Countdown to December 1st!

I just have not been taking pictures lately.

I'll put the camera down somewhere, and then will find it a week later.

I wish I kept it with me more, so I would get back into the habit of documenting with photos, but out of sight, out of mind!

I am so excited to start December Daily tomorrow, but if I don't get in gear about taking pictures there won't be much to write about  :(

This morning all I could do was sit and plan activities for our month of December. I want to do more with crafts this year - we really have not been taking full advantage of the kids crafts out there and I only have a few more years (probably) of this, before my kids are teenagers (cry, cry), so I better get started!

Such a cute ornament! It uses the kids' hands.

Another cute ornament using the kids' hands. I am all about getting images of their hands, while they're still small, and comparing later. And I think the kids would love making the impression in the homemade clay ;)

These Santa faces look easy enough!

And I've got TONS of popsicle sticks in a box that I have no idea what to do with. Maybe I'll try these sleighs?

I am really excited about the advent calendars as well. We have one on our kitchen door that is reusable year after year, but the ones with the little doors that open to reveal a treat are the best. The ones we have going this year are:

Lego! The kids haven't seen it yet. I plan to put it under the tree tonight :)

 

 

And of course some chocolate ones (always fun):

 

 They look something like this but with chocolate. Not sure who made them - will have to check later :).

And then of course I want to do this one this year too.

Too many? I don't know if next year this one would be too babyish, so maybe it will be too many but who cares? The kids sure won't!



The bug that just won't go away

We've got a sick boy in the house tonight. Agustín came home from school with a headache (which may have actually turned into a migraine - Andrés used to get these when he was little, and Agustín threw up a few times, basically just complaining that his head hurt so bad. Lots of tears.)

It took a while for the medicine to work.

Daddy took him upstairs when he had rested a bit and played Lego shop with both boys. They put all their Lego pieces into small piles, then assigned a cost to each pile. Each person got a little wad of money, to buy pieces with, which they then put together into an original creation.

I am usually the judge.

It isn't easy, so I've got to pick enough categories to have a winner in each (or else there are tears).

Tonight Agustín won most powerful and fiercest.
Nico won most expensive and coolest.
Daddy won most creative. (Yes, Daddy likes to win, too!)

It took Agustín's mind off the headache and he went to bed saying he was feeling much better. We'll see if he wakes up in the middle of the night. If so, there will be some musical chairs (but actually beds) played until everyone gets settled down.

Praying for a restful, uneventful night.

December Daily, here I come!!!!

Last night I sat down and got to work with the foundation pages for my December Daily album (2012).

Oh my gosh am I excited to get started!!!

I washi-taped that sucker all over and made a mini book!

Hello tag - I love you.

In. Love!

Here are a few of my favorite pages. (Used some new and old. Lots of little flippy flaps all over. Fun!)

Washi tape pop of color!

Moustache paper? Oh yeah!

The paper the 4 is on flips back
for a little peek-a-boo window.

Paper love

Love those polka dots

The green ribbon really tied this together!

Another flippy-flap. LOVE the woodgrain chevron.
I want to jump into the paper and just swim around in it!

I don't have the cover done yet, but that might have to be last as I try to figure out how thick and big this thing is going to get. After all, it's just bound with washi tape.

Thanksgiving in Ecuador

Because we always have work and school on Thanksgiving, I tend to celebrate it on the following Saturday. It's hard to wait, knowing that everyone else is having turkey and stuffing on that Thursday, but Saturday is just so much easier and more peaceful for us. I did it once on the weeknight - ended up buying ingredients from a restaurant and reheating - but I admit that I like (LOVE) preparing the menu myself, so we went back to doing it on Saturdays.

This guy doesn't look so nice but he tasted really really good.

Homemade - everything from scratch - even the onion rings! Scrumptious!

It's almost time for lunch.

Great-grandma Ali brought Agustin a chocolate car. The wheels were gone (eaten) before I could even turn on my camera!

I love making pumpkin pies!

Yesterday we had turkey (Andres makes a killer bird - with orange juice and his special blend of spices), Apple Almond Stuffing (it was good, but I think I prefer the basic recipe I usually make), mashed potatoes and gravy (my childhood favorite), green bean casserole (using this Food Network recipe - man was this the best ever - got sooooo many compliments!), corn (from a can - it's the only way, people!), deviled eggs (I forgot these last year and had quite a disappointed crowd), and pumpkin pie. I also made a relish tray with the little I had in the fridge - I have relish tray ingredients on my grocery list now because honestly - the relish tray is sometimes the best thing!

Andrés's great-aunt was sick (I think she caught the cold I am still trying to get over), so she didn't come, and Laura and Checho were out of town, so it was our family, the grandparents, Great-Grandma Ali, and Gaby and Bati. A good crowd!

Andres's Pinterest-inspired wheat rolls.

We spent the day listening to Christmas carols. I was planning to decorate tomorrow but Agustín isn't sure yet - he thinks we should save the decorating for December, so we'll have to see how he feels about it when he wakes up tomorrow. We looked at past December Daily albums, and Gaby and Bati played board games (Trouble and Compatibility) with the kids.

There's a Halloween theme in there - a ghost on the door and a Jack O´lantern.

It was a really nice day. Bati made us Mimosas, Andrés had hot apple cider, and even though there was a blackout in the entire north of the country and we lost power for almost four hours, the kids were fine since Bati stayed longer into the night (even though we could barely see). It helped that the carols kept going - thank goodnesses for battery-operated speakers and a fully-charged iPod!

Once the power came back, the kids got to making some comics. Agustín is working on his Mr. Creck series (about a stick figure guy who always - ALWAYS - has a problem with getting blown up by a bomb, a la Coyote and Road Runner a bit), and little brother Nico couldn't get left behind.

If you look closely, you can see an ant (with a leaf on his back), walking across the bottom of the page!

Happy 9th birthday, Agustín!

Nine years ago a very special person came into my life.

Agustín, you ROCK! You are such a sweet, happy-go-lucky, beautiful little boy, quickly becoming an awesome little man.

I just love you so much.

I hope you had a great birthday. It started with a party at school (with homemade chocolate cake - your request!), with presents in the middle of the day (some cool Legos), and a few Skype and Facetime phone calls later that evening.

We love you!

Sick, sick, sick

I have been so sick this week. A really, really bad cold.

Nico jumped in bed this afternoon, put the sleep mask on, and immediately fell asleep. I really hope he isn't getting sick too.

A little LemonFlu can really make me feel better, but knocks me out! At least with this, I can sleep.

See? I look how I feel.

Ugh.