No reindeer today Santa came to visit the children of my neighborhood on top of a firetruck. Sirens a blaring and all. Each year our Fire Department loads Santa on a fire truck and zips him through the neighborhoods waving and throwing out bags of yummy treats to all the kids.

Santa didn’t make it directly down our street this year much to the kids disappointment but my husband the storm chaser kick in and quickly became a Santa chaser. He was able to track Santa down a few blocks away and the kids got to see Santa up close and of course get their bag of yummy treats. Now the kids sit and sip a cup of hot cocoa as it is so cold and snack on their treats. You can see and hear their little imaginations take flight as they discuss with each other their wishes for Christmas, their curiosity about where the reindeer are and of course the fact that Christmas is only 12 days away and they just cannot contain their excitement.

We are so blessed to live in one of the greatest communities.  I can honestly say we cannot afford to live here, it really is beyond our financial means, but I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. What kind of Holiday traditions does your community, church or neighborhood hold. I would love to hear about it. Leave a comment or send me an email.  Money is tight this year but the memories we create are priceless and better than anything else they last forever.  Happy Holidays -MommyMachelle
[ad#ad-6]

I am really starting to feel the Christmas pinch this year and I must admit I’m a bit sad. Now I’m no stranger to a tight budget for the Holidays but somehow I always manage to pull some thing together just in the nick of time. I know I have a few more weeks but I will tell you my brain is tapped out.  I am avoiding the malls, heck I’m even avoiding Wal-Mart as I know I can’t buy the things for my kids that I would like let alone the things that they really need.

At this point I have to think homemade. I just inherited a sewing machine and once I figure out how to actually turn it on I plan to make some homemade bed sets for the kids. I have been hunting ads for blow-out bargains on material. I am also going to make each of my kids an Arts-n-Crafts tote of their own. I’m fed up with lost scissors, empty tape and hard glue not to mention the broken crayons and dried up markers. So I found these totes with handles at the $1 store and I’m going to fill each one with glue, scissors, crayons, markers, tape and I’m even throwing a stack of sticky notes in there so they quick using mine up! As for family and friends I plan to give a tin of baked goodies.

I would love to hear some of your homemade or handmade gift ideas, please I am in desperate need of HELP!! Well maybe not as desperate as the Mommy Pic below but I am getting close. Enjoy and Happy Holidays!!

As I mother I know that there is nothing more precious that my children. Only our children can create those magical moments we share with family, friends or co-workers and it’s those moments that get us through difficult times at home, a long day on the job or an illness we are fighting with all our might. I enjoy all the long “ghost under the bed” conversations and the make believe cupcakes baking in the fisher price plastic kitchen. But some of my most memorable moments with my children haven’t been so precious.

Permanent Sharpie Markers

This not so precious mommy moment was taken the night before my daughters first day of preschool. Yes her make-up was beautiful, I just wish she would have chose washable markers instead of the sharpie permanents!!

I let this be a Daddy Moment!!

This is a classic example of my son Jackson’s fascination with toothpaste. To all the autistic parent’s out there, I know you will appreciate this picture. This is one of those mommy moments I gladly passed on to Daddy!!

To all the mom’s and dad’s or grandma’s and grandpa’s I salute you. Keep those not so precious moments close to your heart. When your day seems like it just keeps getting worse reflect on those special moments and take comfort in the fact that things could be worse.
[ad#ad-6]