Happy New Year

2014 has come to an end.  It was a year full of change for us.  Starting of course with a new baby girl (who just had her first birthday) and followed by a move cross country back home to California.  It has been so nice living near family again.  We have settled into a rental here in Brea.  The community is nice, the neighborhood has good amenities, and shopping is very close.  I continue to slowly get the house in order but it already feels like home. 

We had a wonderful Christmas.  We rounded out our advent calendar with baking more cookies, seeing some neighborhood lights, trying unsuccessfully to get a picture with Santa, making Christmas cards and watching a couple Christmas movies.  We headed down to my sister's house for an insane Christmas Eve with 5 littles running around and opening presents.  We spent all Christmas Day at my in-laws.  My husband unfortunately was on call and had to head into work twice during the day but at least we were able to spend some of the day with him.

I hadn't planned on doing any New Year's resolutions this year but I did start thinking about goals and things I'd like to change when writing this post so here is my list:
1) to knit more than last year.  That isn't saying much since I only did a handful of small projects last year.  Already this year I have finished a pair of fingerless mitts for Oma and have started testing a pattern for a designer on Ravelry. 
2) to finish Baby M and Little H's growth charts and make M's baby quilt.  I have the applique ironed on the growth charts but need to stitch them down, add the ruler lines and quilt it all together.  For the baby quilt I still haven't decided on a pattern, although I do have most of the material.
3) organize and stick to a weekly cleaning schedule.  It was really nice having someone clean for us in Arkansas while I was pregnant and then trying to keep the house looking good for showings when we were trying to sell it.  I just can't justify having one now though.  If I organize my time and get the twins involved, it should be "easy" to keep this house clean.  Especially since the twins started a Tiny Tots program at the community center today that gets them out of the house for 2 1/2 hours for 3 days a week.  So I have no excuses.
4) have more alone time with my hubby without the kids interrupting.  Between the new baby and not living together for months while he worked in AR and the girls and I came back early to CA, our marriage has definitely taken its hits this past year.  Now that we are settled and M is older we deserve to get some time to ourselves.
5) be more patient with the twins.  I have been losing my temper more than I should and raising my voice too often.  Then they react badly to me yelling at them and it just gets worse.  I need to be a better example for them of how practice patience and self control.

I wish everyone a great adventures and good health in 2015! 
 

Cross Stitch Stocking Finished

Baby M's stocking is finished and all sewn together.  It has taken its place up beside her sisters' stockings.  They are currently on the china cabinet because I'm afraid of little hands pulling those heavy weights down off of the mantle. 

Finally Fall

Fall has finally come to California.  Arkansas woke up to snow this morning.  We on the other hand had a beautiful, brisk fall day.  After lunch, the girls and I walked to our little neighborhood playground.  I laid out a picnic blanket for Baby M and me to snuggle on while the girls played.  Only she wasn't having any of it.  I'd set her down and immediately she'd start heading across the grass and into the sand to play with her sisters.  She's getting so big.

Although I am still busy unpacking, fixing and organizing things at our new place, the bulk of my crafting attention is now focused on M's Christmas stocking.  I want to finish it by the beginning of December.  It is all stitched, except for her name, a few missed stitches, and the backstitched outlines.  Then I have to sew it all together of course.  I have been working on it since July 2013 and should have it done some time before her first Christmas. 

 

What a week!

What a week!  On Christmas Day we had a horrible storm that knock out power to thousands of people in our area for days.  Ours was out for 49 hours and man did it get cold in here.  It also dumped quiet a few inches of snow on us.

We were lucky that none of our trees fell over or large branches broke.  At a house up the street from us, one of their large oaks fell over and hit the roof.  Luckily for them, another tree next to it bore most of the weight so it did not go crashing through.  But it still caused damage to their roof. 

Our back fence looks a little bent from our neighbors large bushes.  But we are hoping that with the ice and snow melted, the bushes will recover and lift up off the fence.  Hopefully we won't have to repair anything. 

Kevin spent three hours shoveling snow off of our driveway.  He could not make it into work because the entrance to the cul de sac is too steep to get out of with all the snow.  Instead he spent his day doing what he could for us to survive without power for awhile and helping neighbors to clear the street so we could drive out.  He is a great husband.

The girls got their first chance to play in the snow, although I didn't really let them play because they had no boots and no mittens.  I had to tie plastic bags around their shoes so they could walk around in it for a couple minutes.  The snow was up to their knees and they did not really know what to make of it.  If we had heat inside, I would have brought a bowl of it into the kitchen for them to play with but we were freezing as it was.

 

 

Before the power outage, we had a good Christmas morning.  We helped the girls open a few presents from relatives.  Miss T was such a doll and smiled at the camera when I asked her to.

 

Both girls loved the sweet smelling puppy dogs their aunt got them.  Here is D hugging the one I have named Vanna.  For some reason I feel uncomfortable naming all their animals and dolls (we still refer to both of their dolls as 'doll'), but I thought I'd try it out this time.  I chose the very imaginative names of Vanna (for the vanilla colored one) and Chocco (for the chocolate colored one). 

We had a very nice, warm Christmas morning as a family.  I love getting pictures with my girls and am so thankful they are my babies. 

Christmas Eve

In our family, Christmas Eve was always the main event. Christmas Day we would spend at another relative’s or have everyone over at my parents’ house. Christmas Eve was always more of a select group.   My siblings and I, my parents and my grandparents were often the only people there.  Occasionally other close friends, relatives, or random people that needed a place for the holidays came as well. Uncle Henry was a permanent fixture on Christmas Eve until he passed when I was ten.  Occasionally one of our uncles and a cousin would spend it with us as well if they were visiting my Grandparents.  And I even remember a Christmas Eve where two climbers my brother had met up at the Monument (i.e. Joshua Tree National Park) came.  Generally though, Christmas Eve was just for us. 

Christmas Eve was also when we opened all the presents from everyone which of course influenced my preference for Christmas Eve as a child.  We would get a present from Santa, a plate of cookies and a full stocking the next morning which was great too.  Christmas Eve always had a ritual about it because it was the same every year.  Christmas Day changed depending on who we had it with.  During the day on the 24^th, my sister or I would bake Christmas cookies.  Our dinner that night was always fish (a tradition from my father’s family) and usually salt potatoes, peas and we could never forget the rolls (Grandpa had to have his rolls).  After dessert and topping off the wine or eggnog and brandy (of course we kids only had that when we were older), we would move into the living room where our Christmas tree stood looking beautiful.  When everyone was settled down into the couches or chairs one of us kids (always me once my siblings got older and didn’t want to anymore) would pass out presents.  After opening them and thanking the givers, we would explore our new treasures while spending time with each other.  I have so much nostalgia for those Christmas Eves. 

Everyone is back home in California.  My oldest brother flew out from Japan with his girlfriend, my other brother is there, and my sister drove up with her family.  It makes me sad that we are so far away.  The Christmas focus has moved onto the next generation. Holden, his future sister and the girls will be getting all presents to open.  We are having a quiet Christmas Eve here in Little Rock with nothing much planned. We will wait until Christmas morning to open the presents because the girls are not so tired then (and me too).  I do have dough prepped to bake today so we’ll have Christmas cookies like always.  Hopefully in two years, my family and I will get to be back at the home I was raised in for Christmas and celebrate in the traditions that have made such a lasting impression on me. 

Christmas Preparation

I checked the weather forecast for this morning and we may actually get some snow on Christmas Day.  Keeping my fingers crossed.  Gotta love a white Christmas. 

The girls both have colds but so far it is only runny noses and a slight cough and hopefully they don't get worse.  Anna also seems to be sick, at least her eyes are runny (not unusual with her allergies) and her nose is dry and hot.  I hope every one is feeling better for Christmas and for Oma's visit right after Christmas. 

In the meantime, I am trying to find time to bake cookies.  I made some Lebkuchen earlier in the month which turned out disappointing.  Today I am making Rugelach, which I think is a recipe I got from Ina Garten.  I've made it before and it was yummy so hopefully I don't mess it up this time like I did the Lebkuchen. 

I am also working on some last minute knitting projects that will hopefully be done on time.  By on time I mean either when my mother flys back to California on New Year's Day or when we fly out in mid-January.  I also have a little felt project to make for my nephew that should be done in the next week.

I knitted a ruffle scarf because it looked interesting and possibly like fun to knit although it wasn't really.  It was quick and easy though so no complaints. 

One present I have been working on for a long time is a pair of Iphone compatible gloves.  It is my first time knitting gloves and they are not as difficult as I thought they would be.  Even knitting the conductive thread into the tip of the index finger and thumb is not as difficult as I had feared.  And best of all, it actually works.  I can use an Iphone without taking off the gloves!

Yesterday turned out to be a relatively warm and sunny day for December, so we headed over to Two Rivers Bridge Park for a walk.  The girls got to walk around the picnic area and see the Arkansas River.  Miss D wanted to join in a game of soccer that another family was playing.  Anna, as always, enjoyed getting out for some exercise and a chance to meet other dogs and people willing to pet her. 

 

We even let the girls loose while we were walking the trails.  To the amusement of everyone passing by us, they spent most of the time helping me push their stroller along. Our double jogging stroller has a bar right above the basket underneath the seats that is the perfect height for the girls to grab and push.  The only problem of the day was we lost one of their hats, which I'm really bummed about.  And I have no idea how it happened unless someone else picked it up in the couple minutes it took me to realize one was missing and took it home with them.  

Christmas Decorations

I love strawberries.  My grandfather grew them for years when I was young.  There is nothing like a fresh picked strawberry.  That said, if you get lucky, some store-bought strawberries can be pretty good.  These were pretty good ones.

I brought them to our knitting holiday party.  Saw the idea on Pinterest and they are perfect.  Festive, healthy, easy and delicious.  I used vanilla wafers as the base and piped cool whip onto it.  Then trimmed the hull off the strawberry so they would stand flat upside.  I sliced the tip off to add the cool whip pom pom.  This is an idea I will keep using every year.

I finished getting the rest of our decorations up.  Last year I bought garlands at Michael's after Christmas when they were 70-80% off.  So we are a bit more festive this year than last. I hung the girls' stockings  up and they are waiting to be filled by Santa.  And this year I actually put pictures into their stocking holders instead of having them blank like last year.  Very proud of that fact!

 

I hung one garland across the doorway in the girls' playroom.  It was conveniently the perfect length.  I thought of stringing out Christmas lights around our front door so the neighborhood could see it but thought it was better to put them up in the playroom so the girls can see them.  The girls like it when I turn them on in the evenings.

Our tree is one of those small rosemary trees I got at Home Depot.  I've been good so far about keeping it on a sun lit window sill for a few hours each day and not watering it too much.  Hopefully I can keep it up and keep it alive. 

O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum

The girls get a Christmas tree all their own this year.  I cut it out of felt and they are able to move the ornaments around all they want.  I got the idea from a friend and it is so much fun for them. 

 

I bought a 3' x 3' square of green felt at Michael's and cut the bottom triangle out.  Then, with the two leftover triangle scraps, I made the top half of the tree.  It is held on the wall with double sided tape, which works well as long as little fingers don't try to tug it off.  And when that happens smoothing it back down and sometimes a little more tape fixes the problem.  And my friend tells me from experience that after the first week, they stop trying to pull it off the wall.

 

I started off simple with the ornaments because I wasn't sure how well they would stick to the tree.  The balls are just made from bright colored felt and when you press it against the felt tree, it stays put pretty well.   I was thinking of decorating the balls with glitter, but keeping them plain so far has worked out well.  The girls get to practice their colors with them.  For Miss D every ball is blue and occasionally purple or orange when she feels like changing things up. 

 

Miss T doesn't usually say the colors but she shows a ball to me over and over again so I repeat what color it is.  It is neat to watch them learn.  

 



For the family Christmas tree, I will get one of those little rosemary trees for our table.  We'll be able to use the rosemary for cooking and if I take good care of it (my track record is not great but there is always the hope it can stay alive) we can use it again next year.  We'll save getting a big tree with breakable ornaments until the munchkins are older.