Rub a Dub Dub

Cheerio! It's Donut Day!

Meg's Wish List

It's that time again, folks!
I have made a Christmas list every year since I was old enough to write. In the Lawrence house, you made a HUGE Christmas list, because Santa liked to have options.

Translation: My parents are brilliant and saved themselves from last minute frantic shopping where they search for "the one and only" toy lest they shatter the dreams of a child on Christmas morning. Santa always managed to get me something from my Christmas list.

Before I go on, let's be real. Everything on this list is a want. All of it.
I have everything I could possibly need for the rest of my life right here with me.

1) springform cheesecake pan. I don't have one. I love cheesecake.

2) giant stainless steel pot for canning and cheesemaking
(Last month, I found one for like 70% off and jumped on it!)

3) 4 qt glass pyrex liquid measurer

I'd just like to point out that so far, all of these items would benefit the gift giver as well, since they would be used to create good things to eat.

4) beach cruiser bike with white wall tires, breaks (muy importante), a wire basket and maybe one of those cute little bar shelfs on the back. I don't own a bike, but I'd like one..but if I'm going to get a bike, I think a cute vintage inspired beach cruiser would suit me well.

5) a counter top compost pail. I often use a bowl, but this system a) looks gross b) can be stinky c) can cause major fruit fly problems in the spring and d) needs to be emptied at a minimum of once a day. THIS adorable countertop compost pail has a cabon pad in the lid to keep the stink in, and prevent attraction of gnats and fruit flies. It's attractive, convenient, and very affordable compared to other models I have seen.

I really super duper want one of these. It's a pain make a trip out to the compost pile for just two egg shells, an apple core, or 4 strawberry stems. I love the idea of just going out there once a day to empty the pail. I checked on our compost pile about a month ago and wooooweee! It's doing it's thing and come spring, we will have a lovely batch of nutrients for our garden. Yippee!

6) the Kindle Fire
reasons:
a) we want a 2nd computer, would love a touch screen but don't really need one.
2) Aaron has downloaded a few ebooks and I don't like sharing my kindle with him.
d) um, touch screen, color, wifi, movies, children's books----that alone opens up SO many possibilities for preschool---I could triple my library!

7) a trip to California. I haven't been home for Christmas in like 7 years. I haven't been to California in a year. It's been a year and a have since I've taken the girls. It is killing me. Literally. Something inside of me dies when I am away for that long. I seriously think I survived last winter because and only because of that 10 mile run in 70* San Juan Bautista.

8) Nothing would make me happier than a "Sold" sign...or even a "for sale" sign on the boat. I'm not opposed to having a boat anymore...I just don't like that boat. Also, our garage is stuffed to the muff. I'd love the extra space.

9) leaf removal. We usually do this ourselves, but dang. I'm tired. I've been tired for 8 months. I spent 2 hours blowing leaves one saturday, and now they're all in the back half of the yard, but I know that is where they are going to stay until next year. The pile is 2-4 feet deep and spans the entire backside of our home. Really. I'd LOVE to have a "professional" come out to do a one time leaf removal job and make all of it disappear, this year. Spring gardening/landscaping will be so much more enjoyable if it doesn't begin with loading and hauling 20 tarploads of leaves.

10) reflective running gear. I have a headlamp, but my little flashing light for my back is busted. I need to get another one if I'm going to do any night running this winter. There just aren't enough hours in the day to run when you have small children at home. Running in the morning is also not an option, since our day begins at 5:30am. I usually run on saturday mornings and one weeknight with a group of ladies after the kids have all gone to bed. It's a blast, but it's dark. I need a new flashy flashy light to pin on my back so I am a little more visible when it is pitch black outside.

11) A 20 ton gas powered log splitter---like this one. Ok...that one is a little fancy. We ordered a bunch of firewood this year, but we have at least 2 cords worth of cut logs out back just waiting to be split. I hate paying for firewood when I know we could have it for free for the rest of our lives if we had the right tools. And free firewood would not just mean saving on the cost of wood....it means a teeny tiny electric bill from not having to run the heater all winter. And now that the place we used to rent a splitter from has relocated and changed business to commercial rentals only...we don't have the option to just rent. But we could rent our own splitter out and get a little of the cash back. Just sayin', it would be a fun tool to have, a wonderful convenience, self reliant, and splitting wood with a giant hydraulic splitter is (incredibly dangerous and a quick way to lose a thumb if you aren't careful) a lot of fun and very rewarding work!

12) last, but not least, The Almond Box. Yeah, yeah, I know I got it last year, but hey...no one else (deserves it) is campaigning this year, so Mom, I hope you're reading this and will jump on board and support an imcumbent election.

Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!

That's about it. I must be growing up. This is the first year I feel silly posting my ridiculous "all wants, no needs" list. Sticking with tradition, I posted it anyway. The kids' Santa letters are coming up, soon, along with Reese's birthday posts, preschool posts, a few crafty posts, recipes, more from our Elf, and most importantly, a celebration of the birth of our Savior, who is the real reason we enjoy this wonderful Christmas season.

On the 3rd Day of Christmas.

From the looks of it, Elf has joined Reese in wishing for a White Christmas.

Someone...

keeps making s'mores while the children aren't looking.

A Very Berry Birthday Party

Quincy requested a Strawberry Shortcake birthday party.
I told her that since she was turning 5, she could choose 5 friends to invite.
She chose Brightyn, Hannah E., Hannah G., Phoebe, Addison, Baylee, and Leah...which obviously adds up to more than five. I told her to choose only five and she simply shrugged and said, "I did, plus the other friends, and don't forget Reese and Corbin, too. I want them at my party."

Oh well. We ended up with 1o kids at the house, and it was pretty crazy, but they had fun and that's what matters.

I got her a pair of green and white striped tights to go with a pink and red dress she already had, so she could look like Strawberry Shortcake at her party. Minutes before the party, Quincy dressed herself and announced she was Lemon Meringue (complete with the hand mirror, just like her toy Lemon Meringue.) She asked to have her hair braided and then we put yellow flowers on her shoes, since she was sad that she didn't have any yellow shoes to wear. Funny girl.
The girls colored Strawberry Shortcake pictures while the guests arrived. Years ago, I mentioned to Lynda that I had loved Strawberry Shortcake when I was little, and was so excited to see it coming back. Lynda went into her magical Mary Poppins garage and then searched several fabric stored in Boise and gave me a collection of both new and vintage Strawberry Shortcake fabric. I used it to decorate Q's party and it was really cute. I also made the little bunting hanging above the food, a pillowcase for Quincy, crib set and tiny pillow for the baby doll crib that we gave her for her birthday present, and 6 cloth diapers for her babies with the fabric. She loves everything. I'll try to remember to take a picture of the pillowcase, and doll bedding and diapers later. I love that they look like toys I would have played with as a child because they have an old school Strawberry Shortcake on them. Thanks, Lynda, for the fabric! I have been saving it for years, waiting for the perfect thing to make with it. Quincy's birthday was berry-riffic!
I printed images from the Internet of all the Strawberry Shortcake characters and made little cupcake toppers with a craft punch. Quincy's friend chose Raspberry Torte, Plum Pudding, Orange Blossom, Lemon Meringue, Strawberry Shortcake, or Blueberry Muffin cupcakes.

Since the party was so close to dinnertime, we had a lot of snacks for the kids. We had pigs in a blanket, and Quincy chose strawberries, grapes, teddy grams, Cheetos, raspberries, strawberry soda and fruit shaped mini marshmallows. The girls watched a 10 minute Strawberry Shortcake movie, ate, had cake and presents, and played a Strawberry Shortcake Bingo game that I made with card stock and strawberry shortcake images that I found online and shrunk down to 1 inch, then printed and cut out to make stickers and game boards. Every time the girls got a bingo, they chose from Strawberry shortcake lip gloss and nail polish, snack mix, pencils, fruit snacks, bubbles and stickers to put in their party bags. Quincy was a gracious host and thanked each of her friends for coming. She is already planning next year's party. If I'm smart, I'll plan further ahead for that one ;)

For preschool, she took Strawberry cupcakes with strawberry marshmallows and strawberry frosting on them. Her classmates sang to her and she got to wear a paper crown (that she loved so much she slept with it on, at nap time.)

December 4th (her actual birthday) began with Quincy waking up in the morning and asking each of us how we slept. This was quickly followed up with, "Are you going to tell me, 'Happy Birthday,' now? Hey did you know that I am five, today?" I love her so much. She makes me laugh and smile every day. She is super awesome, creative, kind, and unique. And her laugh...oh her laugh! Everyone should get to hear it.

Happy Birthday, Quincy Brooklyn. I am so grateful for you. We love having you in our family and enjoyed celebrating your 5th birthday with you! You are a lovely little lemon scented gem.
I love you very berry much!

She...

-is FIVE!
-is always a bigger fan of the secondary character in every movie. (for example, Luna from Harry Potter, Astrid from How to Train Your Dragon, Lemon Meringue and Plum Pudding from Strawberry Shortcake, Barbie's friend in every Barbie movie, Ruthie from Kit Kittridge, etc.)
-tells everyone that they are "on the naughty list."
-is ambidextrous.
-always plays with this dollhouse turned on it's side.
-shared all of her birthday presents with her sissy
-still doesn't eat anything...unless it's the things that she does eat...and she eats a lot of those 4 things.
-loves hand me downs from her sister more than anything new that I buy her, and on her birthday, downright refused to wear anything that said size 4 on it. (Since that is her size, we finally convinced her it is ok...but it took a few days and some coaxing.)
-drops perfectly timed Lucy quotes from Charlie Brown/Peanuts movies
-is so ticklish you only have to act like you are going to tickle her and she will laugh uncontrollably before you even touch her.
-quit sucking her thumb
-never matches. ever.
-has been singing the Bingo song, "J-E-S-U-S and Jesus was his name-o" all afternoon.
-woke me up with a giggly kiss right on the lips this morning, and asked, "Is it Thursday?"
-is scrappy and compassionate at the same time.
-always has stinky ears and breath.
-adores her long hair and has named every hairstyle after one of her friends or a favorite movie character.
-laughs until you are laughing, too.
-speaks with a delicious lithp.
-dances to the beat of her own drum.
-is our Shuggie Bear, our Quincy Bee, our Woogie, our Little Q. She's our very own Luna Lovegood.
-is a very special treasure.