Just hangin out.

That's what we're doing a lot of here. Daddy's home for the rest of the week, and we're all going to be very sad when next week rolls around and he's not here. After almost two weeks off, we've grown rather fond of him being around for breakfast and lunch and all the in betweens. And after all, if he weren't home, we wouldn't have been able to capture for you the beauty that is this hairstyle Alla created just for me. I just love that satisfied look on her face. She worked on this long and hard, let me tell you.

Here, a slightly different angle for you. Think twice before you cut your hair, mamas.

We had a lovely Christmas, and I'm still digging out from under all those photos. Be back in the new year with some Christmas goodness:) Have a safe New Year's Eve, friends. I myself will be in bed way before midnight, kind of sad that the year of my son's birth has passed. Sigh.

'Twas the night before Christmas.

And [so far] all the children were fast asleep in their beds. With visions of new ballet shoes and other toys dancing in their heads. If you're like us, you literally can't sleep yourselves because you are too excited to see their little faces when they realize Santa has been here. I cannot wait for morning. I hope my expectations are not too high!

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

What's on our tree.

We have very special ornaments on our tree. It's the same tree every year with the same special ornaments we've been putting on our trees since we were kids, and I absolutely look forward to getting the box of ornaments down each year and reminiscing about where or who each one came from.

This one says 'Ronnie Killins' on the bottom in Ron's mom's writing, because he took it to hang on his kindergarten tree and this way it would make it safely back to his home tree, and, one day, to our tree.

My mom got this for us the year we were expecting Alla. It says Parents-to-be. Ron took one look at this one today, and then at the kids around us decorating this tree and went to each of them with big hugs and kisses. The whole thing, the to-be part and the now, is pretty amazing. The ornament my mom gave us our first married Christmas.

The ornament Alla got for her first Christmas. It was given to her by my grandmother.

And, her handprint, made that first Christmas. I can't wait to make Fisher's this week.

When I was a kid, my grandparents gave my brother and I each an ornament every year. Lots of times they reflected our current interests.. Like the thimble snowman I have for all the years I collected thimbles, or the piano bear for the years I took lessons. There's a ballerina bear and lots of Mickey Mouse.

My mom has taken up this tradition for Alla, and now for Fisher, so that the kids will each collect an ornament each year. I'm documenting each of these with a photo and journaling in their ornament books, just so they'll know what they got each year and what they looked like when they got it. In case they aren't as diligent as I am about keeping all those original Hallmark boxes with the years inscribed in my grandmother's handwriting.

Take one.

I said: Quick, Ron, he's up, he's fed, let's try to get a nine month shot!

Fisher decided that this was not how he wanted to spend his waking hours.I think for a moment he gave himself over to the idea of a single shot. But, Fisher, Mama knows you've got more spunk in you, so I've got some ideas to try another day. If the sun comes out. If it stops snowing nearly a foot. Love you so much my son. Even though, see that wall behind you, you gunk-up the wall rubbing your Aquaphor'd hands all over them. It's because you give me kisses, big ol' wide-mouthed kisses. Yes, that's why I love you.

Extra credit to anyone who noticed that my son already got what he wanted for Christmas: his two front [top] teeth!

Friday Five.

1. Just happened upon this recipe for peppermint bark today. We are making sugar cookies and candy cane cookies next week but for sure we needed something else in the mix, something different. This is that something.

2. Took Fisher to the allergist today. Huge.Waste.of.Time. HUGE. He didn't tell me anything we didn't already know and doesn't want to test him for six more months. So, basically, don't give him anymore flaxseed. Check. And probably stay away from the other seeds. I'd already figured this out for myself, thanks, and rid the house of all other seeds. Huge waste of time.

3. Not only was it a big waste of time but it meant that we spent all of his waking sun-filled hours there, so I got NOT ONE photo of my boy on his nine-month birthday. Hmph. They did weigh him, albeit with clothes on, and he was 23-something pounds.

4. It's Friday. It's not only Friday but it's the last day of work for Ron for the year!

5. We have a tree! Hopefully you can kind of make out the beautiful ornament Alla made at school this week. She hung the first ornament on our tree last night. (OK, so it's still the only ornament on it, but that's not the point.)

Ten on Tuesday.

1. Getting a few minutes to play with a toy by himself. No one told me that the big girl would be so excited to see baby toys again and repurpose them all for herself.

2. But you know what, he's happy just the same. And if for a moment he's not, then just sing 'Move It Move It' and it's all good.3. And by the way on his knees is just about the only position I catch him in now. 4. I had this wonderful doll when I was little named Flora McFlimsy. She was life-size, and my mom and grandmother made her for me. I believe I was preschool age. Anyway, Alla was entranced by her at first, but the doll really is more flimsy than anything now, so I thought I'd at least save the dress (my own childhood dress) from the doll. And sure enough, this was the perfect solution. It has now joined the rotation of dress-up clothes and is called her "Flora dress."

5. Ron put up gates this weekend so now Fisher is free to roam the upper level of our home. So we get a lot of looks like this as he's on his way out of his previously shut door, and I imagine he's thinking See ya suckers! I'm outta here! Things to do, trouble to get into!

6. He will get into whatever trouble is necessary to get to his lovey.You can just see it on his face. T-R-O-U-B-L-E.
7. It was 6 below for my evening run last night. If you've never had the opportunity to feel the moisture from your eyes freeze onto your lashes, I'd say give it a try. You go to rub your eye, feel something that's rough on your lashes like mascara, only you remember you hardly ever wear mascara, and then you remember that it's six below zero, before windchill factor, so of course that's just frozen lashes you got there.

8. This is what Alla does on cold days like that. Get dressed, have breakfast. Then, when Fisher goes down for her nap and Mama goes to get dressed, go have a snuggle in Mama's bed where it's super cozy.

9. Ron has a hankering for some Christmas cookies. We have a hankering for a Christmas tree. I feel a trade coming on.

10. At some point between freezing and six below, the tradition of the whole family going to pick out the family Christmas tree kind of lost it's appeal for me. Kind of wishing we had a fake tree right about now.

Pomegranate season.

If you want to keep your toddler busy for no less than thirty straight minutes, prepare a pomegranate for her.

I suggest as little clothing as possible. Pomegranates do stain.

Today she ate the whole thing (we used to split one). Not only was she busy but I literally didn't hear a peep for at least thirty minutes. And then she asked for the other one. Must spread out the joy - we'll save that one for tomorrow.

Ten on Tuesday.

1. Oh, gosh, it is so busy around here.

2. I really hardly have the time to get dishes into the dishwasher and laundry into drawers, let alone finish Christmas cards.

3. The beauty of Christmas is that it comes on December 25th no matter what.

4. Most of the reason for this current lack of being able to do ANYTHING is Little Mr. Fisher's ability to be all.over.the.place.FAST.

5. He also likes to leap out of his crib in search of his lovey.

6. And, as we learned the hard way, Fisher is horribly allergic to flaxseed.

7. Alla dresses up as a princess every day. It's really just a matter of which dress she's going to wear - the blue one or the pink one. Today, blue.

8. Temperature for my run this evening: 15 degrees. Balmy.

9. Consequently, we are staying home a bunch. It is just a pain in the you-know-what to get two kiddos bundled up to go anywhere. By the time you're bundled up, you've cut into the short time you had anyway, in between naps + nursing, lunch, and the next nap. I, however, make sure to get out for my run, or I.will.go.CRAZY. And if it ever gets above freezing, those kiddos will be coming out with me.

10. Megan tagged me, so here goes. The rules are:

1) Link to the person who tagged you. (check).
2) Post the Rules. (check)
3) Write 6 random things about myself (check below).
4) Tag 6-ish people (tagged below-check).
5) Let each person know they were tagged (check).
6) Let the tagger know when you've posted (check).

My six random things:



1) I have to make the bed every morning. Preferably before breakfast.

2) I drink half-caff: 2 scoops of each.

3) I am addicted to Guittard's semisweet chocolate chips at the moment.

4) I started running 6 years ago.

5) One of my pet peeves is seeing empty hangers mixed in with clothes on hangers. I need all the empty hangers to be together in one designated spot.

6) I have taken very few photos in December. It's cold. The light sucks. No, you aren't seeing wrong, there are NO photos in this post. Another day. Maybe.



My six tagged:



Susie, Karena, My sister, Heather, Shelley, Stacy

Ten on Tuesday.

1. This post was started Monday night. Then we had the wireless router shenanigans. Now it's Wednesday and I'm contemplating letting this go 'til Thursday.

2. I just saw the most heart-warming video. Congrats, Matt + Shelley!


3. Have you checked out The Crafty Crow yet?

4. Crock-potting the stuffing on Thanksgiving was the most genius idea ever. I just made my staple stuffing and threw it in the crockpot for 2 hours.

5. Another brilliant crockpot idea? Baked oatmeal. Yum.

6. OK, just one more, promise. I bet you've been wondering what to do with your turkey carcass all these years? Besides throwing it away, of course. Make this soup (well, we're calling it Turkey Carcass Stew) in the same crockpot you had your stuffing in. Freeze half for later.

7. And while you're at it, make some two-day yummy crusty bread to go with it.


8. My daughter says cool a lot. And once last week we heard her say freakin'.


9. #10 is still uploading so it looks like this might be a Ten on Thursday after all.


10. Our son is the funniest baby ever. And a true Killins, he loves to dance.

Welcome, December.

Can't believe it's December. Alla's in her playroom listening to Christmas songs on the radio, it's a cool twenty-something outside with a little bit of white stuff on the ground, and we're off to the post office today to mail some Christmas gifts. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. And to kick it off, Alla started in on the 24 Days of Christmas this morning. We figured we'd give her one last year on her own, since Fisher could care less about numbered boxes containing little trinkets. But next year she's gonna have to take turns opening.

Today's treat for her was a wind-up butterfly that she promtpy named Farfallina. Other treats include new tights, some stamps, toy dinosaurs, a card game, socks, a board game for Family Game Night (some of the stuff obviously doesn't fit IN the boxes so we leave her a note inside as to where she can find the treat). There are lots of non-material gifts, such as a swim date with Mama (uh, yes, the community center's pool is both indoors and heated), a date with Daddy, special Christmas shows to watch on TV, a dollar to put in the Salvation Army bucket when we go to the store. We keep a master list with us so that we can make sure things are in place for her the next morning, and move things around if necessary - for example, if it were to snow and be a weekend, then we might decide to take her sledding or something wintery like that.

It is VERY fun to think about this stuff year-round, and easier, too, than trying to gather it all at once. Now, since I can't wait til this time next year to think about what to stuff in there for both of them, if you leave a comment today, give me some ideas on what next year's boxes could hold for a 4 and a half year old girlie, and a 20-month-old baby boy:)