Merry Christmas

The post is a few days late, but I've been too busy playing with Christmas toys to update the blog. I think Santa might have brought more than we needed this year. The kids got a Nintendo Wii and four games. Michael and I went out yesterday and bought Guitar Hero. We played with Mitchell's over at Grandmother's house. I fell in love with it. Michael found one on sale at Walmart with 2 guitars for only 69.00. We went in half. I was so proud that my kid suggested he pay for half of it that I couldn't say no. Samantha had a very BATMAN Christmas. She got so many Batman toys. She loves them all. It's been the cutest thing watching them play. Sabrina got a dollhouse. Her dollhouse family was in danger when the Penguin launched an attack on them. Batman and Robyn left the Batcave in their Batmobile and saved Beanie's dollhouse family. Pixie has been the greatest distraction this week. She's such a great dog. She lets the girls lug her around everywhere without even a whimper. She is so tiny. The girls love to dress her up. Samantha was pushing her through the house in the toy grocery cart. Destiny got a video camera for Christmas. It's a little tykes camera, but it's the one she wanted. I haven't seen any of her footage yet, but she's been taking some. As it turns out, Sam and the Bean's little camera's have a video mode too. Michael got UGA sheets and comforter for his bed. The comforter is made out of the same material as the player's jerseys. Very cool. I've had a lot of fun with my kids this week. On Christmas Eve, I burned my hand on the stove pretty badly. I had to keep my fingers in ice water for about 6 hours. It was painful and I was miserable, but it was over before midnight and I felt fine on Christmas day. We watched our traditional Christmas movies: How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Eight Crazy Nights, and A Christmas Carol (three different versions). So how does a Hanukkah movie end up on our Christmas list? No idea. We picked it out the first Christmas we had with the kids and Michael and I laughed so hard we watched it again that next year....and the next....and now it's a tradition. Every Christmas Eve, we watch that silly movie. My Christmas couldn't have been better. Peyton bought me a real slot machine and Santa filled my stocking with a dozen, red roses. They are beautiful. Peyton and I put our small Christmas tree up in our room and exchanged some of our smaller gifts alone on Christmas Eve after the little elves went to sleep. This is the same tree that I put up in his bachlor pad our first Christmas together....actually, I broke into his house that first year, while he was at work to decorate. (Very funny story. A neighbor, David Pooley, told me two years later that he saw me pop the lock on the window and climb through. He thought about calling the police, but decided that he had seen my car at Peyton's house enough in the previous few weeks to know that whatever I was up to, Peyton probably deserved it. He just laughs everytime he tells the story. I think he really saw Jessica and I stuffing the tree and bows in the window and realized we were playing Santa. The good news is, the alarm wasn't set. I don't think I knew the code back then.) The old tree is falling apart and I don't know if it will make it much longer, but it is a very special tree. It is the tip, top of the tree that was in my house when I was growing up. My mom and dad used the same tree for 17 years. I will always love it.

We spent Christmas day and most of the 26th at Tingle Manor. The kids are at the perfect age for playing with the cousins, so they didn't want to leave. I got to meet my neice Mary Lauren and my nephew Bryson James for the first time. Two more cute Tingles to add to the bunch. Grandmother made all of "us" girls shawls. They are beautiful. Amber was upstairs with Riley, who was sick, so she missed our group picture. Grandmother also made Peyton a work apron. It's really perfect and he loves it. I'm horrible with ages, but I believe that Grandmother is 91 this year. She still helped us clear the tables and put the food away. She's fiesty and is still in good health.

Santa came to visit. My girls and Katelyn were scared. I think it has something to do with their ages. You'll see a picture of Granddaddy holding Samantha. She's so upset because Santa is in the room. She was trying to hide from him by crawling up against Adriene. Aunt Adriene didn't see her in the commotion, but Aunt Lisa pointed her out to me. I scooped her up just before she had a nervous breakdown. Christmas dinner was delicious as usual. The dish I loved the most was Mary's Apple Cheesecake.

Pixie

It's been over three years since we added any new editions to the family, but Pixie Tingle arrived yesterday. She is a Teacup Yorkie and weighs 2 lbs 4ozs. She is eleven weeks old. Rustie asked if she and Chad could give the kids a dog for Christmas just after they were born. I said no the last time she asked, but this time, Peyton and I thought the girls might be ready for a puppy. I'm not sure how I feel about an inside dog, but she's here now. Samantha will not let her go. For two days she has been stuck to her like glue. The girls fought over her most of yesterday and have calmed down a little today. I've made them take long breaks from her. The poor little puppy is worn out from all of the attention. Rustie thought we should put her in the tub so we could eat lunch. Samantha wasn't going to let her stay in there alone.

The Tingles Visit Santa

Yesterday was quite the adventure. We left the house just after 11am to go see Santa at Shannon Mall. We've taken our pictures with him for two years in a row at Shannon. I knew the mall was really suffering for business last year, but was surprised to find that Santa was not there. So we pulled up the Arbor Place Mall on the Garmin and headed to Douglasville. It was a beautiful day and the mall was so crowded you could barely move. We waited in line to take pictures with Santa for over an hour. Sabrina wanted to tell Santa that she wanted a dollhouse for Christmas. Samanatha wanted to ask Santa for a "Batman Telephone." They were all smiles, until Santa said: "Well hello girls." Samantha immediately dropped to the floor and pushed away from him. Beanie saw Sam's reaction and started to cry. I had to sit down with both of them in order to calm them down. You can tell that neither of them was really happy to be there. Samantha was still trying to get away. I still bought the pictures and then we had Icee's and rode the Christmas train. Destiny did not get to tell Santa what she wanted in all of the commotion. She wants a laptop or a dollhouse.

North Highland Christmas 5K

We officially have two runners living on Callaway now. Destiny ran the North Highland's Christmas 5K with her Daddy yesterday. She was one of only 4 kids under the age of 10 to finish the race.

Since she and Peyt were the 1st people in line. Destiny got to be NUMBER 1 in her first race. We are very proud of her. Samantha would like me to mention that Daddy was NUMBER 2. She is helping me type the blog messages today.

Christmas Parade

It was really nice to be back home for the Christmas Parade. Peyton and I took the kids down together last year, but this year, he had to work. It's mom's weekend with the kids, so we had Jordan, Jace, Michael, Destiny, Samantha, and Sabrina. Papa got off of work just in time to come with us. The kids really enjoyed running after the candy. You can see that Sabrina came out of her shell and wasn't afraid to run out into the street for candy. It was pretty cold and by the end of the parade, Sam was ready to go back to Mema's house. Papa was being very silly (wearing a pink hat) and he picked Samantha up and held her for the last half hour or so. I thought the girls would go nuts over the Grinch. They were a little weary of him, but he came right over and let them give him high fives. As he was walking away, I said: "Wow...girls. You just met the Grinch." Sabrina, with all of her three year old wisdom, responded: "No, Mommy. He's just a man in a costume." You could see Samantha's face drop. Samantha loves to believe in superhero's and a whole fantasy world. Sabrina is a realist. At 3 years old, this kid is as cynical as they come. I would love for them to both grow up to be writers. Samantha could write about her wildest dreams and fantasies and Sabrina can write self help books or medical journals (the truth and nothing but the truth). I think Michael enjoyed parts of the parade. There were some vintage cars and four wheelers. Destiny and Jordan stood just down from us. They needed to be in an area where they didn't have to fight with the little ones for candy. And they wanted to be the big girls who didn't need their hands held. Mema took Destiny and Jordan to have their nails painted and designed with Christmas trees, and we all went to lunch together.

Christmas Tree 2008

We didn't make a big deal out of decorating our tree this year. I didn't spend time "fluffing" out the branches. In fact, Peyton threw it up and the girls started going through the ornaments on their own before I was ready to decorate. No egg nog or Christmas cookies this year. We didn't even put on the Christmas music. In the end, it looked a little sad. It was fully decorated, but the fullness was missing. I knew my mom was coming to stay with the kids on Monday. She has been coming up at least once a week. It gives her a chance to be with the kids and gives Mema Shirley a chance to rest. I told Peyton that there was no way my mom was going to leave our tree alone. I called home in the early afternoon to see how the kids were doing and she told me they were fine. She was busy "fluffing" the tree. "How could you put up your tree and not even fluff it?" I think I'll do this every year. Just invite Mom over to do the part I don't like to do. The tree is beautiful now. She worked around the oranments because she knew the kids had put them all in place. Peyton and I have already bought and wrapped most of our kids gifts. In some respects we are ahead of the game this year. I took December 15th off so I could finish up my shopping. I haven't done any shopping for anyone other than my kids. I really am still at ground zero with Michael too.

...after Thanksgiving Party

Pictures at our the after party. Madison brought real Mardi Gras beads for the girls. They are still playing with them this morning. Thanks, Trisha and Maddie.

Thanksgiving Pictures

The kids had so much fun playing at Mema Shirley's house on Thanksgiving Day. I especially like this picture of Blake and Codie. He towers over his mom now and is no longer one of the kids. It's a little bit strange to see him so grown up. Trisha, Richard, Austin and Madison were in town from LaFayette, La. They drove a long way to come and celebrate with us. Had they not shown up, I don't think we would have had a Thanksgiving at all. Mema Shirley decided to throw the party only because Trisha was coming to town and wanted to spend some time with her family. In the end, we did not do Thanksgiving with the Tingle's this year. Jennifer was in the hospital for six days, getting out only the day before Thanksgiving. She really needed to rest. Mary and Rabun both had terrible colds. It was just too much to throw it together when no one was feeling especially chipper. The good news is that everyone is doing better this week. We'll just put more effort into Christmas in a couple of weeks. The bad news is that we always take our Tingle family Christmas card picture on Thanksgiving day at the Tingle Manor. Since we didn't go there this year, I completely forgot to take one. So...I am looking through the pictures that we have for a family picture for this year's card. Our Christmas newsletter usually goes out in the mail by December 1st. I haven't even written this year's letter yet. I am so behind.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving 2008

I'll post Thanksgiving pictures over the weekend, complete with stories of today's events. I just had to get this one posted before I forgot about it. Jordan and Jace came home with us tonight from Mema Shirley's house. Peyton told Sabrina this was her first sleepover. She said, "No, Daddy. It's my first date." Peyton asked her what a date was. Sabrina said, "It's when you go over to somebody else's house and stay there."

As we tucked the three little bugs into bed tonight, we told Jace that if he woke up tonight, he could come into our room and sleep with us, or he could go into Destiny's room to sleep with Jordan. Not ten minutes after they settled into bed with a movie, Samantha came into our room. "I want to sleep in your bed, Mommy." I told her no and explained that she needed to sleep in her own bed. "But you said, me and Jace and Sabrina could come in here to sleep if we wanted to." Peyton explained that Jace might be a little afraid without his mommy and daddy here, but that we were right her and she needed to sleep in her own bed. I told her she had the most comfortable bed in the world. She said, "I don't like it. It has polka dots on it." Her Daddy had to carry her back to bed.

Pumpkin Roulade with Ginger Buttercream

I was watching Ina Garten make a pumpkin roulade on The Food Network and I got really excited that Thanksgiving is coming up. I decided that this would be my special Thanksgiving item this year. Each year I pick a new dish to try. I never cook one ahead of time, but I was afraid I might not do this one correctly, so I did a practice run this afternoon. I let Sabrina and Destiny help me. Samantha was out raking leaves with her Daddy and Michael was watching a football game. I'll make this for the Tingle's house. I'm doing a Coca Cola Ham, Dressing, and Mac and Cheese for Mema's house. We haven't done Thanksgiving with my family since 2004, so this will be a treat.