Dear Santa

So...

after my post yesterday,

maybe you got the wrong idea.

I was devastated in 2nd grade to learn that "Santa" was just a synonym for my parents.

But...

learning the "truth" didn't stop me from believing.

I'm pretty sure these items get my list tossed into the "old people who still want us to bring gifts" pile

I still write a letter to Santa now and then,

because believing in the magic of Christmas,

and the hope and the miracles that this season is all about,

is something that you can never be too old for.

But this year, there are a few things I'd like to ask Santa for that might not fit in his sleigh...

To start with,

a few of them come from one of my favorite Christmas songs, "Grown Up Christmas Wish."

Dear Santa,

No more lives torn apart.

That wars would never start...

And time would heal all hearts.

Every man would have a friend,

That right would always win,

And love would never end.

And Santa,

I know it's a lot to ask,

but I have a few more requests...

since I've already got your attention.

This one is on the top of my list...

and I'm not asking for myself (not yet, but someday I might write back).

I have dear friends that I name in my heart, and that you know in yours...

they deserve big, beautiful baby bellies...

full of life and love and hope and dreams.

I wish for a new set of eyes, and a fresh perspective for all of the world,

so that more people would believe this...

and they would see the beauty that really is there, in everyone.

I wish that everyone could experience a moment of true peace...

at least once this Christmas.

The kind of peace that surrounds you on a cold winter's night,

as you walk amidst a fresh snowfall under the simple glow of a streetlight...

with perfect silence all around, and the exquisite feel of the air in your lungs.

I wish that everyone would have an opportunity to know the power they possess to change the world,

and the courage to act on that.

I wish that everyone would have at least one somebody in their life who saw them for the beautiful, and perfect person they are...

and who accepted them without question, and loved them without condition.

I wish that people would have the chance to laugh...

the kind of laughter that fills your whole being and makes your tummy hurt,

and your cheeks burn, and fills your eyes with happy tears.

I wish that everyone I loved and everyone that they loved would be blessed with good health.

And I wish that everyone would live each day they are given to its fullest,

because sometimes there just aren't enough days...

and sometimes we don't realize this until those days are gone.

And last but not least,

I wish for you to fill each of my friends' hearts with everything that makes them smile,

with everything that makes them sing and dance,

with everything that makes them love with reckless abandon...

and with everything that makes them believe that you will grant all of these Christmas wishes.

Give my love to Mrs. Claus and all of the Elves,

Love,

Kristen

All images viz Google Images

Don't Stop Believing

I love this song...

So combine this song with this post and this time of year...

And I got to thinking...

WARNING!

If there are children near the computer, please do not read on...

or ensure that the children can NOT see what's to come.

I will not be a dream crusher.

Why Santa... you look so... appetizing

Well then...

now that it's just us adults....

I can clearly remember the day I found out that Santa was not real.

(Exactly, now you see why that warning was so necessary)

The signs were there all along...

I was in 2nd grade.

I was sitting next to Chris VandenBerg and we were coloring holiday pictures for our parents.

I was coloring Santa.

Hmmm... you look different than the Santa I visited last year

Chris looked over at my picture and said,

"You know there's no Santa, right?"

Playing it cool, and quickly explaining my silly drawing, I simply responded,

"I know. I only had red crayons though."

Mom, Dad Santa, what kind of treats should I leave you?

The cool facade was just that...

a facade.

I was a poor little mess the whole day.

I rushed home as soon as the bell rang.

I had serious some questions for my mom.

I couldn't bring myself to ask her...

but finally, after sulking all night,

I spit it out.

"Mom, is Santa Claus real?"

And then...

the ultimate, most disastrous, worst, awful, epic fail of a parenting moment occurred in our kitchen...

So now will you tell me where that egg is I could never find?

My mom sighed.

"No, Santa's not real.

So I guess you figured out the Easter Bunny...

Just for that, the going rate for a lost tooth just sky rocketed to at least $5/tooth

"and the Tooth Fairy aren't real either."

My parents are dream crushers

I have not exactly gotten over that moment...

or forgiven my mother for her utter lapse in judgment to this day.

What was she thinking?!?

I felt like I had been robbed...

someone had stolen the magic right out of Christmas...

(and Easter, and tooth losing)

and I was determined to make this right,

somehow...

Pint-sized Santas

So I made it my personal mission to save and preserve the magic of Christmas for my little sister.

I wanted her to believe for as long as possible...

And believing in Santa was just not enough.

So I created "Santa Junior,"

and convinced her that Santa Junior was the most promising Elf of them all...

If anything ever happened to Santa Claus,

there would be no reason to worry about Christmas...

Santa Junior would simply take control of the sleigh and save the day!

But Santa Junior had to practice, of course,

and he would accompany Santa every Christmas to hand out presents.

Every year, until she was in about 6th grade (and finally figured it all out),

I would buy an extra present,

and wrap it up with care,

and leave it under the tree for her with a little tag,

"To Erica, Love Santa Junior."

The more to believe in.... the merrier!

When did you find out that there was no Santa?

Were you crushed?

It's Unconstitutional

Besides this...

The pole should sue, claiming cruel and unusual punishment...

Do you know what's completely unconstitutional?

Final exams.

On the same day.

Around Christmas.

Bah humbug.

It's cruel and unusual punishment...

really,

it is.

So I finished round one of my torture this morning (my hand is still cramping),

and have round two this evening...

followed by another week of final papers, more exams, and then freedom.

You know what might be even more cruel and unusual than these few weeks?

These:

Twilight Vampire Nipple Tassles

Found on Etsy here

I got an email from our favorite decadent charmer, Kora Bruce, and it said simply:

"If you even think about ordering theeeeese babies,

we're going to have to get you some therapy =) "

Have no fear KB...

my obsession with Edward and all things Twilight ends when nipple accessories get involved!

But thanks for the good laugh!

KS-1 Monday-0

Almost 4 hours of studying under my belt...

Read 226 pages of textbook- check

Order delicious, copious amounts of Chinese food- check

Tend to my farm (farmville) in the background to avoid withered crops- check

And...

I have left my heart with Edward.... and my sanity.

Open one amazing Christmas present from Sarah (my very own Twiligh mug... I'm in the library or I would be squealing)- CHECK!

Like I said...

take that Monday!

Take That Monday!

I have a whole day of studying ahead of me....

and two (yup two, in one day) impending finals tomorrow...

So I should be having a break down...

I should be pulling my hair out...

I should be a giant hot freakin' mess...

Can't have chocolate, but couldn't live without my favorite brownies!

But...

I'm not.

Over the weekend, I was lucky enough to get long-distance kisses from Sum Sum and Mr. B...

Hee hee... look at Maddy's shifty little villain eyes...

I turned my furbabies into stachetastic little dudes...

just so I could smile.

Bonus... the booklight was a free gift with purchase. Life is good.

I couldn't even wait any longer to give my friend Sarah her Christmas present...

a designer Snuggie.

She was happy.

That made me happy.

Then, to employ some avoidance techniques, so we didn't have to study for a few minutes...

Sarah played dress up in our friend Bill's clothes (because he's big... and we're not).

And we laughed....

and then laughed some more.

Try walking a mile in this shoe...

We even discovered that both of Sarah's feet would fit into one of Bill's shoes...

And who says this study party didn't teach us anything??

I feel much wiser for the record...

Even Yzerman got in on the fun and stuffed himself into the empty Snuggie box...

So it's Monday...

finals are literally less than 24 hours away...

I should be falling apart,

but I just can't stop smiling...

because Christmas is all around,

I'm in awe of the amazing friends I have in my life,

I have a cup of hot cider waiting for me in the kitchen...

and I read this when I woke up.

Who says I can't ace these finals?

Who says I can't still find a way to be jolly and full of Christmas cheer,

even though it's officially "law students turn into crazy zombies" week?

Who says I can't have an amazing flippin' day today stuck in the library?

WHO SAYS?!?!

Take that Monday...

I'm coming to get you!

A Piece of Me- December

It's the first Sunday in December...

Picture viz *Notes from the Toothfairy

Which means it's time again to play this wonderful little game that the Toothfairy created!

Not sure what the heck I'm talking about?

It's okay...

I forgive you.

If you want to get up to speed, check out my Piece of Me post from November.

Once again,

a little more of me than you probably ever hoped for...

P.F. Chang ain't got nothin' on my homemade chop suey

I like to call my stir-fry chop suey. I'm sure there's a difference... I just don't know what it is. But to me, chop suey is just more fun to say. So at my house, it's Chop Suey night... because if I'm cookin', I can call it whatever I want.

Where's the candy aisle?

And one more thing... since I like to choose my words carefully. I don't ever go to the grocery store... I go to the "market." Doesn't it sound more European? More sophisticated? I think so. It's just much more fun to toss food into your cart when you're at the "market" rather than stuck in the generic ol' grocery store...

 Try it sometime! You'll see...

Please god make it end...

I don't like final exams. Not at all. And I have two on Tuesday, followed by three more later in the week and a final paper to write. If I make it through these next few weeks, it will be a miracle.

All of you... so very much. My heart truly aches.

I want you to know I am so sorry I have been an awful bloggie friend as of late. My comments have been sub-par or missing all together... I feel lost without my daily dose of all of you and the wonderful things you are up to out there in this beautiful world of ours. But... because of the aforementioned final exams, I just can't spend the time I would like to with each of your blogs. Please forgive me... and know I will be back soon.

I'm leaving everything to the cats... take that Leona Helmsley

I've planned to wake up Monday morning and study nothing but Trusts and Estates. All day... and all night. I am beyond panicked I am going to fail this exam. If you're the praying type, send a few my way.

Nope... this gift won't fit under the tree...

I want to say to someone special so many things... I don't even know who I'm really saying this to. I've never met her but I know she's out there somewhere. At this time, almost twenty-nine years ago, people were busy wrapping presents to put under the tree... and this girl was getting ready to say good-bye to me. And in doing so, she would be giving me the most incredible gift anyone could ever give... that anyone could ever ask for. She was twenty-five days away from giving birth to me... twenty-five days away from letting go of this little person she had spent nine months with... twenty-five days away from sending me off into the world and to a whole new family. At this time of year, I think of her more than I do most other times... because of the holidays, and the gifts we buy and wrap with care, and my birthday right around the corner. I always wonder if she's somewhere out there, thinking of me too... and I hope she knows how grateful I am. How amazed I am at her courage. How touched I am by her overwhelming love... and how much her gift has meant to me. She gave me life, and then gave me so much more. She didn't think of herself for a second... and instead thought of the world that was waiting for me out there... the dreams I could chase, and the mountains I could climb. And she was brave enough to admit that if she kept me for herself, I might not get to be the person she knew I could be. I have two amazing parents, and I cannot imagine my life without them... and I'm reminded at this time of year how incredibly lucky I am to have another mom- an angel mom- somewhere out there who made these last almost twenty-nine years possible for me.

If you really love something... you have to set it free

She gave me beautiful wings...

and then she let me go,

so I could fly on into the sky...

And I will never know exactly how to say thank you for something like that.

So in the meantime, I try to use my wings every day,

to make sure that what she gave up was worth it...

And I'd love for her to know that the view from the clouds is amazing...

and I simply couldn't be any happier.

All images viz Google Images

Naughty or Nice

Happy Friday!

Do any of you celebrate St. Nick's Day?

Thank goodness my daddy wears a size 12 shoe!

If you do,

you'll find out this weekend whether you've been naughty or nice this year.

While feasts of Saint Nicholas are not observed nationally, cities with strong German influences like Milwaukee (where I live) celebrate St. Nick's Day on a scale similar to the German custom.

On December 5, the Eve of St. Nicholas Day, each child puts one empty shoe outside their bedroom door or on a staircase before they go to sleep.

We always passed over our own shoes for our dad's...

because they were so much bigger,

and hence more room for treats!

I don't want to find any of this in my shoe thankyouverymuch!

The following morning of December 6, the children awake to find that St. Nick has filled their footwear with candy and small presents (if the children have been good) or coal (if not).

I've also heard of people who celebrate, but fill up stockings instead of shoes.

So I thought in anticipation of St. Nick's visit,

I'd share a little secret with you...

If you're on the lookout for the most beautiful and amazing stockings in town...

There is only one place to go...

Neiman Marcus!

They have the most unique...

Exquisite...

Stunning stockings I've ever seen!

Well,

except for one other stocking that is...

Sigh...

I hope everyone has an amazing weekend,

and if any of you wake up on Sunday and find coal in your shoes...

well, there's always next year to try the "nice" thing!

Sweet Edward goodness and non-stocking images courtesy of Google Images

St. Nick info found on Wikipedia

Let It Snow

I have a super power...

Let me warm up your coffee for you...

(viz Google Images)

Magical hot flashes!

I have no idea what is wrong with me...

although I have a sneaking suspicion it has something to do with my missing thyroid...

But lately,

I have been on fire!

I was annoyed at first,

and then I tried to find the silver lining to this fiery cloud...

and I've decided that this super power could come in quite handy here in Wisconsin.

It is December...

and I have yet to wear a coat outside.

All of my friends are freezing,

and I am peeling off layers!

So...

this is the first year I am actually hoping for snow.

I plan to sit outside with a book and read in a snow bank!

I hope our first snow fall includes snowflakes as pretty as these...

Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow!!

Snowflake images courtesy of weheartit

Happy Birthday Ava Harper

December 2nd, 2009

Happy 1st Birthday Ava Harper!

I would cuddle you forever and ever if I could...

This sweet little girl turns one today...

and in honor of her special day,

I wanted to share some birthday wishes that I have for her...

Ava's mama and I looooooooovvvvvvve funfetti!

Ava-Roonie...

I hope your day is filled with treats as sweet as you are...

Taste the rainbow...

And in twenty years (but not a day sooner), you can ask your daddy about the rainbow that Auntie invented years ago...

but until then, this colorful cake will do.

Ava and her daddy dancing the night away

I wish that someday you'll find a man who loves you as much as your daddy does...

and who will dance with you always...

I wish you faith...

to always trust your heart,

and the strength to carry-on if it ever gets broken...

Me, my favorite lil' A, and Ava's mama

I wish you a lifetime surrounded by those you love...

but when you're alone,

I wish you the courage to conquer the world...

I wish you the ability to go after your dreams,

no matter what they are,

and to truly believe that it is possible to fly...

I wish for you a spirit that is bold but not boastful...

confident, yet humble...

And the courage to always be true to yourself.

Ava and her beautiful parents

I wish for you beauty...

but not just in the things you wear (which your stylish mama will always have covered) or the face that others see when they look at you...

but beauty in your soul...

and in your heart,

and in every ounce of your being.

The greatest gift...

Just one year ago...

you came into this world,

and blessed everyone who would ever get the chance to know you.

Sweet baby Ava

You have changed our lives,

with that smile that lights up a room,

and a laugh that reminds us how lucky we are to be a part of your world...

Happy birthday Ava-roo...

Today, and every other day of forever,

you are the love of our lives.

All photos (except pics of Ava) courtesy of weheartit