Count Down to Christmas...

Stacked on the front seat of my car is a large pile of Christmas cards just waiting for me to get to the post office when it is open, not incredibly packed and I am without kids. Only 2-3 more gifts to pick up, baked and exchanged cookies this weekend and finally got a Christmas tree (it is actually very pretty considering there were slim pickings 7 days before Christmas). Owen is bubbling with excitement about Santa coming. Yesterday morning in between the gym, tree picking and Joey's basketball practice we stopped at home which is pretty uncharacteristic of my "running-all-around-town-day" but thankfully we stopped to pick up Joe because Santa came through our neighborhood on the firetruck. Owen was out of his mind with excitement...funny thing-Joey was jumping up and down too even after his many I-am-too-cool-for-this-and-I-know-the-deal-about-santa looks this holiday season. Tonight both boys helped to decorate the tree...well half of the tree is decorated with my hideous LED lights and the one bin of ornaments the boys put up before Owen fell asleep on the floor and Joey became bored and went back to playing bey-blades. While it lasted...it was so nice, Joey telling a story about each of his favorite ornaments and Owen carefully unwrapping each ornament from its package asking first if it is fragile and then commenting about one of its features. "This is a red crane." "Its door opens. Look." Busy, fiddling with the stupid lights, not hearing his comments he tells me "Look in my eyes" and repeats exactly what he just told me. He does this in the car and gets frustrated with me when I can't turn around and look in his eyes. He doesn't care that I need to keep my eyes on the road. He is a trip. I am restless tonight, gearing up for the big week ahead...hence my blogging on a school night and actually typing, not just posting pictures because I feel obligated to get something up here. 90 students demanding my attention in 9 1/2 hours should be enough to get me to go to bed...

FALL

The first weekend in December and a flurry of activities...Owen's angel breakfast at St. Paul's Preschool, Joey's first basketball practice, Christmas shopping, painting the new sunroom, Christmas carols and Santa at the Chalfont Firehouse...I figure before I start posting winter pictures I better catch up on the fall. Some Updates---Joey likes 4th grade, had a fun but long football season and on the morning of his 10th birthday woke up with his first shiner (he ran into a tree when Trick-or-Treating)---Owen LOVES school, is a completely loveable stinker and is finally giving into the whole potty training thing (which I now need to take back after Joe interrupted this posting because Owen had peed on his side of the bed while watching a Barney video). Some Fall Moments--- Joey plays at the Linc., Eagles home opener, first day of school, cycling 175 miles, running 13.1, ongoing construction at Churchville, ongoing construction at home, costumes!, Girls in Lake Placid, Alex runs a marathon, first flight w/kids "t-shirt time", seeing the Gulf of Mexico, Houston & the Hutchins, Thanksgiving!!, Foot Spas...ahh-a new love...thanks Aunt Amy, Hello Newman...