Like most moms out there, I am still sorting through the 2764 holiday photos that I took while my house was completely destroyed with the hurricane of Christmas morning…so while I do that, I wanted to jot down what we pulled outta our Santa bag this year. I love looking back and seeing how thoughtful Jeremy was and how ridiculous I was. For instance…last year, I asked for and received a Darth Vader voice changing mask. yes. it’s awesome. and yes. it has sat in the box ever since. I am waiting for Will to get old enough to appreciate his mother’s extreme coolness before pulling it out 🙂 Also, I don’t wanna scare him.
It should be said that unlike a lot of more practical people, we do Christmas big. Like we save all year because we love giving gifts. Of course, Jeremy & I always have that annual conversation about ‘money limits’…but all that really means is that he doesn’t want me to spend a ridiculous amount on him but he is gonna spend a ridiculous amount on me. I ain’t no suckah. Homie don’t play dat. So this year, we got our family gift – new tires for our SUV (caCHING!) and a tv for upstairs. When it came to the boys, we tried to do the ole wear/need/want/read thing…or a version of it. We planned to get them each something big, something to read, something to wear and something they ‘need’ (which I hate to write because they really have everything they need and don’t need anything). Oh and this year I did 98% of my shopping on Amazon. Yeah. It just made sense. Otherwise I would be at Target braless with Cheerios in my hair.
Oh and just so my folks and family aren’t like WHaaaT!? We also got a bunch of stuff from them…they are ridiculously generous….so thanks y’all. love you. and your deep pockets and even deeper hearts 🙂
1. Extension Forks
2. Kobalt Double-drive Screwdriver Set
3. Axe Detailer 
4. Viking Fingerprint Safe
5. 6-Pack Socks by Under Armour
6. UGG Ascot Slippers
7. Milwaukee Hammer Drill
1. Melissa & Doug Magnetic Wooden Alphabet
2. Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site Book
3. John Deere Gator Ride-Along – We actually bought this last year during a post-Christmas sale (hence the lack of link). We waited all year. It almost killed us. The little Toys movie ride-along he got from his grandparents during his first birthday was too small. His feet were too big to fit on the sides, it crawled along at the slowest speed imaginable, going up hills was killing Buzz Lightyear and the noises coming from it were borderline inappropriate. So we splurged and got him this giant gift. He’s obsessed. And it comes with the agreement that he must do yardwork.
4. Skip Hop Zoo Hippo Backpack
1. Melissa & Doug Elephant Plush
2. The Very Hungry Caterpillar Book
3. Sophie the Giraffe Teether – I splurged. I got it and hopefully Weston will gnaw the head clean off this giraffe so I will feel justified for spending the money.
4. Aden + Anais Swaddle Blankets
1. Under Armour Women’s Tech Tee
2. Design*Sponge at Home
3. The North Face Soft Shell Jacket
4. The North Face Fleece Pants – Ever get something and realize that it was something you really would use every single day? Yeah. These pants are my unicorn. And yes, I would use a unicorn every day….everyone knows the best way to travel is to fly 🙂
5. Nike Free Running Shoes
6. Romance by Ralph Lauren 
So what did you guys get for Christmas? Anything you can’t believe you ever lived without? Any new shoes or tools or children’s toys that your kids are nuts over? I’d love to hear what the fat man brought ya!
We splurged on the imaginarium train table for our 2 year old and he loves it. He also got that same book as Will. I think I could read it in my sleep now. 🙂 I love when people share their big Christmases. We are like you in that we do Christmas big but birthdays are smaller.
I went on Amazon, put Design*Sponge in my cart, entered my card info, then handed my husband the iPad so he could hit submit and “buy” it himself! I actually did that with my other gifts from him, I can’t help myself! Then when they came in the mail and he wrapped them, I would point each gift out and “guess” what it was! 😉
Well, I actually did a VLOG of everything I got for Christmas 🙂
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MV_6hy3nwvk
Hmm… I seriously had to think about what the heck I got for Christmas! I have the Cold of Death and apparently I have blown all my brains out my nose. (I own stock in Puffs now. )
Here we go. My big present will be a path in the front yard to replace the current Mud Pit Extravaganza we have going on. I got a painting of Mt. Hood from/by my dad, which I will treasure. .. and a pillowy lapdesk for my laptop blogging pleasure. It has a light. It’s zebra-striped with purple trim.
I love the sneak peek at what was under your tree! I got my husband a new drill too – when it start smoking and smells like burned rubber, you know it’s time for a new one. I got a new Kindle Paperwhite – and I LOVE IT! Kids got an American Girl doll and a wooden train set. There were tons of other things, but I think those were the big hits of the day!
Ooooooh… I want one of those biometric safes. Hubby and I were just discussing that tonight. We have several of the large safes to secure the long guns, but I want something small enough to hold the single handgun I use for home protection. This one looks like it would fit under the edge of my bed, and would be concealed by the bedskirt. My 14 year-old stepson and I are alone at night, as his father is working. There have been a rash of home-invasion robberies in the area, and last weekend a couple in their eighties were killed. When seconds count, I don’t want to be fiddling with a trigger lock. (And yes, I do know how to use my weapon, and have had extensive firearms safety training. My police officer daddy made sure of that.)
Love the lists and how you do one big item and other smaller ones. We do the same. Babies are definitely hard to shop for besides getting anything you need, which of course happens. Love the elephant though! I told my husband that our next child will definitely have an elephant theme. Our 3 year old daughter inherited my husband’s love of hippos thanks to the crazy amount of hippos she received as a baby (and still get!). Hippo baby shower? Yep! We did it. Or, my brother and his girlfriend did it for me. 🙂
Fun! I got Design Sponge too! Loving it! Also, you sound like me with the practical stuff like tennis shoes. I procrastinate on that forever!
OMG I died laughing….your recap of what you got is hysterical. Naturally I had to read your entry out loud to my hubby; he found it just as amusing as me. Thanks for the laugh!
Don’t worry about the numbers and letters. It will come. Magnets are fun and will help, but don’t worry.
Hey, Just a suggestion that you cud remove some info from this comment, it might be dangerous in the wrong hands.
Take care.
KATIE!
So, pretty random question but! Does Will really go to bed at 2am? I am S-T-R-U-G-G-L-I-N-G with my 2 year old son. He sleeps from 8-midnight then like 2-6. I am not pretty with no sleep. And every other mom out there has a son that sleeps “like an angel”. What a bunch of jerks! Kidding…kind of. Any tips!? I am scared to let him just hang out in his room alone because he may choke on something and has his own bathroom attatched. Spoiled i tell you!
xoxo
Melissa
Awww….you are such a great gift giver. I’m terrible at thinking of gifts for my Jer. I feel like he’s so hard to buy for because he never wants anything. And LOVE that little John Deere Rider. Do you remember which store you bought it from? Maybe they’ll have some on sale during the year. 🙂 xo
Haha…we don’t let Will go to bed at 2 if that is what you are asking…he just won’t go to sleep. We have tried everything…SuperNanny method, cry it out, diet modifications, schedule changes, etc. The only thing we haven’t done is eliminate the nap (not that I want to because I really think most two year olds need a nap)…so now we do a bedtime of 9:30 and he has the same routine that he’s always had…bath, books, prayers, and down. He usually gets up and comes out of his room and we put him back to bed about three times till he gets up and stays in his room by himself for the remaining four hours. We go in every time we hear him to put him back in bed but usually he’s quiet and huddles by his night light ‘reading’. We tried taking out the books but then he sings…and that is no fun. We figure it’s just a stage and as long as he has boundaries, we are fine with it 🙂
xo – kb
It was Academy Sports I believe…but they had them at Walmart too at a similar price (we got it for under $200).
xo – kb
My next door neighbor’s son (3) has the goodnight goodnight construction site book…. he “read” it to my husband and I last time we were over hanging out. it consisted of him pointing at the pictures telling us who in the group was each truck (I was the excavator, oh yeah!) and repeatedly yelling whatever the guy yells out the window at one of the trucks (I don’t remember what the sentence was, something about pipe down?), it was entirely adorable. I love that kid, and now, that book!
Oooh love those gifts! Hope you guys enjoyed Christmas with the new little addition! We have been having the discussion of owning a gun and where to safely keep it so it can be accessed quickly if ever needed. We are an Italian household that believes in protecting our family!
This is the one my 3.5 year old got from Santa this year. I think it’s the curren version of the one Katie got last year. Anyway, great price Katie found :). I bought ours when Wal-Mary had it for $299 right after Thanksgiving.
http://mobile.walmart.com/m/phoenix;jsessionid=6BCA6CFDE62A7DB5EDDB962A6ECA2EE7#ip/John-Deere-Gator-XUV-Battery-Powered-Ride-On/19765501
It is crazy how, in the first picture, it shows how much Will looks like you (Katie) and Weston like Jeremy!
Anyway, Happy new year Bowers!
My DH and I have that same convo every year… and he always manages to get me the most thoughful gifts that I didn’t even know I would want!! He is tough to buy for.
And my newbie got Sophie for Christmas too!! He was 8 weeks yesterday and has already done some good gnawing on her ear 😉
We totally need the gun safe now – we got my husband a shotgun for Christmas and plan for that to be a start of our collection. He said we should “build” a walk in one, and I told him one does not simply “build” a safe and to buy one that would be walk in would weigh one gajillion pounds and crash to our basement. So we are keeping our options open for now 🙂
Wow, a finger print safe.. didn’t even know they made those. Very cool.
My husband has turned into a not-so-great-gift-giver.
Before we got married, it was awesome: jewelry, trips, watches, jewelry boxes. Once we got married (and after the most beautiful engagement ring – it’s just perfect in my eyes!), he seems to have forgotten what I like.
He relies on hints from me, like when we’re walking through Target and I see a cute blous that would only look good on his 95 lb daughter, I’ll say, “Oh, cute blouse!” and he’ll say, “Do you want it for Xmas?” I haven’t been surprised by a gift since we got married 13 years ago.
Althought this year was a first: he actually picked up a sweater dress and a couple of sweaters and I tried them on and 2 of the 3 were great so he bought them and I got them on Xmas morning.
No surprises, but he picked them out!
Maybe the times, they are a’changin’???!!!
Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site is one of our (myself, my husband and our 3.5 yo son) current favorites. I love the way it’s written, the way the words flow. We’re also huge fans of Little Blue Truck and Little Blue Truck Leads the Way. Such sweet books! Who knew this would be a perk of parenting?!
Hey Katie- Any reason you went with a corded drill for Jer? I am looking into buying a new one and I’m looking at all my options. Thanks- AG
It looks like you guys had a wonderful Christmas!!!
I got a new cast iron pot and Maroon 5 tickets!!!
I did the want, need, wear, read thing this year for my kids. Plus they all get Christmas PJ’s on Christmas Eve.
My 13 year old daughter got a Vera Bradley backpack, iPhone cases,Taylor Swift perfume, some headbands, and the book Delirium. Plus stocking stuffers like makeup, new brush, toothbrush, etc.
My 12 year old son got Skull Candy Headphones, a Nike football, a SnapBack I had made for him with our school logo, the Reggie White football book, and his stocking stuffers were Axe stuff, football game, toothbrush, etc.
My 2 year old asked Santa for a bat. So he got a baseball bat, glove, bat gloves, and baseballs. Plus the Go Fishing Game and Gator Golf game, a race car track, a ninja turtle, a spiderman, and 3 books (I recommend these for Will if he doesn’t have them already http://www.amazon.com/Tough-Trucks-Amazing-Machines-Mitton/dp/0753459175/ref=pd_sim_b_3 ). Plus a few stocking stuffers.
We do the want, need, wear, read thing in our house too. This year the big gifts were bikes, a Wii, and a dollhouse for the kiddies. My hubby got me a hardcover copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child. I have wanted it for years, and it was one of those things that isn’t terribly expensive, but so glad I have it. BONUS: the cover on it is adorable 🙂
I’ve been a fan of your blog for some time now but unfortunately something I read today will make me stop reading….you mention owning guns (and being italian…as though those 2 things have any correlation whatsoever) but besides that point…why guns, plural…if you needed to protect your home and children as you say, a single gun (like a shotgun) would do the trick…that’s the problem with your society as a whole you think more is better and that’s how you have ended up with such a huge gun control problem….why would a suburban sahm need numerous weapons…sorry but I just don’t understand it and cannot condone it
I love my NF Soft Shell Jacket. I’ve had it for 7 years of camping, skiing, backpacking and mommy-dom and it still looks great. Totally worth the money.
Well your gifts are cool and all, but the best part of this post is your Bon Jovi reference 🙂 I loooove Jon (I like to pretend we’re on a first name basis)!
I got my husband the UGG Ascot Slippers, too! I honestly found them because I wanted a pair myself (and emailed him a link 🙂 ) but I knew that he would love them as well. My favorite part is that they are not just slippers but they are actually shoes that can be worn anywhere. He loves them!
Oh and he didn’t end up getting me a pair but I did get a pair of new UGG boots so that’s good too!
bow-chica-bower?! you’re hilarious. =) that one got me to laugh right out loud. (and my co-workers think i’m crazy for the random outburst.)
glad your family had a wonderful Christmas!
Hi Katie. Could you please explain the link between owning guns and being Italian? Thank you.
My kids have the ride a long John Deere Gator, and love it!!! They try to do yard work with it…chase the real tractor, chase each other, chase me, chase the chickens. Wish the battery lasted longer in it.
Fingers crossed!
xo – kb
One of our little ones did the same thing that Will is doing for about 5 months. She had always been a decent sleeper and then one day, poof. We did all the same things that Katie and Jer are doing with Will. I too was nervous about her choking or getting hurt. She also has a bathroom attached to her bedroom. We put a safety cover over the handle of the door to the bathroom and and removed anything from her bedroom that could be unsafe for her to use while unattended. All large pieces of furniture was already attached with safety straps to the walls, so there was no concern there. If you’re worried about choking hazards you can buy these http://www.discountschoolsupply.com/Product/ProductDetail.aspx?product=22976&keyword=choking%20tube&scategoryid=0&CategorySearch=&Brand=&Price=
they are super cheap, and tell you if something is small enough to be considered a choking hazard w/o really having to “guess”. The decreased amount of sleep didn’t seem to impact her mood or energy level during the day (and she continued to wake up around the same time each morning as she always had), so we didn’t worry about it too much. Our pediatrician told us it would only become worrisome if she was struggling to stay awake during the day or acting really letahrgic (other than right around afternoon nap time, which she stayed consistent with).
This post is becoming very drawn out-but one last thing…we make sure our kids consume a lot of fresh fruits and veggies and the doctor also suggested avoiding “gassy foods” at dinner/late day snack time (for instance, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, broccoli, beans, apples, raisins, milk, etc.) saying that she could have an upset stomach or be feeling bloated and couldn’t get comfortable. We’ve been back to “normal” for about 2 months now, and she’ll be 3 in May.
Good luck to you! (and Katie and Jer)
They generally have more power. Most folks don’t wear a drill motor out in only six years…but if you do a lot of construction (we did our entire basement with that drill), then it could happen. They tend to be cheaper too…so if you get a corded, you can replace it for the price of a new battery.
xo – kb
My son got the same book that Will got. He isn’t that into yet, but I love it. My son also got two other books that he is obssessed with, “The Little Blue Truck” and “The Little Blue Truck Leads The Way” These books are fantastic! Glad your Christmas was awesome!
Jeremy has one and I have one. We decided to purchase two because if Jer takes one to the range, he doesn’t like to leave me home without one. I don’t think I could handle a shotgun…so sItmaller handguns is what we went with. It’s not because I wanna be Lara Croft or anything like that.
xo – kb
My son has the goodnight construction site book. We read it every night before bed such a little boy classic. And yes my son too can’t say Grandma but can say evacuator. That’s little boys for you…
Christmas is the big gift giving time for us as well. We don’t do a lot the rest of the year, but husband loves giving Christmas gifts! He even bought something off Etsy this year, which I was super impressed with! We have super generous families also, so from my in-laws I got a Clarisonic Mia2 (which I already love) and my pop bought me a new camera I’ve had my eye on! I’ve had a intro DSLR for years now and it was finally time to upgrade to something a little more professional! A few other favorites were Nate Berkus’ new book and Undecorate!
I really can’t believe I’m explaining this…there is no link between gun ownership and Italians….there is a link culturally between protecting your family and being Italian…yes, there are extreme cases of mafia or organized crime members who have Italian heritage who use weapons but I think it’s kinda obvious that I am not in the mafia. Hope this clears things up for ya!
xo – kb
All this was even too obvious… As an Italian myself, I just found that stereotype not really elegant. But it’s just me… and I’ve my period, so… 🙂
Cute blog, though.
xo
S
“Bowchicabower”. You, my dear, are one funny lady. I love it!
Will is the spitting image of you and Weston of Jeremy!!!
Would just like to observe that in the first photo in this post Weston looks just like Jeremy!
I know this is a very controversial issue in the US but I want to post this nonetheless since it is a topic dear to my heart. I just read an article from the renown New England Journal of Medicine. You can read it too: http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1215606?query=featured_home
It says: “In 2010, gun-related injuries accounted for 6570 deaths of children and young people (1 to 24 years of age). That amounts to 7 deaths per day. Gun injuries cause twice as many deaths as cancer, 5 times as many as heart disease, and 15 times as many as infections”
Bowchicabower….too clever!
I have shoes like that and I LOVE them, feels like I am walking on clouds. But don’t go hiking in them. I twisted my ankle a whole bunch last time because I wanted to be cute and they don’t have enough support.
This pretty much looks exactly what happened at our house: Hubby gets lots of tools and some slippers, I get clothes, shoes and perfumes. Although, I must admit, I’m also having fun with his new tools! (Maybe those were selfish gifts? 😉
PS. You’ll love the under armor tee, I work out in it all the time!
It’s funny because I am Italian too…I didn’t mean to offend you…just poking fun at myself while making it clear that I am not afraid to defend my family if the situation arose. Take care!
xo – kb
I got that exact same NF fleece last year during a big sale (still wasn’t cheap). I adore it! But I only wear it certain places. It’s just so pretty and soft and heavenly! I’m terrified of getting something on it or getting it smelly to where I would need to wash it (campfires & outdoor adventures). So while I do wear it a lot, it’s mostly around the house and to and from things that don’t spend too much time outside. I would probably choose to save this gorgeous piece of fur (it’s not fur) if my house was burning down and sometimes I just pull it out and pet it. I wish I was kidding.
Such a sad statistic. I really feel for all of those families that have lost a loved one due to a gun-related injury. I also feel bad because I know that a lot of those are easily preventable…through proper storage, gun safety, and addressing mental health issues to aid those who are considering suicide or hurting others. That’s what hurts the most.
xo – kb
Oh my gosh, I can’t believe people are so easily offended and take everything SO seriously. Relax!
Will’s a few months off three, isn’t he? Lay off him on the numbers and letters for a couple more years. My children are off the charts mathematical geniuses (no really, they have a special extended scale they had to use). At one they got 1, at two, 2, at three, 3, at (late) four, mamma, what’s 12 times four? Same with letters. Teach him when he’s four and spend your time now teaching him hand strength (playdough), fine motor skills (scissors), executive control, taking turns, how paints mix to make new colours and are cool and squishy between your fingers, the way sand will pile up steeper if it’s damp, that water always flows downhill and wind pushes bubbles around, and that if you hurt your paymate they’ll stop playing and walk away from you. Let him see you read for pleasure and read exciting stories to him, help him learn to predict what will happen next. Strong hands, a big vocabulary, good general knowledge and an appreciation of narrative will serve him better when it it’s time to learn to read than rote repetition of letters for three years. There’s no doubt he’ll learn to write when it’s time, but you want him to have something to write about.
We have that safe! Do we own guns? No. Do we own ANYTHING that warrants a 007 safe? No. But the joy my husband gets from opening a safe with his finger print is priceless! Seriously, he finds an excuse to open it at least once a week. 🙂
Thanks for sharing. I got some good ideas for future man gifts.
My oldest daughter is Will’s age, and something that really helped her learn her numbers was the Melissa and Doug Number Sounds Puzzle (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GKD01K/ref=oh_details_o04_s00_i00). It says the number out loud and also has items to count drawn inside each number to aid with counting.
There is also an alphabet version ( http://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-Alphabet-Sound-Puzzle/dp/B000GKATXM/ref=pd_bxgy_t_text_y)
They are very inexpensive. I buy them for all the 2 year old birthday parties that we go to.
So I have just put the book on my wishlist from Amazon and will suggest that my husband peruse in time for my birthday in March! This is what he did for Christmas – bought stuff from my wish list and I got what I wanted and he did not have to use his imagination or leave the house! Win win!!
Wow! Narrow-minded people. Some people need to stop being so insecure with themselves that they cannot handle a little humor that Katie is writing about HERSELF!!
Guns? Are there that many home invasions that require a nursing mother to set down her infant, pick up a hand gun and shoot? I’m trying to be open-minded here, but I don’t see any humor in perpetuating this belief that the world is armed and dangerous and the only way to solve that is to be armed and dangerous. Lost a reader.
This year at our house christmas was over in like 2 minutes! We decided to give each of our kids 2 big gifts instead of feeding to the frenzy that they must have lots to open! Our 15 year old got a new tv and his first smart phone an iphone 4- it was only 99cents now that the 5 is out and we felt he was responsible enough to now have access to more then talk and text. And our 6 year old got a new bike- her last was a goodwill find that was a bust! And a kindle fire loaded with the freetime kids ap- BEST GIFT EVER!!
As for the hubs and me we got very practical gifts, jammies, a new wallet, wild wings sauce and a stress free christmas!
BTW- We love love love Hungry Caterpillar- my 6 year old and I can practically recite it without even looking at the book! Have you tried the Llama Llama books yet?
Thanks for sharing- love your blog!
~E
Sorry to hear that…but I do believe in the right to have a firearm in your home and I do believe that there is real evil in this world that could attack you in your home. There is a great deal of difference between armed & responsible and armed & dangerous but of course, every one has the right to their own opinion. Hopefully there will never be an occasion that either of us would regret our personal decisions!
xo – kb
I’ve heard of them but right now they are just sitting on the wishlist 🙂 Maybe for Will’s birthday 🙂
xo – kb
Katie, just checking in on you guys and glad I did! Love the boys Christmas jammies…they are cutie patooties. Also, Will and Asher have the same toys, except Asher has the Arctic Cat instead of John Deere. He told me he was going to drive baby sister to Target! We had to have a talk before I found them missing one day… Anywho, got to get these boys together soon and meet baby Weston! And I’m totally stealing ideas from Jeremy’s gifts for Keven’s bday next month! Seems like ya’ll are doing great. Love your blog 🙂
My daughter did that and grew out of it, and now my 2-yr-old is following in her footsteps. We found “Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child” by Dr. Weissbluth was helpful, but basically we just leave him alone in his crib and he has a little sing along about 1 am every night, then falls asleep again. Our daughter was older, but she knew once her door closed, it wasn’t going to open until morning. She entertained herself then would fall asleep late. Our pediatrician begged us to lock our young (under 4) kids in at night. In his 30 year career he treated dozens of injuries for kids who wandered out at night and did something dangerous, but not one from Jr. being locked in. We have monitors in all their rooms, of course.
Maybe letters and numbers are name-linked. My Will, now 8, couldn’t have cared less about numbers or letters until about a month before kindergarten when he suddenly decided to teach himself to add and read. But he knew every tool, vehicle, and tech device he had ever seen! Go figure.
I always try to give lots of books. If Will hasn’t seen it yet, I bet he’ll love “Dino Trucks.” We had it checked out of the library for six consecutive weeks before I broke down and bought two copies: one for the house and one for long car journeys.
My husband’s parents give us money in advance every year for Christmas. I got carried away spending their money and in the end ended up buying/giving myself Chloe Coscarelli’s cookbook.
I live in Snellville, in the suburbs outside of Atlanta. This just happened last week in the middle of the day, at a very nice home and a great neighborhood in the town where Katie lives:
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local/mother-of-two-surprises-burglar-with-five-gunshots/nTnGR/
I can only image what might have happened had this family not kept a gun in their home to protect them from situations just like this. We are all susceptible to something like this no matter where you live. Kuddos to that mother for protecting her children and herself.
Hey, I just wanted to let you know that my oldest son seemed so uninterested in learning how to count and his alphabet all the way up to 5 years old! I was freaking out because you get a letter from Kindergarten that “suggests” that your child should know how to count up to 20, backward from 10, and of course, his alphabet. He almost seemed annoyed that we worked with him all the time and still remembers getting treats, AT FIVE YEARS OF AGE, to put alphabet blocks and number magnets in order. He had some sort of crazy glitch with 8, and H, which is oddly the 8th letter. Weird. Anyway, now he’s 9 and brilliant. Seriously, he really does very well and wins, like, big time awards and stuff. So take heart – your little fellow might be like ours and understand concepts but just doesn’t want to rattle off strings of numbers for fun. 🙂 I remember when his Kindergarten teacher mentioned that he was very good at math and we were all, “Uh, we think you have us confused. He can barely count to 20. He skips 8 every time.” Then she looked at us like we were the crazy ones. I hope this encourages you because I remember being where you were and really fretting. Don’t fret!
I have those same North Face Fleece pants and I love them so much I got a 2nd pair… One to wear out and about, and one to craft in! Best pants ever!
I know all about the fun and excess of the holidays and presents. We have two young children and Christmas morning was a mess of wrapping paper, ribbon and parts of presents. It sounds like you had a great one. Happy New Year. Keep on blogging!
http//:blog.kmpfurniture.com
That man-loofah seriously cracked me up. I thought it was a power tool when I looked at the picture, and then when I started reading the description I had to do a double-take! Now I’m wondering if I could get my husband to put down the bar soap and come over to the loofah side if I got him such a manly loofah. Hmm… 🙂
Come on. Seriously. If the woman had let the burglar know she was home, this wouldn’t have happened. He wasn’t trying to hurt her and her children, he was trying to steal from her. You know who’s been traumatized in this? That woman’s children who just saw their mother, giver of life and love, shoot a man in the face. This is crazy.
I’ve disclosed no personally identifiable information in this comment; Tallulah Eulallie is not even my real name.
.please don’t feel like this is an attack at all, but maybe consider reading the one star reviews for “Sophie”…seems like a choking hazard and possibly an amazon knockoff. Love your blog
We have guns (yes, plural) stored in our home in a similar safe to the one Katie showed. We also have young children. If somebody broke into my house and there was even a slight chance they might harm our children or us, we’d shoot them without hesitation. Good for you Bowers.
hmmm…interesting. I’ll definitely look into it 🙂 Thanks Erika.
xo – kb
I agree that the children might be traumatized but I wonder why if the man was trying to rob her, he found them hiding in the crawl space. Seems sketchy.
xo – kb
Thank you for posting, Tania. I completely agree.
I am really thankful that you share such things which are very difficult to find it easily. I love the Giraffe and Elephant planning to buy it for my babies. I think they will love it
How do you know he wasn’t going to hurt her and her children? You say “He wasn’t trying to hurt her and her children, he was trying to steal from her.” That is harmful. If someone came into MY home to steal the things I work hard for, then yes he is hurting my children and I. If she would have let him know she was there, like you suggest, maybe she wouldn’t have had time to hide her children and get her gun to protect against a thief. Maybe he would have raped her kids and killed her. Who would have been traumatized then?
eileenreb – you aren’t a very smart person if you think this world is full of unicorns and rainbows. This world has SICK people in it that do bad and sick things to innocent people all the time. Instead of being all “open-minded” with Katie on HER blog, maybe you should go do some volunteer work at abuse shelters, DHS (foster centers), jails, etc.
Seriously? That’s very kind of you eileenerb, to give the burglar the benefit of the doubt. I’m sure he’s a stand up guy. Who really knows what his intentions were, or what he would have done to them if she didn’t have a gun. I’m not saying that he would have done anything, but she didn’t know his intentions and if he himself had a weapon or not. And just for clarification, guns aren’t the only weapons that can cause harm or death. I hate that her children had to witness this, but I’m glad she didn’t let him decide the outcome. I’m sure her husband and all that love and care for this family would agree.
Katie, of all of the gifts, the biometric gun safe is my favorite. I respect and appreciate that you and Jeremy are responsible gun owners, like my husband and I are. I know you are acutely aware of the recent incident in our hometown. That was maybe 2.5 miles from my house – too close for comfort! If you ever want to go to the range, let me know. We go out to Trading Place in Monroe regularly.
I definitely have Nike Free Running Shoes pinned on one of my boards so I love that gift you got. My mom got my son those same letter magnets to help him with his letters too! I was just thinking that I should get my son a little backpack since we’re going on a vacation soon. My husband got me my first pair of diamond stud earrings (love!) and I got him some saxophone music books because he used to play in a USMC military band a couple years ago and wants to start playing again. The big gift we bought ourselves was a new mattress. It was definitely time. We got a new memory foam mattress (icomfort series) and I highly recommend it. I’m so glad you mentioned the bionic safe. I’m fine with having small arms in the house but I told my husband that before we even buy a gun, we need to buy a safe and this one looks perfect! Thanks for the idea!
Save the $5 and use a toilet paper tube. if an object fits through – choking habit.
Such a cute pic of the boys amongst the remnants of the Christmas tornado- I’ll have to remember that shot for next year! My little guy got the large stuffed M&D dalmatian- I’m not a huge fan of stuffed animals, but the big ones are so cute!!
Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site is so great! A got that one in my last batch of book reviews and read it to my husband, since we don’t have kids and the dog won’t sit still. He hates when I read to him, and as a libraryless librarian, this is an all too frequent occurrence, but he loved it and when I finished told me that I had to keep this one. I hope Will loves it too, and maybe someday he can read it to Weston!
You guys are awesome. Thanks so much for the tips!
I love moms supporting moms
xox Melissa
Will and my son must be on the same number train – it’s always “1-2-3-6”, though if asked he’ll tell you that four comes after three. Silly boys.
Completely off topic info – today I was in the craft store (Michaels) and they have I LOVE BACON duct tape!!! Very exciting stuff for this bacon lover!
oh yeah, if someone had broken into my house, i would def walk out and be like “oh, no, you don’t understand, i’m home!” i’m sure the burglar would then just head out. said no one ever.
You may find this hard to believe, Tania, but guns can be used for more than just killing people. Most gun owners are responsible and may own multiple weapons to do things like hunt, go to the gun range, and protect their home and family. A form of sport and a form of protection. In the wrong hands, yes, they can do terrible things. So can knives, bombs, cars, baseball bats…the list goes on. When are we going to start acknowledge that *individuals* are to blame for evil? Laws are good, sure, but let’s drop the ridiculous notion that outlawing guns for everyone is going to solve the problem.
YES! What happened to 4 and 5?! What did they ever do to you?!
xo – kb
Dear Alice,
Thank you for calling me ‘not very smart.’ And I have done service in a home for mothers with substance abuse problems transitioning out of jail. I just don’t want to live my life believing in an ‘us vs. them’ mentality. We are all in this together.
I suppose what really upsets me about this–besides that it’s so close to Newton and Trayvon Martin is still fresh in my mind–is that most of you on this site are Christians and Jesus taught to turn the other cheek.
Deer eileenerb,
I completely understand that you are upset. I completely agree that we are in this together…and that some awful tragedies are still fresh in your mind. I get it. I do. I’ve been on that receiving end of being called ‘not very smart’ and it hurts. So I do want you to know that I hear you. I can not speak for my readers but I can say that I do believe in Jesus and what he said…what he died for. Jesus did teach to turn the other cheek and I urge you to study what He said about self-defense and defending our family, our property, and our neighbors. Believe me, I am the first in line to wish for a crime-free world.
xo – kb