A Merry Twosome

There is a lot that I want to remember about the Christmas season of 2011, but toward the top of the list has to be the dynamic between Enzo and Colin and how much it has changed and grown in such a short window of time.  Enzo is an Italian Greyhound, which is code for skiddish and not fond of children.  Colin is a child.  The combination was not exactly ideal.  Enzo has never been mean to Colin, but he did like to go the other direction when toddler Colin headed his direction.  That has been the way of things for a long while...Enzo kind of just stayed out of Colin's reach unless he was being offered food.  Clearly he has no problem accepting food.  But I digress.  ;-)

During the last two months, something dramatically changed.  I don't know exactly how it happened, but one day, things were different.  Enzo started getting cozy with Colin on the couch and then wanted to start getting into his bed during the bedtime routine.   I found myself posting lots of pictures on Facebook of Colin and Enzo together.  And it became very clear all of a sudden that Colin had become Enzo's "boy" and Enzo is Colin's best friend.  It is the ultimate childhood relationship, I think...a boy and his dog.  I am so glad that my two boys have each other! 

 

LOVE

Cheesy Christmas 2011

I have been waiting for months and it finally happened...the infamous annual "Turner Family Cheesy Christmas Party". It was, of course, hysterical. Bryan and Eren are seriously the funniest and most wonderful couple in the world. I would gladly watch any sitcom devoted to those two. ;-)  The premise is to wear the ugliest and most cheesy Christmas outfit ever and also impress the crowd with the funniest White Elephant gift.  This year, we took a bottle of Drakkar Noir and a set of plastic bracelets that said, "I LOVE BOYS" in neon.  I thought it was pretty classy, if I do say so myself.  I made jalapeno bacon poppers and some candy cookies and bought matching turtlenecks for me and Jer.  They were solid black with red stockings all over and they were absolutely hideous.  I LOVED IT.  While it is hard to pick a single favorite moment from this party, it would have to be walking in to find that Lindsey and Frank had made sweatshirts to wear using other peoples family pictures.  Lindsey choose us and Frank choose the Turners and I had tears literally rolling down my face when I saw them.  It was absolutely HYSTERICAL.  We look good on a sweatshirt, I tell you!  We have also started a new tradition lately that was passed down from Nate.  He has a signature move where he takes a "pass out picture" from everywhere they go and the more inappropriate the setting, the better.  Like you will be looking through random vacation pictures of their family and then BOOM, you see Nate laying on the floor pretending to be passed out in the middle of a hike or at the dinner table.  We get the biggest kick out of these photos and they usually make me laugh until my stomach hurts.  ;-)  Last summer, we start posing the famous pass out shot at some of our group parties or date nights and they are so funny that I can't stand it.  We even took one all dressed up during the fancy party at Bryan's parents!  (I know this is lame humor, but I am already aware that I am a DORK.)  Bryan posed our biggest shot yet during their party and I will probably be laughing at that one for a LONG time.  :-)  Cheers!   

Christmas Cards!

This year, Pinterest has dominated my holiday decorating and I am SO glad! It is no secret how much I love Christmas cards.   LOVE THEM.   Every year, I use the fridge to display them all, but I have been looking for a better way.  Two years ago, I hung them around the mantle, but ours is rather small and it looked pretty cluttered and I ran out of room quickly.  Last year, I went back to covering the fridge, which is cute, but I wanted them in sight more often.  I found the idea on Pinterest to run ribbon over kitchen cabinets (making the doors look like presents) and pin them there.  That was my plan, but then at the last minute, I decided to move it to the entry closet door right as you walk in.  It made the door look like a giant present, which was super cute long before the cards started rolling in.  Then Colin and I had a blast making the pins, which are just tiny clothes pins that we put Christmas craft stickers on.  It turned out absolutely adorable and it was one of my favorite things in the house this year.  These cards make me feel cozy and loved and I don't think it will EVER get old to receive them and put them out on display!  We even got several more after this picture was taken!  I LOVE IT!

Colin's Class Christmas Party!

Somehow, another year has passed and I was able to attend my SECOND annual preschool Christmas extravaganza today.  I really honestly don't know how it happened.  Five minutes ago, Colin was in Miss Gina's class.  And now here we are.  Where does the time go?!?  I wonder how many more times I will say that over the next 50 years?  Probably at least twice.   Being a mother really turns you into a cliche.  :-)

Due to the fact that I am completely insane slightly addicted to cooking, I decided to make Colin's teacher gifts this year.  We spent literally all day Wednesday baking.  I LOVED IT.  This is honestly one of the very tip top reasons that I love this season.  I love to make people happy.  Seriously, I know that sounds over the top cheesy, but I get my kicks from surprising people with something that makes them super deliriously happy.  I made a huge batch of chocolate chip/pecan/toffee cookies and my homemade-from-scratch-awesome-carb-filled-heaven-scented cinnamon rolls.  I see those cinnamon rolls in my dreams.  And this is the time of year that I make batch after batch and pray that I can still wear my pants in January.  Which I never can.  But that is another post.  Anyway...

I made a pan of the rolls for Miss Courtney and Miss Blake and Colin was very quick to inform me that he HAD to bring presents to Miss Gina and Miss Heather from last year.  SO, we arrived at school this morning with wrapped baked goods up to our eyeballs.  Colin has gotten into dictating very detailed notes to me whenever he gives gifts and the cards did not disappoint!  He comes up with cutest things to say and I am 99% sure that he asked Miss Blake on a date in her card.  He asked her to "come have dinner at my house and see my beautiful Christmas tree".  Yeah....that sounds way too much like a date for my liking.  Their class party was a Grinch themed pajama party and the teachers were dressed so cute!  Colin was a big fan of the "Grinchy Green Juice".  Super precious! 

Pizza at school is still the coolest party ever

Green and red food = AWESOME

Laughing with his friends at lunch

Musical chairs at a 4 year old party is ADORABLE

Miss Courtney stopping the music!  LOVE Colin's face here!

Colin (far right) and his whole class opening their book exchange presents

The cinnamon rolls.  JOY in swirled dough form.

Our Newest Member

Colin got a new kitty named Evi this year and "Evi-the-cat" (as I like to call her) or "Evingston" (as Jer likes to call her) is Colin Shaffer's best buddy. They love each other. A LOT. The love affair has gotten to the point that Evi stands at his door and meows at all hours of the night if we leave it closed.  I used to come out of Colin's room and close the door after our bedtime routine.  That does not exactly work anymore.  Evi likes to come to the kitchen and get dinner with Ferris Mewler, but soon after her meal, she is standing in the hall yelling to be let into Colin's room.  She gets let in and out basically all night long.  :-)  I took these shots right before bed...Colin was singing Christmas carols to her!  She is the sweetest and most loving kitty in the whole world and she lets Colin hold her and tug on her and even carry her around, despite the fact that her back paws drag the floor.  She sits in my lap every single time I sit down at the computer and loves to lay on her back to get her tummy scratched.  She prefers to drink water out of the running sink and sleeps during every moment that she is not eating or being scratched behind her ears.  We bought her a contraption called "The Furminator" and she loooooves to get brushed with it.  You would not believe the amount of fur that we pull off this cat!  She also LOVES my dad for some reason and will spend literally every moment that he is here in his lap being loved on.  Anyway, she is an absolute joy and is the perfect new addition to our family.  We are so thankful that 2011 brought us her little white tipped paws!  It makes it even more special that we adopted her from our best friends...she really does have quite the extended family!
     

SHOW TIME!

Today, Colin performed in his second Christmas program. Today, I cried in the audience during my second time to watch Colin in his Christmas program. There is NOTHING more precious than seeing my baby singing and dancing on stage with all his sweet little classmates. I can literally feel my heart exploding when I watch him. All I can think about is how little he looks and how sweet and how tiny the window of time is that he will do things like this and how I need to memorize how soft his cheeks are and how much I wish I could freeze time so that he would always be this achingly precious. Or something like that. :-)   This is truly the highlight of my whole year. (clicking on the picture will pull the collage up to full screen adorableness)   

2011 Family Photo Shoot

I am slightly neurotic when it comes to Christmas cards.  And pictures of my family.  And combining those two things.  Checking the mail in December is one of my favorite things and I get so excited to design OUR card and send it to everyone we love.  Needless to say, I was not proud of myself when I realized that November was more than halfway over and I didn't have our picture planned yet.  We have taken a yearly family shot for the last 3 years and since last year was a silly pajama theme, I was really excited to get some pictures to hang year round.  My neighbor Jenny just happens to be getting her own photography business off the ground, so she agreed to meet us at the park down the street from the house and take a few shots.  I cut it WAY too close and am going to have a hard time getting these cards to folks before Christmas, but I LOVE how the pictures turned out!  Colin adores Jenny and practically lives at that park, so it made for a somewhat peaceful and easy-going shoot.  I am so thankful to know the right people!  :-)  Jenny and I grew up in the same town and attended the same school and then just happened to end up as neighbors!!  Crazy!  And I think it is so great that I will always have the memory of our park in these photos.  No matter where we end up in our lives, we will remember the little park where Colin first played and spent all his time!  Is there anyone sappier than me?  No?  ;-)