Not sure why I have fallen out of the habit of blogging, but it is probably because my computer is downstairs and Shawn's is upstairs and I usually spend my evenings in his room with him instead of down here on my computer.  Oh well!

 

Regardless, here is a short Christmas update from yours truly...

 

Christmas was good, we stayed home again this year (2nd year in a row that we didn't trek up to Cincy for it).  Quiet, relaxing, didn't change out of our PJs all day long.  We set the kids up with our old guest bed mattress on the floor in front of the Christmas tree downstairs, to "wait for Santa".  This was so we could work upstairs on Colleen's room.  For several days leading up to Christmas, I'd been taking presents upstairs and stashing them in Shawn's computer room.  Santa ended up leaving all of his presents under the Christmas tree upstairs, which really helped minimize the chance of us getting caught.  Our kids are light sleepers.  We have a house alarm, but we are also a tad on the careful side, when we got to sleep, we slept downstairs with them.  Me on the mattress on the floor and Shawn on the couch (grumble... lucky guy... grumble).

 

Timeline: Wes was asleep by 11:45-midnight.  Colleen has more staying power, she held out to see Santa until 1am.  Put a serious dent in our ablitly to get any sleep.  Starting at 1am we cleared her room out of her old things, Shawn assembled her bed while I put the Santa presents under the upstairs tree and then started arranging the new accessories in Colleen's room.  Shawn put together her new dollhouse shaped bookcase as well, then left me to finish arranging and tidying up while he went out to the garage and finished assembling her new bike and Wesley's new power wheels car.  Everything was said and done, Colleen's bike made it to "under" the tree downstairs with out a problem.  It was 5:30am and we were carrying Wes' huge power wheels car in when Shawn heard a rustle.  He motioned for me to put the car down and hide.  We had no sooner distanced ourselves from the car, which was sitting halfway between the family room and the living room (where the kids and tree were) when we heard both of the kids talking.  Wes was very excited that Santa came (guess he saw Coco's bike).  Colleen was trying to shush him, to tell him that it was not "purple sunshine" (dawn, when the kids are allowed to come out of their room and come snuggle with us in our bed).  She too was excited that Santa came and you could hear the wonder in their voices, but she was remarkably mature about waking up and knowing it was too early.  Shawn and I were listening with huge smiles on our faces when suddenly Wes got spooked, I think from waking up downstairs instead of in his familiar room, and Shawn starts rushing to get his jeans and shoes off so that it would appear like he was sleeping.  Thank goodness I had changed about 10 minutes earlier into my PJs.  Both kids start calling out for us and we were able to answer with sleepy, just-woke-up voices.  I don't think they suspected, although Colleen did confront me with eating Santa's cookies.  Turns out she did see that part.  I told her that Santa didn't eat all of them because he was so full from the cookes at all the children's houses, and I was hungry so I took a few after he had gone.  She gave me this look like "Lady, do you think I was born yesterday" and I totally felt like I was a teenager and she just caught me sneaking in after curfew.

 

All of us have been fighting a head cold, so since the kids were up and sniffling, I gave them each a dose of their night-time cold medicine again and we all quickly looked at the bike and the car.  Then Shawn headed over to the couch and I snuggled with the kids on the full size mattress.  We were all asleep within seconds and didn't wake up again until after 10am.  We opened the downstairs presents, which were all from family and friends, plus the bike and car.  Then we ate breakfast and called my parents.  After that we put in Colleen's new Barbie as the Island Princess dvd and we all took a nap.  Eventually there was an excuse to go upstairs and Colleen went first.  All of a sudden you hear her yelling that there are more presents upstairs.  We barely make it up in time to hear her go into her room.  Her reaction was priceless.  I can't remember verbatim what she said, but it was something along the lines of "I must have been a REALLY good girl this year!".  She loves her new princess room.  Wes got an eyeful of Colleen's room and ran to check his out, he couldn't wait to see the new room Santa gave him.  Except... all Santa did to Wesley's room was to use it for a dump for toys of Colleen's that didn't fit in her new room.  He looked crestfallen.  Poor guy! 

 

We distracted him by opening the presents upstairs.  True to my word, they got very few toys from us.  Wes got all kinds of potty training things... underwear, books, cushy toilet rings that keep little behinds from falling in, step stools, etc.  He also got a few more characters to add to his Disney Cars collection and a neat carrying case.  Colleen got lots of books (she is a beginning reader now and loves it!).  They both got lots of clothes and a few new warm blankets.  We also got some neat Christmas tree ornaments.  Hallmark had a wonderful selection that really seemed to fit our family this year.  I went a smidge overboard with them, but they were all so neat!

 

Shawn got his present early this year, the Saturday before Christmas.  I couldn't wait any longer and instead of blowing it by slipping and saying what it was, I decided just to go ahead and let him see for himself.  :)  I got him an Artist Proof Glicee of his favorite painting.  He was thrilled!  He gave me a beautiful digital picture frame with about 500 pictures loaded.  He hand picked them from the thousands we have, showcasing my favorite memories.  He even found a way to convert the digital pictures from when we were first together 1997-1998 time frame, from a format that I don't think is even used anymore!  It was so funny to see us looking so YOUNG.  He also got me a certificate for some massages from a place right down the street.  I'm really looking forward to using that!  The frame was such a sweet gesture, I plan on keeping it on the kitchen counter.  The kids love to watch it, they call it the little TV.  They announce when the pictures of them as newborns come up, they shout out family members' names when pictures of them show up.  It is really cute. 

 

Check out the photo album, Christmas 2007 for some pics of the kids with their presents and our decorations.  I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday!  Let's all get through New Year's safe and sound!

 

Love, Jen

Merry Christmas!

 

One day when I get some spare time again, I'll write a nice long update and what not.  Until then, I hope you are all well.  Have a terrific holiday and say Hello to Santa when you see him! 

 

Love, Jen

...is what Colleen is allergic to.  She had her "scratch test" yesterday and they tested for 80 common allergins.  Colleen tested positive for 79 of them.  She is negative for Cockleburs (????) so feel free to gift her with those.  LOL

 

It reaffirmed that the cats have to go, no ifs ands or buts.  Neither of the craigslist responses panned out. :(

 

OK I've got to go, it is time to get Coco to preschool and Shawn to work.  If I get a chance I'll write out all the food she is allergic to.  It is pretty much (say it with me, folks) EVERYTHING.

 

Poor kid.

I've had two email inquiries about the cats from Craigs List.  Hopefully one of them pans out.  I replied to both of them with the same list of questions and attached two pictures of each cat.  So far no response to my response.

 

Colleen is on the final leg of her prednisone taper - 2.5cc for 4 days.  Then she is off of it, and although I expect the fancy-pantsy allergy medicine will continue to help somewhat, I predict that her ezcema will be back in full effect within a week, two weeks tops, after her last dose of prednisone.

 

It is hard though, her skin looks more clear than it EVER has.  It is easy to pretend that she is "cured" and that we can keep the cats. 

 

We see the allergist tomorrow afternoon.  I'm not agreeing to give the cats away until after that consult.  Most likely, the cats are still going to have to go.  I know this.  I guess I just need to hear it from one more doctor.  *sigh*

 

-Jen