I've been trying to balance the workload lately so that I'm not "gone" all the time.  Of course, I'm not really gone when I'm sewing, but I might as well be.  (Off in Siberia...aka the dining room) So lately I've been trying to reserve the time between coming home from work and putting the kids to bed for family time.  Then once I put them to bed I can get back to work.  But last night, Laurel ended up being ugly and got sent to timeout.  While in timeout she curled up on her ottoman and fell asleep like a little curled-up bug.  I couldn't help but take pictures.  Of course, once she woke up it was well past dinner...so she wasn't tired at bedtime.  Since school is out for the holidays I figured I'd let her stay up a little longer to finish watching her Christmas movie.  Jon and Luke were fast asleep and it was just us chickens hanging out.  I was sewing, making tutus, packing shipments....etc etc.  When I finished my products I figured I ought to take some pictures.  I've been so busy sewing lately that I've forgotten to take pics of my new creations..and therefore have no record of them.  (Not easy to sell them if I have no pictures of them! )  In any case, I needed a model...and Laurel was just the right size to show off my bird hat and bulldog hat.  Not just any bulldog hat...a UGA one.  Complete with UGA fabric lined ears.  This was a special order from a friend for her daughter.  I'm pretty proud of both.  It's taken me a little while to get my bird hat design the way I like, but I think I've settled on a final design.  In any case...we had a good night.  We had some giggles about fingers-in-bellybuttons and dog poots (not fingers in dog poots, just dog poots themselves), and when it was time for bed she simply said "mommy I'm ready for bed." 

More pictures and video.  What can I say, my kids have been extra cute lately.  That's no lie either.  Laurel calls me honey now.  Before and after everything she says to me.  "Honey, let's have lunch."  "I love you honey." "Honey, can you take me potty?"  I'm not sure if it's because I call her honey or because Jon calls me honey.  

Luke is his same happy self.  He is quite possibly the worlds sweetest baby.  He was product testing some hats for me this morning so I could test out sizes.  He doesn't complain about it like Laurel does.   (That's potato on Laurel's face.  She also painted her brother with mashed potatoes last night...face, hair and arms.)  

Life is so crazy.  I don't know that we've ever been so busy.  So busy we don't pay attention to what's on TV.  So busy we haven't cooked dinner more than once a week for a month.  And it isn't the "usual" holiday rush of parties and things  In fact we really haven't done anything Christmas-y other than decorate our tree.  Between Jon's school, work, union and teaching, plus my work and this new little business on the side it's been insane!  Our dining room (aka my shop) is an explosion of fabric.  Occasionally it blows out into the main areas and we have to keep shoving it back in.  On a postive note, business is steady...and I stop taking orders Monday...so life should slow down a little bit.  (Not too much because I have to do my own Christmas projects then!)  It being such a lean year for everyone, there is no Christmas bonus from my work.  So we've decided to really tone down Christmas.  (which is funny because we've never really spent that much anyway)  BUT, this year there will be little to no bought gifts.  So far I'm really enjoying the simplicity of that.  Unfortunately it makes for more work, and since time is in short supply right now I'm not sure I'll be able to do everything I want to do.  

But, amid all of this craziness normal life continues.  And on the top of that list is that Laurel's very first Christmas pageant ever was yesterday.  She was the little mouse in the Night Before Christmas.  She was hilarious.  After her part (which mostly included laying in front of the fire place) she got up, walked across the stage and wiggled her tail (ie booty) at the crowd.  We couldn't believe it!  Our shy little thing wiggling her booty on the stage.  Then of course she decided she didn't want to go back up on stage to sing and cried when we tried.  So we stopped trying and let her sit out the rest of it.  I think the mouse routine was plenty for her very first show.