Dear Santa

I've been getting a bunch of Christmas issues of my favorite magazines and so many of them have staff or famous people write up their Christmas wish lists. So, for lack of better blogging material...

Dear Santa,

I've been (fairly) good this year, and I feel as though I deserve a little something for all the effort...

I would really love this, just because I think it's cute.

I also tend to get really cold, so if you could bring me this, I'll try to keep the heat turned down to where Walter wants me to keep it...burrr! Another way that I could keep warm is by baking, in which case I'll need this (in pistachio green). And just so it's not sitting unused in the summer, I'll need this to go along with it.

I also would love it if you could bring me this. Yeah, I know it seems expensive for what it is, but my current one is a cheapo, and it smells like an electrical fire...also, I have a two year old and one with a cord just won't cut it.

I would also love one of these. It would be so nice to have fresh cilantro and basil all year long...I'll try really hard not to kill it.

And, just to prove I'm still (sort of) a kid at heart...please bring me this or this. Yes, I'm serious, and I don't know why, I just kind of want them.

And finally, if it's not too much trouble and you can find the room in your sleigh, this would make me a believer!

Thanks for your time, Stacey

Okay, so that's my wish list (and no, I'm not actually expecting anyone to buy me these things, I was just wasting time on the Internet, and thought I'd give you all something to look at!).

This was the face (paired with a demonic laugh) that Walter and I were given the other night at dinner when we yelled at Estella not to tease the dog:

We would say, "Don't tease the dog." And she would crack up and yell "tee-tee." which we can only assume meant "tease", then we would say it again and she would crack up again and so on. She found it quite hilarious that we actually expect her to not tease the dog. Poor Peanut...she may never stop shaking!

check, check and check

I'm feeling very accomplished today...four items checked off of my to do list.

Check...Estella's book is done! See full images here. I'm very pleased with it, but if I ever have to do another one, it will be much less involved...
Check... A custom Fritter order is off to the UK. Check her out here.

Check... I also finally broke down and ordered boxes (and tissue) to ship Fritters in. I now have more boxes than I may ever need, but at least they'll be shipped in style.

Check...I have all of our Christmas cards (except the one's awaiting new addresses) addressed and stamped and ready to go.

I'm also almost entirely done with my Christmas shopping...a couple more little things to get, but otherwise done (be nice...I can hear you all groaning at how disgusting my organizational obsession is). I wanted to be done and wrapped and shipped early enough this year so I could actually enjoy the holidays, and not have to spend them fighting for a parking space, or waiting for an hour at the post office to pay ridiculous amounts to get presents to people on time.

So, all in all, a rather successful couple of days...gaining ground on what was feeling like an insurmountable list of tasks!!

I've also started a couple of new ladies and I'm feeling very excited about them...hopefully I'll have some pics to share soon.

And in Estella news, (cuz I know that's what most of you want to hear about) she's now very into colors. "Green" seems to be the word of the week...oh, that and "crap" which she so charmingly repeated after yours truly. I know, I know...I need to watch my language but let's be honest, it could have been way worse!

She also wants to watch Rudolph a thousand times a day. She refers to Rudolph as a deer, but calls him "NeeNee". I guess I can see how he sort of resembles Peanut, it's gotta be the ginormous ears. I bought Santa Claus is Coming to Town today, just to switch it up...no need to burn out on Christmas movies a month before Christmas...we'll see if it's as big a hit!

is your house on fire clark?

No Aunt Bethany, those are Christmas lights...
Our Christmas lights are no where near as plentiful as the Griswold's, but it's our first year ever decorating our house for the holidays and I'm really psyched to be able to look out of the window and see pretty Christmas lights.

We dressed up Estella like a girl for Thanksgiving...she looks so damn cute in a little dress that I took about a thousand pictures...clearly her tolerance was running out.

Walter and Estella had a little daddy/daughter DJ time also.

Walter was on vacation, and has just headed out to work for the first night this week. I've been spoiled having lots of help with Estella and not having to cook dinner. I've also been able to sneak away a couple of times to get some work done. Estella's book is almost done, and I just finished up a custom Fritter earlier today.

All good things must come to an end and it's back to reality for me now...is it too early to start the countdown until Christmas break?

And something extra today...just 'cuz she's cute!

ssstuff

The snow has come! It seems that we'll have an early winter this year. I swear that some years we don't have snow until Christmas...not so this season. As I sit here typing, it's spitting some nasty rainy snow...lovely.
In honor of a nasty day, and a cranky child...English muffin pizzas for lunch! If I serve this wholesome and delicious meal to Estella, I'm guaranteed a good half hour of quiet eating, and today I could use the quiet.
I'm stressed. I could list a thousand reasons why but I won't and PLEASE don't ask...


I feel like I have mountains of different jobs, errands and work to do and it's all closing in. I have lists of things to do and the lists just seem to be getting longer. I should be doing something useful right this minute seeing that blogging is not one of the items on my list. I'll get to it all. I know I will, but knowing I'll eventually get it all done doesn't make getting it started any easier.


I went to the day spa yesterday for a haircut and massage. I made sure to cut off enough hair to donate to Locks of Love. Basically what that means is that I have no hair!
And who knew, my hair is curly! Those of you who have known be for many years, know that my hair may be many things, but curly just isn't one of them. Yet more proof of what pregnancy does to your body!


It was nice to have almost a whole day to myself...it's been too long. I want more! I also NEED more. My masseuse basically laughed out loud when I told her how long it'd been since my last massage. I've also been so stressed and tightly wound for so long that I wasn't really able to relax and enjoy the massage. I could physically feel my body resisting the relaxation...how pathetic is that?


I guess it's all a good reminder that I need to take care of myself too, even if it means sacrificing somewhere else.


Anyways, I'll stop complaining now and wish you all a

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Umm, yeah

My aunt took this picture when we were in NJ last month and I had to share it...this basically sums up Estella - a nut job! Is that mean to say about your child? Well, either way, it's true.
Estella has been a force to be reckoned with this week. Non-stop whining, screaming, clinging, holding...and now today a fever of 103. I'm not sure if it's just her age, or not feeling well, but this week has me thinking that maybe I'm seriously in for it when the "terrible twos" thing hits.

Some holiday themed work in progress...trying out something different...so far successful.

This picture basically sums up where I'd like to be right now.

Peanut gets very excited for hot laundry, runs to the couch for it to be dumped on her and then burrows her way in...such a sweet Nut.

I would love to bury myself in some hot laundry right about now. First off, I'm cold. Second, life has decided to make me stressed and a bit beat down this week. It's just one of those times that will eventually pass like all of the others have, but I'd much rather hide in a pile of hot clothes than stay out here in the cold and have to face it.

On a lighter note...check out my (famous) brother here.

I breed maids!

I should be paid millions of dollars to breed little children who love to clean. Not only does she vacuum, but she does the dishes too! She loves to do the dishes so much that we have huge temper tantrums when she's asked to get down off of the chair she's dragged all the way into the kitchen to do said dishes...And I wonder why my glasses are mangled...
So, these three girls are completed and (hopefully) will be in the shop soon.

There are individual pictures of them here.

I've been spending so much time experimenting with these three, that I'm a bit tired of Fritters at the moment. I have lots of new ideas in my head, but I'm going to take a mini break so as to not get frustrated if my ideas meet with failure. Instead, I'm back to work on Estella's name book for Christmas. I had the brilliant (add eye roll and heavy sarcastic tone to that one) idea of adding quilted borders to each page, so what could have been nearly done, has become the bane of my existence. Luckily, I have no social life so I've got lots of time to get it done...and it'll look all pretty-like when I'm done.

what can i say...

...the girl loves to vacuum! Someday, when I assign vacuuming as a chore, she may not find it quite as much fun. We need a new vacuum...ours is super loud and whiny, the wheel-caster-roller-thing on the bottom is broken so it's hard to push, and since we only have one rug in the house, we don't really need such a ginormous piece of household machinery. I want one of those little, lightweight ones, or even better, one that'll vacuum for me!

This is Estella's own composition...

I guess she's a typical child...she "talks" all day long on her phones, saying "hi" and all sorts of names, and when she gets a real phone up to her ear, she's suddenly mute. Lately, she's been talking to "Gamma" on her phone...the newest name in her repertoire.

And now for my own composition I'd like to present "I Have a Headache":

I need new glasses. The money that was supposed to buy me new glasses is resting peacefully in the Atlantic. My glasses have reached a new level of pathetic, and fall off if I turn my head too quickly. I have a headache because I don't wear my glasses, because if I lean over, they fall off. Basically what it comes down to is that if anyone was toying with the notion of buying me a gift for my birthday or Christmas, I need money for glasses and an eye exam. I know...I'm using my blog as a shameless request for gifts...sorry.

And, just to prove I'm not full of it, some legs in progress.