The Mother of Geese

Ah Abbie...if only the whole world had as much faith and belief in Santa as you do. It would surely be a kinder, more logical, more magical, more loving place. Thank you! Amelia: I'm sure he appreciates that you don't want to share your secret of what you want him to bring you, but throw your mom a bone. Refusing to tell anyone but Santa has been a bit inconvenient this year. Max: I don't think you fully understand how this works, but thanks for being so nonverbal and not spilling any beans while out on errands. Merry Christmas!

Abbie and Amelia: working together and sharing their gingerbread house and not eating all the candy first= nice list.

Max: Waking up at 4:30 to go help yourself to marshmallows=naughty list

Max: Insisting on walking around the neighborhood with your hat like this and protesting whenever I would try to fix it properly but nevertheless making me grateful that I have a stroller so I can strap your silly butt to it=a little bit naughty a little bit nice.

Abbie, Amelia, & Max: Finally being at an age where you can play together nicely and not fight during "that music game": VERY VERY NICE

Hi, I'm Rebecca. I steal strollers. I have a miserable life. Dear Funbecca81: Christmas is a time of year to make ammends, forgive others, and to let go of grudges. It is in that spirit I am writing this to you although I will probably never send it to you. I wanted you to know the means I have taken to get what was rightfully mine returned and how it has taken over my life so I can purdge these feelings and really move on. Are you surprised I knew it was you? Truth be told, when it happened I was sure it was a mom and your face popped into my head. So the next morning when my friend mentioned she saw you and the time line fit I was sure. Why would you be trick or treating in my neighborhood when you moved to a different town last February? You might not remember me but I knew your nursery, sunbeam, CTR 5, CTR 7, and CTR 8 when you started to bring them in mid-November and I missed them when you stopped bringing them in January. Did you have a nice Christmas? As a side note, you s...

Max: stripping down nakey so you can dance and jump off the couches, shake your booty and feel free all woodstock style=naughty list because I had to wipe down everywhere your booty touched. Eventhough you didn't piddle anywhere I couldn't get the sound of your butt squeaking down the leather out of my head until we were all disinfected. Points for getting down to Weezer though.

Amelia: believing me when I said that Hannah Montana wants you to have your hair back when you wear this dress instead of in her face and straight=nice list.

Abbie:cheerfully wearing a hat that is too tight for her big head so to alleviate my guilt at sending her to the bus stop freezing=Nice list

Max: Taking Abbie's special Santa puppy off her made bed then bringing it downstairs and feeding it "Bee Cereal" till it drips off the fur=Naughty list.

Daddy, Santa Puppy, Abbie and Amelia: Not breaking mommy's tea set during our hot chocolate party and sharing the Pepperidge Farm "Entertainment Collection" (ooo-la la) special cookies and saving me the Milanos and cookie cigars=Nice list. (memory flash-Rob do you remember when we were living in Uintah and we rolled up newspapers and tried to smoke them on the drive way during the holidays? Good times. So glad your kids check my blog more often than you do for that little memory nugget.)

Abbie came home the other day with this theory about how Santa knows and sees all. She says Santa sees through the heating vents and in the lightbulbs in houses. I find this concept equal parts Orwellian and creepy and logistically sound. However, in the event that Santa needs help keeping track of the Danielson kids, I will gladly be providing photographic proof. Amelia: re-tagging a couch with Max's name written for a mirror in a sharpie=Naughty list.

The earth is surely a lot more bland and a little less vibrant now. Thanks for the legacy.

I'm grateful the kids will be going to bed in less than an hour. Done. And yes, I am a day short with the ridiculous countdown.

Are these blessings posts boring to anyone? Its a little sunshiney around these parts and I am not recognizing myself in these posts lately. I feel like I need to have a countdown of things that irritate me or things that I find stupid and useless. Anyways. Took the kids on an impromptu road trip last weekend. How delicious is this bunch? they are probably happy because I promised them that we will NOT be going on a roadtrip to Lake Tahoe. In which case they look a little more like this: At least the sunset was pretty for awhile? (imagine me doing a Napolean YESSSS! for figuring out a way to work the Tahoe roadtrip pictures into the blog)

I am not a huge lover of Christmas music pre-Thanksgiving. I just don't want all that cheer up in my business before it is necessary. (not judging or hating on anyone that does it. It just grates on me a bit.) Enter snow and cold. Not really Weezer, Jack Johnson or Vampire Weekend mood music is it? My older lover Sting has released a new album that is perfect for when the hounds of winter are howling in the wind. Its different and not your typical Sting sound. If I had to describe it I would say its monkish. It took me a couple of rounds of listening before it grew on me, but now its definately a keeper. Its perfect cozy weather but not chippy Christmas winter music. Enjoy. I'm off to go make pumpkin bread.

Today I am grateful for the hard work of my presidency. I could not do anything without their work and support. Today, I wanted to cry in a corner when I was all alone without my 1st, 2nd, or either of my secretaries with all 100+ kids. I recruited some able and wonderful ladies to come and fill in but I mostly floundered and watched the clock. I need those ladies badly!

Do you Glee? I also love Mad Men. It makes me want to chain smoke and make a martini.

Max and Hazen (sheShun) get to hang out a lot lately. I love that are are friends! Max is a really bad influence on Hazen and makes him 50 times more naughty than he usually is, but at least they keep me on my toes. Laughing at each other Max showed Hazen how to turn the faucet around so the water would spray at your head. Way more fun that plain old drinking fountains. Max dropping gravel on Hazen's head.

Last year I found a set of flatware that I loved at Costco. I really thought that one set would be sufficient but Brad scoffed and talked me into purchasing 2. I couldn't possibly realized at that moment that my silver would be used for a race track. Good thing we have a backup set to actually use for eating things.