Tickling everyone's tongues...

"By persevering over all obstacles and distractions, one may unfailingly arrive at his chosen goal or destination."
- C. Columbus

That is how I am going to approach the new year that is upon us. I just now made that decision based solely upon the above quote. That's how I roll. By haphazardly making big decisions in my life based on trivial little nothings.

Like my degree in Accounting. The one that is so obsolete that it will never (at least in the foreseeable future) be anything resembling useful. I chose that degree, that professional field, based on my insane love of paperwork and my equally insane adoration of mathematics. Before that, I wanted to be a teacher. I guess this methodology seemed more logical (and doable) at the time.

Back on track, now. It seems that people are now shying away from making New Year's resolutions because they feel they are being set up for failure. They are instead making intentions. They intend to lose weight, become a better person, show their love for their dog more. I think it's asinine. An intention is the same as a resolution. They are synonymous words, people. I looked it up!

Intention (Noun):
1. An act of intending; a volition that you intend to carry out

Resolution (Noun):
1. A decision to do something or to behave in a certain manner

If you resolve to do something and you don't, you are a failure. If you intend to do something and you don't, you are still a failure. In no one's eyes but your own, of course. The rest of us could care less as to what you intend or resolve to do this next year.

But, I know you are dying to know what my resolutions are for this next year, right? Well, with the attitude that I will persevere over any and all obstacles, come away from each distraction with a new lesson learned and arrive at my destined goal, I enter into 2009. My goal as of now being to survive yet another year on this planet, hopefully with a little more grace and ease than I have survived the last few.

At least that is my intention.

Hey! I didn't say that I wasn't jumping on the intention over resolution bandwagon. Just that I thought it was an asinine concept. And since asinine is my very favorite word (tied only by shitake because it is so fun to say), I am entitled to be as asinine as I want. Right? No. Well, screw you.

Go make your intentions/resolutions. 2009 is upon us.

Official Holiday Recap...complete with Naughty Nutcrackers...

I bitched and whined and cried a lot about Christmas, didn't I? It's okay. You can say it. The truth. I did. I know it.

I'm not sorry. But at least I admit that I was a big baby this year.
That is not to say that my holiday was a good one. Far from it. It was stressful, hard, tearful and I barely survived through it. But I did and now that it is over, I can focus on the silver linings that brought a smile to my heart (even if not to my face) and appreciate the holiday for what it was...different.

As I was scanning through my photos this morning (admittedly many, many less than were taken in previous years) I came across a few that gave me a moment of joy at the memories that came slamming back into my brain. Memories and moments that I couldn't recall just a few short days ago as I was chest deep in sorrow and doing a wonderful job of wallowing in the pit.

((I should take a pause to apologize for what I am sure has been absolutely rotten behavior on my part to all who know me, talk to me or read my blog. I am back, I am better...I am now PMSing, so please be careful.))

So here they are folks. The top memories of Christmas 2008 (in no particular order) which is just another way of saying "The only things that made me think of smiling "...

Picture of my kids with their Great Grandpa. We weren't having a cheese button dinner at his trailer house surrounded by the Christmas Village and dozens of family members. We were instead in a cold and stark room in a nursing home surrounded by staff ready to take him to the dining room but all the same, he helped bring Christmas cheer for a few moments. And if nothing else, I will always have this picture to share with my kids.

 

Oh look!  The Nutcrackers have been so naughty that the kids put them in the corners to serve their Time-Out punishments.  When I came back through the kitchen I saw that the one on the left must have needed to pee so my son used a nearby Easter bucket so that he wouldn't piss on the carpet!

Oh, yes...who could forget this?  Lady K was in need of some holiday spirit so my mom and I planned a Christmas Goodie baking day.  As we finished each tray of goodies, we placed them on my bed (having no where else to put them).  This is Lady K taking a picture of our finished progress.  I was so busy yelling at her ("Don't you dare fall on all of that hard work!!! Get down at once!") that I didn't get a picture of the actually goodies.  I spent the rest of the evening singing "I smell sex and candy,  yeah..." in my head!

Dear Hubby helping Teensy put the angel on the tree.  It was just too sweet to not smile for a moment. 

That for the first time ever, my Step-Dad may have actually loved a gift he got from us...a book of history about trains and the area in which we live. 

 

 My kids did a wonderful job helping with the blue bag pick up for the food drive.  They enjoyed giving to others in need as much as dear Hubby and I had hoped they would. 

My puppies absolutely got into the Christmas Spirit and enjoyed the toys they got from us.  It was hard to keep them from fighting over them though after Lasey chewed the squeaky out of hers right away.

Bubba's XBOX came in to a nearby town at 10 pm on Christmas Eve and my mom drove the 30 mile to pick it for us.  THANKS MOMMY!  WE OWE YOU BIG TIME AND WILL NEVER FORGET IT!

Teensy's doll house was so tall she stood on the coffee table to open it.  Apparantly this is the best photo I got of her and it. 

Hubby adored his gift...he HAS been asking for it for several years and I finally was able to find exactly what he wanted.

I loved my gifts, too.  Best of all was the "Twilight" book and the mega expensive perfume that I have been out of for several months.  Thanks for listening, honey!

So that's that.  The best memories of Christmas 2008.  I guess I was able to smile a bit and enjoy myself at times.  However, you may not have noticed (although I surely did) that there are no pictures from Christmas with Hubby's family.  That's because for me it sucked.

A Difference in the Worlds...

My Hubby and I were born in 1980. Yes, just a little over 28 short years ago.

My son was birthed in 2000 (yet another Millenium baby).

My daughter in 2002 (a 9/11 "world is ending" freak out, I'm sure).

What a different world they are growing up in than we did.

Dear Hubby and I grew up in different worlds even though we were born the same year and less than a month apart. He was raised in the rural backwoods of SoDak. Me, the large city environment of Colo. He ran free with his siblings, played hide-and-seek in abandoned cars and learned how to ride a motorcycle at the age of six. I spent my hours in the seclusion of an apartment complex, played hide-and seek in the laundry room and needed an escort to go to the park. He spent all 13 years of school in one school district. Me, I attended six schools and lived in no less than 9 houses before graduating from high school.

So far in their lives, both children have attended only one school district. Bubba has lived in three seperate places (two apartments and a house) in two different towns and Teensy in only two both in the same town. They have a radius of about 3 blocks they are allowed to roam freely as long as they check in on time but they spend most of their time playing Hide-and-Seek in our basement or the houses of their friends. They are relatively sheltered even though we live in a smaller town in a rural state. Why? Times, they have a changed.

1980...
The world population was a meek 4.453 billion people with only 227,224,681 of those people living in the United States. The violent crime rate was at 59.5 per 1,000. People lived to be 73.7 years old and the unemployment rate was 7.1%. A household made a median amount of $17,710 dollars and a postage stamp only cost 15 cents. Those were the good old days.

Now...
The world population had soared to over 6.7 billion people. Life expectancy has gone down to 65.8 years old. Unemployment and underemployment are at 30%. Children are shooting other children in schools and terrorists have destroyed our security in the air. We have been in a constant war, sending our troops to perish in a desert in the name of freedom, for 7 years now. Postage stamps cost us 42 cents and gasoline at it's all-time high was over $3.00/gallon. An already overcrowded globe is exacerbating the problems of pollution, desertification, underemployment, epidemics, and famine. And now we on on the verge of another Great Depression.

And one wonders why my children are more sheltered? Have you seen this world lately, people? I have. And they will soon enough, but for now I would like them to enjoy their childhood...within a 3 block radius of my home. That is called protective parenting...and I'm all for it.

Christmas greetings...prescheduled...then accidentally posted. Argh!!!

Merry Christmas to everyone. I may pop in this weekend but if all goes according to plan I am going to spending some much needed time with my little family of four.

Please send out good thoughts that...

• Bubba's XBOX came in the mail in time to wrap it for Christmas morning.
• We were able to successfully replace the gift that Santa got for Teensy that a sister-in-law ended up buying, as well, and telling us about the night before Christmas Eve when it was impossible to drive all the way to Walmart.
• Dear Hubby decided to go against his bosses wishes, not be the only one at work and be home with me and the kids for our own family togetherness day on Friday, thus giving me something to look forward to.
• The ham I make to be good and if not at least be edible and everyone be too nice to say a word to the contrary.
• The appetizer dinner is as good as I have built it up to be in my mind.
• There are no more fights, arguments, or tears and that the whining be kept to a minimum.
• Santa remembers to eat the cookies, drink the milk and blow up the snow tubes he's leaving.

Enjoy your holiday, everyone. And if you don't, let me know...they say misery loves company.

Of Mountains and Records...

Everyone, meet Olympia, the world's tallest snowwoman!
Olympia, meet my blogosphere friends!

Olympia's statistics:
Height: 122 feet tall (30 feet shorter than the Statue of Liberty)
Body: made of concentric circles of packed snow
Arms: 27 foot long evergreen trees
Necklace: 6 foot wide Pendant
Nose: 8 foot long carrot painted by school-children
Lips: tires painted red
Scarf: 100 feet long
Eyelashes: Old skis
Eyes: Evergreen Wreaths



So when life gives you 100 inches of snow in a single season what do you do with all of it?
Get in the Guinness Book of World Records, of course!

Slipping further and further...

For every day that we get closer to Christmas, I slip a little bit further.

For every hour that my children anxiously await the arrival of Santa Claus, I slip a little bit further.

For every present that has been bought and wrapped and placed under the tree, I have slipped a little bit further.

For every holiday party attended and/or talked about, I have slipped a little bit further.

Into what? Where am I slipping? Depression, my dears. The deep, dark depths of black-laden depression.


Christmas is my second favorite holiday. The food, the gifts, the shopping sprees, the joy on the faces of all the children, the spirit of the season, the bells, the jingles, the wreaths and trees. I love every aspect of Christmas from the colored lights to the old time carols, the joyous bell ringers to the falling white snow.

Not this year.

This year...needs to be over.

The amount of change that is happening this year is far too much for this little woman to bear. Too much of my comfort zone has been extracted and what I am left with is a shell of painful emotions and a perma smile facade. I am a fake. I pretend that this season is like any other and yet I am dying inside. I wish it were the first week of January so that I didn't have to feel this way.

They say the first year is the hardest. Dawg says that's not true. I am inclined to believe him over the masses but at the same time, I hope that it gets easier.

As for the changes, I am trying to take them in stride. Our plans are, as of now, as follows...

Last Night: Drive around delivering Christmas Cards and viewing all sibling's Christmas Trees. ((Totally didn't happen because another wrench was thrown into my plans and I lost it completely. Totaly crying, freak-out session that did nothing to make me feel any better! Instead I spent the evening wrapping gifts, finishing homemade presents, and wrapping up a million and one loose ends so that the next couple of days goes by smoothly.))
Tonight: Girl Scout Christmas Party complete with 15 hyped up girls and their families, an ornament exchange, and a cookie exchange (as if any of us needs any more Christmas goodies).
Christmas Eve: Both Hubby and I have to work (probably full days) with the kids at daycare. Miss Insanity is closing at 3 pm so one of us will need to get off work by then. Then we will head home to load up all the presents for my parents and head over for a dinner of non-traditional Chili with my parents and step siblings.
Christmas Day: Open presents with Hubby and kids in the morning and then head over to Bro and Sis-in-laws house for traditional Christmas half-feast. Head back home after the feast and present exchange to an Appetizer dinner and game playing with Lady K and maybe Crazy Kat.
Day after Christmas: No work, no school...sleep in late and spend the day playing on Max's new XBOX...if it gets here in time for Christmas!!!

Sounds like a full and fun couple of days, right? Not really. This is where all the changes come in. We have never before driven from house to house to say our Holiday Greetings before. This year, it feels sort of mandatory. Christmas Eve has always been spent at Grandma and Grandpa's house. This year, Grandma is gone and Grandpa is in a nursing home where no one has even bothered to decorate his room. There is no setting up nor viewing the village that I had come to love. I won't mention the Chili dinner. That just is what it is. As for Christmas Day...well, my mom will be driving several hours to meet up with my sister for a few minutes and then heading off to a cousins house. My Mother-in-law is gone, her decorations spread amongst the houses of her children as small, daily reminders that she isn't coming back. Her house stands empty with no heat and no cheer as Dad is living with his girlfriend instead. Dinner won't be the grand feast-to-end-all-feasts and if Thanksgiving is any indication, leftovers will be scarce. The appetizer dinner in the evening, that was my idea, as a way to satisfy a craving I've been having and hopefully ending the day on the tiniest sliver of joy. Maybe. Probably not. But definitely maybe.

Am I bitching and whining ans woe-is-meing? Yes. But really, can you blame me? The Christmas Spirit has all but completely died around here.

And my second favorite holiday is ruined. *sigh*

At least I will have my Bacon Wrapped Jalepeno Bites. Now I'll just hope for the Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts to come, too.

An Interview...

Janelle over at 5 Minutes Till Normal put out a call for interviewees via her blog and I figured what the heck.  So I answered her call and here are the questions she has bestowed upon me.  You know how I am with question and answer type things!  Yippee!!!  Enjoy!  And look at the end of the post for instructions on how to get interviewed yourself!

1) I see that you are going to Germany in 2009. What are three other things you plan on doing in 2009?
1...my hubby, myself, Lady K, and Crazy Kat are going to see Jeff Dunham perform in April.  I am planning on wearing a pair of Depends (weak Mommy bladder and all) just to make it through the hilarity of the night!  I can't wait!!!
2...I have something special planned for January, but you will have to wait and see what that is because I just can't ruin the surprise of it all.  Sorry!
3...I am planning to start my 101 in 1001.  More about that in an upcoming post.  :)
((Wow, that wasn't a lot of detail there was it?  I guess I am having a hard time thinking past the New Year just yet!))

2) They say that we all have a secret talent, what do you think your secret talent is?
I think that my biggest talent (although not secret) is obsessive multi-tasking.  I can do everything all at once without much faltering.  Other than that, I can sing, belly dance, play a dumbek drum, do anything artsy, remodel and redecorate my home, and plan anything.  I guess my secret talent would be my writing.  I am a writer of fictional stories (mostly short ones) and most people may know that but have never read anything I have written or don't know that I write at all. 

3) Right before you fall asleep, what are some of the last things you think about it? On the other side of that coin, what are some things that you think of when you first wake up?
Usually the last thing I am thinking at night is of whatever I need to do the next day.  My mind spins non-stop whether I am sleeping or not, so it is only normal that it's running right before I fall asleep.  If I have an unusual day of relaxation and nothing to do (yeah right!) the next day, I am thinking about ghosts and whether or not the doors are locked on the house.  On the flip side, first thing in the morning I think about not getting to of bed and reasons to stay home and then when I can't come up with a good reason I think of what I am going to wear.  :)

4) Do you sing in the shower? Car? In front of people?
I rarely sing in the shower and always in the car.  I have been known to sing karaoke and once even performed a duet in front of a packed audience (about 200 people or so) but that was a one-time thing.  I enjoy singing and would sing in front of people if I had something to sing.  But a song must inspire me for me to sing it in front of anyone but my immediate family. 

5) What is one item that you have kept the longest? Can you take a picture of it and post it on your blog?
I guess that would be my blankie.  I still have the one I had when I was a baby in my savings box at my mom's house.  It was a crocheted baby blanket and I drug it everywhere with me.  Usually you could find one corner of it wrapped around my finger and stuck up my nose.  When it became all icky and falling apart, my mom took it away and said it was in the garbage.  I found it many years later in my savings box and have had it ever since.  Even though I was little, I can still feel it and smell it when I close my eyes and think really hard.  I will have to make a trip over to Mom's to get a picture of it so watch for that post in the upcoming weeks.  :)

So those were my interview questions.  I hope I get hired!  :) 
Do you want to be interviewed?  If so, read on...

"Want to be part of it? Follow these instructions:

The only rules are that you have to link back to the original post and you have to put these rules in your post:

1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me."
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions."

PhotoHunt: Favorite

This week's theme is FAVORITE. One of my favorite things in the whole world is the smile in my daughter's huge brown eyes.

Teensy on Thanksgiving Day.

Review of the year from a forgetful mind...

A Year in Review 
(for list making Tuesday a day late...again!)

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?
I took my family to Disney World.

2. Did you keep your New Years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Um probably not considering that I don't even remember making any. 

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes, kinda.  A friend gave birth to her first little girl. 

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Yes.

5. What countries did you visit?
Just stayed in the United States. 

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
Time, money and friendships.

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory?
May 22.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
I lived through it.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Not saving enough money for the trip to Germany next year.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Unless having a root canal redone counts, no I have not.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Our minivan and the kids Christmas presents.

12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
My husband's whole family...and Teensy for getting a Citizen of the Month Award.

13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
Parents around me who paid no attention to the actual needs of their children. 

14. Where did most of your money go?
The Disney World trip, my teeth, my van and my credit cards.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Disney World, getting my tattoo, and seeing both Carlos Mencia this year and Jeff Dunham next year. 

16. What song/album will always remind you of 2008?
There isn't really one in particular I don't think for this year as a whole.  Certain parts have certain theme songs.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: happier/sadder,thinner/heavier,richer/poorer?
Sadder, fatter and poorer...wow what a depressing question!

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Hug and talk to my MIL, listen to grandma's stories and written grandpa more.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Eating and gaining weight, slacking off and being lazy.

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
Eve with my mom and stepdad, morning at home with the kids, afternoon with Hubby's Family, night with some friends.

21. Who did you spend the most time on the phone with?
Probably Lady K or Josie or else texting my Hubby.

22. Did you fall in love in 2008?
No.  Well, yes.  With the comedy of Carlos Mencia!

23. How many one night stands in this last year?
None. 

24. What was your favourite TV program?
House, Gossip Girl, Fringe, Priveleged.

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
No.  I am over hatred for anyone in my life.

26. What was the best book(s) you read?
The newest Janet Evanovich from the Stephanie Plum Series, "Sunday's at Tiffany's" by James Patterson and "Dirty" by Megan Hart.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
The lyrics to "White Flag" and that Tonic Sol Fa had a new CD coming out.

28. What did you want and get?
A kick ass tattoo and a family vacation to a magical land.

29. What did you want and not get?
A laptop computer, a Nintendo DS, peace and quiet, an escape, and a million dollars.

30. What were your favourite films of this year?
I saw Twilight and thought it was the most amazing love story that I had seen on film.  That is this year's favorite for me. 

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 28 on my birthday and I had a good time but I don't remember what I did. 

32. What's one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
A big fat savings account and plane tickets in my hand for Germany.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
I have discovered thermal shirts and camisoles in every imaginable color worn on every day of the week. 

34. What kept you sane?
Absolutely nothing.  Well, Lady K and my hubby kept me sane most of the time. 

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
They guy who plays Chuck Bass on Gossip Girl and Dr. Gregory House. 

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
The ban on same sex marriages in California and Florida and the election of Barrack Obama. 

37. Who did you miss?
Josie...more than I can express.  And my MIL...rest in peace. 

38. Who was the best new person you met?
I cannot remember meeting any new people, I guess.  Except the readers of my blog because they are awsome!  When they come out of lurkerdom that is.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.
Families must stick together in times of crises.
Children are going to grow up no matter how much you hope, pray, and wish they don't.
Do not trust the dogs outside on their own when the blizzard has piled snow over top of the fences.  They won't come back. 
Wear a seatbelt...no matter what.
You can't decide on people's lives for them.  Everyone must make their own decisions.
Do not touch the hard candy in the pan moments after you have poured it.  It hasn't set up yet, is over 300 degrees and will burn your finger. 
Calendars are essential items to keep track of the kids comings and goings...but don't update themselves.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year?
"And you asked me what I want this year, and I'll try to make this kind and clear, just a chance that maybe we'll find better days."

A Christmas Funny...

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

I have been watching you very closely to see if you have been good this year and since you have I will be telling my elves to make some goodies for me to leave under your tree at Christmas.
I was going to bring you all gifts from the 12 days of Christmas, but we had a little problem.

The 12 fiddler fiddling have all come down with VD from fiddling with the 10 ladies dancing, the 11 lords leaping have knocked up the 8 maids-a-milking, and the 9 pipers piping have been arrested for doing weird things to the 7 swans-a-swimming. The 6 geese-a-laying, 4 calling birds, 3 french hens, 2 turtle doves and the partridge-in-a-pear tree have me up to my sled runners in bird shit.

On top of all this, Mrs Claus is going through menopause, 8 of my reindeer are in heat, the elves have joined the gay liberation and some people who can't read a calendar have scheduled Christmas for the 5th of January.

Maybe next year I will be able to get my shit together and bring you the things you want. This year I suggest you get your asses down to WalMart before everything is gone.

And the research begins...

Have I told you all that I am going to Germany? Yes? No? Well, I am...in about 7-8 months. And that means that I better start researching and planning now. That isn't a very long time!!! I have a million things to do and plan and get ready and, and, and... OMG!! I am already overwhelmed!

So, why do I bring this up? Because I am EXCITED!!! Well, that and I found out that my trip is going to be way better than I had originally hoped.

My heritage is German and Norwegian although the German side is the only one that ever gets attention...well, except for that book filled with Norwegian stories, folklore and recipes that I gave to my mom as a souvenir from Disney World back in February, that I am sure she has probably never even opened...and other than the occasional urge to through in some old time traditions to the holidays, I have never really been one to delve that deeply into where my ancestors came from.

But now the research has officially begun. Well kinda. I just received a letter from my paternal grandfather who upon learning of my upcoming trip to Germany told me that there was a hotel there belonging to and named after our ancestors! Really! How cool is that? So there is one more destination that I am interested in seeing upon my 2 week stay there. But I most likely won't get the chance to see said namesake hotel.
Hubby and I only have 2 weeks in Germany (including the travel time which will be a day there and a day back) and that is already pushing our budgeting a bit. We are going to visit my best friend, Josie and Dear Hubby's Sister, her husband and their kids. They all have a million places they want to take us to see including the castle that Disney's Cinderella Castle is based on and the Nurburgring race track. They also want to take us to Paris on the train. Sounds wonderful, right?

Well, I also found out that my little sister and her family will be transferred to Vicenza, Italy with the Army in March of 2009 and it happens to be only 8 hours away from where we will be staying so we have to bop on down to see the Italian countryside for a few days as well.
If we are doing all of that, why, do you ask, can't we go to the Reichs K hotel? Because it is 6 hours in the opposite direction of where we are going to be exploring! Argh! Guess I will have to be doing some more research to fit it all in! Beware of the next seven months of posts on Germany sights that I want to see.

Are they born that way?

At 9 am the  Boy Scouts in the area were meeting to deliver blue grocery bags to the doors of every house in every neighborhood in town in hopes of getting the community to donate to the local food bank for the holidays.  Bubba was one of those boys.

He had made the choice to stay up past midnight the night before knowing full well that he would have to rise early to complete this Boy Scout task and yet, there it was 8:30 in the morning and he was complaining about needing more sleep. 

His response to the eighty-seventh round of "Get up now!" was "I am quitting Boy Scouts."

I knew this was coming.  Bubba is the only boy in his rank because of a lack of leaders and several boys not returning after last year.  Dear Hubby does his best to include Bubba in everything with other boys so that he can enjoy his Boy Scouting experience but it has just become too much of a hassle.  Too much time strain on the day and not enough activity to keep Bubba's interest. 

My response was, "You don't have to be in Boy Scouts if you don't want to.  You can drop out.  Tomorrow.  Today you are going to go help people in need of your help so get out of bed."

The conversation that followed...I guess it couldn't be termed a conversation as I talked and he barely tried to keep his eyes open...rolled off my tongue easily as I had been explaining the same principle to my Girl Scouts only days before. 

"There are people, kids, in this world that have nothing to eat.  The blue bags you deliver today will be filled with food for those people."

Slight nod from the half asleep child.

"Those people, kids, don't have any money and the adults don't have any jobs to get money."

Eyes closing.

"Since they have no money and money is necessary to buy food, they don't have any food to eat either."

Sliding to the floor.  Okay this isn't working.  Another Tactic.

"Do you see all of these toys here?"

Eyes open wide at the mention of toys.

"They were all bought because mommy and daddy have jobs and make money so that you can have everything you need and some of the things you want.  What if you didn't have any of these toys?  What if you went hungry every day because you had no food and I couldn't buy you any?  How would that make you feel?"

"Sad."  Yay!  Progress!

"You don't want others to be sad either right?  So you go do this project, help those kids who are living on the streets and have no food, and after it's all done and over with you can quit Boy Scouts and focus on your wrestling instead."

"I don't want to go!"  Said, of course, in a whiny voice.

"How about I take all your toys away since you are an ungrateful little cuss?  How about that?  How about I give them to children that will actually appreciate all the money that was spent on them and not mistreat and lose them?  Huh?  How about I do that?"

I stomped out of the room at that point and Bubba proceeded to get dressed for the day.  A few minutes later, he found me in the bathroom and I asked him if he was going.  "Yes," he said. 

"Because you want to help people who have nothing or because I said I would take away all your toys?"

"I want my toys."

I blew a gasket.  I stormed through the house and spent the next 10 minutes crying in my room.  How is it that I raised such an enormously selfish 8 year old?  Really.  I am deeply disturbed by this fact. 

Was he raised this way or was he born with a selfish gene that I cannot change within him? 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My kids have everything they need in life.  They have warm clothes to wear in the winter and swimsuits for the summer.  They have food on the table at night and in their lunch boxes during the day.  They have a roof over their heads and love in their hearts.  They have all of that and a lot more.  We shower them with love every day.  They have toys to play with and books galore to read.  They have all they need and much more.  Because the children come first.  Their safety, well being and happiness is what matters.  They are spoiled to a point but not as much as they could be. 

I despise those people that purchase video game systems, and other electronics as well as cigarettes and booze when their children don't have snow pants to wear to school or gloves for their hands.  Those parents that put their selves and their needs before those of the children.  Those that buy their way into the hearts of children through gifts trying to make up for lack of or bad parenting skills.  Grow up.  Get it together.  Put them first for a change.  

This is what my son will be getting for Christmas this year.

 

Why is it okay for me to buy this for him?  Because he has everything he needs in life.  Because he is a good kid and deserves to be rewarded.  Because the video game system he plays on now is a Nintendo.  Yes, one of those ancient, original Nintendos and that itself was a hand me down.  Definitely not purchased new.  And the games were gifts from people we know who had upgraded to a bigger and better Video Game Console.  However, the XBOX that Bubba is getting is also most definitely not a new one.  My sister happened to have one that needed some fixing and with the help of my other sister, it is now ready for him to have and will be in the mail next week.  It is complete with controllers and games for about $60.  So when other parents are spending in excess of $200 to buy their children the newer XBOX 360 or a Wii, my little man is getting a hand-me-down old XBOX instead.  And other than one small gift, that is all he gets from his parents for Christmas. 

My daughter?  She'll be getting this from us...

It's a little much but it's perfect for her and will be used a fuckton so it's worth it.  And it comes with several rooms of furniture and the dolls AND she can use it to play with her Littlest Pet Shop Animals, too!  Yay!  Totally worth it.  Plus we got it on sale so that is always good. 

And, of course, that little one deserves a great gift for Christmas.  With all of her hard work at Girl Scouts with the Care Packages and the adopt-a-family, she understands the meaning of "Giving" and is always ready to help others.  It's just in her nature. 

Which brings me back to the original question...are they just born that way?

Ever seen a tree's top fall off? You soon will!

The moronic wonderful music teacher decided to do the first and second grade Christmas Programs on the same night this year. And she decided to bore us to death grace those of us with a kid in each grade two of the exact same programs! Yippee!

The evening started out with a mad dash to the daycare at 4:30 to pick up the kids. Miss Insanity's kids are in first grade with Teensy so she was closing early so that she could be to the theater in time for the program. I got the kids loaded into the van and sped down the road (which was starting to get icy!) to the local Pizza Hut to pick up the three personal pans that I had ordered before leaving work. The concert was to start at 6:00 with the first graders needing to be there half hour early to get in costume. There are probably 100 kids in each grade and about 300 seats in the theater. It is not uncommon around here for one's whole family to come watch them in a program (siblings, parents, grandparents, aunts, cousins, unlce Ted that always asks you to pull his finger) so I wanted to get a good seat early.

I pulled the van up to the CarryOut window and told them my name. Our pizza had four minutes to go before it was completely cooked so I made small talk with the kids mentioning what kind of pizzas I had ordered for them. Doofus that I apperantly am, I ordered the wrong pizza for the Bubba Boy. He wanted Hawaiian not the Supreme. Strike 1 against the evening! We got our pizzas and made our way over the slick roads to the community center to save our seats in the theater.

I set the kids up at a table with their pizzas, proceded to buy them overpriced pops at the concession stand and then went into the theater and threw our coats and their backpacks onto the seats I thought would be the best in the house. Of course, Bubba would be performing on stage left and teensy on stage right so we had to sit in the middle and hope for the best view of each.

I went back out to scarf down my pizza with the kids and Bubba informed me that he lost his shirt that was needed for the program. WHAT? DAMMIT! We, as parents, were instructed to make sure our children had the correct outfits to go under their costumes. Teensy needed a red or a green outfit. Bubba needed a long sleeved black shirt and pants. I purchased Teensy's whole outfit and the shirt for Bubba the week before the program and had them hanging in the closets so that they would be clean when the time came. Losing his shirt was not a good development! Strike 2 against my evening. Bubba then calmly informed me that even though he had lost his brand new shirt, he had one to wear for the program. The music teacher had found one for him to wear (Great! The body odor and germy germs of some other sniffling kid!). I calmed down a bit and we continued on with our pizza.

As soon as Bubba was done with his food, I asked him to get into his outfit so that he would be ready when the time came. He said it was in his backpack bu lo and behold when I opened it there was nothing there! After frantic calls to Miss Insanity to check her daycare house and her Suburban, I resigned myself to the fact that his outfit was left at school. ARGH! Strike 3 of the evening! I immediately called Dear Hubby and told him of the situation (almost in tears as I am that kind of person) who got off work early and rushed home to see what he could find in the dirty clothes pile house. Once again, I calmed down a little. (Please ignore the fact that I am wound a little tight sometimes and the fact the slightest hiccup in my schedule can sometimes make me cry!)

All in all, the crises was averted when Hubby showed up 15 minutes before the program started with a faded black sweatshirt and a pair of black slacks! Whew! At least he wouldn't look like too much of a dork up there on stage and we wouldn't have to smell him down in the audience so all was well. And my mom showed up two minutes before the program started and was able to get her seat before the lights were turned down! Yay! Another good thing!

Teensy's program started at 6 pm and she was an elf this year. An adorable one at that. She enjoyed the program immensely as she likes to sing and dance and she is so adorable that people are soooo going to love her up there. She was wonderful! She is the little girl in red in between the boy in white (Miss Insanity's son) and the boy next to Santa (the infamous Trevor of Mom Hotness Fame!).

Bubba's program started at 7:30 and he was a tree. I learned last year at about this time that my son may be meant for the stage...but only as a comedian. This year he proved my theory correct. The video I wanted to upload was too big so you get this one instead. Bubba is one the right hand side in the trees and is the one that seems to have springs on his feet and an issue with his mouth staying closed.

One way or another, it was an entertaining night. And even though I sat in that theater from 5 pm until almost 9 pm with only about 2 hours of that actually watching children perform, it was well worth it to sit in the audience and and ooh and aah and my daughter's cuteness and then almost pee myself with laughter at the antics of my son.

Outfits for the children to wear: $20
Dine and Dash at Pizza Hut: $15
Time spent in the theater: 4 hours
Having videos like this to show my children's future spouses: PRICELESS!

And I am one of those people...

I am a planner people! And if you don't know that about me you don't know anything! Argh! Christmas plans have changed again and now will be Christmas Eve dinner of chili (don't even get me started on that one) and a Christmas day lunch at SIL's house for traditional dinner and a few present exchanges. Not sure how that all makes me feel yet. It seem when things get different around here they really go overboard. So....


A Christmas Story for people having a bad day:

When four of Santa's elves got sick, the trainee elves did not produce toys as fast as the regular ones, and Santa began to feel the Pre-Christmas pressure.

Then Mrs Claus told Santa her Mother was coming to visit, which stressed Santa even more.

When he went to harness the reindeer, he found that three of them were about to give birth and two others had jumped the fence and were out, Heaven knows where.

Then when he began to load the sleigh, one of the floorboards cracked, the toy bag fell to the ground and all the toys were scattered.

Frustrated, Santa went in the house for a cup of apple cider and a shot of rum. When he went to the cupboard, he discovered the elves had drank all the cider and hidden the liquor. In his frustration, he accidentally dropped the cider jug, and it broke into hundreds of little glass pieces all over the kitchen floor. He went to get the broom and found the mice had eaten all the straw off the end of the broom.

Just then the doorbell rang, and irritated Santa marched to the door, yanked it open, and there stood a little angel with a great big Christmas tree. The angel said very cheerfully, 'Merry Christmas, Santa. Isn't this a lovely day? I have a beautiful tree for you. Where would you like me to stick it?'

And so began the tradition of the little angel on top of the Christmas tree.

Bah-fucking-humbug!

Oh, shit. I mean Merry-fucking-Christmas Season, everybody!

...that brings up a humorous story...

I know there are those of you out there in the blogoshpere that hate those little survey thingies, but me...I'm NOT one of them.  However, in an effort to actually keep the couple of readers that I have interested in what I have to say, I have picked a few questions from a recent survey I found that made me come up with wonderfully witty answers and/or anecdotes and/or facts that you never cared to know about little ol' me.  I hope you enjoy!

Have you ever finished taking a shower and realized that there are no clean towels? Holy crap, who hasn't done that?  It seems to be a recurrent theme in my house and drying off my body with a little hand towel just does absolutely nothing for me!  Especially when I refuse to get dressed in a bathroom and am frequently found running through the house in nothing more than a towel.  Okay, strolling is probably better terminology here as I usually take my showers in the morning and I leisurely stroll through the kitchen to kiss the kids good morning on my way to get dressed in the bedroom.  They avert their little eyes when I end up having to use one of those "shrunken towels". 

Did you ever actually try to find the end of a rainbow? Yes.  I have spent a fair amount of time searching for the little leprechauns although my taste seems to run more towards guys with a little height to them.  But I must tell you, there is something about a little man all dressed in green that makes me say..."Hand over the money and no one will get hurt!".  Yep, folks.  I am all about the coinage right now.  These bills refuse to pay for themselves!

Are you afraid of jinxing things? I have an extremely active mind.  I have thought about everything in my life from every possible angle, bad and good.  The problem with that is it seems that if I think up a scenario...say that I am going walk into the grocery store and run into a long lost friend or that a faraway friend will call me...it doesn't happen.  But the same is true of the bad.  If I think about getting into a car accident, it doesn't happen...at least on that day.  So, I try to go through life thinking about all the bad things so they won't happen and trying not to think about all the good things so they do have a chance of happening. 

If a guy put his jacket on a puddle for you, would you actually walk on it or just look at him like he was crazy?  I am a very traditional kind of girl...if by traditional you mean that I like guys to open doors and serenade me in the moonlight and not in the sense of the guy must do the asking out and take care of the check.  So if a guy were to be standing in front of me and throw down his jacket upon a puddle for me to walk across, yes, I would actually walk upon it.  If he weren't skeezy looking and leering at me with a fake come hither smile.  If he were at least mildly handsome in a princely way and looked as though he may actually be a nice guy and not a sleaze.  Of course, he would have to only be doing it because he thought I was a ravishing beauty and not because he wanted to get in my pants because well, I am married and all I am looking for is a way over the puddle that keeps my cute little shoesies dry.  Now...if my hubby wanted to pick me up and carry me over the threshold of that puddle, I would be all for it.  If I were several pounds lighter and if he didn't have a back problem...

You've reach a fork in the road, do you go left or right?  At a fork in the road, I always stand back and say to myself...  "Oh fuck!  Not again!  Who's going to direct me out of these woods this time?".  Really, people, I need an instruction manual for life.  One of these days I just might attempt to write one.  Oh, maybe not.  You would think that in the thousands of years that human have been around someone would have tried to write such a manual...you know a "Life Guide for Dummies".  So logical thinking has me wondering what happened to those souls that tried such a feat?  Were they struck down dead for giving away the unwritten rules of the game?  Did they get strung up with their head in a noose because they were accused of the witchcraft of more knowledge than their counterparts possessed?  On second thought...I don't think I will write that book.  

When things go from bad to worse, have you ever been afraid of what kind of person you would be when it was all over? I have always in the past been afraid of what type of person I was going to end up being.  The "apple not falling far from the tree" saying has always haunted me as I would definitely prefer to not turn out like my father.  However, I have found in life that the more trials and tribulations I survive, the better of a person I become.  I am a constantly changing individual that strives not for perfection but betterment of what I already am during the course of my life. 

Have you ever wanted to fast forward your life so you could see if it was worth it?  I don't need to fast forward my life to see if it was worth it.  It already is.  Nothing more need to be said on that. 

Have you ever gotten into car with a stranger? Yes, I have.  It was 1998 and I got into a classic Blue Chevelle with three teenagers that I didn't know personally.  They drove me to a pool hall about 30 minutes away.  The night turned out to be amazing and the driver ended up being my husband 3 years later. 

Did the Kool-Aid guy scare you when you were little?   Seriously?  Have you seen those commercials?  A huge red pitcher with tiny arms and legs and a perma-smile?  What's not scary about that?  Yikes!

What was the last thing somebody wrote on you?  Funny you should ask.  :)  The last thing that was written on my was some smart ass remark upon my...um...ass.  In permanent ink.  My husband thought he was being funny one night and inked up my ass, and my breast with comments too crude to put on this blog!

Did your imaginary friend disappear because somebody sat on them?  My imaginary friends names were Casper and Cheyenne and they were ghosts that lived in a tree house and made my sister and I fall on our butts every time we tried to kick a soccer ball.  They didn't disappear because someone sat on them (they weren't allowed in the house!) but they stayed in that tree when we moved to a new place.  :(  Sad.  I miss those little guys. 

And that, folks, was your installment of List Making (After) Tuesday for this week.  Hey!  It was kind of a list!  Enjoy your evening!

The beginning of my glory...

Getting ready for school in my household seems to be a slow and very tedious process filled with "Why aren't you dressed yet?" and "Geeze, Louise, Hurry up already!".  This morning was no different in the fact that homework from yesterday was still not completed (due to a late evening of Girl Scouts), shoes were not on the feet, and every light in the house was still blazing at 7:45 am, less than 5 minutes before we had to leave the house. 

In lieu of sitting Teensy down to read her small 8 page book and thusly making everyone late for school, I tossed the book at dear Hubby and told Teensy that Daddy would just read it to her this morning and signed the homework slip to prove it's completion.  Dear Hubby began reading the first page and Teensy burst out with a common declaration, "I NEED TO TELL MOMMY SOMETHING!".

She then came bursting through the kitchen, stopped just short of slamming into me, looks up into my eyes with innocence shining through her 6 year-old face and said, "Trevor says you're hot," in a matter-of-fact, you-must-know, tone of voice.

I was completely floored!  I could not speak, I could not smile, I could not respond except for to glance up at my husband who wasn't even trying to cover his laughter. 

I knew this day would come.  The beginning of my MILF glory (because I am so amazingly smokin' and all), but...

MY DAUGHTER IS 6 YEARS OLD!  TREVOR IS 6 YEARS OLD!  WHAT THE HELL IS WITH KIDS THESE DAYS?

Am I wrong?  Shouldn't a 6 year old be thinking about toys and Christmas right about now and not about how "hot" he thinks someone's mother is?  And the worst thing...Trevor is the little boy that my daughter has been crushing on since preschool!  The little boy that I have recently been convinced will be a part of my daughter's life for a long time to come considering the bond they seem to share right now.  And now?  Now I just want to shake that boy back into childhood, back into innocence. 

6 year old children should NOT think someone's mother is "hot"!

But, little man, when you become a teenager...feel free to rave about my "hotness" to your friends all you want.  Because then it will be appreciated. 

How many rings of hell are there again?

I spent my morning in the seventh ring of hell known to the common man as the Dentist's Office.

My re-done root canal was to be checked out today. They made me sit through the gag-inducing X-ray just to tell me that nothing has changed and they wouldn't be touching that tooth today.

But hey! While we have you in the chair, let's do the fillings on two of your other teeth, instead! Yippee!

Yippee my mother-fucking-ass. Really? Argh!

Two whole hours later, I drove to work with half of my mouth completely numb, my jaw in immense pain from the long periods of holding it open and my tongue hanging lazily past my lips.

As I walk into my office, the boss Man says, "Hi, how's it going?"

My standard reply of "Good" comes fumbling out of my mouth and I feel the need to follow it up with, "Don't mind the right side of my face. It's not working today."

Being the Physician's Assistant at a VA hospital that he is, his response is a witty, "If you were one of my patient's, I would be sending you down for an MRI after seeing that," and he walks off.

Hnh. Thanks. Ass. Like I didn't know I looked like the defective version of a Cewpie doll with my cheek all swollen and my eye sagging.

(And no. I did not take a picture of that one, because really folks, no one wants to see me post seventh hell wonderment...even for the laughs.)

Oh yeah! You aren't getting a List Making Tuesday entry today. Maybe tomorrow. I am feeling a bit sleepy and a little tingly from the vicodin I just slipped down my throat and therefore will be unable to coherently make a list worth reading. :)

PhotoHunt: Breakfast

I came across this PhotoHunt idea on a blog that ultimately led me to the source (www.tnchick.com) and the instructions on how to participate. Basically, a theme is given each week and I get to post a photo. What a great way to use up a day of not having anything else to post and get some more use out of my camera...and did I mention that it's like I am doing homework! Yay!

So this week's theme is Breakfast and without further ado...here is my picture...

Cinnamon Pull Aparts...breakfast in bed.

Guess I am screwed...

I had to take this quiz because I was really curious. Come to find out, I would not survive a great depression but really the questions were rigged and not written to give an acurate answer. I am quite sure that I could survive a Great Depression...for at least a week!

You Are 47% Likely to Survive Another Great Depression

Your habits are pretty on par with the average person. Unfortunately, this means your chances aren't good in another Great Depression. Start saving your money now. Living in debt isn't doing you any favors. Also figure out how to live a little more cheaply. Every little bit you can trim will help.

Could You Survive Another Great Depression?

Unexplained Edward Phenomena...

Something happened last night that will boggle your mind.

Dear Hubby and I finally got a date night. We drove into "the city", had some dinner at Mongolian Grill (which is this totally interesting place where you fill a bowl up with a bunch of frozen ingredients, top it off with noodles and whatever sauce mixture you choose and then hand it off to a guy who dumps it on a flat iron thing and walks it around in circles until it's all cooked through and puts it back into a bowl fo you to eat!), did some Christmas shopping for the kids at Toys R Us and Kohls and then went and saw the movie "Twilight".

I know what you are thinking, blogoshpere peeps. You are thinking, "Ugh! Not another post about that!" I promise you this isn't another one of those boring Twilight posts that are lurking on a million blogs around the internet. I will not give away secrets of the books (because I haven't read them!) or the ending of the movie (as if there was one!). I will not sit here and spout off at the mouth about how Bella and Edward are meant to be together (which they sooooo are!) or how the movie was the best love story I have witnessed in quite some time (although it totally was!) or how it left me feeling tingly and wishful (which it most certainly did!).

What this post is going to be about is the fact that I went to bed last night thinking about Edward watching Bella in her sleep. I was a bit freaked out by that and completely for it all in the same thought. There is something weirdly erotic about someone watching me sleep. It is strange in a stalker-esque kind of way and yet would make me feel safe and protected to know that someone stood watch over me...and loved. Yes, very loved.

Anyway, I got off track...so I went to bed last night (extremely late and knowing that I had to wake up early!) and when I woke this morning I found this...

Edward fucking bit me in my sleep!!! Holy Hell-a-cious-ness! For reals, people. I fucking got bit!

Damn vampires!

*giggle*

Yahoo can talk? WTF moment of the day...

I tried to log into my yahoo account and instead of getting into my mail, these are the words I saw on the screen...

Can't talk now. System's down.

Sorry for the holdup. Looks like a temporary glitch in our network has part of Yahoo! mail down, so you're briefly without service. Rest assured the alarms are blaring in the basement and our team is working frantically to get you up and running ASAP. Again, the snag is on our end — so there's no need for you to do a thing.

Back to it,
Yahoo! Mail Team

Really? I wasn't aware that Yahoo could actually talk to me. But the humor that these Yahoo geeks tried to put into this message made me smile. Funny...but still a WTF moment. :)

Realization blowing in...

I realized something today. 

I have a newly formed habit that stems from an old fear.

Sirens started blaring outside my office this morning.  I didn't get up from my desk to see what they were because I just assumed the worst and my immediate reaction was...to text this to my hubby...

Lots of sirens...u alive n well?

This isn't the first time I have done this in the past several months.  It seems that sirens have begun to freak me out.  Accidents, fires, anything requiring emergency personnel...it all sends chills up my spine and has me reaching for my phone to make sure Dear Hubby is okay and in no way involved.  There is a general assumption that the kids are okay if they are with me or in school but Hubby is a different story.  I never know.  What if he was out on a test drive and the brakes on the car failed?  What if he was working under the hood and a battery exploded in his face?  (That one is a real concern...it happened once!...and the reason we got supplemental insurance!)  It just scares me to think that he could be next.  He could be in that car on the interstate that just drove right off the road without hitting the brakes, jumped over a culvert and landed on the other side.  He could have been the one.  Or could be the one, I mean. 

You just never know. 

I am thankful for text messaging and the ability to know right away if my love is safe. 

Operation Girls Care: Update...

My original idea has exploded!  The Girls were going to send three care packages to Soldiers stationed in Iraq but that didn't happen.

Word has spread and our mission has been adopted by others.  The total count now is 9 large care packages and 3 small ones.  That is twelve soldiers that will receive a surprise gift this Christmas.  Some love in a box.  A little extra courage to get through this holiday season in the sweltering desert. 

Wanna know a bit about the soldiers we are sending our thanks to?  Here they are...(in list form since it is List Making Tuesday!)

My boss and her two granddaughters put together Care Packages for the following two soldiers:

• MSG Gerald was born and raised in South Dakota and is a member of the Army Reserves.  He was a high school principal and now uses his talents as a  volunteer with the Iraqi Boy Scouts.
• SGT Shannon is from South Dakota as well and has her family here.  She volunteers her free time in Iraq with the Girl Scout organization there.

My mom and some of her fellow co-workers at the Post Office have offered to fill Care Packages and send them to these individuals:

• Major Sina works midnight to 1100 and rarely takes time for herself.  She is a dedicated Army Soldier.
• Mac is a friend of my little sister's.  He is in the Army and has a fiance waiting for him to come home. 
• Major Jennifer is the amazing Air Force soldier who sent me all these names.  She paid close attention to the soldiers that needed a little something extra and is therefore an integral part in this process and deserves some care herself.

The Girl Scouts put together Care Packages for the following Soldiers:

• AK1 Randal is a born and raised Navy Sailor who is volunteering with the Iraqi Boy Scouts.
• Major William has a broken foot and has received very few letters from home.  He spends most of his time at a desk because crutches limit his movement in the sand, gravel and rocks of the Iraq terrain. 
• LT Laura is often found caring for others and rarely focuses on herself. 
• Major Josie is my best friend and she deserves a care package just because.  But really she is an Adult Girl Scout who has won the Woman of Distinction Award and is a volunteer with the Iraqi Girl Scouts, as well. 
• SGT Joesph, SPC James, and PFC Todd are all getting smaller versions of our Care Packages.  All three of them are young Army Soldiers that sit and verify that all personnel entering a Top Secret area have the correct badge displayed and they rarely get acknowledged.

 

So that is them.  The Soldiers that will be receiving letters, food, fun stuff, snowflakes and pictures picked out by my 15 little girls (aged 6 to 8 years).  What a wonderful task.  :)

Betcha didn't know...

I have been totally MIA for the last four days!

I wrote five blog entries on Wednesday and pre programmed them to run on the right day! I am just soooo good. You never even knew did ya? :)

Here's what I have been up to...in pictures because I am still recovering and have a million things to do this week!!!

I made my contribution for the Thanksgiving feast...

...and everyone loved it, of course.

I let my daughter loose with my camera...

...and marveled at the results.

Lady K and I went Black Friday shopping...

...at 4 am!

We took the kids to a Parade of Lights...

...and laughed at Palm Trees at Christmas.

We went on our annual Tree Hunt excursion...

...and had to be pushed and pulled out of the snow!

And then my camera batteries died...

...but not before I took these!

The truth is that I didn't enjoy the past four days all that much as I was living them. But looking back at the pictures now, I realize that I need to pull my head out of my ass and get in the holiday spirit. So what if things have changed? So what if it's harder than hell to get out of bed and face the day sometimes? Do you see these pictures? Yeah. Me too. Life is for living and living is good. I am thankful for my life and my family...even if it is a few days late.