A Naked Child, Some Conversations and My Obsessive Compulsive Behavior

Look, here's a picture of Quinn (during his naked time after the bath)...after he flipped the ottoman over and pushed it in front of the Christmas tree. He desperately wants to touch the ornaments, but has been very good (so far) at listening to us. The flipping and moving of the ottomans...yeah, its a nightly activity for him. I am thinking about calling Two Guys and a Truck and seeing if they would like to put him on staff. He is quite good at it.

This was last night's conversation on the way home from dance with Casey...

Casey: Why are our fingers all different sizes?
Me: Because we need them to be able to do different things.
Casey: But why is my pinkie so small?
Me: Well, you need it to help balance your hand when you are writing, but if it were bigger it would get in the way, right?
Casey: Oh. Yeah, I get it. What about the middle finger? Why is it so big? You know which one I'm talking about? The tall man in the middle? That middle finger, what does it do?
Me: Um, well, you can use your middle finger for lots of things.
Casey: Like what? What does the middle finger do?
Me: Maybe you should ask dad.
(I was stifling laughter throughout this whole conversation because I have the same sense of humor as a 12 year old. Middle finger. Heehee.)

Tonight's conversation....
Casey: So, here's my Christmas wish list. (handing me a piece of construction paper that has cut out pictures pasted to it)
Me: Oh. I thought you already gave me a Christmas list.
Casey: Nope. Here it is.
***on the list is a Nintendo DSi, a cell phone, some Barbie thing (we gave the Barbies away a long time ago), and a Little Tykes kitchen***
Me: Case, I'm done with the shopping already. And let me just tell you, you aren't getting any of these things.
Casey: But this is what I really want. It's ok, I'll just ask Santa. He'll bring me these things.
Me: No, I'm pretty sure Santa has been working on other things for you. (Like the friggin zhu zhu pets that you were dying for! And a horse for your American Girls! And new boots! And Wii games!)
Casey: I'll just ask him in case.

Big sigh. I made her leave the room again because I wanted to just get it over with and let her know that I AM SANTA! I am Santa. Chris is also Santa - I shop, he sets up. We tag team like that, and that, my sweet children, is why Christmas morning is so exciting. Because Mom and Dad rock.

Speaking of rocks, let me now tell you a little story about beads. (They go together, right? Rocks, beads?) So, I have a slightly obsessive compulsive personality. If you know me in real life, you know this to be true. I can't own a couple of books, or even a couple hundred books, I have to own thousands. I have to own so many that I need to call a room in my house "the library" and have Drew build us floor to ceiling bookshelves. I can't scrapbook an album or two, but twenty of them, sell my dining room furniture and turn that room into the "craft room." You see how this is in my life? It's really just part of what makes me, me. So, when the girls asked if they could bead necklaces for various family members for Christmas presents and I agreed, I figured that while I was shopping for beads for them to use, I should also pick up some beads for myself and make a few necklaces. I mean, we already have all of the "stuff" (I helped the girls bead a lot in kindergarten to work on AB, ABB, AABB, and such, patterns, and learned how to crimp and clasp) and I really like the necklaces that I see in the store, but refuse to pay $35 for one. I could totally just make a few for myself. And then I thought perhaps I would make a few more for Christmas gifts (the babysitters, my brother's girlfriend, and Frankie would definitely want one). But I couldn't stop. Its like eating potato chips - you can't eat just one - and I couldn't stop beading. Or going back into Athens for more beads. And before I knew it, I had like, 30 necklaces. I could wear a different one every day of the month. And then Chris said, "Um, what are you going to do with all of those necklaces?" And I didn't really have an answer. And then I realized how much money I had spent and knew that I now had a new business venture. So, I started selling them. And its going pretty well. So, we'll see how the rest of the week goes and then I think I might set up shop on etsy. Cause that's what you do when you hand make something. And perhaps I will join in some giveaways on the Manic Monday at Stylized Portraiture. So, if you are in the need of a Christmas gift...they are around $15. :)