See Ya 2008

Wow. 2008 is just an inch away from being gone and 2009 is banging at the door. I have been around reading a bunch of blogs and almost every one has a nice recap of 2008 with some photos or an actual montage set to music. Well, I have barely had time to write any post this month, I can try to get around to that next year.

What I am thankful for in 2008 is my beautiful baby boy and the very cool big brother, the health of my family, the fact that Hubby has some pretty good job security, a new home, a new car. And here's to wishing some more plentiful thankfulness (is that a real sentence?) in 2009.

Wishing you all a Happy New Year!

Yes, those are my socks he is wearing as gloves. hahaha

Our Tree

Whoops. So I thought I had a few posts scheduled to come out during the Christmas week since I knew I was going to be so busy. Well, I did it wrong. So the next week I will try to get these posted. This is the post I was going to put up on 12/16.

We went out last Friday (12/12) to get our tree at a little place around the corner from us.

The Kid had so much fun just running in and out and between the trees. We picked the most perfect little tree,

You can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man!

I'm so bummed. We were supposed to go up to a friend's house only 30 minutes north of us, but at her house, SNOW. At my house rain rain rain. So we have postponed for another day. Our kids make Christmas cookies each year and exchange little gifts. This year we decided to have the kids make gifts for each other. I can't tell you all what my Kid made for his girlfriend, yet. Her mom reads here, and it's a surprise. LOL!

So we will see them Monday and in the meantime...we made a kick ass gingerbread house in the non-Christmasy weather.

Very proud of his work.

Notice the sleeping Baby in the swing... the very rare nap. I don't think he has napped longer than an half an hour a day in a week... but the plus side, he only gets up 2 or 3 times at night and goes right back down after nursing for about 15 min.

How's the Weather?

This was us yesterday. I took this myself. Hubby was at work.

We were in the house most of the day in PJ's. I didn't want to go anywhere. It was too cold and cloudy and just looked crappy out there. But, after the 7th hour of Backyardigans I decided I HAD to get the Kid outside and get some energy out and get some fresh air. So I bundled us up.

He rode up and down the driveway about 20 times.

I sat them together for a cute brother's shot.
This was us TODAY!

It was freaking 64 degrees here in NJ! It's December FIFTEENTH! It was gorgeous. No coats, no hats. I got to see my Baby's chunky little arms today. And the Kid went across the monkey bars all by himself for the first time!

Help me choose a camera!

I am so sick of my camera. I am sick of the red eye that makes my Baby look like the devil. I am sick of the missed smiles because there is a delay on every shot I take. I am sick that the once 'waterproofing' of my camera has been broken for the last 2 years. I have the Pentax Optio. It only has 5 megapix and I know there are cameras out there with more than double that! But I honestly don't know what megapixels are. ARGH!

Dear Santa,

I would love new camera for Christmas.

Thanks!

Love, Beach Mama

I have told my family to just give me cash so I can get a nice camera to take more (and better) pictures of the kids.
...Now I just have to figure out which one to get. It will depend on how much money I receive, of course. I do love that I can just stick my little camera in my pocket where ever I go. I do love that there is a little video feature that I can take if I don't have my actual video camera.. which is over 8 years old and massive compared to the ones out there now.. but I digress it's a photo camera I am looking to buy now.

So here are my very important questions I am throwing out there for all of you that take and have beautiful pictures on your blogs...or just have a good camera and want to share with me what you have.

First I will tell you that I have an awesome Canon RebelXs camera that I got back in 1996 for a college class. It is film, not digital. But I have a 35-80mm lens that came with it. Do all Canons have interchangeable lenses? Would I be better off buying a more expensive body of a camera and just use the lens I have?
I am leaning toward getting a full big body camera, I can still use my smaller one outside and stick it in my pocket if I want to leave my good new one behind...especially for amusement parks and the like. Or would a powershot or elph be just as good? I am not set on a Canon, but I figured since I have one with an extra lens it would be easier. If you have another camera and want to let me know all about it, please do.

- I have been seeing online and in some people posting something about SLR. What exactly is that? I read about it on wiki and I still don't quite understand it. Anyone have a simpler explanation? Or is it not really worth it for someone like me? Is it more for professionals?
- What do you need to be able to just push the button and take the picture with NO delay? This one is super important. The delay kills me!
- Is there any way to eliminate red eye without that flashy light and delay before the shot?
- Is there ANYTHING else I should be looking for to have a great camera?

I love photography. And when I was taking the class in college and the first year of the Kid's life while I was using the film camera I took shots that were beautiful. I just can't get the same degree of photos with my little handheld.

I really appreciate any and all suggestions and help I can get.
Thanks!!

Tiny Bit of OCD coming through...

I know. It's Dec 11th. Where do the days go?



Guess what? We still don't have our Christmas tree. Yup. We were planning on going yesterday, didn't happen. And said we'd go today. Well, now it's raining. So I don't know if that's going to happen. See now if I had a fake one, I could have had it up weeks ago.



We are going to head over to the mall today so I can get the boys pictures taken all dressed up with Santa...so I can get the Christmas cards. Nope. Haven't done that yet either.

And the funny thing is, I feel no pressure, no stress that I still have so much to do for the holiday.



I do have all the gifts bought and wrapped for the Kid. I have the gifts for the kids' grandma's. Can't show you here yet, because they all read my blog...but I will show you after Christmas, they are great!


In spite of the lateness of everything else, I think I caught a little bit of Christmas OCD. I am the furthest thing from an OCD person. But, I decided this year to tell the Kid that Santa brings one or two big special gifts and fills your stocking and the rest is from mommy and daddy. I wrapped the Santa gifts in a pretty red paper and decided to wrap all of the mommy/daddy gifts in this white & silver snowflake paper. Then, when I had only 2 or 3 left to wrap I realized I wrapped the stocking gifts in snowflakes! My Kid is too damn quick. I KNOW he would realize that if I said Santa fills the stocking - how did the mommy/daddy paper get in there. So I did what I think is a bit OCD and unwrapped the stocking gifts and re-wrapped them in the red paper. I don't know, do you think that was a bit crazy? If you know my kid, you know he doesn't forget a thing and he picks up on stuff that we never thought he would. It's kinda creepy.

My Christmas Tree Rules

I have been in a writing slump for a while. I know you all love to see pictures of the kids for no reason what so ever. But that only keeps readers so long... right? where did you all go?

Anywho, now all of a sudden December hit me up side the head. Holy crap! I can't believe we have less than one month left in 2008. The kids are getting too big too fast. But yet, at the same time, time is dragging. Why is that? How the hell does that happen?

I am stealing a couple ideas for this post. Of course I am giving credit where credit is due.

My favorite Modern Matriarch made a list today of her Christmas tree rules. I loved it so much I couldn't just write a whole blog post in her comments when I have been neglecting writing over here. So here are my rules.

1. White lights only. And those would be solid white, no seizure inducing chasing lights. Although, I would like to know where AA gets her 'twinkle' lights. They sound pretty.

2. Real trees only. I just can NOT jump on the fake tree band wagon yet. I know I will eventually. Hubby asks every year for one, and every year I tell him it's just not Christmas until we go out in the freezing cold to pick out a tree that will (hopefully) last a month and die. (I know, not very green of the bf, cloth diapering mama.) I tell him we'll get one next year. That has lasted 8 years. I just love the challenge of finding different nooks and crannies for all my different ornaments. If we get a fake one they will all have the same place each year. Bor-ing.

3. I throw all of my ornaments up on the tree. I love my ornaments. Some are handmade, most are bought. All have a sentimental meaning. They all find a place in my mish mosh tree.

4. I refuse to buy an expensive blanket that is circle shaped to go around the bottom of the tree. I use a perfectly good cheap green table cloth. I used to use a green sheet, but found a table cloth on sale after Christmas one year.

5. My tree is topped with an angel. I don't know where or why I bought it. I am not super religious. I just never found a star that I liked. And now, this blond little angel that sits atop my tree is symbolic of my late grandmother who passed on 1/1/01. She isn't going anywhere.

2007 tree in our old house

When I get a chance I am going to do a short post of what I do with Christmas Cards... inspired by Swistle