I don’t know how anyone takes those beautiful Christmas morning pictures of their angelic children opening presents.  Maybe it’s because I have 4 hellions?  I say that with love.  They got spunk. 

Christiano opening his train plate set.  He hasn’t wanted to eat off of anything else since he opened it.  Child LOVES trains.

Can you tell she doesn’t feel good?  This was right after we got home from the ER and the ear infection diagnosis.  Her Canon Elph that I got her off of Craig’s List.  She wanted a camera but I wasn’t willing to put out a lot of money on a good digital camera for a 6 year old.  Problem was it came with a cord.  Not the cord that charges it.  A cord that connects to the computer.  Now I’m waiting for the charger that I ordered off of Amazon to get here so she can actually USE her new camera.  She can’t hardly wait.  A Christmas present you can’t use.  That’s always nice.

Nano in his train pajamas opening another present.  Told you he loves trains.

Leecy and her kidzoom camera I got her.  You’d see more of the camera if someone hadn’t stuck their finger right in front of my lens as I was shooting.  Had to crop that out.  Favorite present for her.  Except now she can’t find it.  It’s in the toy box I’m sure.  I’ll have to search so we can show you her pictures she has taken.

BFC dolls for both girls!

Barbie and her horse

What do you know, I do have a 4th child.  See what I mean about getting around to take pictures?  Boxes everywhere.  Jordan opening his iPod.  Yes, that’s an iPod.  We hid it in newspaper and a big box.  Don’t mind my sock baskets behind him.  We don’t actually put socks away.  We just hunt.  That’s sarcasm dripping in my voice there.

I used lots of newspaper.

iPod!

iTunes gift card.  Woot woot! 

He piled up his presents and took them to his dad’s, where I am sure he has been serenading his dad on his electric guitar all this time.  Well, that and playing on his iPod touch and his new PSP that he has been BEGGING for.

He wrapped up his DSi and put it under the tree for Katiana since he got a new PSP.  I would have kept both if it was me, but I’m selfish like that.  He on the other hand is an awesome brother who feels bad that dad broke Kat’s DS when he stepped on it because someone had left it on the floor.

I should have taken a picture of the aftermath.  I try to keep up with the wrapping paper as they open the presents, but then you have all of those boxes to open.  You could not walk through the living room.

I had a mess to clean up in Kat’s room because I think Junie was confused by all the chaos and used Kat’s carpet as her personal potty.

She was fine once we had the boxes out of the way.

I need to take a picture of the clothes I got for Junie.  She even got a black lace Flamenco dress.  Yes, I dress my dog up for special occasions.  Ok, I dress her up all the time, but she has dresses for holiday dinners with the family.

I need to edit the pictures from my Secret Santa over at Avian Avenue.  The birds got some fabulous toys.  The ones I put in the budgies’ cage were destroyed within hours.  I stuffed the jolly ball with rolled up newspaper after they pulled all the finger traps off and they have been working on that since yesterday now.  I’m telling you, budgies are small (you might know them by the name most people call them – parakeets, but they are actually buderigars.  Parakeets are actually any of the various small slender parrots, usually having long tapering tails.  There are a bunch of different breeds. – learn something new here all the time don’t you.) but they can do a lot of damage to a toy quickly with those itty bitty beaks. 

Favorite things the kids got?

I already told you Alyce’s Kidizoom Digital Camera.  Jordan’s was probably his iPod touch but the Sony PSP might be his favorite.  Or, it could be the ax his dad got him which will be staying at his dad’s house.  His dad said he was going to have to hide it or Jordan would take it to bed with him. Katiana’s?  Probably her Canon Elph Camera she hasn’t gotten to use yet.  Christiano’s favorite gift was his trains, trains, trains!!!  Honestly out of all of the trains, it would probably be the Thomas & Friends Rock Quarry Run.  He LOVES playing with it.  It’s been his go back to toy since Christmas.

Me?  I got money from mom and dad, a couple of night gowns from Pato and a promise for new boots.  He waited until Christmas Eve to go shopping for me and couldn’t find any boots that he thought I’d like.  Katiana made me a clay coaster in art class. Jordan got me leather gloves.  Alyce made me tons of pictures and Nano told me I love you most-er a 1000 times.

That was Christmas!  Next up, New Years! 

Have a great day!

Read these too:

• Christmas Could You Give Me A Few More Days
• And Now The Madness Begins
• Something is Not Right With This Picture
• I Need A Hair Cut
• I almost got mad

Christmas Pictures is a post from: Not Everyone's Mama
If you are reading it from anywhere other than at Not Everyone's Mama (http://noteveryonesmama.com) or Not Everyone's Mama RSS Feed, it has been stolen - unless otherwise noted and posted at the bottom of the blog post.

All content at Not Everyone's Mama is ©Heather Manning unless otherwise noted and credited.

Just one more actually would be awesome.  You see, I was sick over Black Friday and didn’t get all my shopping done.  Christmas falls on Saturday, which is normally Pato’s day off.  If you could wait one day and come on Sunday so I would not have to rely on him to finish my Christmas shopping that would be awesome!

I can’t do it when he’s at work because Alyce is 4 now.  She’s smart enough to figure out what the stuff is if I take her.

And Christiano thinks it’s a horrible tease when I put things in the cart that he wants but can’t have NOW.

I still need stocking stuffers for all 4 kids.  I have absolutely NOTHING to put in their stockings.

Though, I had an idea this year.

I’m going to leave the kids a note from Santa that says that grandma and grandpa asked if they could be in charge of filling the stockings this year and Santa thought that was a fabulous idea.

I’ll use mom and dad’s money for the kids to do that.

I still need pajamas for Jordan and slippers I think.

I get the kids a new pair of pajamas and slippers every year for Christmas.

I need 2 more presents for Alyce and 1 for Katiana.

I think Alyce is getting a carrier of some type for her Squinkies and a new pack of Squinkies.  I already got Kat the Squinkies Gumball Surprise Playhouse for her Squinkies.  I think Alyce needs something to.  The plastic baggie she has them in just isn’t as cute as the Gumball machine.

Pato was supposed to be finishing up the shopping after work….every day this week.   So far he has come home with a pair of slippers for Kat.

Chalk that one item off of my list I guess.

Yippie.

Not really.

Katiana also needs new snow boots, it’s already snowed once and hers are too tight.  He brought Jordan home new ones a week ago but forgot Kat’s.  It would probably get here faster if I just ordered her a pair of muck boots and had them shipped then waiting for him to get her a pair.

Last night he came in and I said if you did not bring home anything, you turn your toosh around and go to Wal-Mart and finish up the shopping.

There’s 4 days until Christmas.  I can go tomorrow.

And if they are out of everything I have on the list by the time you finally get to the store?

He drives me crazy.

I feel like I have no control over getting this stuff done.

I’m one of those people that likes to have everything done early.  Christmas shopping done by Black Friday.  Birthday shopping done a month in advance.  Color it part of my depression or some type of OCD but if I don’t have it done I start getting anxiety.  For real.  I get this panicky feeling in my chest.  It’s not cool that he is so laidback and well- procrastinate-y about it.  I want him to feel like it’s urgent to get this stuff done like I do.

He’s one of those if I can’t change it, why worry about it type of people.

I’m the complete opposite.

Seriously we are complete and total opposites.

He’s supposed to be off today during the day.  I was going to finish it up then go to Kat’s party at school and the kids’ assembly where Jordan will be singing and playing trombone.

He volunteered to work for someone this morning.

No siblings allowed at school parties.

I’m just screwed all the way around today.

And I have ticked off kids.

Have a great day for me because mine is not starting off so well.

Read these too:

• The Diagnosis
• Well Something Went Wrong
• Getting Some Help
• 5 Days In A Row
• Christmas Pictures

Christmas Could You Give Me A Few More Days is a post from: Not Everyone's Mama
If you are reading it from anywhere other than at Not Everyone's Mama (http://noteveryonesmama.com) or Not Everyone's Mama RSS Feed, it has been stolen - unless otherwise noted and posted at the bottom of the blog post.

All content at Not Everyone's Mama is ©Heather Manning unless otherwise noted and credited.

I hope Bunny doesn’t mind me sharing her Facebook comment.  I have to, I was rolling!

I kind of want that witch though, she is out there, shaking her booty, crackling it up.  Scaring the pants off of Christiano.  It was all good.

$160?

Not right now.

She’s cool but not cool enough for me to break the tightwad habit. I would even spend that on document scanning software right now and that I could use year round.

We went for diapers and left with dog stuff.  Pato loves it when I do that.  But, she needs, she needs, she needs.

I didn’t do too bad.  I got her a small bag of Iams dog food, a leash, a collar, a toy, and some soft treats to reinforce housetraining.  Her foster mom said she is doing really good at it (remember the poor thing spent her the first part of her life in a cage at a puppy mill being a breeder for greedy humans’ benefit).  I haven’t housetrained a dog in more years than I can remember.  I figure I’ll just take her out ever 2 hours or so and give her a treat when she goes.  Hopefully that will reinforce it when she comes here and everything is new to her.

I think we’re taking the collar back. After I bought that last night, I won this one on Ebay –

I could only bit Junie on it, not Junie Bee, but that’s ok. I got her the pink one with the clear crystals and flower charms.  Katiana wanted the skulls, but I overruled and went with flowers.

I still need to get dishes, more sweaters, more toys, help!  If you have a small dog, what all do you keep for them?  Shampoo, brush, I’ll need those.

Pato said we’ll hit the pet store for dishes because neither of us liked the ones at Wal-Mart.

I hate going to the pet store, but I don’t have time to order them online.  I guess I don’t mind the PetSmart by our house.  The dogs and cats there are brought in by a shelter to be adopted and the birds, rodents, and fish are clean.  I just wish they educated their staff more in birds’ needs.

It’s Petco that I hate to go to.  The one near me is DISGUSTING.  You walk in and the stench is horrible.  It’s dark, dirty, dingy, gross.  I walked in to get bird pellets one time, my kids saw the birds and took off running.  I grabbed all of them and turned around, walked out, and came home to sanitize all of us.  Some of the bird illnesses, you can find them laying on something 50 feet from the birds, in the air, etc.  I was worried I’d bring something home to my birds.  Luckily, no.  But I refuse to support a place like that. 

I would just like something done about pet stores, you hear horror stories all the time. 

Like this one

and this one

and this

It all makes me sick.  I know we need pet stores.  We need a place to buy pet supplies.  Even if you buy online as I try to do most of the time for my birds, sometimes you have to have something NOW, not in 3 – 4 days.  I really wish they would pass some legislation to stop the sale of live animals in the pet stores or just enforce the laws that are on the books regarding animal neglect and cruelty.

I feel like even walking into a pet store, I am supporting these acts.  I may not be purchasing a live animal, but I’m still supporting the store by giving them my money.  (I know, I’ve changed my tune since I bought my last budgie at a pet store.  You become more educated on a subject and your opinions change.  I wish more people had their eyes opened to the abuse that goes on in some stores.  It’s the reason I turned to adopting rescued animals.)

Geeminy Christmas, I went from happy happy joy joy to downright depressing for a moment there didn’t I?

I’ll leave you with a funny Nano saying.

Alyce ran into me the other day – Mommy mommy!  Christiano’s bother me!  He won’t leave me alone!  Nano is ANNOYING me!

Christiano ran up to me – Meeee tooooooo!

My children have done it.  They are now annoying themselves.

That is awesome.

Have a great day!

Read these too:

• Everything is Set For Little Junie
• Just Like The Kids
• What Is Scarier Than A Haunted House?
• We Be Morbid Round Here
• Carving The Pumpkins

Something is Not Right With This Picture is a post from: Not Everyone's Mama
If you are reading it from anywhere other than at Not Everyone's Mama (http://noteveryonesmama.com) or Not Everyone's Mama RSS Feed, it has been stolen - unless otherwise noted and posted at the bottom of the blog post.

All content at Not Everyone's Mama is ©Heather Manning unless otherwise noted and credited.

I’ve got pictures.  I’ve got a lot of pictures.  Unfortunately, my husband was wearing boxers almost the whole time.  I begged, I pleaded, honey, you’re ruining my blog post for tomorrow, put some shorts on.  Finally he put some on, but in most of the pictures, he’s in boxers.  It would serve him right I posted them. I’m not quite that mean. Almost, but not quite.  So, I’ve only got a few pictures that I can show.

Alyce opening one of her Leapster games.

Yeah, some of the pictures came out nice and blurry.  Fixed them as best as I could. We need more light in our living room.  Kat and Alyce both got these huge dolls.

Opening her Littlest Pet Shop virtual pet – and if anyone knows where the code is to this thing, I’d love you forever.  Pato said he took all the papers out of the box, but we can’t find the instructions to use it online.

Jordan had a Bakugan Christmas. Not many pics of him I can show either because he, like dad, insists on wearing boxers.

Miss Leecy

Someone is excited!

That’s Nano peaking over his present. Pato finally put on shorts.

I’m going to have to extract everyone if I want to scrap our Christmas pictures.  Pato, you’re a pain in the butt such a wonderful husband.

If you missed me testing out blogging from my Christmas present yesterday, here’s what I got -

I know, I know, I wanted a Palm Pre.  But they were all out of Pres until Monday and he wanted to get my present now.  He asked the lady which would be better for my business and she told him the Blackberry would be better anyway.  So he got that.  And know what, without trying it out next to the Palm Pre, I really like it.  Though, it did take me 2 hours to figure out how to import my contacts from my instinct to my computer and from my computer to the Blackberry.  I could have entered them in manually in that time.   It was easy once I figured it out.  I use incredimail so I never open Windows Mail ever, turned out I needed to import everything into Windows Mail so that I could export it to the Blackberry.  Just when I think I’m good technologically speaking, something comes a long to make sure I don’t think too highly of myself.

If you read the day after my birthday post, you know that it was a pain in the butt getting this phone for me. He ended up buying it, activating it on his line, then bringing it home, activating his old phone, and finally activating the blackberry on my line.  Sprint, I’ve loved you forever, but you really sucked it up this time.

They also got me

and

When I first opened them up, I loved the smell of the Curve most.  Put it on, smells so good.  Looked at the other and said, hmmm, Puma makes perfume.  Who would have thunk it?  Not I.  I smelled it, liked it, but not as much as the curve.  Last night I took a shower and put on the Puma create and holy crap.  I think it’s my favorite perfume on me ever.  That’s topping CoCo by Chanel, Ed Hardy by Christian Audigier,  and Bora Bora by Liz Claiborne (my favorite perfumes in the world before).

The kids presents were a hit.  Everyone was happy.  Until we went to use the Netbooks that I got at Menard’s.  Yeah, those pieces of crap are going back.  When I think of a netbook I think of Jordan’s EEE PC (that Alyce cracked the screen on and now has to be hooked to a monitor all the time, the whole reason we got new ones.)  These were like cell phone browers on steroids housed in a pop can.  (Meaning only that they were bigger than a cell phone, not that they had more power than one, cuz I think my Blackberry can do more than these netbooks could, heck my Instinct could do more than these can.) They were Augan’s.  Never ever ever ever get one.   Pato saw Dell’s at Walmart the other day that were only a bit more than these were, so he’s going to take these back to Menard’s and hope that Walmart has the Dell’s still.  Otherwise I told the kids that we could continue on with Kat using my laptop, Jordan using his hooked up to a monitor, and they could use their money from the computers to buy something that they want.

They were both good with that.  In fact, Jordan was better than good.  He got his DSi from his dad yesterday and he wants to use the money to buy all DS games.  There’s my son I know and love.  I’m sure Kat wants DS games too. Jordan was so sweet (he had a slight suspicion that he was getting the DSi he wanted for Christmas).  He wrapped up his DS and gave it to Katiana for Christmas.  I know, I know, everyone join me in a huge awwwww!  She only has one girl DS game (Pato grabbed her Barbie).  She’s going to have to wait until her birthday for more.  I’m done presented out.

Nano was hilarious opening his presents!  He kept getting in trouble the night before as we were putting the presents under the tree because he’d crawl as fast as he could, grab a present by the paper and yank, ripping the paper.  He must have remembered that yesterday morning because he didn’t want to unwrap anything.  He opened his Leap Frog My Pal Scout and that was it.  Either that or he was tired.  Cuz he whined an awful lot the whole time we were unwrapping presents.

We didn’t get to go to my sister’s house.  The roads were too bad for my parents to get into Des Moines yesterday, so we spent the rest of the day here just playing with new toys.  With 3 new MP3 players I think I spent my whole day upping their CDs to my computer so I could put all their music on them. Plus, all the Leap Frog toys get connected to the computer for various things.  Jordan went to his dad’s, somehow he made it in to get him.  Jordan sent me a picture of his DSi.  He’s a happy boy.

Today it’s off to the Manning family reunion.

By the time this is done it will be amazing if I don’t need a natural acne treatment from the stress off the holidays.  Go here, be there, buy that, wrap this.  I love Christmas, but I’m glad the stressful part is almost over.

I hope your Christmas was wonderful!
Have a great day!

and if you want to enter a bunch of giveaways, I’ve got new ones listed on my other blog.

Read these too:

• Sweet!
• Christmas Pictures
• Christmas Could You Give Me A Few More Days
• Something is Not Right With This Picture
• Do You Hear What I Hear?

Christmas Blew Up All Over is a post from: Not Everyone's Mama
If you are reading it from anywhere other than at Not Everyone's Mama (http://noteveryonesmama.com) or Not Everyone's Mama RSS Feed, it has been stolen - unless otherwise noted and posted at the bottom of the blog post.

All content at Not Everyone's Mama is ©Heather Manning unless otherwise noted and credited.

I hope you all are having a merry merry Christmas!!

I’m going to need some weight loss pills after this is all said and done.  Chocolate everywhere I look and fruit salad as far as the eye can see.  Hey, it had fat free cool whip in it though!

Be back tomorrow!

Read these too:

• Christmas Blew Up All Over
• Christmas Pictures
• Christmas Could You Give Me A Few More Days
• Something is Not Right With This Picture
• Do You Hear What I Hear?

Sweet! is a post from: Not Everyone's Mama
If you are reading it from anywhere other than at Not Everyone's Mama (http://noteveryonesmama.com) or Not Everyone's Mama RSS Feed, it has been stolen - unless otherwise noted and posted at the bottom of the blog post.

All content at Not Everyone's Mama is ©Heather Manning unless otherwise noted and credited.