Sunday, December 4, 2005

CHRISTmas Gifts, Ornaments and Goofiness

Hip-hip-hooray!  We finally got around to putting the CHRISTmas tree up the other night.  It was a close call because the closer to CHRISTmas it gets, the LESS likely I'll want to go through the trouble of pulling all this stuff down from the attic.  Okay, okay...I can't believe I lied in a CHRISTmas post!  The truth is that it's less likely I'll want to bug dh about getting the stuff down from the attic! (Whew! My conscience feels much better now!)


 


I've bought a few presents already but haven't gotten around to wrapping them and placing them under the tree.  I am most excited about making a few presents-- but haven't quite had the time for that yet.  I guess I better get a move on! (why does that sound normal when you say it, but looks very weird when you write it?)


 


Here's a few of my fav gift ideas this season:




  1. For my big boys, I bought some red satin fabric and am planning to make them superhero capes!  They will be long, shiny, and velcro at the boys' necks.  If I hurry up, I will have enough time to take them to a friend's house and embroider their names/initials on the back.


  2. The big boys will also be receiving some very nice wooden pop-guns that grandma and grandpa ordered from Vision Forum.  I had to play with them quietly in the other room...you know, to make sure they weren't defective or dangerous...oh man, they are cool!!!

  3. Y'all may be unawares of a very talented jeweler among us.  Our very own Susan has been kind enough to make a few pairs of earrings for me to give as gifts...the toughest part about having such beautiful wares to choose from is deciding which to keep for myself!

  4. My siblings will also be receiving Pecan Pie Muffin Mix and Chicken Enchilada Soup Mix a la Homemade Gourmet-- very quick, easy and delicious!

  5. And since I'm making a list of uber-cool things...have y'all noticed Tammy is incredibly talented?!  You just HAVE to take a look at her flickr pics on the sidebar-- her artwork is AMAZING!  I have no idea how people can do stuff like that...

  6. And finally, just wanted to share an ornament idea that we started last year.  Normally, we would purchase a nice ornament for each child.  Then when they grow up one day and have a family or house of their own, they would get their box of ornaments.  As some of you may know, this can be ridiculously expensive-- I should not have to pay $10-15 for one ornament!!! 

    So last year I let each boy pick out one of their Hot Wheels cars that they would like to use for their ornament.  Dash picked out a red car (b/c that's his fav color) and Tank picked out a white Fiero...
    I wrote the year and their initials with a metallic Sharpie, hot glued a ribbon to hang with, and Voila!  Special ornament on the cheap...and much more meaningful since it was something they actually played with! 

    This year they were quite excited to pick out a wooden train from their collection. 
     
    Fortunately, they are still young and have small toys that would work as CHRISTmas ornaments.  I can only imagine the CHRISTmas tree carnage if they were into something very big or very alive...

I almost forgot about the goofiness mentioned in the title!  I walk outside in the front yard this afternoon and what do I see but...


 


Notice the strange bicycle helmet and one sandal/one boot action going on.  They could only be up to no good.


 


Me: Hi boys!


Them: Hi mommy.


Me: What are you doing?


Them: Digging.


Me: You've been out here a long time and I heard some banging...


Them: We don't want daddy to go to work.  (very big grins and pointing) So we trapped him!  Now he CAN'T go!!!


 



 


Me:  Wow, y'all are so strong and smart.  I don't know how daddy will ever be able to leave now...


 


In case the four gigantic logs weren't enough to keep him home, they wedged those two very strong pieces of lumber up against the tires...just to make sure...very thorough, aren't they???

20 comments:

JavaMama said...

Ha ha ha ha! I am ROFL! Not really but I am laughing how cute. Kids and what they will do to keep their daddys from leaving! Mine will just hang on their daddy and scream! I love your ornaments and your wonderful CHRISTmas gift ideas!

MySmokyMtnHomeschool said...

I hope my girls don't see what the boys did to daddy's car. They will be trying that! HA!


NewHarvest said...

Your Christmas ideas are great! I love the super hero cape thing. I have ONE boy (my youngest after five girls, pity him) who would love a cape. Aren't you the wildly cleverest girl...? Great mom, wonderful wife, super encourager...and don't let the enemy ever try to tell you otherwise, sweetie.


Lisa

TNMOMTO5BLESSINGS said...

Marsha-

I really enjoyed this post.

It was fun to see what your boys were up to today.

I also really love the toy ornament idea. I usually get the children an ornament each year to. I wish I would of though of this myself. Great way to get some toys out of the way to. fkjfhakfhasdk


Be Blessed today!

Maria

stick2home4school said...

I love how the boys "trapped" their dad! So cute! I love your Christmas ideas too, very creative.


Just wanted to pop over and say hi! You are so great about posting comments to my blog and I wanted to return the favor. :D


Blessings,

Amy

asformeandmyhouse said...

I LOVE the trap - but even more I love that the boys were trying to keep their daddy home!!!


Great Christmas ornaments! What a fantastic idea!


And I am trying not to covet those pop guns! I've wanted one for myself ever since I saw them for the first time. :)


CAgirlwithasoutherndrawl said...

They are so cute and funny. I showed the tire picture to Mark.....ROTFLOL! Also.....great idea about those ornaments. I am going to do that this year.


~Annemarie

mominpa said...

That is too funny!! I agree, seriously, if my boys saw that picture dh would be in "big trouble"!! :)


I too like the christmas ideas...I love hearing from creative people, so I can tweek their ideas for use in my family!! The cape..great idea!! (but oh my...) And the ornaments...good thinking!!


Thanks for sharing!!

MomToTwo said...

I don't know what to comment on first. I LOVE the ornament ideas. My son has TONS of cars...we may have to make a few of those. :o) I bet I could do a Fashion Polly for Beth. Hmmmm..... But you probably don't know what those are since you have all boys.


The boys were TOO cute trying to keep their Daddy at home. I love it!!!


We pulled our tree up out of the basement last night. I've yet to decorate it though. I did get some of my village pieces out and set up on Saturday. Guess I'd better get to it!

mamaduso said...

We got our tree at the farm yesterday. It was a great day to do it. It's up but we will decorate it tonight. We are still doing some homes fixups so the house is a bit more cluttered than I'd prefer but oh well. I alos do the ornament per kid each year. I've been doing it since my first was born. Yes it can add up. I used to pick them out but now they pick out their own. Some years we make them, others I buy them. I usually like to keep it 5.00 or under though. I love the pictures of the boys, that is just soooo cute. My youngest misses daddy when he's at work. She has started calling him her buddy. It's very cute. Ok- off to mail the box to you. Tell me when you get it.

Susan

sagerats said...

At least they understand science! That was really cute!


Do you know horsefeathers? She makes and sells soap. That could be another great Christmas gift.


Blessings!

ccpeterson said...

That is soooo SWEET of your boys. I don't know why but that picture of the tire with the logs behind it just about brought tears to my eyes! Boys and their dad. It's such a special thing. My son is the same way with his dad. Daddy took the day off today and it was wonderful.

Thank you for sharing that pic. I'm going to have to show it to my hubby. :)

Charity

DiWilliams said...

That was just SO CUTE what your boys did to "trap" their daddy. My boys have done things like hide his car keys, but nothing so dramatic! ROFL

Lots of good ideas about Christmas ... I enjoyed reading. My Jesse's getting one of those pop guns, too!

Blessings ~ Diane

DandelionSeeds said...

Okay... the log thing is too funny! I have to show that to hubby!


Check back to my blog as well cuz I responded to your post, but didn't want people to wonder about it here... I'm trying to keep your "rep" clean. a;lsdkfja;lsdjfa;sljdf


In Him,

Amy

RainyDayMichele said...

I am LOVIN' the log trick to keep daddy home! WAY to cute.....once again...aren't little boys the absolute greatest??


I also like your hot wheel/toy ornament idea. Now who's the creative one?? Marsha, Marsha, Marsha I believe! :o) I should do that. We have lots. You know what's sad....Matt is the big hotwheel kid in our family and he has practically outgrown them. :( Kyle and Caden don't LOVE them like he did. BIG sigh.

4Blessings said...

I love the ornament idea. That will mean so much more to them. I 'm going to start looking around to find something I can use for ornaments for the kids. The boys can use a car , but I think the girls will want to use something else.


Your boys crack me up. My kids are always begging daddy to stay home and when he's at work they are constantly asking "Is it almost time for daddy to come home?" Cute!! Cute!!

Suzanne said...

...although I'd like to go back and read this. (We have yet to get our CHRISTmas tree "up" -- but it's "coming.") :-)


Thanks so much for your in-put regarding the public school 'show and tell' thing. ;-) Your thoughts (as well as those of kmills & jammie) are my inner-most feelings toward the whole thing. I think, if I could ever get up early enough... the waking early, getting dressed early, getting in the car, sitting still, scheduled potty-breaks and so forth would probably cure her of any doubts that she has about homeschooling.


Thanks again for the comments!

JenIG said...

your boys are the coolest.

!!!

i wish they were older. Can I put one on lay away for Coie? ha

brandyb said...

Thanks for the laugh today. I can totally picture my 2 little boys doing something like that. What a riot.

Anonymous said...

Love your blog. Looks like you all have a wonderful time together. What great ides you have too!