5 Days...

California here I come. Right back where I started from!! (la, la, la)

That's my new theme song, at least for the next 5 days!

Christmas in a nutshell...

Garrett's school had a very cute concert for Christmas. I wish I could post the video, but I just can't figure out how and I'm sick of trying! This picture will have to do. Does the kid with his finger in his nose remind anyone else of Aron? Every time I see him I'm transported back to preschool myself! Anyway, such fun for a mom.

Garrett also had his class Christmas party and his last day at his preschool on the 19th. There were lots of tears and sobs (from me, not Garrett! Give me a break, I'm a first timer!). I've loved his school and his teachers so much! Leaving this school behind will probably be the hardest part of our move! (Oh yeah, we're moving back to California!!!! Merry Christmas to me!) Ms. Lynn and Ms. Lou have been so sweet and loving and they will be missed!

Ms. Lynn Ms. Lou

We've had a lot of fun this Christmas season. Other than the stress of a move looming, it has been great. Garrett is at such a fun age. He is old enough to understand the true meaning of Christmas, but still young enough to enjoy all the "magic". We had fun counting down the days, baking cookies, decorating a gingerbread house and singing carols. This year Garrett knew the words to more songs than just "Jingle Bells" and "Frosty".

We spent Christmas Eve with our entire "East Coast Family". A set of Great-Grandparents, Grandparents, some Aunts (pronounced onts on the east coast, not ants) and Uncles and a few cousins (all originally from Maine). It was a lot of fun and very crowded. Garrett scored on the gifts...wish Santa knew that, he wouldn't have had to bring so much!

Christmas morning was fun this year, too. I got my first "mom, have I slept long enough?". I didn't have the heart to tell him to stay in bed for a few more hours, but I should have. This has been a really long day! Garrett's favorite gift was his Monster Truck...or is it Tyler's favorite? It's hard to tell! My house looks like a tornado hit it and I've tried calculating how many more boxes I need to move all this new stuff, but I'm not going to think about that now, I'll think about it tomorrow! (I'm in Georgia, I can quote it if I want to!)

Decking the halls!

He really has an eye, doesn't he? I would've never thought to hang Thomas wrapping paper from every stationary item! Such a creative use for packing tape! If you ever need to remove paint from your walls, I've got just the product!

P.S. My kid asked for a Chia-Pet for Christmas. What do I do about this? Will Chia-Pets ever go away?!

Bloggerexia

I haven't blogged in a month! Trust me, giving up Diet Coke is not the most exciting thing to happen in the last month! I guess I'm just not as committed as my sister, Julie (by committed, I mean obsessed!).
Garrett and I just got back from a whirlwind trip out west. We flew from Atlanta to Chicago, where our 45 minute layover turned into about 45 seconds, then on to Las Vegas. Mom and Big Papa picked us up for our 2 hour car ride to Leeds, Utah (sounds crazy, but was so worth it!). Garrett was such a trooper.
We had Thanksgiving with my parents and my brother and his family . It was perfect! It was such a treat to see them all and it was really nice to have a small group for Thanksgiving. I love the whole group, but being the youngest of such a large family I start to get "Cindy Brady Syndrome". I secretly wonder if I'm going to end up at the kid table. I'm 30, I'm a mom, but some things stick with you.
We were able to see the rest of the family as they past through on the way to other destinations. Garrett played with all his cousins and had a great time. He was very lost in the fact that the mountains were so big and there were no trees. I guess he's been in Georgia for too long...no mountains and way too many trees!
When our 2 and a half weeks were up, we headed to Las Vegas to catch our flight home to Atlanta via Chicago...whew!

(I would include pictures, but we just had our computer "fixed" again and I can't download anything. Visit Julie's blog and imagine us in some of her pictures!)
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P.S. I am no longer off the sauce thanks to Diet Cokes biggest "pusher"! You know who you are! I am holding you personally responsible for my sleepless nights!

Two weeks off the sauce...

...Diet Coke, that is. I decided to give it a try and I'm proud to report success! It's amazing, I cut out Diet Coke and I don't need the aid of Benadryl to fall asleep at night! Imagine that. I actually feel great now that the headaches and shaking have subsided. Is that what drug detox feels like? Just kidding, it wasn't that hard. Julie, it's your turn, Mom and I have done it. Won't you join us on the wagon?

Welcome to the dark side!

Happy Halloween!

This has been the best Halloween! Garrett is at a fun age for costumes and trick-or-treating. Carving pumpkins was even fun and I hate that part! We took Garrett trick-or-treating in our town square and then to the mall. We were done by dark and home to pass out candy.

He's not just a member...

...he's also the President of "I-Love-Thomas-So-Much-I- Could-Just-Scream" (ILTSMICJS for short). Membership comes complete with: Polyester, zip-front warm-up jacket; Cotton blend Thomas shirt; Elastic waist jeans emblazoned with the Thomas logo; and for the real fan, Thomas underwear. We have Grammy to thank for this wonderful purchase. I will be lucky to get it off his body to wash it, let alone burn it! Don't get me wrong, I don't hate Thomas, I just hate that he has somehow gotten into my child's brain and taken control! How long can this condition last? Is there treatment? A 12 step program, perhaps? Where did I go wrong?