Chin up, tongue out, legs straight and GOOOOO!

Watch this video to see what I mean:

Will got a Wii for Christmas from his grandma and grandpa Taylo. He loves it. especially the sports games. We are limiting the use of this puppy so he doesn't become some crazy gamer locked in their room for hours at end. My favorite part of this video is when he extends his legs and THROWS back his arms. By the way, he's playing the ski jump game and he was going for a record. he is so darn serious about this sort of stuff. I wonder where he gets that from!

In other news...I am sitting in my leopard print Snuggie typing away here tonight stuffed to the brim on these babies: CakeBalls I used a chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting and then dipped them in white chocolate. Mine aren't quite as pretty but i had 4 little hands helping and seven hungry tummies waiting to be fed dessert. We do what we can! The Cake Balls are delicious. and if you want fun ideas for baking (yes...you Mara) head on over. You'll never leave this blog!

If you could make two recipes right now...

These should be them: 

Pioneer Woman's cinnamon rolls

& her Macaroni and cheese

be very prepared to make 7 of your friends dreams come true as you magically appear with cinnamon rolls on their doorsteps because this recipe makes a TON of gooey, sweet goodness.  And the maple frosting...I have to admit i thought twice about that maple frosting.  with coffee in it?  EWWW but,,,I'm a BELIEVER in coffee flavored maple frosting (it really tastes nothing like coffee).  I also made a standard powdered sugar frosting just in case.  This worked great for dipping sugar cookies in.  Yep.  I'm resourceful!  plus I don't like anything to go to waste.

And the mac and chz.  not your standard Kraft version here.  The cheeses she recommends are perfect.  but feel free to throw in any cheese you have.  I put cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and some white cheese into a batch.  the white cheese could have been jack, maybe mozzarella, maybe it was spoiled.  I don't know.  It was delicious with onions and bacon though! 

ps.  my mom (who should have her own cookbook because she's an awesome cook. oh and she sews too and she gardens and grows the biggest, prettiest roses and dahlias on the block, and she runs with me too and the lady at macy's says she has the most gorgeous skin ever.  I'm not kidding.  Don't hate her...she's my mom! ) got me the Pioneer Woman cook book for xmas.  Perfect gift for all people women (even those that don't cook).  she's hilarious and gives step-by-step pictures all along the way.  Even me who never follows a recipe as to keep up.  Love it!

Merry Christmas 2009!

One of my favorite times of the year is Christmas.  This year was especially fun with Will totally "getting it".   

The kids set out milk and cookies for Santa.  

one last snuggle for mommy and daddy before trying to go to bed.  this was more difficult than it should have been.  Took the kids over 45 mins to get to fall asleep.
Addison woke up to see a new hairdresser set up for her.  Right down to the belt, the scissors and the stand.  I have a feeling this will be the subject of many pictures to come.  

Will found a marble machine underneath the tree.  That Santa...he knows how to deliver.  Will has been asking for a marble machine since this summer.  
her necklace was a gift from Will.
my future doctor.  he saw this book at Costco a few months back and added it to his list.  
Addison has a whole new line up of princess dress up clothes.  
And a handmade kitchen from Papa.  

Merry Christmas (minus Addi who was busy baking and styling hair)

Selena...this one's for you!

30 in 30 is TOUGH!  Rob returned home from his whirlwind travel schedule just in time to head out to a Christmas Party.  The 8th Annual White Elephant gift exchange hosted by Uncle Stan and Aunt Krista.  They dressed up this year...it was like Christmas meets Halloween and they were super cute.  My advice at White elephant gift parties, steal first, tree second.  I got lucky, high number so there were choices available.  I went for steal first, then that gift got stolen, so then I had to head to the tree.  I always think, don't go to the tree unless you have to.  Thanksfully, Rob was just a number behind me and we were able to steal our way to gift perfection!  While I may be gloating, it is much deserved.  Two years ago, I came home with a old person chair for the toilet.  One of those 'throe' type things that make it easy to get off and on.  The year after, rocks in a box.  Seriously, I have been TAKEN on these games so I was happy to report at least one good gift this year..... Drumroll please.....

Yep!  A SNUGGIE.  Silly thing is...it was the gift I brought!  Ha! Take that white elephant gift party!  Can't wait until next year....

Looking back

I'm still trying to keep up with Erin with 30 posts in 30 days. I leave next week for New York with my favorite high school friends (or students...whatever) so that should be interesting.  I casually asked Rob to fill in to which he plainly and bluntly said "no".  Alright then.  In my effort to keep up, I'm also trying to please my sister who has informed me that there is way to much crafting going on.  so, without being able to talk about crafty things, and the impending thought of packing for a trip in 20 degree weather (which is acutally about what the temperature is like here  right now)...I took a trip down memory lane.  This usually happens when Rob is out of town, the house is finally quiet and I am munching away on food (chips and cheese tonight.)  

Here my friends, are the last 5  Christmas seasons.  Where does the time go?

here is Will in 2004.  just nine months old.  I loved these pjs because they had the little button down hole in the back.  They were waffle material and so cozy.  I remember he was crawling everywhere about this tim and pulling himself up.  He would start walking right around Christmas day this year.  

and in 2005, he looked like this:

Cute as a button with blue eyes to die for.  But don't let them fool you.  He was a little handful back then, so sweet but so mischievous.

And then in 2006, we doubled to look like this:

Will is the best big brother ever and was overly protective of Addi even back then.  I remember that i bought these pjs on the shoping trip from hell during the after Thanksgiving sale at the outlet stores.  The trip involved a fight over a parking spot and midnight shopping.  it was odd.  
I'm happy to report that I do not have that pudgy of a face anymore.
When this little gal came into our lives we laughed more!  Her smile is infectious.  

2007 looked like this.  I'll admit, these weren't the best months for Addison's hair.  She had a sort of mullet that at the time I thought was cute.  I'm rethinking that thought and am positive she will hate this photo later in life.  

2008 looked like this:

And while I was just getting used to sleeping again for longer than 2 hours at a time this year, I don't think that is any excuse to forget how CUTE these kids are.  

Oh Christmas Tree!

Could not have ASKED for a better day yesterday to go get our tree.  What is with this weather?!  Sun is shining and if it wasn't 32 degrees outside, I might venture out to do some yard work or something.  

This year, as in every year past that I can remember, the ENTIRE Hawkins clan suited up for Tree cutting cheer.  We explored a new tree farm this year with reindeer, santa, turkeys, ducks, and free hot chocolate (free is not a common word at u-cut tree farms around here...).  We had so much fun.  

We are happy, happy, happy to be cutting out tree down.

 

Rob is confused, confused, confused because no one can make up their mind about whether or not we like this tree.  Turns out we didn't.

because we liked this one.  Let me add here that Will got to pick the tree out.  At first he want a bushy one, douglas firs I think.  I cringed.  Ornaments never stay on these kind of trees, plus they are too big for the little corner carved out just for our tree.  So when Rob was down there, ready to cut, i was slightly sad.  and then Will yelled "STOP!" and i secretly smiled.  YEAH  a tree with holes and sturdy branches.  Maybe Will and I can read minds...

Rob is now happy, happy, happy again because we are 99.9% sure this is the ONE.

And here is Will seeing Santa for the second time.  Today at the mall, when we saw another Santa, Will was like "no mom...I think he's got it already..."  He's so sweet and innocent here.  Asking Santa about where he should leave the cookies and whether or not Santa will make it to Nana and Papa's house

It was even nice enough for a family photo

Here is the finished product, set with presents and everything.  Last year, Will helped wrap presents and for some reason I thought he may forget that little bit.  As he was delivering wrapped gifts to the tree, he asked how many were left for him to wrap...that means one of two things.  I have to go buy more gifts for him to wrap, or I unwrap a few under there and let him give it a go.  So much for planning ahead!

And just because, here's our front windows with ornament wreaths!  

30 posts in 30 days

today was a big day, lots of holiday cheer.  So much, that I'm pooped! Pictures of trees and decorating later.  I'll tell you all that we are definetely in the holiday spirit around here!

Daddy comes home!

Rob's been gone for over a week now and just got home today.  you wondered why i had so much crafty time on my hands...well, with no one to talk to beyond 8pm, I start to think that the world needs more ornament wreaths.  And with out a sane mind to talk me out of it, I find myself creating enough wreaths for everyone.  

whatever the case, Rob is home and that meant for me, that i did not have to do bed time tonight.  Nope, just gave a few kisses, a hug here an there, and sat down at the computer to work on the world's longest paper due next week.  And I got to listen to someone else put the kids to bed.  After a week, kind of music to my ears...

With Rob gone, we have major Christmas activity to catch up on this weekend including Zoo Lights, Tree hunting, city tree lighting (saturday for those of you who want to come) and wrapping presents.  We spent some time at Target tonight and now I want to also add making one of these:

to my list as well as this:

although I want the above one to be made out of ornaments.  the tiny ones at the Dollar Store.  My only concern is that there are none left.  That would be tragic.  

I'm tired.

So tired that I want to go to bed right now.  except that i am fighting with a printer desperately trying to print labels for Christmas cards, listening to a little girl cry herself to sleep (she does this every night do not be alarmed) and wanting to watch four hours of tivo-d televison including the housewifes of orange county because this is the episode where on of them gets evicted.  that in itself is not very nice, but considering it happens to someone who has no concept of money and throws around her fake boobs...well I consider it quality tv.  

plus I've made two more ornament wreaths because i have enough ornaments to fill the whitehouse tree and don't know what else to do with them.  If you are like my friend Mara and want to try out this project, waste no time and head straight to the Dollar Store.  Do NOT be lured by glittery ads and 50% off coupons.  DS is the only place to go.  

So for tonight, because I am trying to keep up with my other friend (i only have 2) erin, here is a video of Addison singing.  If you haven't seen the movie yet, rent Enchanted.  It is lovely and we watch it all the time.  This is Addison's version:

and here is the real version:

don't you just want to run out and be friends with Amy Adams? I'd ask her all sorts of questions particularly how she got her hair like that and how she stays so damn cute!

Buried in holiday decor!

It's been a crafty holiday already around this place.   What...with following 135 different blogs via my handy Google Reader (which I LOVE) how can I not have a dozen projects that I want to do (or copy from someone else).  I saw this wreath

EVERYWHERE in blogland back in November, clearly the must make item for the holiday season.  As far as I can gather, it originates with here, with Eddie Ross.  Someone with whom I was not familiar with as of a week ago.  Visit his site and you will know why I wish we could be neighbors and we could do crafts together while sipping mimosas...but really...I must give credit here  because this is where I first found the wreath 

When I saw it, I knew I had to make it because the ones at Pottery Barn are like $60 dollars and knowing my luck, will break in a year.  So...I headed to the dollar store.  And like a mad woman who has lost her glue gun I went CRAZY. I don't have a picture that shows you just how many containers of plastic ornaments that I bought, but it was a lot.  At one point a woman walked by while I was sitting on the floor mapping out my wreath (i was originally going to make just one...) and she gave me that *sigh* like "you are crazy to be sitting on the floor at the Dollar Store let alone buying every single silver ornament".  But then...I went back!  Back!  on get this...Thanksgiving Day.  I thought Rob was going to die.  Here I had him take me to the Dollar Store before the blessed turkey dinner.  Oh the irony!  and then...I went back again, again, and again.  5 times.  I think it could actually be six times, but I can only find 5 receipts and so I just say 5.  At this point in my life, I am literally having to find routes AROUND the Dollar Store so that I don't get sucked in looking for more ornaments.  and lets just say, even at $1, you can still spend a lot of money at the Dollar Store!  (i have the receipts to prove it!)

So how did this all go down...  Like Chris from 'Just a Girl' I started with a color scheme.  I too wanted to purple, blue, green, silver color combination.  In total, I used 75 ornaments on one wreath.  It doesn't seem like that many until you really start counting.  Good news is that equals roughly $8 in Dollar Store language (yee-haw!).  The break down was as follows:

• 2, 15 count small silver ornaments
• 8, 5 count larger ornaments in a variety of colors
• 2, 12 count packs of glittery ornaments
• 2, 7 count packs of silver ornaments 
  

I also had to find a wire hanger from a friend and I bought a $1 spool of ribbon - guess where from???  

Then, I unwrapped all of the containers and had all of the ornaments in front of me.  It looked something like this:

Then, I hot glued every single top to the ornament.  Every single one. When they dried, i cut the string off (the string was helpful in getting the top off which is why I left it on until the glue was dry).

Then, I fought with a wire hanger for an hour trying to get it into a circle.  This is an important step that under normal circumstances, I would have skipped because I lack all patience.  BUT.  I wanted a circle and I was willing to fight for it.  I would recommend that you really position the top well so that you can easily un-hook and hook the two ends together.  

Then you just start threading the ornaments onto the hanger.  I found that it went best with a 3 large, 5 small rotation.  You want it tight, but not too tight.  Remember that these ornaments are from the dollar store (funny story, on one of my many trips to the dollar store i picked up the ugliest christmas decoration i have ever seen and said out loud, but to myself, 'that is the ugliest thing i have ever seen'.  Well, I said it loud enough for someone to hear to which they responded...'you are in the dollar store..."  True.  Take care when stringing plastic balls...they break!)  As you work your way around, just keep fitting the pieces together like a puzzle.  Somehow it ends up working itself out.  

The hardest part of the whole process is joining the two ends.  Because it's tight, the ornaments pop off when the plastic part snaps.  It's terribly frustrating because you are convinced that your perfect pattern will be ruined.  Rest assured it won't.  I made 6 of these things thus far and you can not tell that plastic balls popped off.  

Last step, string some ribbon, I used an entire roll from D.S. of wire ribbon to string each of my wreaths.  I like the hanging look in front of the windows so a lot of ribbon worked.  You could shorten it up too.  

Here is the finished product...or at least one of them.  

There are 3 up in the windows now and one on the door.  But it's late and my camera doesn't like night time so I will wait for a better picture tomorrow.  I also made one for my mother, have another sitting on the table looking for a new home and enough balls glued to make another.  

I love them.  and because of that, I think you should all run out and try the project yourself.  I do however recommend that you stay away from the Dollar Store near Cedar Hills because I have cleaned that place out.  No silver balls to be found-not that I'd know...

Here's what pictures look like when a 3 year old takes them...

I'm not positive that photographer should be added to Addison's "I want to be _____ when I grow up list"

she catches  her brother putting in some miles on the treadmill...

and daddy posing...

mommy working....

starbucks bag on the computer....

and a self portrait!

ps...trying to keep up with erin here with 30 posts in 30 days.  Possible...I don't know.  I think i tried this last year and failed!