Sisters

To use or just amuse

A crafty blogger has posted a PDF of printable gift tags. They are really funny, but you could also print them out and actually use them. I will try to have at least one good post this week about all the pre-holiday fun we've had, but I have some serious, heavy work goals for myself. Keep me in your prayers--I need some extra strength to push through some work problems I've been struggling with.

Christmas shirts

Here are the girls in the Christmas shirts I made for them. Annabelle's says "Jingle Belle" and Rebekah's says "Jingle all the way." The holly berries are red buttons. I liked this picture better than the ones where they were looking at the camera because this is how they look most of the time--Rebekah is making silly faces and Annabelle is looking at Rebekah. You can click on the picture for a closer look.

Shannon's job

Mary has requested an update on Shannon, and since he can't seem to get himself in here to do it (he's too busy checking on the Razorbacks every time he gets near the computer), I guess I'll do it for him. He likes his new job at the bank. The transition from restaurant management was smooth because the work is similar--he's still managing a team of people who are serving customers. He has said that the lifestyle is totally different, in a good way. The hours are predictable and consistent, and he's home with us every night and every weekend. It's fantastic for all of us. He's been through a lot of training, but it's stretched out over a few months instead of condensed. He also likes being able to wear nice clothes that he picks out every day instead of a uniform. He's thrown out all his greasy black pants and gray shirts! Hopefully he'll get in here and give you some more, but for now, that's what's up with Shannon.

Hooray for Christmas!

We're all excited about Christmas out here. We've got the house decorated and we've been enjoying the festivities around town. I'm awfully proud of my mantle. I got the decorating idea from a Southern Living Christmas book that Mamaw Evans sent me for my birthday. After I hung the stockings, Rebekah walked in the room and said, "Mommy! You decorated red socks! That's so silly!" and she laughed for about ten minutes over it.



Our tree looks like something out of a department store because we bought a big package of red balls at Sam's and that's all that's on it now--except for one little white bear that Rebekah found and stuck on there. It will be more personalized and less Martha Stewart-y once we get out the rest of our ornaments. I've always wanted to be able to put my Christmas tree in a window that you can see from outside, and this year I can.



On Saturday we went to Christmas in the Park where we saw a friend perform with her dance class. After that we stood in line for an hour and a half to see Santa. Annabelle tolerated the wait well considering we didn't get done until 9:30. When we finally got to Santa Claus, we knew it was worth the wait. This year was Rebekah's first time to see Santa because I was determined not to subject myself to the long lines until she asked for it herself (we didn't even try with Annabelle). Rebekah crawled up in his lap and hugged him and touched his beard--she was starstruck! She wouldn't even look at the camera because she wouldn't stop hugging him. She did manage to ask him for a piano. When we left she said, "Santa Claus loves me." On the way home both girls fell asleep and Rebekah never woke up even when Shannon changed her clothes and put her to bed.



On Sunday we went to the Christmas parade, which lasted for over two hours! It was so hot that we were wearing short sleeves, and I took off Annabelle's pants and let her just wear a onesie. I actually saw some little girls in sun dresses. Santa was at the end of the parade, so we hung on until the end. Rebekah and Annabelle both perked up for the marching bands, and of course, I'm encouraging that. I just know I'd be the best band mom ever :)

language arts

On Friday, Rebekah brought home a note about what they had been learning in school for the week. For the literacy section, they read a book called Diary of a Worm, so I asked her to tell me about the worm. She began, "Once upon a time there was a little worm..." and told me the story. For the language section, they learned about articles, adjectives, nouns, and verbs. I asked Rebekah if she could tell me about nouns. She said, "Once upon a time there was a little noun..."

We are easily amused

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1131872382