Another great Christmas is almost over. Good memories have been made.  Great pictures have been taken (yet to be edited!).  We will always remember this Christmas as the Disney Christmas, as we surprised the girls with a trip to the happiest place on earth!  I’m excited about the trip, but tired just thinking about the planning  I’m sure we will have even more great memories by the end of next week.

I highly doubt I will be blogging much over the next two weeks, but I will try and upload pictures regularly and when I get back and recover I’m sure to have stories (both bad and good) and tips to pass along to all my family and friends.

Happy New Year and God Bless us all!  Mandy

Next year your hair will be as long as you want it to be. Keep growing it out!

Dear Mandy,

Christmas 2009 was great and we made a lot of great memories.  I just wanted to let you know a few ways you can make 2010′s Christmas even better.  You need to stop stressing on the stupid things, let go and live in the moment.  This is easier said than done and you have done better this year (e-cards saved time and money!) but next year try and remember a few things:

1) Don’t buy matching Christmas outfits.  It was a miracle they all wore them ONCE this year, and that miracle won’t happen again until they are older and trying to make their geriatric mother happy.

2)Don’t ask them to be in the Church Christmas play.  Wait for them ask to be in it and then have them sign a contract swearing that they will go to all the practices without whining. They were so cute this year and I am very proud of them.

3) Bargain more.  Tell them they will get a bigger Christmas gift if we skip some of the Christmas “fluff” activities like Breakfast with Santa and Santa’s Secret shop (Sorry PTO).

4)Don’t expect them to love and cherish your favorite Christmas book, song or activity. It’s not worth the energy and they will like it better without your endorsement!

5)Don’t begrudge your Hubby to much for being right on more things than you would like to admit.  Maybe he has it right that matching hair bows just aren’t life and death and the fact that Elle wore snow-boots two years in a row to see Santa isn’t all that bad.

Mandy, I hope you remember to read this next year and do as I say.   If you don’t maybe someone will remind you and save the season.

Take care and drink a lot of Chai.  Enjoy the season while you can and remember that one day you’ll be asking to join them in their family’s celebrations someday.

Love,

You

Elle turns five years old in about an hour.  I don’t know how it happened so quickly (I know everyone says that, but it is so true!).  I am so proud of my little goose, my little bean, my pudding pop…the list goes on and on.

We celebrated her birthday last Saturday, Spa Style, and had a great time. Tonight we will celebrate with ice cream cake and pizza sticks.  She will get her much-longed for DS so she can be like her big sissys!

Happy Birthday Bean.  I  have enjoyed the first five years more than you will ever know.  Thank you for being uniquely you.

We had a Pinkalicious party!

For more Wordless Wednesday check out5MinutesForMom.com.

Last month was National Adoption Awareness Month as I have mentioned before.  I used all my November AVON profits to buy Christmas gifts for a local foster child. I chose a ten year old girl since I have some experience with them!  Thanks to everyone who bought products from me! I was able to purchase 2 outfits, 1 backpack, 1 purse, a Hannah Montana pillow and blanket (she requested these as I am not a fan!), hair things, lotions, lip glosses and some fun tween toys.  Of course the mom in me also got underwear, socks, shampoos and school supplies.

Here are some pictures of the gifts.  I have so much fun playing Santa…thanks!

Photo Credit Mandy W. 2009