Friday, December 31, 2010

A funny thing...

Just had to share...I don't know if I have ever mentioned that Ty has a T-E-M-P-E-R.  I know he looks all sweet, but trust me when I say he has a little spice too.  If he could punch a hole in the wall I think he would.  So we have been really, REALLY trying to help him control that little temper of his lately and we are finally seeing some progress.  He is learning to use his words.  I guess after you say something about a billion times it eventually sinks in.  

So the story goes...

"Mom can I have a gogurt?"
"No, Dinner is almost ready."  
He asks a few more times and I give the same answer.
He stops asking for a while and I hear a couple door slams {which I ignore} and then he comes down stairs wearing his mad face.

I smile at him.  
He hates when I do this and I may just be egging it on, but it is key to let him know he is not pushing any of my buttons...no matter how much I hate the slamming of the doors.

Then he says,
"Mommy, I am just so mad at you.  I am not going to live in this house any more.  I am going to live in the woods today. hhmph."

I say, "Well you might want to pack your flash light.  It gets pretty dark in the woods."
He then runs to his room crying and says something about me not being fair and I say something about life not being fair.  
There you have it.  
Progress people.
Happy Friday.

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Embrace the Camera: December 30th

Our last Embrace of the year.  
I can't believe it!  Is it just me or does time go faster as you get older?  It has been a good year and I think next year will be even better. 

I leave you with this simple picture.  I am lucky enough to call this sweet boy my son and here he is doing what he does best.  Snuggling up for a smooch. 

One of my New Year resolutions is to keep up on the embracing.  I think it is so important to record these memories and to protect them for my family and children especially to see.  I love to hear all of the stories my grandparents tell of their history and how cool will that be to look back on this?  I encourage you to do the same.  Blogging is a great way to do this and don't forget to get in front of that camera. 
Embrace it!
So there you have it.  
My last embrace of the year, but definitely not my last.

Get your embrace on and link up here.

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

A Holly Jolly Christmas...

We had a fantastic holiday and I have totally meant to share, but I have been really busy being in a vegetative state.  I feel like a zombie and I can't get a thing done. 


I did all handmade gifts and spent like a solid week in the kitchen.  I didn't even get to share all my recipes. 
ah, maybe someday...

Here's some pix though!
I made peanut butter fudge, toffee {3 batches}, White and dark chocolate Oreo truffles, chocolate dipped PB Ritz, No-bake cookies, chocolate chip cookies, sugar cookies, cookie jars, lavender scented bath salts, and carrot cake with cream cheese frosting in mason jars. Whew I am a busy bee! 
As you can see, I have a new obsession with mason jars.
So, that's that and we are moving on.


So here I am FINALLY getting to share all the fun we had.  
Warning though it is a long post...
First off, let me just say how so very grateful I am to have such wonderful family and friends.  Although it has been a rough year for many of us, I really felt like the holiday spirit was greater than it has ever been.

So here's a little background info on some of our family traditions...
The first year we were married and went to 5 places in 2 days over Christmas and spent the majority of our time in the car.  Not cool. So we came up with a solution.  We rotate our Holidays.  We go one place for Thanksgiving, one place for Xmas eve, and one for Christmas day. We try to squeeze a little time in for the family that had Thanksgiving in sometime around the Xmas holiday too.  I t has always worked well for us and then we get to spend some quality time with everyone.

Since we spent Thanksgiving with the Grossers, we decided to pop in and sing them some Carols Xmas eve morning.  It was really fun and we had my Father-in-law smiling from ear to ear and my Mom-in-Law in tears.  I am posing no pix of the two of them {as per her request}.  It was a pop in after all and she was still in her jammies.  
Here's one of us though. :)



This year we spent Christmas Eve at my Mom's house with the whole fam.  26 of us to be exact.  Our tradition here starts with a wonderful feast. Next we sang some carols. Aaron took the lead on this one.  We sang Silent Night and he even had that little shake in his voice that vocalists do.  It was adorable!
"Ha-ay"

We also take a moment to remember what Christmas is really all about.  This year my hip Grandpa had the whole bible downloaded into his DROID and read to us from there.  How cool is that?  My mom also read a a sweet story to the crew.

Next on the tradition list is opening one present each.  It is always a new pair of PJ's and sometimes slippers too.  Almost everyone then proceeds to change into them to go home and wait for Santa to arrive.

My cousins got some fabulous snuggie knock offs.


So after all the hoopla there, we went home and did the usual night before Christmas stuff and got very little sleep.  We were all a bit groggy when the kids woke up at 9 the next morning.  Ya that's right I said nine.  Be jealous.
They perked right up when they remembered we had a visitor while they were in dreamland.
  Oh BTW, we started a new gift tradition a few years back because of all the "stuff"  the kids end up getting, they get one gift from Santa, one from their sibling, and one from Mom and Dad.  We also get a family gift from Santa and of course some goodies in our stocking, but the boys are always satisfied and happy.  We really are trying to teach them more about giving and to not be so materialistic in this world we live in, but that is a whole other post here...I'm on a tangent.  {as Aaron says}

Aaron bought me this beautiful pink glitter heart necklace from Santa's shop at school.  He was so proud and told me that he was giving me this beautiful heart because his heart is so full of love for me.  awww...
That kid has my heart for sure!

Back to our traditions... On Christmas morning we always have eggs Benedict and sometimes we have family over and sometimes we go at it alone.  This year we were on our own and it was kinda nice.  After breakfast and gifts, Jeremy and I proceeded to putt together toys.  The boys are really into LEGO'S and PLAYMOBIL.  Both of which need some major assembly.  Ty's LEGO set has 1700+ pieces alone!!!  I wanted to superglue it together so we never have to do it again, but apparently that's half of the fun. So anyway, we worked at this for the majority of the morning while listening to Christmas music and sipping our much need coffee.


Later that afternoon, we went to Christmas dinner at my Dad's house.  We had a great time there.  We watched the Disneyland parade had yet another fabulous feast and opened more gifts.  By the end of the night we were all sprawled around the house almost physically unable to move.  Oh wait, that was just me...
Grandma Donna and Aaron



My sister Amy and her boyfriend James

The boys and their pile of loot


Here's my Dad handing out a different kind of loot.  ;)  We all felt so bad for him he got a case of laryngitis and couldn't talk at all.  We need a family dinner do over!




Anyway, It was a great Holiday and only 361 days 'til next Christmas.

I will be more prepared.
I think I just marked my words.

Friday, December 24, 2010

Merry Christmas!

Ghosts from Christmas Past...
Enjoy!


2003.  Here we are a few days after Christmas, on my College Graduation day.  I'll never forget my gifts this year, because they changed my life.  I got my first digital camera and a little bun in the oven {AKA Aaron}!

2004.  Aaron' first Christmas.


2005.  A trip to Hawaii.  We had a little bun in the oven here too {AKA Ty}!

2006. Ty's first Christmas.

2007.  A rare moment when both boys are sitting still...together.

2008. The whole Grosser zoo.  I mean crew.  =)

2009.  Ice skating.

Have a Merry Christmas everyone!
Love, The Grosser Fam

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Thursday, December 23, 2010

Joyful Wishes From our "Small World"

No embrace this week.  {i can't imagine why???}  But I did come up with something kinda' fun though.
I found the perfect Holiday e-card this year.  I figure that since not all of my blogger friends get a holiday card from us, this is like the next best thing.
Aaron LOVES the Small World ride so when I saw this naturally I had to post it.  He has only watched it about a million times and counting already.  He now wants us to dress up like this for Halloween next year. Silly kid.
I'm imagining Jeremy now...Ha.





Here he is when the love affair with the ride began.
I swear he memorized every detail of this thing...
Have a happy day!  Only two days left 'til the big day!  
Yikes...

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Funny Funny Mother

I COMPLETELY relate to this poem.  
It makes it's way to my inbox every year and every year I am reminded how no matter how well I plan for this one day, crunch time turns me into a sleep deprived lunatic by December 26th. 
 
Funny, Funny Mother!
 
See Mother.
See Mother laugh.
Mother is happy.
Mother is happy about Christmas.
Mother has many plans.
Mother has many plans for Christmas.
Mother is organized.
Mother smiles all the time.
Funny, funny Mother!
 
See Mother.
See Mother smile.
Mother is happy.
The shopping is all done.
See the children watch TV.
Watch children, watch.
See the children change their minds.
See them ask Santa for different toys.
Look!  Look!
Mother is not smiling.
Funny, funny Mother!
 
See Mother.
See Mother sew.
Mother will make dresses.
Mother will make robes.
Mother will make shirts.
See Mother put the zipper in wrong.
See Mother sew the dress on the wrong side.
See Mother cut the skirt too short.
See Mother put the materials away until January.
Look!  Look!
See Mother take a tranquilizer.
Funny, funny Mother!
 
See Mother.
See Mother buy raisins and nuts.
See Mother buy candied pineapple
and powdered sugar.
See Mother buy flour, dates, pecans,
brown sugar, bananas and spices.
Look!  Look!
Mother is mixing everything together.
See the children press out cookies.
See the flour on their elbows.
See the cookies burn.
See the cake fall.
See the children pull taffy.
See Mother pull her hair.
See Mother clean the kitchen
with the garden hose.
Funny, funny Mother!
 
 
See Mother.
See Mother wrap presents.
See Mother look for the end
On the Scotch tape roll.
See Mother bite her fingernails.
See Mother go.
See Mother go to the store ten times in one hour.
Go Mother, go.
See Mother go faster.
Run, Mother, run!
 
See Mother trim the tree.
See Mother have a party.
See Mother make popcorn.
See Mother wash the walls.
See Mother scrub the rug.
See Mother tear up organized plan.
See Mother forget gift for Uncle Harold.
See Mother get hives.
Go, Mother, go!
See the faraway look in Mother's eyes.
Mother has become disorganized.
Mother has become disoriented.
Funny, funny Mother!
 
It is finally Christmas morning.
See the happy family.
See Father smile.
Father is happy.
Smile, Father, smile.
Father loves fruitcake.
Father loves Christmas pudding.
Father loves all his new neckties.
Look!  Look!
See the happy children.
See the children's new toys.
Santa was very good to the children.
The children will remember this Christmas.
 
See Mother.
Mother is slumped in a chair.
Mother is crying uncontrollably.
Mother does not look well.
Mother has ugly dark circles under her bloodshot eyes.
Everyone helps Mother to her bed.
See Mother sleep quietly under heavy sedation.
See Mother smile.
 
Funny, funny Mother!
 
By ~ Sandra Gilbert ~
 
I am looking forward to that long nap after Christmas already...

Friday, December 17, 2010

My little Character PART II

I found an old box of Halloween costumes high in the closet the day after my post Monday and Ty went into costume overdrive! Here is a little update to my little character...

Cowboy Ty
Another Tyler original ensemble

I firickin' LOVE these lion slippers...

Buzz Lightyear to the rescue!

RROOAARR!!!  It's an action shot...a little blurry, but we all know this is one fierce little monster.
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Have a great weekend!

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Embrace the Camera: December 16th

Here's a little highlight from Santa's Breakfast. Enjoy!

Jeremy and Ty.
Aaron and I.
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Link up with your fellow embracers here.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Breakfast with Mr. Claus

Every year Jeremy's office puts together a little Breakfast with Mr. Claus himself. It is always a big hit not only with the kiddos, but the parents. We have NEVER had to brave the lines at the mall, they take great pictures and best of all it is FREE! Talk about a win win!  
This year did not disappoint, the boys were super excited!  Oh, and Santa was looking great!  So we asked him about his recent change in appearance and he said he switched to 1% milk and dropped a few LB's.  
Good to know Santa!  ;)

Ty asked for LEGO fire department and a cherry picker with red and blue lights.
He was thrilled to find that Santa gave him part of the Lego set that day!

Aaron asked for some "It's a small World" figures to decorate his room like Disneyland...It is the happiest place on Earth ya' know.

He was thrilled with his Leap Frog TAG book.

Good ol' Family pic with Santa...
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Looks like we are on the good list this year...

Monday, December 13, 2010

My lil character

 For those who don't know...Ty is the master of disguise.  He is always keeping me guessing as to who he will be for the day.  He has been doing it for years and I love it!  If he is not dressed up, he is at least in his firefighter rain boots {even if it is summer} in case of an emergency.  The thing that is so great about it is that when he is in character, he is in it 100%.  
He is completely serious and he often looks at people smiling at him and talking to him about his "costume" like they are crazy.  In his mind it is not a costume, so why is everyone staring?  I laugh hysterically on the inside, but if I so much as crack a smile, i get the "Please stop Mom!" 
Knight in shining armor

Firefighter
SWAT
Vampire


I have no idea what this is...he has a gun, a helmet and a pillow strapped to his back.

Mr. Potato head glasses and a helmet...he can be quite creative
Workerman

Pirate
Warrior

Viking

Indian
I love that he keeps me laughing...even if it is on the inside.