A Day in the Life-12/17/08

Have you ever had a day when you seem to be running from one task to another, but nothing seems to get done? I have a lot of them! So yesterday, I decided to try to keep track of everything I did to see exactly what got accomplished and where the time goes. Here's what I came up with:

6:30-wake up
6:35-On Demand ab workout with Amy Dixon
7:00-breakfast (yogurt and granola) and Internet time
7:30-wake up Nikolas, get his breakfast, put out his clothes, take shower
7:45-blow dry hair, get dressed, do hair and make-up
8:00-remind Nikolas to put on clothes, start load of laundry, empty dishwasher, brush teeth
8:30-help Nik brush his teeth and comb hair, let dog out/in, check Petco’s hours online
8:50-leave to drop Nik off at school
9:05-go to Petco to get Chewy’s Christmas gift
9:15-go to Meijer to look for cookie cutters and spoon rest. Don’t find either, but pick up 2 shirts on sale.
9:35-find cookie cutters at Target (but don’t like their spoon rest selections)
10:00-off to Victoria Secrets for a gift card
10:30-back home to wrap presents, put clothes in dryer, straighten desk, have a piece of friendship bread, upload pictures from camera and post them on blog
11:00-take business call about possible freelance assignment for new year
11:30-leave to pick up Nik from school
11:50-pick up mail from mailbox, make Nik lunch, restart dryer, see what he got from his teacher for Christmas, check his backpack, see what I got from his teacher for being a parent-helper, open mail (Christmas cards), have lunch (left-over lasagna) while checking email
12:15-talk to Gary on phone, read with Nik for book log, fold laundry, make daily card
1:00-Nik and I go through toys/books in his room to pick out things he wants to get rid of (got to make room for Christmas presents) to sell at garage sale
2:00-pack up stuff for garage sale, let dog out/in
2:15-do daily Bible reading (with many interruptions from Nik who wants to go outside)
2:40-start to get ready to go outside (snow pants, snow boots, etc.)
2:50-go outside to shovel walkway and sidewalk
3:00 Nik plays in snow while I take pictures and crush cans
3:15-come back inside and take off all the wet snow clothes, get Nik a snack, give Chewy a treat, scan daily card, post on blog and check email, have some cookies
3:35-lay down on couch while Nik watches TV--not a nap but I did close my eyes for awhile
4:30-preheat oven and start preparing casserole
5:10-put casserole in oven
5:10-5:30-surf Internet
5:30-sort through Nik’s school papers to save, date and file
5:45-turn on Christmas music, dance with Nikolas, straighten up house
6:00-eat dinner, talk to Gary, watch end of Entertainment Tonight
7:00-watch Muppet Christmas special while setting up Disney Villain Monopoly board
8:00-put Nik to bed (put toys away, brush teeth , say prayers, read story)
8:30-watch Survivor finale with Gary from On Demand
10:20-try to go online, have cheese and crackers, turn off computers
10:35-get ready for bed, read book (View from Saturday), go to sleep

Not-Your-Traditional Christmas Carol

Here are a group of some of the best novelty, comedy, odd, annoying and just plain weird holiday songs around!

Christmas Conga by Cyndi Lauper
Oi to the World by No Doubt
Dominick the Donkey by Lou Monte
Donde Esta Santa Clause by Augie Rios
Minnie and Santa by Cyndi Lauper
All I Want for Christmas I My Two Front Teeth by Spike Jones
The Chiminey Song by Bob Rivers
Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer by Elmo & Patsy
I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas by Gayla Peevey
Nuttin’ For Christmas by Stan Freberg
Santa Baby by Eatha Kitt
Christmas at K-Mart by Root Boy Slim and the Sex Change Band
A 5 Pound Box of Money by Pearl Bailey
Santa Claus Got Stuck (In My Chimney) by Ella Fitzgerald
The Pretty Little Dolly by Mona Abboud
12 Days of Christmas by Bob & Doug McKenzie
Christmas at Ground Zero by Weird Al Yankovic

O Christmas Tree

At Nik's school this week, the class is "traveling" around the world to find out how different countries celebrate during this time of year. They have a suitcase, map, passport and tickets. Their teacher is the "flight attendant" and they have to board "the plane" to get to each destination.

On Monday, they went to Israel and learned about Hanukkah. They were shown how to play dreidel and colored a menorah.

On Tuesday, they traveled to Germany and discovered that was the place the first Christmas tree came from. Several parent volunteers came in to help with a special project: making yummy edible Christmas trees out of ice cream cones, frosting and lots of candies.

Here is Nik's tree:

The proud baker, about to sample his creation.

Here he is this morning, modeling one of the new shirts he got from his Aunt Ruby and MaryAnn.

Breakfast with Santa

Yesterday Nikolas and I attended Breakfast with Santa at the zoo. This is our second year and both times we have been joined by my friend Jennifer and her son Michael.

Here are the boys with Rudolph.

And with Frosty.

And with Mrs. Claus

Nikolas had already sent his list to Santa but asked him for some Lego's and told Santa that Chewy has a stocking now. He has been very good, so hopefully Santa will put some bones or treats in there.

Christmas is for Children...

and here are a selection of some of the best Christmas songs for or about kids:

I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus by Jimmy Boyd
Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer by Gene Autry
Baby’s 1st Christmas by Connie Francis
Here Comes Santa Claus by Gene Autry
A Holly Jolly Christmas by Burl Ives
Frosty the Snowman by Jimmy Durante
The Little Drummer Boy by the Vienna Boys Choir
You’re a Mean One Mr. Grinch by Thurl Ravenscroft
Hardrock, Coco & Joe by Stormy Weather
Suzy Snowflake by Stormy Weather
Heat Miser from The Year Without a Santa Claus
Snow Miser from The Year Without a Santa Claus
I’d Like to Hitch a Ride With Santa Claus by the Andrew Sisters
Jolly Old St Nicholas by Chet Atkins
Up on the Housetop by Eddy Arnold
Santa Claus Is Coming to Town by Fred Astaire
Santa’s Beard by Beach Boys
The Chipmunk Song by The Chipmunks
The Happiest Christmas Tree by Nat King Cole
The Man With All The Toys by Beach Boys
Mrs. Santa Claus by Nat King Cole
Twinkle Twinkle Little Me by The Supremes
Where Are You Christmas by Faith Hill

8 months til WDW! We finally booked our trip!

It's official! We're going to Walt Disney World in 8 months! The local school district announced the 2009 school schedule so I was able to book our trip. We will be at WDW for 8 days right before school starts in August celebrating my 40th birthday (a little early).

While I impatiently wait for August to arrive, I'm continuing to share scrapbook pages I made from our trip in October 2006. One of the highlights of that trip was attending Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom. Here we are in costume:We attended the party was on our anniversary, so I made sure the photographer took pictures of just the two of us. I also included the Happy Anniversary pin they gave us on the layout.

The party included a special parade and fireworks, plus trick-or-treating throughout the park and special meet-and-greets with characters like Alice in Wonderland and Captain Hook.

My favorite part was the Boo to You Parade, which has a great theme song and kicks off with the headless horseman trotting down the road. All the characters are in costume and they were lots of villains, ghost pirates and Haunted Mansion specters.

Gary & I were one of the many chaperons on the trip to the zoo Nik's class took today. Here are our three charges standing by the tree decorated with ornaments made by the three kindergarten classes.

It was sunny, but the temperatures were still in the teens, so we spent a lot of the time looking at animals inside.