The Twelve Steps of Christmas...steps 1 &2

Hello.  My name is Ericka Schapekahm...(Hi Ericka) and I'm a holiday aholic.  As far back as I can remember I've had this problem...this need to decorate every inch of my house, to make special foods at only certain times of the year.  To have kitchen towels that are season appropriate, flannel snowflake sheets in the winter (snowmen are also acceptable.)  Shower curtain dress code...greens and pinks in spring, white in summer, tree in the fall and holly leaves this winter. Years ago, I began turning the radio dial to the all Christmas, all the time station on Thanksgiving day and happily leave it there  until they returned to their regular programming.  I can barely hold it together during my commute in the morning..."My Grown Up Christmas List" gets me every time.  I can't cook on Thanksgiving day without the Macy's parade on...the list goes on and on.  I think I hit my bottom last year when I locked my family in my kitchen and forced them to produce over a thousand delicious Christmas cookies in just 10 short hours.   I know I have a problem...and that's half the battle.  There...step #1 done.


Step #2...A greater power can restore me to sanity.  Yes indeed and this year that greater source was Brandon's family.  By hosting Thanksgiving, they spared me the ritual of running around like a woman possessed getting my home and food ready for a holiday.  God bless them.

 This is one of my favorite things in a house ever...it's a family roll call, a love attendance list:) 

Every time we go to Brandon's parents house I wander around this room.  It has pictures in it, lots of pictures of everyone they love so dearly.  I never get tired of looking at these photos or the energy of this room...all the families smiling and couples marrying and babies cooing. 

 Liam has a boatload of cousins on his Dad's side.  This little cutie is trying to tell us she had a "tough day" by throwing her hands up and patting her head.  But I'm not buying it...she was way to happy and chatty.


It was November in Minnesota and predictably cold and snowy.  But with so many kids packed in Great Grandma's giant house and a race track to run laps on (Great Grandma has the loop all good grandmas have in their homes) the kids were hot and sweaty. Amped up an vanilla almond milk and holiday foods he wasn't allowed to eat last year, it was all Lumowitz could do to keep his onsie on.  Run, scream, squeal, head on collisions with other minis and one wildly successful toilet paper raid. 

Morning brought a more relaxed vibe.  I'm not one to get on board with the "Black Friday" madness.  I'm more about just enjoying the silence of everyone else's craziness being somewhere else for a day.  I sipped coffee...lots of it and lived  the deals vicariously through Facebook friends.  And that was as adventurous as I got and it was fantastic.


I did some boy watching:)  

Grandma did some holding of her little Schapekahm.

And when we got home..my addiction kicked in and I was powerless against it. 

 Autumn is the best.  As I was decorating I said "I wish we had a little sack to put the chalk in"  She disappeared for a few minutes and WAALAA!!  Little sack to put the chalk in.

We are rocking a couple of retro "Charlie Brown ish" trees this year.  I dig them.  Brandon's mom always has the best trees and last year I totally stole her tree idea for mine this year. I hit Target after Christmas and hit the 90% off jackpot!!  

 

 Sock monkey, Lotso Hugg'n Bear and Rex wish you a very Merry Christmas.

I am going to admit something that I think surprises people.  I do not LOVE to play in snow. Crazy right?  It does not jive with any of my zest for life theories or behavior, but it's true.  Even as a kid, I remember having grand ideas about snow play, but I also remember the terribly uncomfortable feeling of my own snot frozen to my mouth and nose area under that stinky ski mask.  And the utter failure of most of my boots resulting in cold wet feet.  And on the rare occasion that all my gear was doing it's job, keeping me warm and dry...I couldn't move anyway.  I LOVE to be surrounded with snow (while inside of course).  I love to drink tasty hot beverages while watching it snow and I especially love to  photograph anything to do with snow or in snow.  But...do I want to bundle up and throw some snow balls...I plead the 5th.  

As a mother, I've found the perfect out...hot chocolate and photos.  Momma has to take the pictures and then run in to make sure there are gallons of hot chocolate ready for her babies when they come in from all the fun snow activities.  And if the pressure is really on...like it was this first big snow day...I bring out the big guns.  Cookies.  Works every time.  I got my photos though:) 

 Shoveling is a "boy job" in our house.  Yes, we have "boy" & "girl" jobs ...don't judge.  I never have to go outside in the freezing cold to shovel and he doesn't ever have to touch dirty underwear...it works for us:) 

 I wish the post office would let me make this a real stamp:)  

Liam absolutely LOVED his first day in full snow gear  and being up to his butt in the snow. Snow was funny to him, he spent alot of time laughing at how versatile it is.  "You can make that into a ball and toss it?  NO WAY!!!"  Sprinkle it on his pants...crack up.  Slide down the hill, belly laugh until it hurt.  Snow is funny. Good.  That guarantees many more years of hot chocolate making for me.


But it looks like maybe the girls have gotten wise to how simple it is.  EEEk.

So the stage is set...the holiday extravaganza that is my life this time of year is in full swing and as always I'm taking in every second of it.  The sites...

The sounds.  I am LOVING the LastFM station on Xbox live.  

The traditions.  And yes... I have the Christmas radio station on.

No more lives torn apart
That wars would never start
And time would heal all hearts
And everyone would have a friend
And right would always win
And love would never end, oh
This is my grown up Christmas list.


~tear~  Gets me every time.