My new find...Try it!

So I got home from work the other night in absolute pain--okay, so it was that bad, but it really hurt!  If you're anything like me, winter does a number on my skin...namely, drying it out and making it all crackly....especially my fingers.  And to add to the cause, breaking down cardboard boxes, bagging up clothes into plastic bags tied up with knots and other such tasks at Gymboree really takes a toll on my fingers!  Maybe my fingers are completely dysfunctional, or, maybe I just need to use some lotion a little more often, but whatever the case, I get these really bad splits in my fingers that are 10 times worse than paper cuts.  They go really deep, they're super tender and they take FOREVER to heal!  For the most part, because I obviously use my fingers on a daily basis for every task under the sun {believe me, I'd love it if someone forbid me to use my hands....I can hear it now: "Sorry honey, I just can't do the dishes, or laundry, or make the kids lunch, or do Grace's hair, I'm not allowed to use my hands!"--yah, in my wildest dreams} But since that is not the case {dang}, the minute the split starts to heal, it is pulled open again by one of the above mentioned tasks.  Even when I sleep, my hands brush against the blankets or pillow and re-open it.  Bandaids help a little, but it usually takes about a week for it to finally seal up for good, which is usually about the time another one shows up and here we go again!  
Here is a picture of the split, {it's pretty hard to see, but if you look closely you'll see a line that almost runs the length of my fingernail....and since this is the after picture it doesn't look that bad, so picture it split open nice and deep, and also red and puffy}
So i get home from work and I'm sitting here thinking how if I could just keep it closed for an extended period of time without anything pulling it open, then it could heal that much faster. Right then and there a lightbulb lit in my head....I've heard about hospitals using superglue to close wounds instead of stitches and from what I remember, it wasn't even some special "medical" superglue, just run-of-the-mill superglue!  So I dug through the junk drawer and found my trusty bottle:
I held the slit closed and squeezed a layer right over the top, waited for it to dry and, Voila! Held shut, nice and tight!  I went to bed with my new remedy and woke in the morning to find my finger just as I left it, sealed shut--and no pain!  I literally jumped for joy...... and then I placed the bottle into the medicine cabinet instead of the junk drawer.

To the Very Core

You've probably seen it before...the poster with the faces and their corresponding feelings underneath... Well, I don't remember where it came from or how long it's been there, but we have a magnetic version on our fridge and every so often Grace or Dallas will go up to it and say something like "This is how I feel" pointing to one of the faces. I'm sure Alec has observed this from time to time, but he can't read yet, so I didn't think the faces held much meaning for him, and he's never actually taken part in the tradition.... 

.....until yesterday. After walking in on him in the bathroom, water running, with gum all over his hands {to which his response was: "It won't come off"!}

....He proceeds to go over to the fridge, points to THIS face, and says "Mom, I feel like this today"

He obviously knows himself better than I thought....He is who he is, through and through. And we absolutely adore him {to the very core}!

Christmas Bliss

It seems like every year the holiday season is filled with the sweet anticipation of Christmas morning, and this year it was no different.  Angel and I look forward to it almost as much as the kids. We can't wait to see their faces when they spot the pretty paper that has their name on it and their expressions are priceless when they open the package to see the special something they had been eyeing for so long. But we also anticipate the inevitable disappointment that follows the opening of the last present and the realization that it IS the LAST present.  This year we were pleasantly surprised at the kids' reactions.  Santa filled the kids' stockings at our house, but brought their presents to Nana & Papa's.  So all they had to open at our house was their stockings and their 3 Wise Men gifts.  

And we didn't tell them that Santa took their gifts to Nana's, so for all they knew, that was it!  Did they complain?. . . . ask where the rest of the presents were?. . . . .rip the paper open and start scanning for the next?  NO! They were as giddy as little kids get, rummaging through their stockings, content as can be with the trinkets that they found. We actually had to remind them to look for their shoes to see where the wise men left their gifts.{on the porch outside the front door}

 After we got to mom and dad's they found their Santa presents...he brought Grace the Belle dress from Disneyland with matching shoes, tiara, and earrings.  Dallas got the Heely's he'd been asking for, and Alec got a BUNCH of Ben 10 guys and a new Omnitrix.  {since you can't go "hero" without one}

They were so excited!  And we were so pleased that THEY were so pleased with what they got.  Jake, Kathrine, Riley, and Emma {so cute in her santa outfit!} were there this year and the day was just magical spending it with our whole family with the snow falling outside.  Here are some of the present highlights: Amy got Scott a new wedding ring {much needed, since there was the absence of one}, Angel got me a Cricut Expression---COMLETELY SHOCKED ME!, Matt got speakers for his car and some cool pears {don't ask}, Angel got an RC car, and of course all the kids got a bunch of other stuff that filled the day with the sounds of fun and play.  All in all, the much anticipated day was a complete success, especially if you're measuring the joy factor :)

And Baby Emma was just too cute, she needed her own slide show....I'm sure you'll agree!

Happy New Years!

We all went to My mom and dad's for New Years where we always have our traditional mexican party platter from Azteca.  This year we attempted to make Angel's mom's recipe for Posole soup. We were so thrilled it turned out very close and it was so yummy!  The guys watched football most of the day, Amy knitted, the boys snacked way too much, everyone took their turn napping, and I snapped pictures. At some point in the day someone noticed a very conspicuous pile of cookies on the snack table. It didn't take too long to figure out who was responsible.....each cookie had only ONE bite taken out of it before it was discarded. Out of curiosity we asked Alec why he didn't finish each cookie and he said {as if it were already obvious} "I didn't like them" What can you do? We laughed......and I took a picture. It was a very enjoyable day and we all came home with very full stomachs, {and me, a new scarf :}

Snow, snow, and MORE snow!!!!

Last night it snowed.....again!  The kids first day back to school was 2-hours delayed {fine by me, i got to sleep in a little longer :}

We're wondering how much snow we'll actually get this winter because it just keeps coming! Last night's 6 inches makes about 2.5 feet so far......but at least we're having fun with it {for the most part when it doesn't get in the way of driving}

When we were over at my mom's my brother attempted to build an igloo, but the end result ended up more like a snow teepee, and cool, regardless!

One thing that's hard to dispute, it's beautiful! I had to snap some pictures of the house and yard covered in the blanket of snow.......Absolutely Gorgeous!