Christmas Preparations

As I mentioned in my last Random Monday post, I really just don't feel like decorating for Christmas this year.  First of all, I'm 6 months pregnant and I feel like my body is falling apart.  The short time between Star's birth and getting pregnant again didn't leave me much time to recover from last time so I'm in rough shape.  The idea of dragging the Christmas tree and decorations out is really not appealing.  Secondly, I have a mobile, energetic, curious 14 month old.  'Nuff said.  Thirdly, I really thought that I would be decorating my own house for Christmas this year, but we're still in our cramped apartment which is kind of a downer right now.  But I'm not so Scroogish that I don't want to celebrate at all.  I love listening to Christmas music and seeing Christmas lights when we're out.  I love seeing Christmas decor and drinking eggnog.  I love picking out Christmas gifts and wrapping presents. 

So here's my compromise on the Christmas decorating.  I'm hanging up the stockings, a garland, and lights on the curtain rod above the sliding glass doors.  The wrapped gifts will go on the top of the fireplace (I don't hang our stockings on the fireplace because the kids can reach them to pull them down) and I'm making this Christmas tree to put on our sliding glass door which will double as a fun activity for the kids.  Scrooge or awesome mom?  You decide.

I finally got around to taking a picture for and ordering our Christmas cards yesterday.  This is the best picture I got out of around 20.  Newly walking Star absolutely wouldn't stay put and kept sitting down or walking away.  Hubby finally got her to stay put by distracting her by making silly faces behind me while I snapped pictures, but by that time, the other two kids were done and none of those pictures turned out at. all.  If you recall, last year's Christmas card featured a crying Star so I guess this is an improvement, right?  BTW, Little Man's big cheesy grin totally cracks me up every time I look at him.     

As far as presents go, I'm done shopping.  I got most of the gifts on Zulily in the fall so just had a few left after that.  Pretty painless and I came in under budget thanks to the awesome deals on Zulily.  Christmas baking is coming along pretty well too, especially considering that I didn't do any last year.  Today, I knocked out 2 batches of frosted sugar cookies, 1 batch of fudge, and 1 batch of Mexican Wedding Cakes.  And by knocked out, I mean I made them, not ate them although the temptation was there. 

Just for fun, here are the kids' Christmas wish lists this year.  I gotta be honest with you...I'm done shopping for them and nothing I got them is on their lists, but I know they'll be thrilled with their gifts anyways :)  Besides, as you can see, these kids aim expensive high.

Princess's Christmas Wish List
Pink seahorse (Star has a blue one like this and the 2 older kids swiped it and fight over it all the time, thus Princess wants her own now and she wants a pink one of course, because pink is obviously the best)

Ballet costume with ballet shoes (Obviously, the many ballet costumes and shoes she already owns are no longer good enough)

Unicorns (Ummm....she wouldn't give me clarification on this one, but the answer is no anyways)

A real horse (Hubby calls horses hay burners and there's no way he'd ever buy one in a million years.  Keep dreaming, honey)


Little Man's Christmas Wish List
Combine (Little Man went with Hubby to the John Deere store, saw a huge toy combine and fell in love.  He's been raving about it ever since) 

"Veeler" drive (4 wheel drive tractor.  Also seen at the John Deere store)

A real combine  (HAHAHAHAHA!!!!  No.)


Star's Christmas Wish List
Baby food pouches (seriously, she eats 2 of them in one sitting for a snack and absolutely LOVES them)

More milk.  Always more milk.

For her older siblings to quit stealing her toys (like the aforementioned misappropriated seahorse)


What's on your kids' Christmas wish lists this year?