24 Days of Zoombie

Oh, Elf on the Shelf.  I have a love/hate relationship with you.  And I know America does, too.  Some people love the elf, some don't.  Some people go all out, some don't.  I guess I'm somewhere in the middle.  I must say that it's pretty fun to see CK run around excitedly every morning, trying to find him... and oh her face when she finally spots him!  But good grief I kept forgetting to set him up!  I finally got smart and set an alarm on my phone for 8:00pm every night so that I'd go ahead and do it before I got too tired.  Without that little alarm, our elf on the shelf never would've left the shelf!

And we only had one near-catastrophe... one night I was downstairs cooking dinner while T had the kids up in the playroom.  I hear absolute terror-filled screams, and I think I literally jumped from the bottom stair to the top stair in fear of what had happened.  CK comes running out of the playroom in tears, screaming, "EVEWETTE TOUCHED ZOOMBIE!  EVEWETTE TOUCHED ZOOMBIE!" Every elf owner knows this is not allowed, per the book.  After all, touching Zoombie will make him lose his magic and he'll go away for good! Poor CK.  We finally talked her off the ledge, letting her know that all we had to do is write good ol' Saint Nick a note, letting him know that Everette touched Zoombie accidentally.  Luckily the big guy wrote back the next day, saying he completely understood and we didn't need to worry about our elf disappearing. Whew.  Thank goodness. ;)

So without further ado, here is how our elf Zoombie spent the past twenty-four days as we counted down until Christmas!!

He arrived with a welcome letter, his favorite book, and candy, of course!

Sneaky Zoombie recorded Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer on tv, with surprise tickets to go see the puppet show in Atlanta!

Matching Christmas pajamas!  Thanks Zoombie!

I spy a new Paw Patrol ornament!

He also made sure we got our Christmas cards out in time.

Reading a new book to some of CK's favorite friends.

A note from Santa letting us know that he understood Everette accidentally touched him!  Whew!  And he also left some paper for CK to write back...

A poem and an empty box that CK and E had to fill with toys to donate to kids in need...

Thank you, Zoombie, for framing this year's Santa pic!

Zo0mbie got wild with his cousin elf, Goldy, when we visited my parents for BLOMPS Christmas weekend.  The kids were so excited that the elves made the trip to South Carolina!

Cousin elves, up to no good.

He dyed CK's milk his favorite color - red, of course!

Woohoo!  Polar Express book/movie/pajama/popcorn day, courtesy of Zoombie!

Flying high in Bailey's (pitiful) stocking.

Silly old Zoombie.  He even wants using the potty to feel festive.

A video message, straight from Santa Claus.

He even sent us on a candy cane hunt around the house!  So fun!!

Gingerbread house time!  (And a shout out to my sister-in-law Jamie who gifted us with this reusable house last year!  The best!!)

Zoombie took a break from checking out our Christmas cards to let us know that Santa was going to be calling us that night!  It was so cool!!

A new book to remind us that the joy is in the giving, not the receiving.

One morning he didn't quite make it back inside!

Time to make Christmas cookies for Santa!!

 And finally, on his last morning (allllll the praise hands!):  a jar of reindeer food to sprinkle on the lawn tonight.  We've got to make sure those reindeer are taken care of, after all... they've got a big night ahead of them!

Merry Christmas Eve!  I love today... so much excitement and anticipation and joy and love - I hope your home is also filled with the magic of all things Christmas!!

Five on... Saturday!

TGIFFFFFFFFF y'all.

O N E
I feel like every time I come on here to write a Friday post I'm all, "Whew, I'm exhausted." And today is no different.
WHEW, I'M EXHAUSTED.
Which is probably pretty obvious since this started as a Friday post and ended up not being finished until today.  Both kids are sick and 'tis the season I guess.  CK is congested and coughing, and poor E is absolutely pitiful.  We've been so fortunate that he hasn't really been sick in his first year of life, other than one double ear infection over the summer.  For that, I am grateful.  I forgot how pitiful it is to have a sick baby!  I held off as long as I could, but we ended up at the pediatrician's office late yesterday afternoon, which resulted in a croup diagnosis and a shot of steroids.  Fingers crossed we kick all this sickness to the curb so we can continue to enjoy this magical time of year!

T W O
And boy have we been busy enjoying the Christmas season so far! A preschool performance for the nursing home folks, a Bunco/White Elephant Christmas party, a class party, a Children's Christmas Concert at church, making gingerbread houses, discovering our elf Zoombie's shenanigans (he'll have his own post on another day!), and a holiday party at our house for T's staff!  It has been busy, busy, busy and fun, fun, fun.  I know a lot of people complain about the chaos of the holidays, but I love it!  So many fun things, and such an incredible time of year with kids.  Especially when your four-year-old gets a letter in the mail postmarked from the North Pole, and a video message from good ol' Santa, too.  Pure magic, I tell ya.

T  H R E E
And one of my favorite holiday traditions?!  BLOMPS CHRISTMAS!  Last weekend we ventured down to my hometown to spend the weekend with 2 grandparents, 6 children and their spouses, and 8 grandchildren - if you lost count, that is TWENTY-TWO PEOPLE, people.  It is the absolute best kind of chaos and makes my heart so happy to see all of the kids together.  My parents work hard to pick a weekend months in advance so that we can all see each other before Christmas (since we all want to spend Christmas in our own homes these days!).  And it is always such a special weekend. <3 As the sign hanging on my mama's wall says, "You call it madness, we call it family."

F O U R
Inbetween all of the holiday crazy, I am working hard on my little side business, y'all!  I've mentioned on here before that I work with Rodan + Fields, a little something I took on 2.5 years ago that has turned into something so much bigger than I ever imagined!  Anyway, there's a huge incentive program going on right now, and the highest prize in that program is an all-expenses-paid trip that I am DYING to earn. T and I don't ever travel - if we even get out to Olive Garden by ourselves it's a miracle. So the thought of having a getaway for just me and my so-deserving husband?!  Needless to say, I am busting my butt to try to make it happen!  Fingers crossed!!

F I V E
And I am happy to report that I have finally weaned E from the boob!  When he turned one, I just didn't feel ready to wean... and then as we continued, I couldn't decide when the right time was to pull the plug.  Truthfully, I was ready to have my body and hormones back to myself, but since he's likely our last, I couldn't imagine never breastfeeding again.  Long story short, I had to get a steroid shot on Monday and when I told the doc I was breastfeeding, he said, "Not anymore!"  Guess that shot and breastmilk don't mix well.  And honestly, I was relieved that the decision was made for me, so I didn't have to agonize over when the last nursing session would be, etc.  So, that's that!  We made it a little over 13 months, and I am so proud of both of us for sticking to it.

Have a wonderful weekend, and I hope you and your family are enjoying the holiday season!

Remember Your Happy

In a world where there seems to be too much bad.
So many tragedies.
In a world where I'm always scared to turn on the news, for fear of what I might see.
In a life where we all get wrapped up in the small stuff, stress about the little things.
During a time of year when life feels so busy, chaotic, constant, never-ending...
Now, more than ever before, I find so much peace in remembering my happy.  Whether your life is at a high or a low - because all of our lives ebb and flow - it is imperative that you relish in whatever it is that brings you joy, whatever it is that brings a smile to the corners of your mouth, whatever it is that makes you stop.. and breathe.. and appreciate.
So my challenge for all of you is to stop what you're doing right now (if possible!) and remember your happy.
Make a list - be it mental, an iPhone Notes list, or good ol' pen and paper - Make a list of at least five things that make your heart happy.  And then add to it, constantly.  And reflect on it, continuously.

Here are twenty-five of mine...

1. Getting surprises in the mail
2. Everette's giggles, and how he asks to be tickled over, and over, and over again
3. Crisp, fall mornings
4. College football season
5. Cupcakes
6. Cute new workout clothes
7. Surprising other people
8. Thanksgiving... my absolute favorite holiday
9. The smell of a Christmas tree (or a Christmas tree candle!)
10. The first, wobbly, drunken baby steps
11. My mama's home-cooking
12. Online shopping - nothing like a "Your Item Has Been Shipped!" email in the inbox!
13. A house decorated for Christmas
14. Nightly Advent readings with my family, and CK's sweet responses ("I hope that Jesus will always love me...") <3
15. Baking and licking the bowl
16. A baby wearing only a diaper
17. Random family dance parties
18. Singing (badly) at the top of my lungs in the car
19. A long, hot, uninterrupted shower
20. Christmas music on the radio
21. Target
22. Caramel popcorn
23. The smell of a new book
24. The quiet of a house before everyone starts stirring
25. Impromptu I-love-you's

Because at the end of the day, it doesn't matter if we made every holiday party, bought (or received!) the perfect gift, missed a sale, or cooked a homemade meal every night.  You won't think back on this time in your life and remember what shoes you were wearing, if you missed your workout, or how much money was in your bank account.

But you will remember your child learning the story of Christmas, the wonder in your one-year-old's eyes, a surprise on your front doorstep that made your day, the mid-pancake-making dance parties in your kitchen on a Saturday morning.

What you will remember is your happy.

<3

Five on Friday... WHEW!

Helloooooooooo Friday.

I apologize for the lack of blogging, and for the lack of meaningful blogs at that.  I'm popping in with a quick Five on Friday before the Peele circus awakens from their naps... I SHOULD be napping, too, because I am exhausted - but I am a terrible napper and usually end up stirring until the kids wake up and then kick myself for not being productive with the oh-so-cherished nap time!


O N E
Which leads me to number one.  Y'all... I am BEAT.  And I know I am not alone - this time of year is exhausting and busy and non-stop for everyone.  I feel like since CK's birthday, life has been in fast-forward ~ We had her birthday and then Halloween and then E's birthday and family in town and multiple trips out of town and work and Christmas shopping and sickness and one-year molars and church and friends and exercise and cooking and I could go on, and on, and on.  I am not complaining, I promise - because the busy we've had has been a GREAT kind of busy... a loving-life and so-blessed kind of busy.  Honestly, it's the going out of town that's so exhausting I think!  It takes days to prepare/pack, and then days to un-prepare/un-pack - not to mention how hard it is to make long car trips with two littles in tow!  I never realized how on-the-go we are with our travels until some of my local friends commented that we are always out of town! ha!  Which is par for the course when you don't have your family in town, I guess.  Anyway, I'm rambling... all of that to say, we have one more out-of-town trip next weekend for BLOMPS Christmas at my parents' house - which is always a blast!  And then we're parking our little hineys in Carrollton throughout the rest of the holidays and for the foreseeable future.

T W O
Another reason I'm exhausted?  This kid right here:

Such.a.stinker.  He is going to give me a run for my money, this one.  He is constantly getting into any and everything he can get his hands on - and will do something he knows he shouldn't, look at you, and give you the sneakiest little smirk.  He is 90 miles an hour, like the Tasmanian devil the minute his feet knees hit the floor.  And I am 100% wrapped around his wild little fingers!

T H R E E
And that little Tasmanian devil?  Still not walking!  He'll take anywhere from 3-10 steps with his arms straight above his head, but his preferred mode of transportation is to crawl at lightening speed.

F O U R
And then there's this sweet girl...

A girl who definitely still has her moments, but has one of the kindest, most compassionate, most genuine, most sincere hearts I have ever known.  Being her mama just makes me so proud, makes me take a lot of deep breaths, and makes me laugh out loud multiple times throughout the day!  

One of my most favorite recent moments?  I walked into the playroom to get E for his morning nap, and she adamantly stated:  "No mama!  I got us all dressed for our wedding.  Everette is the king.  Before the king naps, I need you to marry us."

F I V E
Despite all the crazy around here, we sure are getting into the Christmas spirit!  I'm not a fan of the cold weather, but I must admit that it's hard to feel all Christmas'y when I can go for my morning run in shorts and a tank top!  Good news is the temperature has finally plummeted (well, in GA standards) which makes it feel a lot more like Christmas!  We visited a tree farm and got our tree up, we've got our house decorated, we went to the local Holiday Wishes Christmas parade last night (which was so fun!), our Elf on the Shelf (Zoombie!) has arrived, and we're going to the Rudolph puppet show at the Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta tomorrow!  And we've got so many more fun things planned throughout this month.  Despite the chaos and exhaustion that comes with normal life + normal life with two littles + normal life with two littles during the holiday season, I fully intend on soaking up all December has to offer.  I can tell you one thing with complete certainty - Christmas season as a mama is absolutely, positively magical... <3

Have a great weekend!