Tonsil Post...Gross Picture Warning!

Chase goes under the knife (yikes...that sounds way worse than saying he is having surgery!) on the morning of New Years Eve to have his tonsils and adenoids removed, so please keep us in your thoughts and prayers for a smooth procedure and a speedy recovery filled with Popsicles, Slurpee's and jello!!

Want to know what I am the most nervous about, post-procedure? The pain medication they are prescribing for my Chase-monster is Tylenol with Codeine...you know what that does to me??? Remember Magda the old lady in There's Something about Mary when she gets all hopped up on something??

Where she's running around like a crazy person vacuuming and lifting up the couches? That's me...minus the vacuuming!!! OK, and minus the little dog and leather face, but you get the idea. Man! I'm bummed that I couldn't find a picture of Magda lifting the couch...hopefully someone out there gets my reference...Carol!?!?! Anyone?!?!?!

All joking aside, if you aren't going to be around, please keep us in your thoughts and prayers...it's a pretty painful recovery for our little guy, but he will be better off in the end.

WARNING...Really Gross Picture of what Chase's throat looks like...EVERY DAY!!! Sometimes worse! The Dr' says his tonsils are constantly golf-ball sized...and in a 3 year old's throat, or anyone's throat for that matter...not fun!

Wishing Everyone Health and Happiness!

I won't be back in the office until Monday, so unless something really awesome happens, like another request for Target from Bruce :o) I won't be hopping back on here until next week.

I want to wish everyone out there a Merry Christmas, I hope you and your families enjoy the holiday together, and I wish everyone a Wonderful New Year filled with Hope, Health, Happiness and Good Things! :o)

Did he really just say that?

While wandering through Toys R Us this am...

"Babe, can we PLEASE just go to Target?!?!?!"

I about lost it...and he is never going to live that one down...it was awesome.

Even Bruce appreciates Target and all of it's wonderfulness...he just doesn't appreciate that I seem to come out of there with $50 worth of stuff that I didn't know I needed, every time I go :o)

Chase's 3rd Birthday Bash!

We had a blast over the weekend celebrating Chase's 3rd Birthday! Man, time really does fly!

This post is slowly turning into the "post that wasn't" b/c I just can't seem to think of what to write, other than we had it at the pool house in our neighborhood which worked out SUPER for us, we had a Christmas/Santa/Frosty/Rudolph themed party, b/c what else can you do for a kid who's b-day is a week before Christmas?, we had a great time seeing everyone, the kids loved decorating cookies...that seemed to be the hit of the party, Santa came for a visit and the kids were 50/50 happy to see him or freaked out...which I had expected. Chase was too busy making out with his cookie that he had just decorated to talk to Santa (SERIOUSLY), we cut the HUGE cake that I not so brilliantly sat in direct sunlight (so the candles were all over the place...whoops!) and then most of the kids had about "had it" and either headed home or over to the playground.

I was so pleased with the party...I just wish we had taken more/better pictures of the birthday boy! :o(

I'm totally copying my friend Megan and making a photo collage...I think if you click on the photo, a new window will open with larger pictures :o)

Happy birthday, my little boyfriend!

Baking makes your butt big

First off, let me get my whining out of the way...I'm sad to say at bootcamp last night I rolled my ankle pretty bad...I came home early from the workout to ice down (I never wimp out!) and I was in a pretty rotten mood.

After dinner I went up to shower while Chase and my SIL Erica were working on making some sugar cookies for his birthday party. I know everyone is probably tired of my Master Chef Chase posts...but seriously, the kid is on to something!

DON'T laugh at his pink apron...his blue one was dirty from baking earlier in the week (hence my title...I've been "testing" everything in sight...not pretty!) We made oatmeal raisin chocolate chip cookies on Sunday, and then these pretzel & Hershey kiss sandwich things on Tuesday for his party...yum. Chase said we had to hide everything so that Mommy and Daddy wouldn't eat everything, and I said yes, so my butt doesn't get bigger, and it's kind of stuck ;o)

Here's a picture of Erica and Chase before I headed upstairs

I came down ready to herd the kids up for bathtime...saw Chase was working hard, and it took me a moment to notice Addy...and once I did, I had to go grab the camera again...she was COVERED head to toe in flour...and loving life. I about died laughing...there was flour everywhere! All over the fabric seats, the floor, her hair, EVERYWHERE...but it was so cute...she was so proud to actually get to "help" and was happy to pose for a picture, please note the rolling pin is bigger than she is.

Chase was very hard at work, and I think annoyed that sister wasn't taking things as seriously...here he is holding up a piece of sugar-cookie dough...that I'm sure he popped into his mouth right after the picture was taken ;o)

I get such a joy out of teaching Chase (and Addy now, for that matter) how to help cook...some of my favorite childhood memories involve helping my parents, baby-sitter (JUDY!!!) and grandparents cook, and picking out recipes to try from cookbooks.

Oh Christmas Tree...

My favorite day during the holiday season has got to be the day after Thanksgiving...not because of the crazy shopping, etc, but because for the last 5 years, Bruce and I have gone to cut down our family Christmas Tree together.

This year was better than ever...both kids are really excited about Christmas and were thrilled to be going to cut down the tree. Last year Chase was sick and he fell asleep at my parents before we went to get our tree, and so we left him there to nap (he was sick and it was pretty nasty outside) so we just had Addy with us and she was too little to know what was going on anyway. Well now that Chase is totally into Christmas, that means Addy is too...that little girl doesn't miss a beat!!! I guess it's because she sees Chase being excited? Chase wasn't anywhere near as "in" to the whole holiday thing last year.

http://www.snickersgaptrees.com/

The weather was perfect, we were all just in jackets or sweatsuits (Addy wore purple velour...JLo, eat your heart out)!

Addy found her Charlie Brown Christmas Tree...

Dun, Dun, Dun...after declaring 23 other trees "the tree" we finally picked a winner! Chase and Bruce's sister Tiff get the credit for finding it...(and about 15 of the other perfect trees)
The family picture...
And then the men got to work...Chase was "helping" Bruce cut down the tree (can he wipe that grin off his face already?!?!)

He was so proud to help drag it down the side of the mountain

The guys again...
Chase taking a well deserved apple cider break...please note the tough-guy pants with all of the pockets, for well, guy stuff, and the work boots...this is serious stuff.
Me getting to put my bossyness to work...being in charge of tying the tree to the roof of the truck...that way if it falls off, I can't say anything. I'm proud to say that bad-boy didn't move an inch!

About 1,000 lights later, a trip to Target, Michael's and then Del Rio for Mexican we have ourselves a pretty good Christmas Tree, if I do say so myself!

Turkey Sandwich Anyone?

I hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving! We certainly did...and we were especially thankful to have my little sister, Carol, home safely from Iraq! My Grandmother made the trip up from Florida for dinner as well, and we had 4 generations on my dad's side hanging around the house all day long, but did we take a picture??? NO! I hate it when that happens.

BUT! We did take a picture of our totally important architectural masterpiece that Chase and I worked VERY hard on while listening to Christmas music the night before...if you look closely, you can even see Bruce through the well-placed archway connecting our "towers of DOOM!!" (that's what everything we build is called, FYI) Our goal was to use each and every block we had and I think Chase and I did one hell of a job ;o)

Because you don't eat enough junk on Thanksgiving, Chase and Daddy made some chocolate chip cookies to get the party started, while in their jammies (Bruce's don't have footies, in case you were wondering)

Here are a few from Thanksgiving...the weather was nice enough that the kids got to play outside for a while before dinner. Gramps even hooked the kids up with some fresh sand for the sandbox...the kids were covered head to toe and very pleased with themselves

You can't go up to Bluemont without riding on the "tractor" (AKA really old lawnmower that Chase is in love with). Please note how "into the turn" Chase was...I'm fairly positive the wheels are still straight, but whatever...he looks cool and that's all that matters

Chase helping carve the turkey with my Mom...note the bug spray and bugs bunny vitamins on the shelf right above them...it's the country, OK?

All in all it was a fantastic day, we had plenty to be thankful for, plenty of good food and company, and I have had WAY too many turkey sandwiches with cranberry sauce since then...I'm officially done! I am dreading my weigh-in tonight at bootcamp! ;o)