Great post! And congratulations on getting picked up for syndication! Yay! :) Super Heros are HUGE over here too. We went through the Spiderman phase, then the Iron Man phase, then Batman. Now, it's Wolverine... the old-style version with the yellow suit. I often wish my 5yo "princesses are EVERYTHING" daughter would get into superheros too. You know, with the whole girl-power and everything. But I think her "my daughter will date when she's 30" dad would have an aneurysm if he ever saw her sporting a Wonder Woman costume. :)

Thanks, Kami. :) I hear ya -- our house is small too, and we just can't keep everything. And yes, we do have a very strong marriage. My husband and I are each others best friend.

Oh so true! We prairie girls like to have our white Christmases, don't we?! :) I've only experienced 4 brown Christmases: the 3 in the Philippines as a child before moving to Canada, and the 1 in Vancouver when I lived there for a year in my 20s. Right now, we don't have much of a dumping here in Winnipeg, but at least, the ground is white, and it looks like it's all going to stick around now. But really, we just need the snow for Christmas, right? If there was a way Spring could start in January, I'd be SO happy. :) Great post, Kami!

Yeah, luckily, we have the room to keep some very special things too. It's the *other* stuff that we're working at letting go of. :)

I would say NO also. That's ridiculous! I remember getting vaccinated at school when I was a kid, and that was bad enough as it was. But being shipped off to a strange location, surrounded by strangers would be terrifying, especially for my little 5yo girl. I wholeheartedly agree with you, Sherry. Great post.

Beautifully put, Shannon! Just last night, my 5yo fell off a chair (she was quite fidgety), and after her dad picked her up to cuddle her, she said in between her sobs, "I want Mommy!" As soon as I hugged her, she was happy, and I felt so special, that my hugs had the power to make the hurt go away, that when she is in pain, I can make it all right again. It's an honour and privilege that not all women are blessed with. And I embrace it and am so thankful for it. Also, congrats on the getting picked for syndication!

Oh, girlfriend, I'm totally with you on this! When people scoff -- mainly people who are too chicken to even look up what a blog is -- I get SO stabby! They're dismissing something that is so very important to me, so much a part of who I am. I know I'll be blogging for a very long time, and my blog will evolve according to the stage of my life at the time... from "my life as mom" to "my interests and non-kid events" to someday hopefully "my life as grandma"... who knows, right?! Oh, and my husband loves that I blog... he's a fan and a great source of blog fodder. :) Great post, Ms. Haley-O! :) xo

Oh, yeah, definitely! I know I'll be terrified once I realize in June that I can't hide the rolls and blob behind the parka anymore! Meanwhile, we'll just enjoy, right? :)

Thanks, my dear. Hard to resist this time of year, isn't it? Plus, we're all stuck inside, so... what else can we do but eat? :)

You and me together, little sis. :)

I'm glad you liked the post, Cornelia! :) Yes, sometimes, we just have to accept our fate. At such a special time of the year, it's hard to control ourselves without feeling deprived. Thanks for the comment! Love to the family... hope to see you all again soon. :)

oh, no, you're definitely not alone in this. :)

Oh, I miss that excuse! :) Yeah, I had to hide the Halloween candy or they'd all be gone by now... teehee...

Definitely! I'm afraid I'm going to burn a hole through my yoga mat with all the extra work I'm going to have to do. :)

Oh yeah, my fridge is usually bursting with leftovers from big dinners, and don't forget the treats that only come out during the Holidays like the boxes of Turtle chocolates, etc.! Ugh!... and yum! :)

Same thing here! But really, we HAVE TO consume the baking -- Can't let it go to waste, can we?! :)

I know, eh?! I was seriously jonesing for that dessert when I was writing this piece!!! The Christmas dessert recipe is yours! I'll email it to you. :)

Oh, honey, motherhood isn't easy, so please don't be too hard on yourself. You are doing your best, and keeping "ahead of the game" when it comes to kids isn't always going to happen. As you know, I've had the same frustration. :) When my kids were 4 (the boy) and 2 (the girl), it was chaos. I DID put Mini in her sling to keep her still! I'm glad you've let it go. You're doing such a great job. You're an awesome mom. And it does get easier... slowly... sometimes WAY TOO SLOWLY for our own sanity... but it does get easier. :) Love ya! Great post, girlfriend! xo

You are most welcome, Christina. :) I'm glad you liked it.

Perfectly put, EG! In the end, there is no greener side. We are exactly where we need to be. And remembering to appreciating that is what needs work sometimes.

Yeah, I'm with you on the fence about that. :D

Yeah, our pre-baby selves had such attitude, didn't they?! :) And yeah, I've had to stop and breathe, and remind myself to appreciate the moment... sometimes hard when you want to go screaming into the hills, eh? lol

Thank you, my friend. :)

Many friends with older kids tell me that these "Calgon, take me away" moments will pass. I know I'm complaining, but I'm positive that I'll miss them when they're gone. Okay... um... I guess I'd like to have *the option* of being able to get all made up. :)

thanks!