR efficient.
I believe that this was essential in why I failed these goals. I was accomplishing tasks as they came to knock them out out of the park and be on to the next, because there was no time to waste. Life is like that sometimes. But there is also something to be said for being thoughtful in your plans. To have an organized way of dealing with everyday life, with goals, with dreams. I knew that to make the most out of my investments, there could be no more flying by the seat of my pants.
In 2015, I plan to be Deliberate. Intentional. Purposeful. Organized.
My plan is to dedicate time to prepare for desired outcomes. My goal is to have a successful and efficient approach to tasks and relationships by being thoughtful with my time and resources.
I have a few ideas on how to accomplish it and Im still researching others. There will be trial and error. I am not expecting to get this right the first time... But my strategy is to be Deliberate about what I do in this season, so I can win the game.
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Afluria Preservative Free 2014 2015
Afluria Preservative Free 2014 2015
What Is Afluria Preservative-Free 2014-2015?
Influenza virus vaccine is used to prevent infection caused by influenza virus. The vaccine is redeveloped each year to contain specific strains of inactivated (killed) flu virus that are recommended by public health officials for that year.
The injectable influenza virus vaccine (flu shot) is a "killed virus" vaccine. Influenza virus vaccine is also available in a nasal spray form, which is a "live virus" vaccine.
Influenza virus vaccine works by exposing you to a small dose of the virus, which helps your body to develop immunity to the disease. Influenza virus vaccine will not treat an active infection that has already developed in the body.
Influenza virus vaccine is for use in adults and children who are at least 6 months old.
Becoming infected with influenza is much more dangerous to your health than receiving this vaccine. Influenza causes thousands of deaths each year, and hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations. However, like any medicine, this vaccine can cause side effects but the risk of serious side effects is extremely low.
Like any vaccine, influenza virus vaccine may not provide protection from disease in every person. This vaccine will not prevent illness caused by avian flu ("bird flu").
The injectable influenza virus vaccine (flu shot) is a "killed virus" vaccine. Influenza virus vaccine is also available in a nasal spray form, which is a "live virus" vaccine. This medication guide addresses only the injectable form of this vaccine.
Becoming infected with influenza is much more dangerous to your health than receiving this vaccine. However, like any medicine, this vaccine can cause side effects but the risk of serious side effects is extremely low.
You may not be able to receive this vaccine if you are allergic to eggs, or if you have:
- a history of severe allergic reaction to a flu vaccine; or
- a history of Guillian-Barre syndrome (within 6 weeks after receiving a flu vaccine).
- a bleeding or blood clotting disorder such as hemophilia or easy bruising;
- a neurologic disorder or disease affecting the brain (or if this was a reaction to a previous vaccine);
- a history of seizures;
- a weak immune system caused by disease, bone marrow transplant, or by using certain medicines or receiving cancer treatments; or
- if you are allergic to latex rubber.
Vaccines may be harmful to an unborn baby and generally should not be given to a pregnant woman. However, not vaccinating the mother could be more harmful to the baby if the mother becomes infected with a disease that this vaccine could prevent. Your doctor will decide whether you should receive this vaccine, especially if you have a high risk of infection with influenza.
It is not known whether influenza virus vaccine passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Do not receive this vaccine without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.
This vaccine should not be given to a child younger than 6 months old.
Afluria Preservative-Free 2014-2015 Side Effects
You should not receive a booster vaccine if you had a life-threatening allergic reaction after the first shot.
Keep track of any and all side effects you have after receiving this vaccine. If you ever need to receive influenza virus vaccine in the future, you will need to tell your doctor if the previous shot caused any side effects.
Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Call your doctor at once if you have:
- severe weakness or unusual feeling in your arms and legs (may occur 2 to 4 weeks after you receive the vaccine);
- high fever;
- seizure (convulsions); or
- unusual bleeding.
- low fever, chills;
- mild fussiness or crying;
- redness, bruising, pain, swelling, or a lump where the vaccine was injected;
- headache, tired feeling; or
- joint or muscle pain.
Afluria Preservative-Free 2014-2015 Interactions
Before receiving this vaccine, tell your doctor if you are using:
- phenytoin;
- theophylline; or
- a blood thinner such as warfarin, Coumadin.
- an oral, nasal, inhaled, or injectable steroid medicine;
- medications to treat psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, or other autoimmune disorders--azathioprine, etanercept, leflunomide, and others; or
- medicines to treat or prevent organ transplant rejection--basiliximab, cyclosporine, muromonab-CD3, mycophenolate mofetil, sirolimus, tacrolimus.
This list is not complete. Other drugs may affect influenza virus injectable vaccine, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible interactions are listed in this medication guide.
Afluria Preservative-Free 2014-2015 Dosage
This vaccine is given as an injection (shot) into a muscle. You will receive this injection in a doctors office or other clinic setting.
You should receive a flu vaccine every year. Your immunity will gradually decrease over the 12 months after you receive the influenza virus vaccine. Children receiving this vaccine may need a booster shot one month after receiving the first vaccine.
The influenza virus vaccine is usually given in October or November. Some people may need to have their vaccines earlier or later. Follow your doctors instructions.
Your doctor may recommend treating fever and pain with an aspirin-free pain reliever such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil, and others) when the shot is given and for the next 24 hours. Follow the label directions or your doctors instructions about how much of this medicine to give your child.
It is especially important to prevent fever from occurring in a child who has a seizure disorder such as epilepsy.
An overdose of this vaccine is unlikely to occur.
Since flu shots are usually given only one time per year, you will most likely not be on a dosing schedule. Call your doctor if you forget to receive your yearly flu shot in October or November.
If your child misses a booster dose of this vaccine, call your doctor for instructions.
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Tuesday, December 6, 2016
August 2015 Ipsy Glam Bag Review Value
August 2015 Ipsy Glam Bag Review Value
I completely forgot to schedule this when I delayed it and so there it sat, un-posted. I didnt even think to check. Blogger fail!
Are you ready for another Ipsy Glam Bag review?! I feel like I havent done one of these in such a long time. You know Ive been a long-time subscriber of this beauty service and I still love it. Sure, some months are better than others but for $10 (plus tax) it cant be beat!
Lets get started:
Product: Marc Anthony - Nourishing Argan Oil of Morocco Oil Treatment -
Price: $7.99 - Full size is 4.05 oz
Value: $.13 (Sample is .07 fl oz)
Review: Ill tell you straight up that I used this one whole time and Ill be giving it away to someone else. The smell is ridiculously overpowering and its manly which typically Im fine with but jeez. It needs to go to someone where it wont trigger migraines! I also didnt notice my hair being any softer the next day (which is how I used it).
Product: La Fresh Group Good Night. Night Cream
Price: $40.00 - Full size $40.00 is 1.7oz
Value: $11.76 (Sample is 0.5oz)
Review: Ive used this three times and while the smell initially is a bit unpleasant it dissipates pretty quickly. I liked the way my skin felt in the morning and I didnt feel like I woke up super oily! I like it, but I dont think Ive seen enough to actually be really excited and go out and purchase it. Im going to keep using it and see if I can tell a difference!
Product: Skone Cosmetics Luxe Doubler Eye/Lip Pencil in Wine - Full Size
Price: $12.00
Value: $12.00
Review: Other than their website being absolutely ridiculous (maybe they werent prepared for the Ipsy traffic?) this is a nice LIP PENCIL. I say that extremely specifically because I tried to use this on my eyes today and I immediately covered it up with black. This is not a wine color, its pink. Im dead serious. It comes out PINK. Its a pretty, deep pink, but pink nonetheless. I did an ombre lip with the lipstick sample I received in this bag:
Product: noyah Natural Lipstick in Desert Rose
Price: $18.00 - Full Size is 4.5g
Value: $5.60 (Sample is 1.4g)
Review: Ive had this before in a deep burgandy color and it was okay. I find this pink to be way more wearable. I layered it over the pencil to create an ombre effect on the lips, which I think was really cute! Unfortunately this is the only picture I got of it, but it gives you an idea. Sorry for the wacky lighting! This is a nice lipstick, but I find that it leaves your lips REALLY FAST, so touch ups are frequent, but its pretty! Im not sure its $18.00 pretty but its pretty.
Value: $5.60 (Sample is 1.4g)
Review: Ive had this before in a deep burgandy color and it was okay. I find this pink to be way more wearable. I layered it over the pencil to create an ombre effect on the lips, which I think was really cute! Unfortunately this is the only picture I got of it, but it gives you an idea. Sorry for the wacky lighting! This is a nice lipstick, but I find that it leaves your lips REALLY FAST, so touch ups are frequent, but its pretty! Im not sure its $18.00 pretty but its pretty.
Price: Full Size is $16.00
Value: $16.00 (Sample is Full Size)
Review: I used this cream blush on the same day that I did the ombre lip. I really liked it! It was very pigmented but blended out well. I set it with a Laura Gellar blush and it lasted all day! Unfortunately, the lighting at work really washes me out and I snapped the one below at the end of the workday. Im sorry I didnt make a point to take a better picture!! (Also, by then I had switched to Maybellines Matte lipstick in Daringly Nude). Trust me when I say my cheeks looked healthy all day. In all honestly blush doesnt stay on me usually, but this cream blush really made it last. I was so happy about it! Ill definitely keep an eye on this brand for sales, because $16.00 is just a tad too pricey for makeup. I also want to use it more to make sure that it doesnt cause any skin issues. So far, so good!
The big question: what was the value of the bag! This month it was actually a great value of $45.49. Especially when you consider that I only pay $10.75 a month to get new beauty products! That means that I got $34.74 in free product this month and I actually like most of the products! I still think that Ipsy is hands down one of the best beauty subscriptions out there and I recommend it all time! If you havent signed up yet, I have great news! There is no waiting list if you sign up right now. If you are ready to dive in, will you use my referral link? I receive points that I can use toward product and I would so appreciate it!
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Wednesday, November 30, 2016
Christmas 2015
Christmas 2015
Christmas festivities began in Evansville and would not be complete without our traditional matching Christmas PJs. Taking a picture of 6 kiddos ages 2-6 is worse than herding cats. Its impossible, actually. Im convinced of that.
I told Mom to jump in one.... I dont know why the kids picked that time to get goofy. I guess they had already hit their picture taking quota.
But these two.... they played along VERY NICELY. Im pretty sure this is one of the cutest pictures Ive ever taken and I didnt pose them. They did this all on their own. Cause they love each other. ?
Mom had us playing a Christmas version of Charades / Pictionary. Every kiddo got it on it. They were so proud when someone guessed their drawing. Mom may or may not have mouthed the answers a few time when the babes were sketching to give us adult guessers a hint. Shhhhh.....
What a difference a year and a half makes. This curly-headed little girl used to be sooooooo far up her mommys hind end that she wouldnt have a thing to do with anyone else. And now shes the sweetest, most loving little thing youd ever meet. Unless you make her mad. Then she turns in to the Hulk, complete with tense, shaking body and green skin. Shes probably 20 pounds soaking wet but scary as hell!
This smile will break some hearts some day. Hopefully not mine.
We took the full family photo in front of the tree this year instead of on the couch. You know, mixing it up a bit. Probably the best family photo weve ever taken. No one is crying. No one is squirming. Most of us are smiling. Winner, winner chicken dinner!
We then tried for a Basham family photo before opening presents. Tyler was trying to be a good sport but he wanted to open presents SO BAD. He was done with the picture thing.
I have no idea how Lily came to know the "duck face" pose. Though she calls it the "kiss face" picture. You may see a few more of these faces coming.
This one takes my breath away. Shes so beautiful.
As one would expect with 6 young kiddos, plus Jason who will always be approximately 6 years old when it comes to Christmas, it was total mayhem. Paper going everywhere. Squeals of delight. Lots of "Mommy! Look at this!" and "Daddy, can you open this for me?" So much fun. The next five or six years are going to be grand when it comes to Christmas. Then were going to have some pre-teens in the house and well see what happens to the squeals. For now, Ill enjoy the hell out of it.
Over the course of the two days we also played lots of games. I never won. But Im not bitter or a sore loser or anything. Even Joel played. That never happens.
While we didnt have a white Christmas, we did have torrential downpours resulting in basement flooding at Moms. This sent most everyone in the house into to action. Joel and Josh decide to head outside and be manly and try to check on what might be the source of the leaking. And then, since they were already wet, decided to clean gutters. Cause thats a good time on Christmas. At least it was like 60 degrees outside!
Meanwhile, us girls, and Ayden, were on water clean up duty. Let me tell you, that kid can WORK. He knows how to use the shop vac better than I do. For the rest of the visit, Tyler and Ayden were on water watch and would make trips to the basement every so often and let us know if the water came back. They alerted us several times during those two days. And ever since then, when it rains, Tyler lets me know that Grams house leaks when it rains.
30 total combined minutes of cleaning up water across those two days had me fed up (yeah, doesnt take much). Not sure how Mom deals with it all the time - by herself. Takes a lot more than 30 minutes to clean up when you dont have 4 people helping you. After Christmas, I promptly started calling around to some places and got Mom an appointment for an assessment and estimate. Need this fixed. Like, now. Now we hold our breath on cost....
I think that about wraps up the excitement from Moms house. Christmas Eve evening, we loaded up the car and headed back to Columbus. Tyler fell asleep before we even got out of Moms neighborhood. Lily wasnt too far behind. Its so peaceful when we travel a night. Too bad that neither Joel nor I are good night drivers.
After we got home and got the kiddos tucked in bed, Operation Santa Claus went in to effect. We had managed to wrap all the presents just before we went to Evansville. Joel "helped." He was a little out of practice though and was a little off on his paper measurements.
So Christmas Eve night all we had to do was pull all the presents from the 4 or so hiding places we stashed them in (under the bed, in the attic, in suitcases, in an opaque storage tote) and put them under the tree.
?
Lily and Tyler each had their own wrapping paper and there was a key on the wall to help them know whos was whos. I was trying to get creative here because I have a distinct memory of recognizing my Moms handwriting on the Christmas presents. No clue how old I was when I did but probably not < 5 years old, but I figure I cant be too careful. Lily is sharp! And she asks a lot of questions.
Because we got home late and the kids were totally out of it, Joel put the cookie crumbs and milk out on the counter. He also wrote a note from Santa. Apparently I was also too out of it to apply the same handwriting concept to this note that I applied to the gift identification. It was written in Joels hand writing! Next year we may have to type it up. The kids checked right away to see if the cookies were gone.
After reading the note, the kids went to town on their presents. But they were soooo thoughtful and considerate of each other. They took their time and helped each other out. Took an interest in what the other one got. It was very sweet. An absolute joy to watch. One of those moments that makes all the tantrums, fighting, screaming, attitude, etc all worth it.
Lily got a karaoke machine. Its pretty cool.
Tylers favorite gift, hand down, was the fart gun. He had been asking for it for months. He couldnt wait to get it out of the package. And hes hardly put it down since. Sleeps with it even. Has a total meltdown if he cant remember where he put it.
Then, after a bit, we opened stockings which typically contain lottery scratch offs. You know, teaching our kids to gamble at a young age. Lily is a lucky ducky - just like her Daddy. Shes the only one who ever wins at these things.
Christmas Day afternoon, the Basham clan descended on the household and we had round 3 of gift opening. The idiot photographer didnt realize she didnt have the card in the camera until AFTER all the presents were opened. Soooo missed that. I did, however, have the kids lay in their custom made sleeping bags (lovingly and artfully crafted by their Auntie Ree!) again so I could have a picture do-over. (Note that Tyler still has the fart gun in his hands....told you he doesnt put it down.)
The kiddos got some goofy glasses in their Meme stockings which made for some silly photos.
But also got some really, really good "serious" photos.
Meme came up with a really cute game with a giant ball of cling wrap which had prizes stuck in it. You unwrapped until you came to a prize and then passed the ball. It was pretty fun.
We also took some pictures of the whole Basham clan which we had not done since I think maybe Tylers 1st birthday? It turned out really good despite the Basham brothers acting like total goofballs and cracking everyone up to the point that posing nicely for a picture was a serious challenge. (Again, please note the fart gun makes an appearance in every picture...)
A very precious picture of Meme and Papaw with all their grands. I dont think weve taken one of these since Tyler existed. Seems last time we did this, Lily was about a year old.
This one of Tyler looking at his Papaw just melts me into a puddle. A total puddle.
And that wraps up Christmas. It was a really wonderful Christmas. One of the best ones I can remember in a long time.
Lily and Tyler each had their own wrapping paper and there was a key on the wall to help them know whos was whos. I was trying to get creative here because I have a distinct memory of recognizing my Moms handwriting on the Christmas presents. No clue how old I was when I did but probably not < 5 years old, but I figure I cant be too careful. Lily is sharp! And she asks a lot of questions.
Because we got home late and the kids were totally out of it, Joel put the cookie crumbs and milk out on the counter. He also wrote a note from Santa. Apparently I was also too out of it to apply the same handwriting concept to this note that I applied to the gift identification. It was written in Joels hand writing! Next year we may have to type it up. The kids checked right away to see if the cookies were gone.
After reading the note, the kids went to town on their presents. But they were soooo thoughtful and considerate of each other. They took their time and helped each other out. Took an interest in what the other one got. It was very sweet. An absolute joy to watch. One of those moments that makes all the tantrums, fighting, screaming, attitude, etc all worth it.
Lily got a karaoke machine. Its pretty cool.
Tylers favorite gift, hand down, was the fart gun. He had been asking for it for months. He couldnt wait to get it out of the package. And hes hardly put it down since. Sleeps with it even. Has a total meltdown if he cant remember where he put it.
Then, after a bit, we opened stockings which typically contain lottery scratch offs. You know, teaching our kids to gamble at a young age. Lily is a lucky ducky - just like her Daddy. Shes the only one who ever wins at these things.
Christmas Day afternoon, the Basham clan descended on the household and we had round 3 of gift opening. The idiot photographer didnt realize she didnt have the card in the camera until AFTER all the presents were opened. Soooo missed that. I did, however, have the kids lay in their custom made sleeping bags (lovingly and artfully crafted by their Auntie Ree!) again so I could have a picture do-over. (Note that Tyler still has the fart gun in his hands....told you he doesnt put it down.)
The kiddos got some goofy glasses in their Meme stockings which made for some silly photos.
But also got some really, really good "serious" photos.
Meme came up with a really cute game with a giant ball of cling wrap which had prizes stuck in it. You unwrapped until you came to a prize and then passed the ball. It was pretty fun.
We also took some pictures of the whole Basham clan which we had not done since I think maybe Tylers 1st birthday? It turned out really good despite the Basham brothers acting like total goofballs and cracking everyone up to the point that posing nicely for a picture was a serious challenge. (Again, please note the fart gun makes an appearance in every picture...)
A very precious picture of Meme and Papaw with all their grands. I dont think weve taken one of these since Tyler existed. Seems last time we did this, Lily was about a year old.
This one of Tyler looking at his Papaw just melts me into a puddle. A total puddle.
And that wraps up Christmas. It was a really wonderful Christmas. One of the best ones I can remember in a long time.
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