I'm back...

Could life really get much better?

A really balanced holiday - our first course in southern Wisconsin with my family, with a dash of Great Grandma Penny, followed by a second course including a wonderful northern Wisconsin celebration, a side of too much travel but always worth it, ending with an almost too perfect cozy celebration here in our own house - the dessert.  

We are left stranded at home today, after daddy realized half way to work that he had all the carseats still in his car.  So we'll go with it.  I have big plans.  Already this morning we have  play that goes from Star Wars to garage sale to Christmas.  Meaning - they have literally pulled out SO MANY toys and arranged them around the living room and it is making me cringe but they are playing so nice I am just going to let it go and will crack the whip later when they ask to play Lego Indiana Jones Wii game.  "Must. CLEAN. UP. before. YOU. get. To. Play." - said in a firm robot toned voice.

At the moment I have been distracted enough that they were about to stick these awesome glow in the dark stickers they got from grandma Charlie on paper and instead are constructing posters for their room.  Charley's is a space poster.  He is working on a spaceship to go along with the planet stickers.  Henry is working on a jungle poster...with trees and grass.  Yipee for a moment of constructive play with mama.  These posters will compliment the cool Star Wars wall clings that Grandma Charlie gifted them.  They have been waiting and waiting and waiting for them to be done flattening.

A 'Thank you note factory' will start up business later.  I am going to try a combined effort where each of us picks different people and we will use paper that will allow us all to add a picture, words, or signature.  I don't want to make Thank you notes a chore so we'll work together, make it fun using lots of stickers, stamps, and writing utensils.  Crank them out with a mug of hot cocoa with extra marshmallows for nourishment or celebration...whatever works. 

The boys also got Star Wars cookie cutters from their Grandma Charlie.  So we might try these today.  Since we definitely haven't had enough cookies this holiday season.

I guess it is a day for lounging in pjs and puttering around here.  We have enough milk, bread, and eggs.  We are set and busy.

Sydney is determined to get under the kitchen table and find random puffs that she has "tossed away".  Thanks Grandma Charlie for the toss away habit.  HAHA!  Just kidding.   Her nap is calling which means I will have an hour and a half to go from doing "my thing" to helping conquer another level on the Indian Jones game.  Charley just informed me, with a huge proud smile, that last time we played "We didn't really need help all that time, I think you just got sucked into it."    You are right, my son.  darn it all. 

I just downloaded over 400 pictures that I have taken since Thursday night...starting with the arrival of a new little friend for Sydney, welcome Gracie.  Can't wait to sit down and sift through and share all the "LIFE" I have been enjoying and ready to get back to the blogging thing. 

Happy Tuesday folks.  I hope you have had a tremendous holiday week with moments of celebration, coziness, quiet, and chaos.    I hope you are welcoming a week with gratitude.  I sure am loving the fact that we don't have to march Charley off to school and it is just plain awesome to have all my tribe under one roof like the old days.  Let's see if I am still saying that by Friday. 

What's on your agenda for today?
GO!