Hasta La Vista Baby!!!

And so it shall be done. That was the motto this morning.

We had been sick and tired of him and his stubborn ways. Always holding on to something that was no longer his and never ready to let go.
We tried to tell him and show him that we had enough of him and it was time to go.
But he would not listen, Oh NOOOO ... he didn't listen, NOT him.

So this morning we took things into our own hands (with some help of a trusted friend) and just ended it right then and there.
No more arguing or debating, no more negotiating. We had had it with him.
Mr. Stubborn, Mr. Never-Let-Go, Mr. Major Separation Anxiety.

It's over, done, we are through!!!

This was a process that took weeks .... heck it was like pulling teeth. Literally ....

Before

12/02/2010,  9:00 AM, 

Milpitas, CA, USA, 

shark tooth!!!

It's easy to let go if you have a replacement on hand ;)

After

12/02/2010,  10:00 AM, 

Milpitas, CA, USA,

L's tooth would not come out!!!
It held on for dear life and she got quite tired of that HUGE PAIN (according to L) that she felt every time she tried to eat. Especially broccoli soup was VERY hard to eat this way ;)

Off we went to see our wonderful Dr.C who took care of business.
A funny nose (laughing gas), a bit of needle-icing and a quick pull and the SUCKER was OUT!!!!

The tooth was quite attached to the front gum line and would have not come out on it's own very easily.
The neighbor tooth is doing the same funny business and will most likely go the same way :(
The guys across the street (upper front teeth) are doing it too and since the new buddies are ready to pop through soon L will have to have these pulled too.
These "shark teeth" have NO room in her big ...I mean little mouth and are coming in all wrong :(   
That totally sucks!!!

But L did GREAT!
She was quite nervous (and so was I) but she made it through like a BIG girl .. the laughing gas helped too ... she giggled the whole time while he was numbing her.
Once she felt a pain when he gave her the needle but he just said "Oops, I am sorry, that was my finger."

When we left L said to me "It didn't hurt at all Mama . But his fingers - I don't like them. He needs to cut his nails!"

Of Course!!!

No comment needed!

She can wink SO good!!!

Thanks to our MOST wonderful FGM we had the exact purple sachet with the gold trimming and rope on hand that the Tooth Fairy's fairy friend made for her so the kids could leave the tooth in this sachet, thus making it easier for the Tooth Fairy to find the tooth.

 Thanks to our wonderful Dentist Dr. C we then could place the tooth in the sachet in the tooth box that he gave us.
Now the Tooth Fairy only has to look for the tooth box, then find the sachet and then find the tooth. Still making it easier for the Tooth Fairy to find the tooth.

Thanks to L's wonderful Mama we also had a VERY fancy Tooth Fairy Pillow on hand.
Now we could place the tooth in the sachet, the sachet in the tooth box, the tooth box in the pocket of the Tooth Fairy Pillow, which then was placed into Ls bed.
Now the Tooth Fairy only has to look for the Tooth Fairy Pillow, find the pocket, find in the pocket the tooth box, then find the sachet and then find the tooth.  POOR THING!!!

Honestly, I am worried she'll give up the search for this one, itty, bitty, tiny, little baby tooth after looking for it for hours.
I am so glad we can't understand Tooth Fairy'ish ... I am sure it won't be pleasant to listen to her tonight searching through Ls bed. :)

And off I go ... the Tooth Fairy is calling for her search dogs already. I better help her with her hunt for the tooth before she'll post "Most Wanted" signs all over Coyote Street :)

Garbaments for our Trash Tree

As promised, this year our tree will shine in a very recycled and hand-crafted light.
I hope Santa will appreciate the thought and care that goes into out trash-tree (Muell-Baum)  which will be decorated with garbage-ornaments (aka Garbaments)

The 24 Days of Decorating our Trash Tree have officially started and we are having sparkling fun with it!

Yesterdays Advents Activity was "Make an Ornament for your tree" and so we did ...
Today we finished and added some more sparkle to the assembly line.

Here are the pics of our first garbage-ornaments for the trash tree.

FIRST and FOREMOST ...

 we started with painting annual Nutcracker. 

We have been doing this for three years in a row now and we LOVE bringing the "cracker-boys" from the  years before out and looking at the pretty craftiness we created then.

Lulu's Lila "Cracker"

L's Rainbow Nutcracker Prince

 then we moved on to beer ....

CAPS!!! and old lids. 

These will be our first Garbage Ornaments. 

LOVING the belly-shot! (L always works topless, it gives her inspiration :)

 Lulu and her new Mireille Mathieu hair cut.

So SUPER CUTE!!! I love this itty face of hers!!!

More beer caps

Thanks auntie Judie and uncle Chris for the sacrifice of drinking all that beer so we can use your beer caps :)

It is so VERY much appreciated and please be assured that we will think of you every time we'll look at our "Garbaments"

We added some sparkle and glam 

 et voila

Wonderful Beer-Cap Garbaments

Oh these are the ornaments we made last year with salt dough ... 

The Ls insisted that we had to hang them on the tree "na course" as L said.

Oh and then we had an x-mas tree assembly line going 

The trees assembled and laying out to dry

Then came the fun part

DECORATING!!!

The Ls hard at work

The creations

These "BAD BOYS" will march into a convalescence home (I think thats what it is), with a big bunch of fresh made cookies and some colorful pictures, to brighten up the patients days. \
We are super excited to hand deliver these goods and hope that we'll see LOTS of happy smiles.

Lulu's comment of the day

While I am walking down the hall way I hear L shushing Lulu, telling her "don't tell Mama!".
I turn around and walk right into their room, carefully inspecting the room and situation, to find out what these two are up to.

Mama: What is she not allowed to tell me L?
L: searching for words ... ahmm ... hmmm .. she is ...hm... she is just not going ... going to tell you ... ahmmm ... oh yeah that she is tired, thats what she can't tell you!
Mama: You two know, that if you lie to me your nose will grow bigger and bigger, just like Pinocchio's nose did, right?!
Lulu: with her eyes wide open, feeling her nose "I not lying Mama, only Lillie is" (pointing at L of course).
L: feeling her nose "Is it already big?"
Mama: .... wahahahahah!!!!!

Santa came EARLY!!!

This quicky post is for our Super GP and Wonder GM (tam-ta-ta-taaa)!

Two weeks ago I had L's parent teacher conference and was quite confused afterwards.
Luckily, I have the SPECIALIST on speed dial, Super GP (tam-ta-ta-taaa).
My father in law has a masters in education (sorry GP, I am sure I am messing up your title right now) and was a principal for 30+ years.
Whenever I get confused, freaked out or worried I just phone GP and he can put me at ease within seconds of chatting with him.

Anyhow, L's  report was GREAT! She is good, kind and a bright child.
But her teacher had one concern; READING!!!
L shows little to no interest in wanting to learn to read and write.
Homework is a blast until she has to write, copy letters or god forbid read a sentence.

Of course I am blaming myself ... somehow, somewhere, sometime I must have dropped the ball big time and messed this up royally! For one English is not my mother tongue and it's hard for me to teach her how to sound out things if I can't do it myself ...

So this is where Super GP (tam-ta-ta-taaa) comes to "play" . This is what came today, after I had chatted with Super GP (tam-ta-ta-taaa) about the reading issue.

Holly Smokes!!! 

We'll be "Hocked on Phonics" for a LONG time!!!

Editors Note: (a.k.a. Patrick):  I may need to step in here and take over the English lessons while a third member of the family can take advantage of the new reading material we just received.
  Holly Smokes.... I mean Holy Smokes.  As much fun as Hocked on Phonics sounds we're going to try "Hooked on Phonics" or maybe "Hockey on Phonics", now that sounds fun.  If that doesn't work we may be Hocking something.

Authors Note: (a.k.a. Nadja): Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
Plus, may I remind you that you'll be out of your job if I learn to write everything correctly ... Mr. Proove-Reader!

Editors Note:  Proof.  But who's really paying attention anyhow.
Authors Note: Very nice, very nice indeed! Dummer Hund! Bloedmann! Kleine Schlumpe!

Editors Note:  Holly Smokes.  I can't Proove-Read that.  I better be careful.  This could be the deaf of me.  I better leaf this alone before I have to slept in the dog haus!

Authors Note: Don't come asking me to help you with your German home work any time soon. Der, die, das ... wahahahah

Editors Note:  Ich moechte bitte  (wink wink)

Authors Note: NEIN!!!!

This is CRAZY!!!

 Super GP (tam-ta-ta-taaa), 

you ROCK!!!! 

Thank you so much for this early and HUGE Christmas present! 

L is still at school, but soon she'll be staring at these books, her mouth open wide, her eyes open wide and then she'll say:

"I HAVE TO READ ALL OF THIS?????"

and my response will be:

YES!!! It'll be so fun!!!

Thank You, thank you, thank you!

You are the BEST Super GP the world has ever seen!!!

And we VERY much LOVE you!!!

And this is for Wonder GM 

(tam-ta-ta-taaa)

Every year my wonderful, caring and loving Mother-in-Law gives me a piece for our Nativity Scene (sometimes she gives me the same thing twice in a row ... but that ALWAYS makes for a good laugh! ... insider joke ... GM will understand :)

Anyhow, I just wanted to show Wonder GM , how much joy and fun this Nativity Scene brings us every year. I set it up and look at it , the Ls play with it, I stare at it, the Ls play with it some more and I set it up, all neatly at night again ... so the Ls can play with it all over the next day.

So this one is for your Wonder GM (tam-ta-ta-taaa)

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

 I truly LOVE it and it always reminds us of GM and GP 

and all the wonderful times we spend with you.

We LOVE you VERY much!

Off to pick up L from school so she can be HOOKED for the rest of the afternoon ;)

Let the MAGIC begin!!!

YEAHHHHH ... now it's officially Christmas time and the magic of hope, dreams, wishes, appreciation, gratitude, cookies, stockings, ornaments, Christmas tree, stars, a baby in a manger, holy and sacred has begun.

In our house it began at exactly 7:33 AM this morning with a loud "COOL" and "Lulu WAKE UP!!!!" call through the cold and until that point very quiet house.

After that "all happiness broke loose" !!!!

One VERY nice Christmas Elf had sneaked into our house and left two "AWESOME" (according to L) Advents Calendars for the Ls. "Playmobile, thats what I always wanted for my LIFE!!!".

Happy 1st of December!!!

Advent Time ROCKS!!!!

Yaaawwwwnnnn

 Lulu so happy with her Fairy Land Advent Calendar

Door #1 had the Fairy in store. 

AWESOME!!!

L's Winter Wonder Land

Usually you have to collect accessories for 25 days to fully play with your play set,

 but when you live in our house you are never short of fairies, unicorns, swans, swan boats, fancy horses, princesses, ...

the Ls drooling over the Playmobile catalog

  WOW, a hospital!!!

THE CASTLE!!!!!!!!!

I guess we can forget about doing homework this morning ;)

I know, I know, I have been talking about "down-sizing", donating of toys and giving up stuff for some time now, but let me tell you; I WILL NEVER, EVER DOWN-SIZE ADVENT!!!
It's my favorite season of the year!!! It's like I get to be a kid all over again.

We also get a little "activity card"  every day until Christmas from now on. Today our "task assigned by the Elf" is "make an ornament for your tree".

And so .... let the FUN begin.