The Scrappin Studio...and family: Grandma's shortbread, toys and swimming!!

wow....has it really been over a week since my last post?

i, like everyone else i'm sure, have been crazy hectic trying to keep up with the kids' activities coming to an end for Christmas break...and of course all the extra things that need to get done before then too!!!

did i ever tell you how much i HATE shopping??

this Chirstmas is a tough one in particular as i am walking around in the stores aimlessly with no 'wish lists' from anybody so i am uninspired with no ideas of what the people on my list would like!!

i am DEFINATELY a 'list person' ....without one, i just don't function very well!!! LOL!!!

this past week brought my little tyler's last Crocodile swimming lesson session to an end, and he didn't pass it. what a BUMMER it is to try and explain to a 5 year old why he didn't get his 'sticker' on his report card after 10 weeks of lessons! he really tried hard and gave it his best so we told him that we are very proud of him and for trying so hard...and of course by bedtime he had forgotten all about it!

courtney had her last dance workshop lesson for the break on saturday (yippee!! ) so my tuesdays, saturdays and sundays are now free until january! this week ends her manta swimming for the break too, so that will free up my mondays and wednesdays til the new year as well!!!

sooooo, if you wanna get together for a visit, out for a drink, check out a movie, go for dinner....now's the time!!! LMAO!!!!

schoool is also quickly coming to Christmas break as well...this friday is their last day. wednesday is their concert at school and today courtney is having a "multi cultural' lunch in her classroom...i'd be willing to bet that she comes home with a tummy ache today after school!!! and she is excited to share her Highland dancing for multi cultural week with her classmates on thursday morning when she will be performing for them in full costume!! ( yes, there will be pictures! ) { GIGGLE }

so, in honor of todays special school lunch, i asked Grandma if she could make some of her YUMMY SCOTTISH SHORTBREAD cookies that courtney could bring for the lunch!!

i dug out my beautiful serving plate i got from my MOL a few years ago to present them on and to our delight, found that Nana even iced and decorated the cookies for the kids!! i almost didn't want to give them away.....MMmmmmm!!!

...on friday at the school, the kids got to 'shop' in a school hosted TOY SALE where everything was only .25! it was sooooo cute to see courtney and tyler come home with their cute little shopping bags all decorated with their shopping for each other!! tyler told courtney on thursday that he saw a TY monkey that he wanted and went to get it on friday but someone had bought it...he was soooo disappointed! when they opened their special bags, he was delighted to find that special little monkey in his bag that courtney bought for him!!! makes me feel so good to see that the kids are starting to take thoughtfulness to heart and do sweet little things for each other!! ( for a while anyway, then it's back to bickering.... )

...courtney had a 'black and purple' swim meet on wednesday night. it went okay until towards the end...she had a fit, i mean a crying fit, about swimming the last lap because it was something she hadn't tried before! no matter how much encouragement from the coaches and myself, she refused to try it. i was upset and disappointed that she made such an ordeal about it but, oh well, she's still just a kid and what are ya gonna do? she was on the black team, which did win the meet, but we didn't leave in a very happy mood!!!!
...one of those days right?....