The Elf's A Hoppin'

On the Sixth Day of Christmas

On the Seventh Day of Christmas

On the Eigth Day of Christmas

On the Ninth Day of Christmas
I forgot to take a pic...
On the Tenth Day of Christmas

On the Fifth Day of Christmas

My true love gave to me...a new house. We are going to the closing for the new house. Fingers crossed everything goes ok! I'll update everyone later.

On the Fourth Day of Christmas

Cherub 2: Mom! I think St. Quiggly likes to play the piano JUST LIKE ME!

Cherub 1: Mom! Comehere! Mom! Look! Comehere! Look where he is!!

Cherub 3 (at night): Mom, I have figured it out. The days I find St Quiggly first, I have good luck and have a good day. I am happy!



(Pic from 12/3)

There were two chefs in town for dinner yesterday. As I served the cherubs and friend a nice "steak on a stick" (aka kabobs) dinner, cherub 2 was serving up his specialty. He was utterly hilarious with all his facial expressions, funny antics and drama. These are the moments I would love to bottle up.

On the Third Day of Christmas

(Elf was hiding on the kitchen shelf.)

Many are asking me where they can get one? Santa delivered ours (wink) to our doorstep. If that isn't working out for you...you can find them at participating Hallmark stores or google 'elf on the shelf' and you will see literally millions of results.

Miracle Wednesday
No one puked. Enough said. Seriously, this is a miracle b/c pretty much up to today it was: puke one day, no puke, repeat.

Don't Lose the Magic
RLF, Kris's (member her, she introduced me to elf) cherubs are just as into elf as my cherubs. Yesterday, Buddy (their elf), fell off their shelf. Since the book instructs you that touching the elf will make him/her lose it's magic, her youngest took this to heart. It was like a rescue mission. 'Get me a plastic baggie!' 'Another one!' With two plastic bags over his hands he gently lifted Buddy back to the shelf. Safe. Magic in-tact. No touchie!

Boxmania
My garage is filled to the rim with packed boxes. The house went on the market today with pics of the outside. Pics of the inside are to be taken tomorrow. I feel like I will never have it cleaned in time! Maybe I will just jump in a box and label myself fragile, to be opened when the unpacking is done. Do you think anyone will notice?

Priorities
In the midst of all the convalooded life I have been leading lately, I still have managed to hold onto (by the skin of my teeth) my Friday night plans with the girls. Since we are all supposed to arrive at the party at 7pm, we are all meeting at 6pm for a prepartycocktail. Since by Friday night I think we will be the (freeked out) owners of two homes (until this one sells), I think I might need more than one prepartycocktail. Sugar rimmed martini- you are calling my name. Yup, even during a move and a full weekend with moving, packing, xmas parties, cherub's activities...I can still find time to get my priorities straight.

Santa
Big Sis & I met today to take all 6 kids to see Santa. I had canceled my previous plans :o( b/c the boys needed some chill time. I figured low key visit to the Big Guy and a NAP was in order. The whole way there...baby cousin (the youngest of our 6) was like, "ya know, he isn't the real Santa. he's fake." My boys were FREEKIN out. "He has to be real. Mom, right?" On and on and on and on. Imagine the baby playing detective rattin' out the fake guy to the older kids.

On the Second Day of Christmas

Cherub 2 puked at the bus stop. Awesome.

Note: St Quiggly was found in our tree!

On the First Day of Christmas

Poor cherub 3, he woke up puking again.

After conferring with the doctor, we think that he probably is not suffering from the flu-ishness that was attacking our home for a week or so ago. He is experiencing the same freaky issues as last year. If just tuning in to our crazy world, last year he puked for 3 months and underwent ALOT of tests (blood tests, CAT scans, you name it). They found nothing and 'hoped' it was reflux and tried Zantac.

Zantac, the miracle drug. From the moment he went on it, he never puked again. Trust me, after THREE months, that is a miracle. We took him off of it in the late spring b/c he wasn't having any more symptoms.

It is all back.

The freaky thing? When doc & I reviewed the records on the phone, we realized he started puking within 2 calendar days of the date that it began last year?? It is kind of like ground hog day(year) around here.

We are going to a 'big city' doctor Thur for a consult. My poor little bug. I just want him to feel better.

* Note: St Quiggly the elf was actually found on our shelf!

A New Tradition

RLF, K introduced me to Elf on the Shelf. It is a wonderful story about an elf that hides each day throughout the holiday season in a different spot throughout your home. The elf that comes with the book has jobs! His jobs? He uses his magic each night to report to Santa about all the nice things (or naughty) things we do and also shares your Christmas wishes with Santa. Each morning when we wake up he is hiding in a new spot. How fun...instant hide-n-seek! We also had to name him. After 30 minutes we combined 14 different names to St. Quiggly. (Don't ask. I think we are soon to rename him.)

The cherubs are TOTALLY into this. They all race around looking for him in the morning. Cherub 1 is writing a book report about the book because she loves it so much. Cherub 2 draws pictures of St. Quiggly all the time and constantly walks up to him, shows him the pictures, whispers his xmas wishes to him and says hi and goodnight. Cherub 3 just freaks out with excitement when we talk about him.

The best part. "St. Quiggly is watching you!" That is what I hear all day/night. They are self monitoring themselves (and each other) and actually are doing nice things for each other because St. Q is reporting directly to the big guy.

I highly recommend this new tradition for anyone who has little or big ones that relish in the Christmas spirit (or for those who need someone to report to the big guy!).