My Favorite Christmas Movie

Several years back I had a spell of insomnia, during which time I became hooked on "Turner Classic Movies". It is when I first fell in love with the name Olivia (after Olivia DeHavalind), and where my crush on Jimmy Stewart was carved in stone. It is also the first time I saw "Christmas in Connecticut".

Every year I just HAVE to watch this one at least once. It's not so much a Christmas Story as a romance that happens at Christmas. I could poke all kinds of holes in the plot, but by golly, I love it.

Barbara Stanwick is divine, and she and Dennis Morgan have the greatest chemistry. It makes me all sentimental and romantic. (Jared and I first started "dating" around Christmas time and it makes me all twittery to think about it...)

Every time I see it I vow that in the next life I too will wear gowns, mink coats, and silk blouses with high waisted trousers. My nose will never need powder, or my lipstick touching up. Instead, I will be ready at a moments notice for a romantic sleigh ride in the snow with my dashing leading man. All while being a wildly independent woman of the world, naturally.

So if you're looking for a video to keep you awake as you wrap up your gifts, get this one. (But whatever you do, be sure you do NOT get the awful Dyan Cannon, Kristofer Kross remake, mmmK?)

Dear Santa, I need hired help.

I can think of 50 different reasons people would hire a surrogate.

I don't mind being pregnant, at least not enough to hire a surrogate, but could I hire a maid and a cook while I am? (A chauffer would be nice while I'm at it...)

Love,
Tiffany

Calm-pound Words

The other day Olivia and I were unloading the dishwasher together.

"Mommy, I know what a compound word is."

"Really? That's great. What are some compound words?"

She proceeded to list a few, some compound, but mostly just 2 syllable words. So together we talked about how a compound word is two words put together to make a new word. That for a word to be a compound word, both parts have to be a word all by themselves.

She lit up.

"I know! 'Compound' is a compound word!" she said.


"Really?" I said. "I know 'pound' is a word, but what about 'com'?"

"You know, how when we're being noisy you always tell us to 'com' down?"

I laughed and told her she was right.

All that schoolin' is really paying off.

Twitchy

It's 11:55 pm, and zero degrees outside. (Not sure about the wind chill). I would really love to go to sleep. But I can't. I'm twitchy. Not just in my legs, but in my hands tonight too. So, I'm standing at my desk, doing a midnight version of the hokey pokey while I surf the internet, hoping to get it all out so I can go back to bed.

Isn't being pregnant AWESOME? Twitchy is almost as fun as gestational diabetes (which came back just in time for the holidays...)

**I just chose this picture because E likes to be featured....

Happy Birthday! (Don't worry, different kid)

We love you Olivia!
You keep your Mommy organized, and you paralyze your Father's will with a smile, what would we do without you?
Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday!

We love this kid!
Spencer, you are a joy to have in our home!
Happy Birthday!

Thanksgiving Weekend

Given my gestational state, we opted to use all of Jared's "Marriott Gold" status and camp out at a hotel this Thanksgiving with our friends the Minnicks. We also had a fantastic dinner at Maggiano's with no dishes and enough leftovers for 2 days. Excellent.
Father and Son
The "Crabtree Curse" AKA sugar addict
Spencer, John and Natalie, (baby Nila), Tiffany
The cute kiddos...
Ahh, beds you don't have to make...
Even Susie was kickin' it
What's a hotel without a pool?
Splish Splash
She was havin' a blast...
FYI, the candy is already off this sucker...