Day 24 - #1 sellers, Christmas Tree

Some exciting news we got when Carter picked up his Boy Scout popcorn - our Pack 358 sold the most popcorn in the NATION! $96,000 worth of the stuff! Carter individually sold just under $500, and that was pretty exciting. But this total is awesome! Anyway, just had to give a 'shout out' to Pack 358 in Zionsville! Now we just need to find the time to deliver it!
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So yesterday I mentioned in my blog about Tom getting the Door Buster bargain pre-lit Christmas tree on Black Friday. I have something to say about that. EVERYONE NEEDS TO GET A PRE-LIT CHRISTMAS TREE!!! Oh my - talk about as easy as 1-2-3 - we looked at each other and couldn't believe we've waited this long to jump on this sensation. It took all of about 2 minutes to set it up, and then another 5 to adjust the branches how I liked them. Tom and I think we heard a gospel choir sing, "Hallelujah"... THAT'S how fast and easy this was.

Ours is a beautiful Bristol Pine with 1400 tips and 1000 lights. 500 are multi colored, and 500 are white. It also has 7 different settings you can choose from to display your light action. Ours, of course doesn't deviate much from tradition - the lights are staying solid. Carter didn't like the blinkers, the slow fade to black, the patterns etc. Oh no - Santa, he said, would not like it the other ways. My little creature of habit. So, solid lights will stay. No motion, and no unpredictability going to happen with this tree! He did agree to liking the colored lights though - we put on all white lights on our old tree, so this multi-colored light thing is a new addition.

We spent the afternoon decorating the tree and putting up some more decorations around the house. Tom finished the lights outside and things are almost completed. Of course you know how that goes with decorating for a season, you make the biggest mess first (at least I do!) while taking other stuff down and getting out all your tubs and boxes filled with glee. So my house looks like a bomb went off inside it - things amuck here and there, dining room tabled filled with 'stuff' I'm not putting out this year (and need to repack) because of Olivia's curiosity and inability to resist putting any object in her mouth. I have greenery pieces sprinkled all over my carpet, glitter here and there and just overall clutter and chaos that comes before you can enjoy it all. By the end of the weekend, I hope to have things straightened out, the dust swept under the rug and be dreaming of a white Christmas.

Here's a few pictures of some favorite ornaments hanging on our tree...
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Here's the decorated tree and mantle...



Carter's first ornament. Given to him from my grandparents. It's the first one he wants to hang every year.

Boston Lobster ornament given to Carter from my parents when they lived there.

Cute star ornament with Carter's school picture on it from last year.

Tom's Colts ornament - no need to explain.

A cupcake ornament that Carter picked out as Olivia's first ornament...

A couple of my Christopher Radko ornaments - hard to choose a favorite so I'll share these 2...

Day 20 - Sickbay update and misc. blathering

Update from the sickbay....

Carter is feeling alot better today. He kept everything down yesterday (which was easy because he didn't eat anything!) and finally caught up on some sleep late yesterday afternoon. He's eating some crackers and Gatorade, but saying his legs are still "tired", which I figure means he feels weak in them when he walks. We must get some nutrition in him now that he doesn't need his 'choke bowl'.

It was Olivia's turn last night, around 5:13 when I finally decided to wake her from her FOUR HOUR nap. I knew something wasn't right if she was still asleep. I gave her a bottle after bringing her downstairs and a few minutes later - I'll just say - picture the Exorcist scene. Both ends. 'Nuf said? My back was turned to her as I was loading the dishwasher, I thought the splashing sound I heard was the water in the sink. Until Carter said, "uh oh Mommy - look!" *sigh* Poor thing. This later happened again, that time in the living room, which was alot more work to clean up after. Kitchen floors are easy - carpet, furniture, clothed baby and drenched Mommy are not. Ew. Alas, she's better today! No fever and is keeping things down, er in.

So after being elbow deep in nasties of all kinds, I would love to dip my house in some bleach to ensure that proper disinfection has happened. Crossing our fingers that neither Tom or I catch The Bug. I've Lysoled every surface one may have touched. It's gonna have to do...

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I did a little organizing in my attic this morning. Got my Fall stuff all shoved back into it's proper corner, and began to drag out the Christmas decorations. We will put up the tree this weekend sometime, and Carter's really looking forward to that. It should be interesting with Little Miss Curious crawling around and getting into everything possible.

Aside from folding and putting away the enormous expanding pile of clean laundry that has built up in the laundry room over the past 2 days, I think today I will attempt to decorate my stairway banister with my lights and greenery. It all sounds like a solid plan, but things change quickly around a house with 2 kids under toe. We'll see how it goes.

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Misc. thoughts bouncing around my head....

Trash day tomorrow - clean out kitchen & garage refrigerators...
Pick up Scout popcorn tonight...
Start committing to a menu for my party a week from Saturday...
Put fall Mums on back deck - Santa decor standing next to blooming flowers looks out of place...
I really don't like the new receiver that replaced my TiVo... really...
Do I send regular Christmas cards, or attempt a photo of both kids? Hmmmm...
Need to start bagging sand for Luminary Night...
What's an idea for dinner tonight?
Need to return some phone calls... and emails...
Start thinking about Olivia's 1st bday party, and what to do for Carter's 7th...
Would like to read 2nd half of the newspaper when I get a minute...
Can't believe it's going to be near 70 degrees today, and flurries on Thanksgiving...