You all know what I am talking about don’t try to deny it. This is the time of year when volunteers are pushed their limits, recitals push nervous children to the edge, and parents who have stored up all there patience for a year just to get through the next month… Lose their shit.
The holiday excitement is in the air and for our house it’s amplified because we have 2 birthdays to go through before the Christmas holiday even begins 😳.
I was at the bank earlier this week discussing with a few of the ladies how busy this season is, starting this week. One of the ladies really put things in perspective for me. She said, “I am busy too but I only wish I was busy in the same way you are. You get to see the girls do all these fabulous things and I am busy working. You are so lucky.”
Although this week was crazy and seemed to fly by in a blur of activity… I can clearly picture a snapshot in my mind of all the awesomeness of this week. I will keep those memories forever. 💛
Because I am so freaking… ridiculously… lucky.
My cup runneth over.
Speaking of luck, love, and parenthood… My cousin and her husband had a baby this past weekend! A little boy 💙.
Really makes me think. That is the 3rd baby born since my Mom died. Our family is growing and she doesn’t get the honour of seeing these beautiful little lives unfold.
This time of year, more than any other, makes me think of Mom. She loved the holidays. She would have loved seeing the Girl’s recitals, concerts and parties. I have a few girlfriends that have SuperMoms like I did. I get to see it right there. It makes my heart swell and break at the same time.
I know if Mom was here my days wouldn’t be so busy. She would have happily taken half the load… No she would have demanded it. 💛 She loved being a Nana. She gave 100% to being a Mom and being a Nana was no different.She would have loved this week.
Me on the other hand… I ran into HBear’s teacher on Thursday and she asked me if I was ready for the weekend and I said, “I hate this weekend.” She literally laughed her ass off and told me that that statement was refreshing 😳😂.
So, this week I had to get both the Girl’s birthday invitations out. We had dance classes and we had to buy the Xmas dance recital tickets,
On a positive note, SBean managed to pass Sea Otter this time! Woot Woot! She is very excited to start Salamander next week.
After music class on Thursday morning,
Before we picked up HBear from Gifted to get her to Performing Arts class, SBean and I baked some cookies for the bake sale. I am a terrible baker. I don’t bake very often. I saw this recipe and I thought how easy is that? I can do that. And it turns out… I can! These turned out so well that my amazing baker mother-in-law asked me for the recipe! These are my new favourite cookies. 💛
Adapted from The Frugal Girls
1 box white cake mix
1¼ cups dried cranberries
1¼ cups white chocolate chips
2 eggs
½ cup oil
Preheat oven to 350.
Combine cake mix, eggs, and oil in large mixing bowl, and beat well.
Stir in Cranberries and White Chocolate Chips, and stir well with a spoon.
Chill dough in refrigerator for 1 hour.
Drop onto ungreased cookie sheet in rounded balls.
Bake for approx. 8 – 10 minutes or until done.
December is kicking my ass and we still have 2 weeks left of November! I may need a Christmas miracle to keep this train on the tracks! By Friday I felt like I had already put in a full week… but the fun was just beginning.
Friday morning I hauled 25 boxes of apple juice into the back of my van. Dropped SBean off at Grandma and Grandpa’s and quickly ran to Staples… That will be a story for another day LOL then I hauled ass to the school to get ready for hot lunch. When I pulled up at the school I lugged all 25 boxes of apple juice into the hallway and then went to set up the tables. As I was walking down the hall carrying a table, a teacher walked by and said, “that looks heavy.” 75 minutes and 150 pasta dishes later I saw the same teacher walking down the hall as I carried the tables back to where they belonged. She said, “Didn’t I just see you carrying the table that way?” Story of my life lady 😜. After I picked up SBean we came back to the school to pick up HBear and to set up for the Vendor Fair the next day. Of course, there were tables to be set up LOL at 4:30 the same teacher walked by me as I was carrying a different table down the hall. We both erupted in laughter. 😂
Once my booth was all set up to sell apple juice for SBean’s Preschool at HBear’s Vendor Fair, see how I did that? I got to fundraise for both kids at the same time! Genius 🎉.
By 7:15 the next morning the whole Pham Dambly was at the pool for HBear’s first Mini Meet! After getting a $20 penalty on my last swimming invoice for not volunteering at the last meet… I was more than happy to time keep this time. It was cool! HBear did awesome and Papa, Grandma, Grandpa, Daddy, and SBean were all there cheering her on!
We went out for coffee first thing in the morning and Ninja took the Girls to the park.
When the recital was over we picked up HBear’s PSBesty and we headed to Get Bent. Our Brownie pack was taking Bollywood lessons to earn their key to the arts. Our task was to do a dance from another culture. It was a blast! I am so uncoordinated it is embarrassing. When I am in a room with a whole wall of mirror trying to shimmy, it just ain’t pretty 😂 but it sure was fun!
Next week is SBean’s birthday!!!
The fun just doesn’t stop.… 😜
