FISCHER CHRISTMAS

The kids & I hitched a ride with my sister on Friday & were able to spend a few days with my family before Scott came to get us & celebrate Christmas on Sunday.

On Friday night, we ordered pizza & played games at my parent's house. My grandmother joined us & we were able to visit with her awhile.

On Saturday, mom & I shopped for a bit then Dad ran the kids & me to Kim & Michael's house. We hung out there for awhile before Kim & I hit the mall & Target for some bargains. Scott joined us that night after a very long trip. The roads got bad while he was on his way. I couldn't wait for him to walk through the door.

On Sunday, we celebrated Christmas. We had a wonderful brunch at Kim & Michael's. Everyone pitched in and made food. We opened gifts & played a fun present game that the kids love. We had a wonderful time! On the way home, we stopped by a mall so that the kids could pick out something since they had money burning a hole in their pocket. We also ate at our favorite restaurant, Granite City before heading home. I was ready to get home!


I spent yesterday taking down Christmas decorations, doing laundry & running the vac. Today I hope to finish cleaning & organize the kid's rooms. I'd love to tackle other closets, cupboards & drawers too...we'll see! No plans for NY Eve & looks like football watching on NY Day.


Jake & Drew
Nana, Papa & their grandkids (Ben, Allie, Jake, Maddie & Drew)
The cousins (Drew, Maddie, Jake, Allie & Ben)
My family

The whole Fischer clan: (front) Jake, Ben, Allie (middle) Drew, Kim, Mom, Me, Mandy & Maddie (back) Michael, Mike, Will, Dad, Scott

Allie & her new toy
Me & Al

Michael & Al

Kim & Al

CHRISTMAS EVE & CHRISTMAS DAY

We had a fabulous Christmas! We spent Christmas Eve here at home, just the four of us. It was really nice. We had a delicious steak dinner, watched Elf & got ready for Santa's arrival. We read our usual Christmas stories & left milk & cookies out for the big guy.

The kids woke up shortly before 7:00 ready to see what they got. The had stockings filled to the brim & lots of other things left under the tree by Santa. Jake got his IPOD & his video games that he asked for. Allie got her easel & blendy pens that she wanted. Both got lots of other things from Santa as well.

After looking over Santa's gifts, we opened gifts from each other. I got my pink IPOD from the kids & Scott. I love it. The kids also made some really neat ornaments at school for me. The kids got lots of new clothes & a few other things from us. They also exchanged gift between each other & loved what the other one picked out.

Once gifts were over, we had a brunch & waited for my sister, her kids & my parents to arrive. We had munchies/snacks with them & played lots of board games & some video games too. It was a great day!

The day after Christmas, the girls went bargain shopping while Papa stayed home with the kids. Once we were done shopping, the kids & I hopped into Mandy's car & rode back to my parent's house to spend some time with them until our family Christmas on Sunday. I'll post about the weekend later.

Jake with the ball that Allie got him.

Allie with the new Barbies that Jake got her.

Our stocking are filled

Here's the stash that Santa left. He tends to go a bit overboard!

The kids leaving cookies out for Santa.

The kids by the tree.

Jake frosting cookies on Xmas Eve.

Allie with Santa (Jake refused to sit with Santa).

12 DAYS OF DECEMBER

The kid's music teacher taught the kids a new version of the 12 Days of Christmas. They sang it at an all school sing along last week. The entire school was really into it & it was SO cute. Here are the words starting at day 12 (to the tune of the the 12 Days of Christmas).

On the 12th day of December a student said to me:
Bet your gonna miss me.
Will we watch a movie?
I forgot my homework.
He threw a snowball.
There's a snowstorm coming.
School should be cancelled.
Will we get out early?
Is it recess yet?
Dr. Reid is coming.
Am I in trouble?
I lost my mitten...
and when is the class party?

FAIRFIELD CHRISTMAS

We went to Fairfield to visit Scott's family & celebrate Christmas. We drove through a blizzard to get there & the roads were awful. We had a nice time catching up with his sisters from Texas & Kansas, we don't get to see them except once year or so. The kids enjoyed playing with their cousins too. We stayed up too late, ate great food, had good conversations & an overall nice time.

The kids playing with a gift Jake received (Nerf Dart Tag)
Alex, Jake & Lucas

Maddie & Allie

SANTA?


I am pretty sure that Jake's doesn't believe in Santa anymore. He refused to sit with Santa & get his picture taken. He reluctantly wrote him a letter & we mailed it at the mall. Today, he got a reply to his letter...he rolled his eyes & grinned slyly as he read it. He said "yea, right it came from the North Pole".

Why does he have to grow up??

I HATE SNOW!

Yes, I hate snow. I know, I live in Iowa...get over it! I can't. We got (unofficially) about 12 inches of snow from about 10 pm last night to 7 am this morning. Snow ruins fun. No school on the last day before our holiday break. No holiday party for the kids. No "see you next year" jokes from the kids as they leave. No caroling at the hospital for Allie's class. No frosting gingerbread cookies at school. No fun!

Did I mention I hate snow?? I hear more is coming tomorrow, then comes wind with "ground like blizzards". What the heck? When did I move from Iowa to the North Pole?

TRADITIONS

As Allie & were putting up our Christmas decorations, I started thinking about traditions. We have lots of traditions in our family. Some are new & started when the kids were born. Others date back many years to my childhood or even further. Here are some of my favorite Christmas traditions:

• Putting up our Christmas trees and other decorations on or a day before Thanksgiving.
• The gold angels that float when the candles below are lit. This was always on my grandma Marge's desk when I was a child. Several years back, she passed it onto me to share with my children.
• Reading Twas the Night Before Christmas to my kids before bed on Christmas Eve.
• Black Friday shopping with Mandy & Kim. Oh what fun we have!
• Enormous stocking for Santa fill. My mom quilted the stockings for us. They are beautiful. The oversized stocking came from Scott's childhood.
• Waking up on Christmas morning in my bed & waiting for the kids to wake up & see what Santa left for them. They have TONS of unwrapped gifts waiting under the tree from Santa. They also have a few from us.
• The star on top of my Christmas tree. Jake picked this out when he was about 2. It isn't pretty, but I love it.
• Watching Elf & A Christmas Story with the kids.
• Reading the kids Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree. My mom read that book to me when I was little.
• My sentimental tree. I have ornaments that the kids made over the year, I have ornaments that adorned my mom's tree when I was growing up & even a few from my grandmother's tree. I love that tree!
• My Hallmark ornaments. I have the "mom" ornament from every year since I became a mom. I also have TONS of Wizard of Oz ornaments and many other.
• I love all of the holiday baking that I do. Many of the recipes are ones that my mom used to make for us & many came from my grandmother, aunts or other relatives over the years.
• Setting cookies out for Santa on my plate that reads "Cookies for Santa" and leaving him milk in my mug that reads "Cocoa for Santa". What a great gift from my dear friend Cris.
• My Christmas CD's. We play them when we bake.
• I love my white ceramic tree with the colored bulbs. My mom & most of my aunts had similar ones in their houses as I grew up. I knew I wanted one for my kids to love too. My grandma Dot gave me one for my bridal shower. I love that thing & now my kids do too!
• Appetizers on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day & watching a Christmas movie together.
• The old broken Rudolph stuffed toy & Santa candle. Those were always on the end table at my mom's house. She says they were from her childhood. Mom told me she is ready to hand those down to me this year! I can't wait!!
• Opening just 1 gift on Christmas Eve (usually the kids open their new PJ's).
• Steak & shrimp either on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.
• Being with family. We usually spend Christmas Eve/Day here at our house & we really enjoy that. Sometimes my parents or siblings join us, other times it is just us. We travel to our extended family the weekend before & the weekend after to celebrate Christmas too.

I am glad I am able to share these traditions, old and new, with my children. I can't wait to see what traditions they continue with their families & the new things they add!

TOYS FOR TOTS

Jake & his friend Paul had a joint b-day party last weekend at the UNI pool (Paul's b-day is in October & Jake's in January). They were allowed to invite about 40-50 kids (capacity of the pool). They opted to donate their gifts to Toys for Tots. I was pretty proud of them!

Jake & a couple of the guys.
Jake & Paul with their donations.

The whole group!

PERSUASIVE LETTER

Jake had to write a persuasive letter to me. Here it is:

Dear Mom and Dad,

I know you think I'm a very cool third grader. Do you know what would make me even cooler? An i-pod.

I need an i-pod, do you know why? Do you know how loud my CD player is? An i-pod is silent. It comes with headphones so I can only hear my music. I can also download my music for less money than buying a CD. Did you know you can put math games on an i-pod? I can get better at math facts. An i-pod can keep me busy in the car on long trips. Don't forget, my MP3 player is broken, an i-pod can replace it.

If you buy me an i-pod, I will take good care of it. I'll share it with my sister. I will always ask permission to use my i-pod. I will keep the volume low so I don't ruin my hearing. I will help pay for the music and games we download.

Thank you for considering this. I would really like an i-pod.

Love,
Jacob Grinstead

SANTA LETTERS

The kids wrote their Santa letters today. Here they are...copied JUST like they wrote them. If you think like a 1st grader, you will be able to read Allie's...also HSM stands for High School Musical and HM stands for Hannah Montana...again think like a 1st grader.:


Dear Santa,

I would like for christmis:

1. an esill
2. blendy pens
3. HSM prom dalls
4. the pink flying pone
5. HM been bags
6. my famlly to have a good christmis

Love,

Allie

Dear Santa,

I would like an i-pod nano or a i-pod touch and I would like Madden 09, NCAA 09, FIFA 09 and NHL 09. I sometimes treated people unfairly, but I've been fine.

Love,

Jacob T. Grinstead

HALF WAY THERE

Jake & I were talking this morning about his upcoming 9th birthday in January. He was talking about how soon he'll be a teenager (GOD) and about how when he's 10, he won't be 1 number anymore. Out of no where, he looked at me and said "When I turn 9, I'm half way to being a grown up". OUCH!! He's right, he'll be halfway to 18 years old! Where did the time go??? And why can't it slow down????

DEAR SANTA

I got this from my sister in law & think it is too funny not to share!

Dear Santa,

I've been a good mom all year. I've fed, cleaned and cuddled my children on demand, visited the doctor's office more than my own doctor, sold sixty-two cases of candy bars to raise money to plant a shade tree on the school playground. I was hoping you could spread my list out -- over several Christmases. Since I had to write this letter with my son's red crayon, on the back of a receipt in the laundry room between cycles; and who knows when I'll find any more free time in the next 18 years, so now - - *** Here are my Christmas wishes ***

* I'd like a pair of legs that don't ache (-in any color, except purple, which I already have) and arms that don't hurt or flap in the breeze; but are strong enough to pull my screaming child out of the candy aisle in the grocery store.

* I'd also like a waist, since I lost mine somewhere in the seventh month of my last pregnancy.

* If you're hauling big-ticket items this year, I'd like fingerprint resistant windows and a radio that only plays adult music; a television that doesn't broadcast any programs containing talking animals; and a refrigerator with a secret compartment behind the crisper where I can hide to talk on the phone.

* On the practical side, I could use a talking doll that says, 'Yes, Mommy' to boost my parental confidence, along with two kids who don't fight and three pairs of jeans that will zip all the way up without the use of power tools.

* I could also use a recording of Tibetan monks chanting, 'Don't eat in the living room' and 'Take your hands off your brother,' because my voice seems to be just out of my children's hearing range and can only be heard by the dog.

*If it's too late to find any of these products, I'd settle for enough time to brush my teeth and comb my hair in the same morning, or the luxury of eating food warmer than room temperature without it being served in a Styrofoam container.

*If you don't mind, I could also use a few miracles to brighten the holiday season. Would it be too much trouble to declare ketchup a vegetable? It will clear my conscience immensely.

*It would be helpful if you could coerce my children to help around the house without demanding payment as if they were the bosses of an organized crime family.

Well, the buzzer on the dryer is ringing, and my son saw my feet under the laundry room door. I think he wants his red crayon back.

Have a safe trip Santa, and remember to leave your wet boots by the door, and come in and dry off, so you don't catch cold. Help yourself to cookies on the table, but don't eat too many or leave crumbs on the carpet.

Yours always with love and appreciation,
A Mom

P.S. One more thing . . You can cancel all my requests, if you can keep my children 'young' enough to believe in Santa. . . .

TURKEY, SHOPPING & FAMILY

Another turkey day has come & gone. We spent a wonderful day at home enjoying our small little family. We had a wonderful feast of turkey, ham, potatoes, corn, green bean casserole, stuffing, biscuits and pies. Scott ate & ate until we were all pretty sure that he'd explode. He loved every second of his dinner & didn't mind his misery following dinner.

The kids & I were on the road to visit my family by 6 a.m. on Friday. Since Scott always has a long work weekend, we get on the road early & spend some QT with my fam. The kids stayed with Uncle Michael while Kim, Mandy & I shopped 'til we dropped. We had another awesome year of bargains & a day full of laughter as well.

Friday evening, we celebrated my dad's birthday. Everyone but Scott was able to be there & we had a ball. We had munchies & pizza for dinner. We watched a video of old pictures that my mom made for my dad as part of his gift. It was a riot seeing all of us over the years. Allie went home with Nana & Papa for a sleepover, Jake & I stayed at Michael & Kim's house.

We decided to do another shopping trip on Saturday, just grabbing a few things we missed on Friday. Once we got back to Kim & Michael's, we decided to head home. There were snow warning posted for almost the entire state & I didn't want to drive in a mess. Good thing we decided to come home, we woke to 2.3 inches of snow & it hasn't stopped snowing yet today!

All in all we had a wonderful holiday!


Me & my kiddos
Mandy, Drew & Kim

Jake, Ben & Allie
Papa, Maddie, Nana & Drew

Drew & Jake

Michael & Jake

THINGS I AM THANKFUL FOR:

In honor of Thanksgiving I thought I'd share with you the things that I am thankful for. I'm going to mention in passing the obvious things that I am thankful for, but go into more detail about the not-so-obvious things that I am thankful for. Obviously, I am thankful for my beautiful children, loving husband, wonderful parents, my siblings, my nieces/nephews, aunts/uncles/cousins & my friends. I am thankful for my home, my husband's job, our family's good health and so on. I'm thankful that I can sub rather than work full time so that I can be a part of my kid's school days when needed. I'm thankful my kids are able to try any sport or activity they want to try. I'm thankful for so, so much.

Here are the not-so-obvious things that I am thankful for:

• Diet Dr. Pepper: it is my pick me up in the morning...without it my day just isn't right. Catch me on a day I didn't get my Pepper & you'll know why I'm thankful that I have it!


• Flannel pants: I love my flannel pants. I own several pairs. I typically slip into them as soon as I arrive home from school or the kid's activities. They are warm & comfy & I love them.


• Email/text messaging: when you don't have time (or want to) talk on the phone, I turn to email/texting.


• TJ Maxx: a bargain shopper's paradise. I find great t-shirts for Jake, purses & shoes for me & dresses for Allie. Others cringe at the thought of being in TJ Maxx, I can't wait for my next trip!


• The Weather Channel: how else would I know how to dress myself & the kids??


• Pop Tarts: I personally don't eat them, but I am thankful that they are in my house on a morning when we are all running late. No cooking, just grab and go!


• Pizza Delivery: who doesn't love a warm, cheesy pizza brought right to your doorstep??


• School: sending my kids to school every day keeps me sane.


• Facebook: I've become a junkie. I love reconnecting with old friends & messing around online with new ones. If you join Facebook, look me up...I'll be your friend!


• Columbia fleece jackets: I own several and love the soft, warm jackets on a brisk fall day or on a chilly morning.


• Michelob Ultra: my favorite beer, yum!


• Stay at Home Socks: they are those warm, fuzzy socks that keep your feet toasty warm. I have very cold feet & sometimes these socks even make my feet too warm.


• Carmex: every night before I go to bed, I use Carmex. I can't sleep without putting it on my lips.


• Sticky notes: I am a list maker & I use sticky notes all of the time, they stay put & keep me on task.


• Washable markers: my daughter wants to be an artist...enough said.


• Label Maker: I like things organized & a label maker is an organizer's dream tool. Come snoop around sometime & you'll find lots of labels in my house.


• Clorax Wipes: someone stops by unexpectedly & your bathroom is a mess...these will save you a lot of embarrassment.


• Hats: bad hair day??? A hat is your best friend.


• Flip Flops: I hope these NEVER go out of style. I live in my flip flops in the summer. They are comfy & cute.


• Microwaves: when we were waiting for our new microwave to be delivered, I had to go about a week without a microwave. I had to warm things up in the oven. What a pain.


• Debit cards/online bill pay: I can't tell you the last time I wrote a check.


• Crayons at restaurants: anyone with a child is nodding their head right now.


• Ranch Dressing: it is great on almost anything & I love, love, love it.


• Gift Cards: don't know what to get someone for their b-day or a holiday??? This is the perfect gift to give AND receive.


• Chocolate: another little pick me up on a bad day. There is something about a piece of chocolate that makes your day a bit better.


• Black Friday: I love the bargains, the crowds, the fun & the time spent with my sister & sister in law. I love being with my family after our long shopping day.


• Born shoes: they are like a little slice of heaven on winter feet...when I can't be in flip flops, give me my Borns.


• Caller ID: no more answering telemarketers or political calls.

I am quite the lucky lady, I have so much to be thankful for.

MORE VISITORS

Yep, we had more visitors this weekend. My sister & her kids came to spend the weekend with us. We had a great time, as always. They arrived on Saturday morning & made it up in time to see Jake's basketball game. Allie's was cancelled, so they won't see one of her games this season. We had Alishia come babysit Maddie & took the older kids to see Madagascar 2, which was cute. Other than that, we just hung out & gabbed. Alishia hung with us too & we have definitely decided that my brother Will needs to marry her (neither of them are willing, but we'd love her for a sister in law). Anyway, after a quick shopping trip to Target this morning, they left for home.

I have most of my Christmas shopping done. Just a few things left & I'm not even sure what those are...I need ideas! I baked the afternoon away & froze more cookies for Christmas. I was going to cut back this year, but the kids wouldn't hear of it. They love to help with the baking & of course the sampling! Jake even had a few additional requests this year!

Scott & Allie put up our outside decorations today since it wasn't too chilly. Everything looks great! I pulled out my tubs full of inside decorations this afternoon & will slowly start putting those up. I have to do it in "shifts" because I have WAY TOO MUCH STUFF!

Scott & I are really looking forward to a quiet Thanksgiving Day at home. Scott can hardly wait for Thanksgiving, it is his favorite holiday & he loves picking out what we eat & helping to prepare most of it. He can't wait to sample everything & eat pretty much all day long. The kids & I love to laugh at him enjoying HIS day! He loves being at home & getting to do NOTHING all day long. He works so much & we definitely make it all about him!

It is a slower week...I sub the next 2 days, Allie has dance...that's it other than Thanksgiving stuff starting on Thursday and my dad's b-day celebration on Friday.

LIFE CYCLE OF A CRAYFISH

Jake's class is studying the life cycle of a crayfish in science. The classroom had 13 crayfish in their tank. Last Thursday night, some science books slipped off of a shelf & into the tank. The crayfish used the books like a ramp & escaped. Jake's teacher arrived at school on Friday morning & was greeted by a crayfish hanging out in the doorway of her classroom. She swore it was staring at her & wiggling it's pincher's at her. She freaked & found upon entering her classroom that they had all escaped. A school-wide hunt began & several crayfish were found in the classroom. Another was discovered in a different 3rd grade classroom (2 doors down) and near the art room (3 doors away & down the ramp) another one was located. Several crayfish died & 1 is still missing, but presumed to have died.

Fortunately, a parent was able to locate some more crayfish & has replenished the tank so that the kids can study the life cycle of the crayfish! The new crayfish are much larger than the old ones & some are even expecting baby crayfish. It should be an interesting science unit!

VISITORS

We had a busy weekend filled with visitors.

On Friday, Papa Walt came to CF for a visit. We weren't 100% sure he was coming, so we didn't tell the kids. They were shocked when we picked them up after school & Papa Walt was there. Both kids were thrilled to see him & so surprised. We put Papa to work helping us load up $8400 in Scout popcorn from the distribution center. He also helped unload it at another Scout's house to be given out to the dens that night. Papa also got to go with Scott, Jake & Jake's friend Paul to see CF in the semi-finals at the Dome. CF won & it sounds like it was a great game. Papa spent the night & left early on Saturday morning.

Nana Terri arrived shortly after Papa Walt left. Nana watched Jake play basketball before heading out to meet up with her sisters for lunch & shopping. We met Nana back at our house later that afternoon (after another ball game & rehearsal). Nana babysat the kids so that Scott & I could have dinner alone. What a treat! Sunday morning, Nana & I went to coffee & shopping before heading out to Allie's dance recital.

Last week also brought: dance class, basketball, religion, a Scout meeting, rehearsal, recital, playdates, volunteering & subbing.

This week brings: dance class, PTA meeting, brownie meeting, volunteering in both kid's classrooms, popcorn deadlines, basketball for both kids, religion class, CF game & my sister & her family will visit this weekend too. I hope to get some holiday baking done & a few gifts wrapped.



Nana & Allie

Allie before the recital


Allie & friend Olivia

The kids at dress rehearsal.

Allie at Festival of Trees after her rehearsal.

ANSWER TO 5th GRADE MATH PROBLEM

Here's the question:

There are 7 girls on a bus (only the girls, no driver, which is kinda scary).

Each girl has 7 backpacks.

In each backpack, there are 7 big cats.

For every big cat there are 7 little cats.

Question: How many legs are there in the bus?



Here's the answer:

7 girls x 7 backpacks each= 49 backpacks

49 backpacks x 7 big cats= 343 big cats

343 big cats x 7 little cats= 2401

2401 little cats + 343 big cats= 2744 cats total

2744 total cats x 4 legs each= 10976 cat legs

7 girls x 2 legs each= 14 legs

10976 cat legs + 14 girl legs= 10990 total legs

5th GRADE MATH PROBLEM

Can you solve this problem that was given several weeks ago in a 5th grade math class I subbed in. My brother sent it to me too, which made me remember the fun we had that day in 5th grade!

There are 7 girls on a bus (only the girls, no driver, which is kinda scary).
Each girl has 7 backpacks.
In each backpack, there are 7 big cats.
For every big cat there are 7 little cats.

Question: How many legs are there in the bus?

Drop me a note with your guess...I'll post the answer next week!

TEA & OTHER STUFF

So, the teddy bear tea is finally over. It was a huge success. We were sold out, sold tons of raffle tickets, the kids had a fantastic time & there were only a couple of small issues. I can breathe easy now. I am planning to co-chair the event again next year, one last time before possibly moving on to another Festival of Trees event.

Jake started taking ITBS tests this week. He seems to be handling it fine. He did mention to me that "no one has EVER gotten these tests all right, so I probably won't either mom". I had to chuckle. My child wants 100% on everything & can be very hard on himself if he doesn't get that score. I'm guessing the teacher told him that so that he wouldn't put too much pressure on himself!

I have had a quiet week. I subbed on Monday & Thursday. I volunteering on Tuesday morning. I babysat on Wednesday after school, like usual. I've caught up on a ton of little things around here the other days. I have just few more things to buy for Christmas & will start wrapping gifts next week. I also hope to start my holiday baking next week, depending on how much I work. I'm really in the holiday spirit, I better run with it.

The kid's week has been quiet as well, a nice change! Allie had dance, both kids had religion & that is it. The weekend appears to be full. Popcorn delivery begins on Friday, CF plays in the Dome on Friday, both kids have basketball on Saturday, my mom is visiting over the weekend, Allie has dress rehearsal, Jake has a Scout event and Allie's dance recital is Sunday.



Allie & Jordyn by the tree


Makenna, Allie & Jordyn with Santa



Allie with Mr. & Mrs. Claus

Me & Allie

Our tables were set up like this.