Hung by the chimney at last!

I am so glad to have this stocking of Reese's finally finished. As of December 3rd it hangs by the chimney with care.  Jaden and Ty's stockings were done within the first or second year of their lives.  And while I got away with not having Reese's stocking completed last year, I knew that if I didn't come up big this year she'd potentially be scarred for life.  I'm, of course, being facetious but when your child is old enough to request that it be finished by Christmas, well enough said.  My excuse for the procrastination?  Older siblings.  I don't sit down anymore.   I remember that I nursed Ty while stitching his stocking.  Thinking back, I can't picture how I did that -- don't really want to.  I'll tell you that it was much more fun to make Reese's stocking, what with all the input she had on colors, etc.  And to say it lightly, she was very encouraging along the way.  Each Friday night we typically have a movie night.  Movie night was my best chance to stitch away and Reese knew it.  She was on my case from the beginning of the movie to the end.  Some weekends I'd have much preferred to watch the movie without multitasking but it wasn't worth the lecture I'd get from Reese.

This past weekend we took a quick trip to San Antonio.  I can't tell you how many times I thought to myself that I should be working on Reese's stocking while driving or sitting around watching movies or just hanging with the family in our hotel.  

For the record, I really do love these stockings -- the finished version.  They are really easy to make, you just have to remember to have it at the ready to work on whenever you have some down time.  My mother-in-law found this pattern in a catalog for a whopping four dollars back when they started their family.  Kyle has a stocking.  And all three of my kids can now say they have a hand stitched stocking.  However, I have no intentions of making myself one -- just not something you make for yourself.  It bothers Kyle that I don't have one.  So, of course, I've told him to make me one already.   Maybe if I nag him as much as Reese nagged me it could actually happen . . .

Thanksgiving and white cabinets

There's no better time to make changes to your kitchen then when your going to be cooking in it for a day and half!  I was so lucky to get my kitchen cabinets painted white for my birthday or for Christmas or because my husband loves me or because he really wanted to put an end to my nagging him for them.  You name it, I'm just so glad they're white.  It was definitely a want not a need.  When we built our house over three years ago I must've really liked dark brown because everything I picked out from cabinets to furniture to hardwood was just that.   Once it all came together there were just too many shades of brown.  And it just so happens that the easiest and least expensive of those things to change is cabinet color.

 After three days the kitchen was ours again, but only after 7:00 on the eve of Thanksgiving.  We had some serious cooking to catch up on.  Thanks to every last family member pitching in (more than usual) we pulled it off, with the exception of the turkey.  We forgot to put it in the oven before we went to bed.  You wouldn't believe how offensive that was to the kids, who had helped prepare the turkey, (injections and all) to wake without the smell of turkey like we so promised.  Luckily, there's more than one way to cook Tom the Turkey.