Christmas 2009 At Home

Here's Jackson with all of his Christmas loot! I'm sure I have left out some things, but I tried to gather everything up so we can look back on it someday and see what all he got! I guess the scooter and his "claw" machine and the Transformer were his big things from Santa. And the rest he's gotten from family and friends. I'd say he is one lucky boy who is loved by many!

He's definitely loved by his momma!

Well, Christmas is over and it seems like I was just decorating the tree! It goes way too fast. I don't know when I'll get all the decorations down, but it WON'T be this week. Hopefully before Valentine's Day...but I doubt it!

Jackson opened up one present from Pawpaw and Mimi on Christmas Eve and it was the book 'Twas The Night Before Christmas where Dad had recorded himself reading it. It's a recordable book. Jackson really loved it! He listened to the last page about four times where Pawpaw says, "Merry Christmas, Jackson. I love you." And he'd just have this sweet little smile on his face.

At first Jackson told me to write on the note: "Santa, please just take one cookie." And then Tom told him that if he only let him take one cookie, that Santa might only leave one toy, or something to that effect, so then Jackson changed his whole way of thinking and said to put: "Santa, please take all the cookies." Probably a wise move! And yes, Santa got chocolate chip cookies this year because I always disappoint myself with sugar cookies and I was NOT in any kind of mood to decorate cookies this year. So I hope he liked the chocolate chip ones.

He got the Operation Spongebob game, which he calls Make Spongebob Feel Better game.

And he got this light-up scooter that he had wanted!

And here's the "grab" game he really, really wanted. He plays a full-size one at Buffalo Wild Wings and has talked about it since the first time he played it. And Christmas morning, he LOVED this thing. Let's just say the newness has now worn off. :(

Mom, Darin and Tonya came in on Christmas Day. And after some Wii playing, we opened our presents.

Mom got Jackson this fake fur blanket thing, which he loves! He's always loved the one she has at her house, so now he's got his own. And he sleeps right on top of it!

Nana and Jackson listening to Pawpaw's book!

Darin and Tonya

And just like that, it's over. :(

Indiana Christmas

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! I HOPE YOU ENJOY YOUR TIME WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS!

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I thought I better post some pictures from Jackson's Christmas in Indiana last weekend since today is Christmas Eve and I will have LOTS more pictures to post! Tom and Jackson went to Indiana without me because I felt I needed to stay home with Buster since he'd just had his ACL surgery. I missed seeing Jackson open all his gifts and I missed him like crazy! But he had a great time and got just about everything he ever wanted! He had so much fun! Who needs Santa when you have grandparents?

He had wanted this "truck that will do whatever you say" for a looooong time, and Papaw and Mamaw got it for him! I think you can see how happy he is!

Then he got a squishy lizard. He has always loved these kinds of toys.

He helped Papaw open his present!

And he helped Mamaw open hers!

Wow, Papaw got an industrial can opener! Who doesn't need one of those handy? :)

And this is at Grandma Hart's house.

What's in here?

A remote control car? He loves it!

This is Jackson, Tom, Leona (great-grandmother) and Charlie (Leona's boyfriend)!

This is Jackson and Jaxson! How cute are these little second cousins?

Mamaw being silly with a tree hat on her head!

Jackson and Bernie, his great-grandmother

Seven Days Until Christmas? Oh, Barnacles!

I had such lofty crafty ideas for this Christmas. And in true "me" fashion, I bought all the supplies to make all of my homemade gifts and crafts. I have everything I could need to carry out these tasks...and I haven't made a single one. I have tried to make the felt ornaments that I had seen on another BLOG, but I can't get past cutting the template out. I just am frozen. I cannot concentrate right now. I have no oomph to do anything.

I have worried about Buster so much and then worried about having everything bought before Christmas and then worried that I can't get my calendars made (which I haven't because my computer is a piece of crap) and then worried and worried and worried. It's what I do. I wish I wasn't so good at it. :(

Anyway, all that being said, none of you will be getting anything cute and homemade from me this year. Maybe I can start on my felt ornaments in January 2010 and end up with a few that I'm happy with by December 2010. But I doubt it!!

Jackson's Christmas party at school was yesterday and they had such a great time! These hats served a dual purpose. They were the treat bags and then also elf hats! Isn't that clever? I'll have to remember that!

Giles and Jackson

My sweet elf!

Giles

Lily

My sweet boy!

Jackson and Giles having a blast!

Their decorated room!

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We went on Wednesday to Amy's parents' house to watch Polar Express in 3D! I think the glasses bothered Jackson because he had rid himself of them early on and was watching the movie without them!

Addy and Sadie

Drew and Jackson

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I took Buster back to the vet on Thursday and they too this bandage off. They said his toes were swollen and it would be better if it was off. Not better for me having to look at that Frankenstein stitched leg! The stitches go from the top of his hip down towards the foot for about ten inches or so. I'm not good with measurements and I didn't want to post the gory picture on here, but it's LOOOOOOONG. Makes me want to puke looking at it. He is still not trying to use the leg when he goes outside at all and his toes still turn under. Very disturbing.

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Jackson and Tom just left for Indiana to celebrate Christmas with that side of the family. Jackson cried when he left and so did I. I really hate being away from him for even a second, much less a whole weekend. And I've been so emotional here lately, I'll probably cry all weekend! Wow, the house is quiet. Really quiet! I hope he has a great Christmas there! He's really looking forward to it, I know. I am so thankful for Jackson and I can't wait to celebrate our fourth Christmas with him! Pray for me get through this weekend without going crazy from missing him! :)

Tom took Jackson to see Santa's eight reindeer last Saturday that Santa brought to Providence Marketplace. He really loved seeing them! I honestly thought reindeer were fictional. I'm not sure when I came to that belief. But I was so wrong! Here they are!

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We had our Stafford Drive progressive dinner Christmas party last Saturday night. We had a nice time. Appetizers were at our house. It nearly killed me getting this house in shape to have nearly 20 people in it at one time. I think I cleaned for a month. But now I can let everything go to the crapper again. Ahhhh....

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Here are some random decorating photos. I went with the burlap kind of look this year because burlap is so cheap! I probably overdid it, but oh, well, too late now to worry about that. I was going to have Merry Christmas strung around the bar but then figured out it was going to be way too long, so it ended up just being Merry & Bright. :)

I even wrapped my poinsettias in burlap. Out of control.

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I took some random pictures of Jackson in front of the tree with the little elves I got from Mary Jo last year. I just got him this hat and I LOVE hats on him, so had to snap some pics. I know one day he won't wear anything I buy him, so I've got to savor the moment.

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Buster had his ACL surgery on Monday. Jackson and I got up way early so that we could get him there by 7:00 and I could talk to our vet before it all went down. I felt a bit more comfortable after talking with him, so the surgery proceeded as planned. Tom came in from work early and went and picked Buster up around 5:30.

He is in a wrap called a Robert Johnson that goes from the top of his leg down to right above his toes. And it is TIGHT. Dr. Fenwick wanted to make sure we kept an eye on it in case it was too tight. It was a hard night last night for him. I slept on the couch and he slept in the floor on his dog bed beside me. He cried and whined a lot through the night. I was convinced it was due to that tight tape at the top of his wrap that was cutting into his stomach when he would lay down. I think he rested a couple of hours, probably.

It is really sad to me because I think it just reminds me that he's getting old and that he's not a puppy anymore and there will be more and more problems with him until someday we will probably have to make that gut-wrenching decision nobody wants to make for their pet. But I am trying to not think such horrible things right now. I am pretty much a wreck now. I can't imagine how I'll be when it comes to that!

Anyway, I took him back to the vet's office this morning and had them look at his toes and that crazy tight wrap. They loosened it up and wanted to watch him for a few hours. So I picked him up after I got Jackson from school. And amazingly, he hasn't made a peep all afternoon. So I guess I was right; it was that tape that had been hurting him! Anyway, it will be a slow recovery, but I hope he's back to his old self soon.

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I can't wait for Jackson to see this MESSAGE that Santa has sent him all the way from the North Pole! As soon as he gets up from his nap, I'll show him. It is amazing! If you've got small children, you have got to do this for them! So cute!