Christmas is fast approaching

Thanksgiving came so quickly. We had already started Christmas shopping. We are more than half done. Our tree went up on Thanksgiving. Richard spent hours strategically placing our Christmas lights on our house weeks before Thanksgiving. But we forgot one important step in the process of preparing for Christmas: cards.

In the past, we started planning weeks before Thanksgiving. We always do a photo card.

2006 - Richard and I relaxing on the couch

2007 - our wedding picture

2008 - 5 month old Christian

Of course Christian was going to be the star of this year's card, but we had not planned anything.

So the Sunday after Thanksgiving we bought a large silver ball ornament and a big plastic candy cane. We dressed Christian in his nicest polo, drapped a white sheet over the couch and attempted to have a little photo session.

Between our delayed point and shoot camera and Christian's inability to sit still, none of the pictures are card worthy. Christian loved to hit the ornament with the candy cane and at one point turned the candy cane on us! This, however, is my favorite picture.

We chose instead a picture my dearest friend Molly took of Christian a few months back. She always takes the most brilliant and beautiful pictures of my son, capturing his personality and light.

So I proudly present the outakes of our botched photo session:

State Fair 2009

View from the Space Tower:

Foods Consumed by Richard and me:

• Pronto Pup
• French Fries
• Cheese Curds
• Deep Fried Oreos
• Deep Fried 3 Musketeers
• Hot Dish on a Stick
• Deep Fried Banana Split
• Corn
• Taffy
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Litter Box Woes

My poor cats deserve a new litter box. They have been sharing the same box for roughly four or five years. For a short time, I was not cleaning it enough, so they started using the litter catching mat in front of the box as a second litter box when the litter box was full. (I didn't know they were doing this until a week ago). So I threw out the nasty stinky mat. Bought them a new bright, pretty, filtered litter box, a new mat, and a new scooper. The new box has a hinged door to help control the smell and litter spillage. (The old box once had a door, but they broke it off after a few months).
I took Elvis and Maddy down to the basement. Showed them the box. Put them in the box. Showed them how the door swung open and closed. I showed them each twice.
I thought we were all happy. No smelly dirty box. Fresh sleek plastic. Brand new litter. Nice new mat.
Then there was a smell...
An uninvited smell where there shouldn't be a smell.
A poopy smell...
....in the dining room.
At four a.m., Richard woke me up frantic because he noticed the smell (I noticed it the night before but thought it was Logger's gassy behind).
So we searched, me half awake for the origin of the icky odor.
Richard discovered it. Hidden between the wall and the bookcase where we keep the spare high chair cover and the awning to Christian's first car seat (forgot that was there). The cats had made their own litter box in desperation. So we scrubbed and washed and washed and washed and washed the fabrics and the floor (thank God they missed the carpet).
We figured out the cats couldn't figure out how to enter the litter box. The hinged door was a barrier to their sanctuary. Pushing their head against it to go in and out was just too much (don't forget they have used a hinged litter box door in the past). So I removed the protective door.
And I checked tonight: they are using the litter box. Yeah!

Mr. & Mrs McWoolery!

I wish I had more pictures of Michelle and Chris's special day. My husband decided it would be better to rely on Molly's camera rather than take pictures with ours. True, Molly does take awesome pictures, but now I have none to share on my blog...besides these adorable ones of Michelle! And I finally got a picture of Ryan! Woo Hoo

Putting up the baby gate

What a pain in the ass this was! Richard got it up though. The poor cats haven't figured out how to get around it which has made for some amusing acrobatic moves by Maddy. Hee hee. We usually leave it open unless Christian is on the move.

Easter Bunnies are Mean

Martinis and a Bride To Be