Giant houses and mini cars, fast and fun

Christmas morning logan comes down the stairs boisterously cooing, "Ava  look at that giant doll house! its HUGE!"  Ava was in love as soon as she saw it.  Logan was not as easily impressed with his mini racer until he drove it outside.  The entire living room was overflowing with a surplus of presents.  Each kid including my nephew damien had their own wrapping paper.  My kids were all in different colored snow men and damien was in santa paper.  The kids all had a blast tearing through their presents while periodically stopping  to take things out of the package play and move on. The gets woke up at 7;25a.m.

All the grown ups were up till 3 wrapping building and organizing so that christmas would go off with perfection.

We put out cookies and chocolate milk for santa with the kids before bed.  We made reindeer food an sprawled it on the lawn and then the kids went to bed.  They actually went to bed in their own beds.  This might be the one night a year they actually do that.  Once they were asleep we went to work.  I had been staying up wrapping presents every night that week.  I had not slept for days.  The kids in bed we went to work like the elves that we are.  We even swept up the reindeer food and disposed of the cookies and milk. My mom got breakfast ready for the next day.  We worked and worked.  I set up the presents for the best possible display.  I had to set them up so that they had optimum appeal.  They needed to have to wow factor.  I needed to be able to feel the joy coming out of them that morning. 

The morning was a blast and the afternoon was even better.  We went outside and logan got to experience the true joy of his toy.  He tried to ride it inside to start but ended up in the dining room table.  He almost was over it but we got him back on it outside.  He never wants to get off of it and just rides around the cul de sac endlessly. 

I know that things will never make them happy but I love that I can make them feel special.  I love that one day they will be orchestrating christmas for their kids and think about how much we put into it and how much joy they remember having.  I know this might just sound silly but it is my purpose to do things that show them how special and amazing they are to me.  I have been told that I am an "alpha mom" and what not in negative ways but I am not ashamed.  I am the best mom to my kids that I can be.

consumer whore-ish

I have been on a constant search for christmas presents for my kids and family.  I need the right things to make sure they know i love them or believe in the fantasy or something along that line.  I also just have to admit I am a consumer whore. I know its not hip to want to but things for your kids and what not but what can I say.  I love it when they have the stuff that all the  other kids have or want, when other kids are jealous over what my kids have.  I also love the thrill of the hunt.  I enjoy getting good deals and finding the toys that are impossible to find like the ellusive zhu zhu pet. 

The thing is i have had a blast searching for zhu zhu pets and what not.  I have spent way too many hours in front of stores in line waiting for doors to open and a tv or cameras or zhu zhu pets to be doled out.  I have made fantastic memories with my mom and best friend.

We went to get the new four pack of zhu zhu pets because well at this point we needed them.  Ava said she just wanted the pink one and so we sat and waited and waited.  Annike, my mom and I waited starting at eleven p.m.  We got situated with our chairs and starbucks and scrabble.  Toys r us had been bombarding the world with advertisements for zhu zhu pets and the paper had just done an article on them that morning. So we were prepared for a long wait and a long line.  We were the line...so far.  we set up our blankets and drinks and peed before the store closed at midnight.  People kept passing us and asking why we were there and making whatever comments they needed.  Some of those were ncouragimg some were snide none of them mattered we were having fun.  We bundled up in our snugglies that we bought while waiting in front of target for black friday, our comforters piled on top of that.  My mom had her scarf covering her head like an old polish grandmother. 

We three all bundled played scrabble for the rest of the night.  We played a total of three scrabble games alternating who won.  I actually win a game.  I know dyslexic me actually won a game.  The wind kept blowing us and the pieces but we managed.  Annike obsessed over how I could park the van to block the wind, which I did after she tried.  It helped, a little, well at least it made us think we were warmer and not focus on the smell of the trash can next to us.  I never realized how competative Annike was.   We could of finished at least two more games if we timed my mom and her.  They would take so much time trying to configure the perfect word for the most amount of points.  There is something deeply satisfying about beating them when I just don't care as much.  We finished our last game as a weird well very odd woman walked up at about 3 am.  We knew that we would never actually get up in time so staying up was a better option for us and way more fun.  I wish that woman would of stayed home longer.  Shortly after her two people that were much more like well hipsters came up and rolled there eyes with us at her.  The line started to build and the humor started to flow.  the doors opened and we all got what we needed. 

The thing is I have friends that think I am just plain bananas for doing all of this.  I do it for so many reasons.  I don't have a lot of money and want to be able to give my kids everything they want.  I shop around and start early to stretch every dollar.  I live for that moment of them coming down the stairs on christmas morning and cheer joy and excitement overwhelming them.  I love the squeals of glee that they can't control.  I also got to spend time with my mom and best friend without children where we just got to be and play and talk together.  It was fun, so if that makes me a consumer whore like the man driving around toys r us screamed st us from is van then fine I will whore it up next year too!

blog post

sorry i have been so busy lately but i have almost six blogs I need to finish and post and will soon.  The holidays have been a lot.