FINALLY...Christmas has arrived!

WOW! Finally...we've managed to make it look like Christmas in our home! Someone was looking over us this weekend and gave Anthony and me the will and the strength to get it all done for M & B.

That's our tree...picture was taken Saturday about 11: 30pm. I love our tree...we used to use the ornaments we collected from every place we traveled to, those handmade crocheted ornaments A's mom made, then when Matty was a baby, it was all about him, child like ornaments, ornaments he made in school..etc. No more. I don't know, something changed in me, where I really wanted the tree to look uniform and pretty. I know, it's NOT about me.

I really should get the kids a small tree that they can keep in their playroom or in the basement that they can decorate their own way, but I'm not insane, and refuse to have 2 trees to decorate and 2 trees to take down.

So, it's my way or the highway where the tree is concerned. Sort of like how A uses the lights he wants to use outside...right sweetie? HA!

Now, I do have some sentiment in me. Here's a picture of a bow that Anthony's mom made us back in 1998. Remember when homemade bows made out of ribbon were the rage? Well, she made me DOZENS of them, and though the ornaments change sometime, the bows are ALWAYS there. I have them all through out the tree, all different shades/textures of white/gold. This is a HUGE one she made that has been my tree top every year since 1998. It just makes the tree look like a gift...like the red bow on a new car. I remember how during that period, each time I saw her, she'd give me a bag of bows she's made. I would buy the ribbons, then she started buying them too! It was comical, and now, thanks to her, I have dozens of them. Like anything else Anthony's mom ( or Anthony himself) does, nothing is in moderation...and I have come to appreciate that about her.

During the day, Anthony, with a HUGE assist from Matty put all the lights and "yard art" out! We had a LOT of scrambling to do....store to store to store to mall, to dinner....and we were ALL so tired, but it's done!

I managed to do a large chunk of shopping yesterday. It's a testament to how much goes into raising a child with special needs ( or 2) when you buy 27 gifts for therapists, assistants, bus drivers, after school activity teachers, etc. WOW! Each boy has a teacher, assistants, ST,OT, PT, more than 1 bus driver/bus assistant...it's just never ending. It makes me realize how many people are affected and involved in my life as a result of my boys.

OK...I have to go back to work now...but I wanted to put these pics up!