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Christmas is over!!!!

Christmas is almost a week past. By Christmas standards this was a very nice Christmas. All my Christmases seem to be nice. I'm sure that's because we have such a wonderful family. Will made this Christmas special in the way only a 2 1/2 year old can. He gets a pliers and says "I'm happy now." I say this way too much but can we just turn a switch and keep this age for an extra year.

Did you know pliers make good tongs for picking things up?

When did wearing Santa hats to Grandma's become a yearly tradition?

Even with Great grandma in the nursing home we all gather for Christmas day supper and good times.

With 19 people there has to be a leaf in the table.

Well tomorrow is New Year's eve. The tree is coming down and all the decorations. Life goes back to normal. This year I'm not as ready for that as in some years. I think I could do Christmas all over again next week. That must be a sign that either I'm getting old (Nah) or I really enjoyed this Christmas season.

The kids are all coming over tomorrow for food and games and poppers. I love New Years eve that ends about 8 or 9. Today Amy and I are taking all the kids to the movie Madagascar 2. I should work at cleaning and organizing my den sometime in there too. I need to start the new year with that room organized.

Well that's about it for today.

TTFN

December 1st

Well it's now only 23 days until Christmas. Wow did it sneak up this year! Just when I think I have everything under control little bits of panic creep up and I think "oh there's so much that I want to do and not enough time to do it all. Of course I've always been one who thinks she has to do it all - make presents, decorate everything, bake and buy the perfect gifts. I don't know where this came from because I think my mother wasn't like that. Oh, she sewed clothes for me for Christmas but that was more out of necessity than desire. She was a good cook but we didn't have tons of homemade cookies and goodies. She didn't do crafts. She mostly cleaned. So I really don't know where my desire to have a Norman Rockwell Christmas came from. When I was a stay at home mom I really enjoyed all that because I had the time. Now I work full time and just can't do it all. Somehow though I think I still should so there comes the stress. For the past few years I've tried hard to just enjoy everything about the holiday. This year I've vowed to keep it simpler. We'll see how that goes.

I signed up for an online class called Journal Your Christmas. I hope it will be more fun and not alot of work. Of course tonight as I was doing the first assignment I had glue issues. This could be why I never became a paper scrapper. Those simple basic things like cutting and gluing are the most stressful for me. Do you suppose it's because I only had 6 weeks of kindergarten? Haha. Amy I might be coming to your house after school for scrapping help.

We went to the mall with the kids from school today. First we go to Sertoma for pizza and a visit with Santa and then off to the mall. It always puts me in the Christmas mood and today was no exception. Now if we could just get a little snow every now and then that would be good.

Well I have to get Kyra off to school by 7 AM tomorrow so I better crawl into bed.
TTFN

Happy Thanksgiving

Know what I'm thankful for this Thanksgiving! Everything!!!!! Seriously what is there not to be thankful for. I tell just anybody who will listen that I have been blessed beyond measure. Even if I don't always say it out loud I try to make a point everyday of appreciating everything I have.

Well this was Wendy's first time to host a big holiday. I'm sure she stressed for weeks about it but she shouldn't have. It was wonderful as I knew it would be. She is a great hostess and has a beautiful home that we can all fit in so I knew everything would be perfect and it was. I hope you know Wendy this means that the torch has officially passed.

I've taken this online class called Stories in Hand. While I haven't officially written any stories it has made me think more about my childhood and what stories I could write. As I was thinking about my childhood Thanksgivings I was stunned to realize that I don't have any memories of Thanksgivings at my house. With my dad being a Highway Patrolman I know we didn't get to go very far for holidays as those were days he needed to be on the road. I do have memories of Thanksgivings and Christmases at the city jail. My parents were friends with the sheriff and the city policman and they too probably didn't get to spend the holidays away either. So we would have the meal at the jail which was also the home for the sheriff and family. My other memories of holiday meals are at my Aunt Ev's or Aunt Dorothy's. Now whether they were just Sundays around the holidays or if they were yearly occurences I don't remember. But I was saddened to think that I have no memories of Thanksgiving at "our house". Now of course that doesn't mean we didn't have small, just our family, meals, it's just that they didn't give me any memories. Now that both my parents are gone and most of my Aunts and Uncles are gone too,there really isn't anyone to get stories from. I think that is why I've started to become more interested in journaling and writing "stories". All too soon the people we count to help us keep those memories alive are no longer around or able to tell the "stories".

Well tomorrow Amy, Wendy and I are hitting the stores in the wee hours of the morning. I've been going off and on since Kyra was 3 and we would stand in line at Lewis for Beanie Babies. Even though it is absolutely crazy it's a great time. Don't know if I'll buy anything or not. What am I saying of course I will. Heck somebody has to get this ecomony back on track. Might as well be me. And both Steve and I just got paid and all the bills are paid. Let the good times roll.

TTFN

Let the Holidays Begin!

Yesterday was the Festival of Trees. I've been going to that for about 12 years. I may have missed a few but for the most part it has become my annual start of the holidays. I think Kyra was about 3 when we first started going. It seemed back then that there were more interesting trees and more games for the kids to play but it still is a great way to put me in the mood for the holidays. This year Kyra's musical group from high school sang. I think she performed one other time with girls chorale too but I could be mistaken. And if going and seeing all the beautifully decorated trees didn't put me in the mood, then the snow we woke up to yesterday morning sure did. It was one of those 1 inch snowfalls that are just perfect. Not too much to cause any problems and just enough to make everything white. And the best part - it shouldn't last too long because it is supposed to be about 40 degrees today. It could do that routine all winter. Yeah right!

I definitely had a play day yesterday. I spent most of the morning doing computer things and blog reading. Very productive don't you think? I called Amy about 10:30 to tell her I had signed up for another online journaling class and she invited me (or did I invite myself) to go thrift shopping and to Hobby Lobby. Anything to get out of doing this den clean out. So we went and did that. She's on the hunt for vintage ornaments and Kyra just likes thrift shoppping. I used to love to go to thrift stores with Glenna and I'm glad that Amy and Kyra are doing that now so I have someone to go with when the mood hits. It's like looking at my life in things. All the styles that have come and gone in decorating. Gives pause to what I buy now because I know at some point it will be in the thrift stores with people saying "Can you believe we had that in our house?" We definitely are a disposable society. Don't need it now so get rid of it and get something new and improved later. No wonder we're in a declining economy. We used to have the same toaster forever. If it broke we took it apart and made it work again. Now they make things so we can't do that and we have to buy a new one. Or they come out with new and more exciting colors so we want that new color.

By the time I got home yesterday I was in major pain. I don't know if I did something in the morning when I was slipping on the snow at a thrift store or if walking at the Festival in new shoes did it but my hip was really acting up. I'm sure at some point I will probably need a hip replacement. It's been a problem clear back to when I was pregnant with Amy. I remember always getting a catch in the hip. Two years ago I know I either pulled it out of the socket (thanks PT person for telling me that could have happened) or strained the muscles but whatever happened it took a year to get better. I've had twinges since but nothing like last night. I hope that with babying it for a few days and taking some pain meds it will go back to the way it was, virtually pain free. That should really give me incentive to lose weight.

Well today we need to run some errands. I invited Scott's for brunch if they wanted. So we'll do that and then go to Sam's and Target and maybe Michaels. Oh and if we did World Market that would be good too. And then I need to work more on this den. I wish I had room to take everything out and start over. I'd keep all the same furniture but try and figure out how to get more storage in here. It's a great little room for keeping all my projects and such but it's such a little room with such a little closet and I have too much stuff. And no, I don't think I can get rid of my stuff. I have plans for all that stuff. Of course I might have to live another 50 years and retire tomorrow to get it all done, but that's beside the point.

Off to stare at my piles in the den.

TTFN

Middle of the week recap

It's hump day as they say. The middle of the week. As usual it's a pretty mundane week. Wake up, go to school, come home, do a few things, watch a little tv and go to bed. The story of most of our lives. I think very few people lead exciting and adventurous lives. I'm really quite happy with my little dull life, thank you very much but it doesn't make for blog entries. So what have I done this week so far. Monday night was Haley's orchestra concert. I am so struck by how much they learn and how far they come with one or two days a week of instruction and a little practice. Most of these kids have only been playing for a few weeks, especially the band students. You can start orchestra in 4th grade, but band doesn't start until 5th. Anyway, can we say wow! I remember when Amy was in band. They always put the orchestra with the band concerts. They were torturous at the least. There was so much squeaking and squawking it practically made your ears bleed. In those few short years between Amy's grade school concerts and Kyra's concerts they must have changed how they taught because the difference is amazing. These concerts were quite enjoyable. And I am so happy that my grandchildren have the opportunity to experience music. Steve didn't have orchestra where he went to school so his knowledge is somewhat limited. I did have an orchestra at my high school but I've learned the most working in a middle school and listening to their concerts. Everyone should learn to appreciate the beauty of a good orchestra. Off my soap box now.
Yesterday was just a normal day. Most of the time my highlight of the day is taking Kyra to and from school. It is such a blessing to spend this time with her. And because I take her home and stop there for about a 1/2 hour everyday I get to see Kirby and Kyler. Well some days, some days they're off busy doing their own thing. It's all good anyway.
Today was supposed to be warm about 50 degrees or so. Can we say they lied! I don't think it got to 40. I told Kyra she didn't need her heavy coat. She thanked me when I picked her up for giving her such good advice. I doubt she'll listen to me anytime soon when it comes to the weather. I finally typed Wendy's email address into my school email list. I don't talk to her as frequently as I do Scott so it will be nice to communicate a little easier with her. Of course today if I had just read her blog this morning most of my questions would have been answered. Note to self read Wendy's blog in the morning!
See my life is pretty dull. No good stories. I'm hoping this weekend with the festival of trees, I'll have some new pictures to post. And then next week Thanksgiving. Let the holidays begin.
Off to see about supper. Not doing so good on the cooking blog. We're eating pretty simply or just grabbing too much fast food. Need to work on that.
TTFN

Another weekend bites the dust

Here it is 8:00 Sunday night and the weekend is coming to a close. I keep thinking how it nice it would be if I had tomorrow off like last week, but alas it is not to be. I think I struck a fair balance of work and play. I'm sure I could have done way more but heck I might need something to do next weekend. Hahaha.
So Saturday Amy called about 12:15 and asked if I was up for a field trip. Sure I'm always up for field trips, shopping trips, just about anything really. Kyra was going to volunteer for Salsa at an animal shelter and Amy wasn't sure where exactly it was so she wanted me to come along and be navigator. Such a mistake taking me to an animal shelter. I really just want to take them all home. It's a good thing I live in town and in a small house. So after we dropped Kyra off we went to the mall to feed the boys lunch and kill some time. Well let me tell you it was crazy. Last Saturday Amy, Kyra and I went to the mall and it was just a normal busy Saturday. But this Saturday was totally out of control. Younkers was having this huge sale and people must have come from everywhere. We knew we were in trouble when the parking lot was packed and we had to park way out on the end. Then just trying to walk through Younkers was a challenge in itself. And the food court, well lets just say that finding a place to sit was not an option. We shopped for a little while and then went back to the food court and snarfed a table. If this is any indication of what the rest of the holiday season is going to be like count me out. Except of course for Black Friday. I just like the craziness of that but otherwise forget all the crowds.

Today was just a lazy Sunday. I just hung out and worked on some projects. I'm coming along on the sweater. I'm about half way done with the front now and then it's just the hood and putting it together. I'm also taking an online class called story in hand. And I started putting together the album. I'm excited to start writing stories of my life. I actually cooked a nice little supper too. This week is Haley's orchestra concert and I think Kyra's show choir thing. Should get me out of the house after dark at least a couple of times this week.

Well Desperate Housewives is on. I think I'll knit a little more and watch some Sunday night tv.
TTFN