Okay, okay, I am alive!!

Yes, I realize I have been a total slacker with the blog updates. Be prepared, as this one will contain a plethera of pictures and useless information about me and my current goings on.

First, the Fat Dog Update...
Alden is growing like a weed! He is so cute and snuggly. I love to take him for his naps cause he really does snuggle into you, and he is all rolly polly. :) He hardly ever fusses unless he is tired or hungry and if you take care of that, he is back to smiley boy. Here is his November mini book. It has been done, just not posted.



And here is the fat dog himself...


and the two proud brothers...


We got our tree up and decorated. I didn't even know you could fit 8 ornaments on a single branch. I think the words "Calm Down" and "wait" were said oh, like 4,532 times. I would have liked to put a tree in the boys room but Old Emerson is so curious these days. He is very mechanical, likes to take things apart, eat them, etc. So, he will either be an engineer, builder, or that weird guy at the circus who eats car parts and glass and stuff. I get all teary eyed thinking of the pride swell and the free peanuts...

In other Christmas news...
Here is my mini book's cover.

It is a cool book that Beth sent me and I am so glad I can work on it now that this

book is done. If you want to see the Thanksgiving one all done and pretty I put it in my FLickr show on the right. ----->

And Lincoln aka the Grinch declared a couple weeks ago "Mom, I know Santa is not real." Now, I know this happens, but man, we were watching Rudolph for goodness sake! We have never made a big deal out of Santa, like "You better be good or Santa won't come." kind of thing. So, I asked him "How do you know that?"

His reply, "Mom, it is just a man in a costume..." complete with the my-mom-is-so-lame eye roll. Alrighty then...
So, we have a long chat about NOT telling other kids this as it will spoil their fun and it is between them and their parents when they find this info out. I even try the whole, besides, gifts and Santa are fun and we enjoy them, but you know Christmas is really about Jesus' birth. I explain how even if there were no presents under the tree we would still be able to be happy because of Christ's birth. Now, I am giving myself the ol' spiritual pat in the back. You know the one that says, (a bit too pridefully.) I am so good, I am instilling the true meaning of Christmas, he gets it. This is so cool and non commercialized. I think I hear the Its A Wonderful Life Theme playing in the background...

Well... that pride is BUSTED when ones young son informs the kids at school that Santa is dead and if you love him you do not love Jesus and God cause they are what Christmas is all about. NICE! That's my boy... I had no idea he would interpret my talk this way. I felt like such a bad parent. We had another looong talk, and it included a chat about judging others, ruining things for others, etc and no ice cream at the coffee shop. Let me tell you, that was one pitiful face to see...watching his brother get ice cream. I think the Easter bunny is safe now ... :)
So... I am out of here before this one doesn't get posted... and Dawn, you better be the first commenter! LOL.