Christmas 2009

The problem with being a procrastinator is that I put off and I put off and then I forget what it was I was putting off.

I do remember that we did have Christmas...I have pictures to prove it...but I don't remember much detail. If it weren't for pictures, I wouldn't remember anything at all.

So beings that it is almost Valentines Day, I'd better get our Christmas documented before my brain is a complete fog.

Lets see...

So, we actually got our lights up nice and early this year, just shortly after Thanksgiving, thanks to the weather.


Then we got our standard, tall, skinny sub-alpine tree.

I love my 'subbies'.

Fake trees are not allowed in our house...ever.

What's the fun if you don't have that tree smell...and sap and needles all over the place?



And besides, for a short period of time, the cats get to pretend that they are rugged, outdoor, hunter cats...instead of the fat slob indoor cats they really are.


Barbie made an appearance on Christmas Eve, courtesy of Andrew to his dad.


Then...after Andrew was tucked in bed...Santa re-gifted her.


Christmas morning...

...gotta love the matching penguin pants and robe.



My sister thought it would be funny to get Andrew a friend for Barbie...

...it didn't go over too well.

She redeemed herself by also getting him a 'Dr. Fart' pen and a whoopi cushion.


I asked Santa for a Beater Blade...I like it...I'm still trying to decide if I absolutely love it.

(God bless black and white for early morning, no-makeup pictures)


Timmy got some fancy new ski goggles with fancy hinge thingies so they stay sucked to your face even when worn over a helmet...






Andrew looooooves Calvin & Hobbes...thanks to ebay, he scored 12 Calvin & Hobbes books.


All done...time to go sledding...



The End

A cowboy of sorts...

Andrew disappeared into the office the other day for quite awhile. He was dead quiet. He likes to go in there and steal all my computer paper, staple the sheets together and color the pages. I was busy in the kitchen and just figured he was in the office making a book.

Then, several minutes later, I heard him wrestling with his dad in the other room and he was laughing hysterically. Tim and Andrew wrestling every night is pretty much tradition so I didn't think much of that either.

But then he comes around the corner and approaches me in this get-up...


He looks at me and says, word for word...

"Hello, I'm Cowboy Barbie and I hate to tell you this but I just kissed your husband."


Tim and Andrew have a long running Barbie war going on...but seriously, where does this kid come up with this stuff?

It's a Guy Thing

Tim managed to score a Barbie doll for his birthday a couple weeks ago - FINALLY! Not that he really wanted one.


This goes way back. Since the dawn of time, Andrew and his daddy have teased each other about being in love with Barbie. For example, Tim will say something like..."Hey, Andy. Barbie called today and wants to know when you're going to pick her up for the movie." Fumes will inevitably steam out of Andy's head and he'll say something back like this, "Oh yeah, well Barbie told me that you took her to the movies last night and that you got married." Stuff like that. Back and forth, back and forth.

Andrew used to be highly, and I mean HIGHLY, offended by the Barbie teasing. He loved to dish it out but he couldn't take it. Finding fun with the Barbie jokes has been a gradual progression.

For the past couple of years I've asked Andy if he would like to buy his daddy a Barbie for his birthday or Christmas to get him back for all the teasing. He would get excited at the idea but then CHICKEN out at the last minute. He just could not bear the thought of walking down the Barbie aisle at Walmart or the thought of actually having a Barbie in his house. Until now.

Barbie has been found in Tim's sock drawer with some type of love note - twice.


Then, much to Andrew's dismay, she appeared one morning on his pillow as he woke up for school. (There she met Napoleon Dynamite and they are now friends).


She's just getting started. I'm sure there will be many more Barbie adventures to come.