Hi! It’s been a little while…like a week. And I’m too far behind on my blog reading to even attempt a links post. It’s the holidays, you know.
The minute Thanksgiving arrives, all of my good intentions fly out the window and I run around in a metaphorical circle getting very little accomplished. Though the glitter I seem to collect on my clothes and face throughout the day makes for festive flailing.
Today, I actually celebrated a small victory in ordering a holiday card to mail out to friends and family. I sent one out last year, but it was the first time I was able to pull that off since Oliver was a baby. So this is kind of a big deal for me – the third holiday card mailing in the six years that I’ve been a mother.
Our first card was cute… Oliver was old enough to sit on Santa’s lap and not cry or look like a dressed up potato, so I used one of those pictures:
A little dark – but it did the trick. And I was even able to come up with a cute caption for the inside – something along the lines of “...and I want a remote control, and some paper clips, and a calculator, and a cell phone…OOOH and a few pennies…”
I assumed that I would do this every year.
Then I had the twins.
They were born a couple of months before the following Christmas, and to say that I didn’t quite have my act together would be like saying that the Titanic was short one or two lifeboats.
This is the closest thing I have to a festive group shot that holiday season:
Aside from the bizarre tree (Chris wasn’t at the top of his game either when he went out to buy it), and the fact that my oldest child wasn’t in the picture, you couldn’t have paid me to publicize that image of my exhaustion and general dishevelment. Now of course, I have no such compunctions since I’ve looked like that for the past five years and don’t care anymore.
The following year when Oliver was two and the twins were one, I TRIED to pull something off with the help of some toys and cookies (and a table to trap them against their chairs):
But no dice. That was the best of the bunch.
In 2008, I thought I had a great plan in grabbing them right before we left for a holiday party. I promised Tic Tacs (ah – the days when they thought Tic Tacs were candy…) for each pose:
Sadly, the Tic Tacs were a distraction and caused too much jumping up and down and arm waving. Not to mention the Tic Tacs visible in their mouths in some of the livelier shots. Above, is the most normal looking one of all the pictures I took. FAIL.
In 2009, I did manage to get a group picture in front of our tree on New Years Eve. It was too late to do a card, but I think this one would have been “good enough.”
I mean – with the exception of the Irish cross ornament growing out of Eleanor’s head.
But last year was the year! I swore that I would get a decent group picture on a card and put it in the mail, even if it was an image of them in their underwear in front of a trash can. I figured a Photoshop-adept friend could help me paint in a tree and some pants. But that wasn’t necessary and I was able to mail this:
In spite of Oliver’s awful haircut, I was thrilled. I even got some last minute return cards from friends who must have previously deleted me and my non-holiday card sending ways from their lists.
And I’m officially back in the game with this one:
Okay – so I still have to receive the cards, address envelopes and mail them before anything is “official”… But I’m feeling pretty confident.
So while I may be a little scattered and disorganized this month, you know that I’m wishing you the best and probably now covered in ink as well as glitter as I hand address all of my envelopes.
A happy holiday season to you and yours!
LOVE! I remember all the other pix too and love them too! This post made me giggle so hard! Merry Christmas! Hope to see you soon!
Wishing you and yours (expecially George) and wonderful and Merry Merry Christmas
Deb Henderson and
Great Aunt Elaine Young
Oh I love this years. The others are adorable too.
This is my first year sending them out in three years. I’m kinda happy that I actually did it.
Love, love!!!
Happy holidays to you, friend!
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