not-so-black friday

Yesterday was my first real experience with post Thanksgiving shopping. Although some might argue that I am not an official "got-the-t-shirt-for-surviving-black-Friday" member since I have never gotten up and been at a store before 4 a.m., I did get out of the door by 7:30. I did actually elbow my way to the mall and I even used coupons!
Before my trip out on retail heaven... or hell (depending on which side of the cash register you are on and/or if you have Dr. Scholl's gel shoe inserts) I was not in the mood for the holidays. I had been sick at Thanksgiving, there has been too much going on, I haven't been generous enough with my time to properly prepare my soul for the Advent season, much less Christmas . Beyond "going through the motions".... it's more like I was stuck in a wheel and being dragged behind the dadgum wagon.
However, black Friday fixed all that. Most of yesterday I was shopping for my favorite people.... they are people I don't know.... unnamed family members on the Angel Tree at church. Each year I pick out one angel for each kid we have. I try to choose things for these children which I would get for my own kids. I never fail to have a misty-eyed moment when I close my eyes and pray that they will enjoy the things I so carefully select for their Special Morning.
Turns out it was much-needed, intense, break-out-the-paddles-type retail therapy for someone who really needed to get a "move on" when it comes to getting ready for celebrating Our Savior's birth.

feelin' green

Guess who has the tummy bug that King just got rid of?

ugh. I swear! I have not been able to do anything for the past couple of weeks for one reason or another. I had wanted this week/weekend to be all about getting out and about, going to the gym, etc.

Y'all 'scuse me, I gotta .......

winter's comin'... time to pack on the pounds

I swear, I have been eating like a bear preparing to freakin' hibernate all winter. What the heck?!?!?

file under: homonymn

All day long today I've been tired. Yesterday I had to get up at the butt-crack of dawn (that is 4 a.m. for those of you not "in the know") and drive two and a half hours to an Irish dance competition. It went long - way long- and we didn't get home until after midnight. Needless to say, my rear is draggin'.
Now, I am also fighting a bad cold. So, I'm sick.
Sick.
And tired.

Fast forward to an hour ago, when the little kids were going nuts because it was bedtime and they were past due for rest as well. His royal highness, number 4 was wailing because I wouldn't let him read a book, and the usually good-natured number 5 was screaming her head off because.... well, I have no idea what set her off. Then I was just "sick 'n tired'.

Sick 'n tired AND sick, and tired. Two phrases that sound the same but have different meanings.

working for marcies

Numero cinco is just starting to potty train. Lately, she has done "stinky" several times in le toilette because her mom has been alert enough to notice the "signs" that she needed to go. (Good mom!) But, today we turned a corner, she actually asked to go "tee tee" and held it until we got there.
I have stocked the cabinet with Smarties. She giggles whenever I get them down and tell her how proud I am that she went potty. The cutest thing about this whole potty training experience is that she calls her rewards "marcies".

autumn

New cowboy boots and a big pile of leaves to play in. Other than a pumpkin pie in the oven, what could be any better about this time of year?

Our family has so much to be thankful for. King and I are looking so forward to next week: kids being out of school, time spent together with no constraints on our time...

What are some things your family is enjoying/thankful for this season?

a bit wrapped up at present

I haven't been able to be online much lately. I've been busily monogramming scarves for our school's Christmas bazaar in addition to the million-and-one things I normally do, which consists mainly of laundry, dishes, diapers and otherwise running the "circuit" of my downstairs.

Now, mind you, I am not complaining about doing this. Not one bit. I am thrilled for the opportunity! Not only am I sharing my time, talents, and treasure with our parish-affiliated school, it gets my name out there as someone who monograms as a hobby. And, truthfully, there is a small ego trip about crafting an item that someone wants to give as a gift.

dodging bullets

Today we were graced with the presence of a sweet little three year old who came for a play date. She is so adorable and looks just like a very young Julie Andrews. With a smile like a kewpie doll and a sweet disposition, she is one of my favorite little people (other than my own, of course!!). Ennyhoo, so, my friend, Nanny McPhee, was getting ready to take her to "bala-lay" class and gets her all dolled up in the complete bala-lay ensemble: tights, black leotard, and black, gossamer-like skirt. We make a big ordeal over how adorable she looks. Then I pull her hair into the ever appropriate "bala-lay-do" and off she skips with Nanny McPhee to the car....er... to her chariot.
So, pan the camera to my green-with-envy three year old who is also suffering from a major case of I-need-a-serious-napitis. He is like a Looney Tune character as I see the look of "oh, yeah, that's a good idea" run across his face and *whoosh* off he darts upstairs. A couple of minutes later, he comes downstairs just crushed, crying, then screaming, "Mamma, help me find a ballet, I mean, bala-lay outfit."
For nearly 20 minutes he hoots and hollers about how he wants to go to bala-lay and how I need to find him an outfit like his friend's. At one point, the pressure was so intense, that my hand, no doubt haunted by the spirit of Billy Elliot, started to reach for the phone to call and see if they took 3-year old all-boy dancers in cowboy boots. Then the thought of my son in tights snapped me back into reality and I very carefully started weaving a white lie: "Well honey, actually, bala-lay class is only for girls, there aren't really boys in her class. But if you want, I can show you some bala-lay or the next time your friend is over, we can ask her to show you some of her dances."

Satisfied with that answer, Cindy Lou Who, er.. I mean Number 4 toddled off to his bed for naptime. Whew! I dodged the bala-lay bullet and during his naptime, I even got Whoville a little spiffed up.

for those of you "in town"

This will be the second year I have monogrammed stuff for our school's Christmas bazaar. Last year it was scarves. They turned out to be a hot commodity. I enjoyed doing it and it was a small way I could donate some of the three T's.. time, talent, and treasure.

As a teaser for those of you who have shopped the bazaar... not only am I doing the scarves again (in case there is anyone left in the world who doesn't have one), but also, these neat travel coffee mug things. They are so cool. The women who are organizing the sale bought some really neat, fun fabrics, and I am monogramming them with common letters. I have one here as a sample and each piece of fabric I finish, I pop into the mug and put the lid on to get the full effect. Very cool.

If you want to get an idea of what I am talking about, google "monogrammed coffee mugs". Ours won't be nearly as expensive. Sadly, there is a limited quantity.

dork

This morning, King had to go out of town right after he took the kids to school. I usually try to get to Curves 3x a week (M,W, F) by 7 a.m. to be home by 7:40 so that he can get the children out of the door to school. Half the time he stops back by the house to do a little more on the computer (a.k.a. drink a pot of coffee) so I am able to get a quick shower.
So, this morning my option was Curves with no shower afterward (PU!!), or shower only. I opted to bathe.
Whilst in said shower, I was thinking about the million and one things to do today. Got out, blow-dried hair.
"Hrm... must need another haircut, my hair is not doing what I am trying to make it do."
After I get downstairs, it seems as though my hair is getting "heavier" by the minute. What in the world?!?!?
DUH! I forgot to shampoo it.

something shiny

Though you can't tell by my last few emails, I am the type of person who tries to see good in every situation. "Every cloud has a silver lining" is so true in my book. Even if it is more of just a glimmer, it is still there. In my doom and gloom over the past few days I have searched to find something bright and shiny about the fact that Barack Hussein Obama is our president-elect. Weary from obsessing over the fact that no one seems to care that there is a huge chance that our country could become a communist (at worst) or socialist (at "best") nation, I just had to look at things from a cheerier viewpoint. (Don't believe me? Think of this: Obama, Pelosi, and Reed... there are NO longer checks and balances. The powers-that-be go unchecked.. especially if he gets to appoint people to the Supreme Court.)
When I was watching the massive crowds celebrate "The One" (these are Oprah Winfrey's words, not mine) being chosen, and just after I gagged watching Jesse Jackson's tear-stained cheeks (which he would not wipe, something which drove me to distraction, and which made me even more repulsed because it made it look insincere) I saw that "hope" that each of those people had voted for.
The black Americans in that crowd really do believe in Obama. They may not have a clue as to anything he believes in, but they believe in his ability to lead the nation. I saw a joy that was deeper than just "we won". This led me to realize how much it meant to them that he win. I saw in their joy the need to prove that they can "give birth" to a leader for our United States.
It's no secret that I disagree about him being the right man for the job, but taking my opinion out of the formula, he remains their hope. No matter how flawed their reasoning or how much these voters lack knowledge about their candidate, the fact remains that they are excited about this opportunity.
I just hope that he can live up to their expectations. I hope he makes them proud and doesn't let them down. I hope he really takes this role seriously as so many did before him. (OK, so not Bill Clinton, but prolly the rest of them.) IF he turns out to be good for America, (and not weaken her to the point that she is unrecognizable) and IF he can do more good for race relations (God, please protect him from being assassinated!), then he will set a fairly good precedent.
Though I am mostly skeptical, I must create this bright, shiny facet to focus on over the next four years. My children are depending on me to help them feel safe and secure. Their peace of mind depends on how I cope with what may come. I can't let them down. I am their hope.

stick to the mantra, girl

Despite the fact that my last two posts have been gloomy ones, I also have a firm resolve that no matter what the election outcome, no matter if the worst nightmare from the other night were to come true (insert shudder here), I am soothed by reassuring scripture as well as the fact that God has not abandoned us. We are still His chosen ones, safely under his protection. He will not forsake us.
So, I shall stick to the mantra that always gets me through rough spots, "all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well." St. Julian of Norwich

election day blues

Today is a rather blustery day. King, looking out the window comments, "Man, it's breezy out there."
"Hrmmm," I mumbled, "those are the winds of change."

tormented

ALL night last night I dreamt several vignettes about election day riots, in each our family was in grave danger.

clever clever girl

My mom always comes to visit each of her grandchildren on their birthday. She takes them birthday shopping and then we all go out to dinner. They LOVE the special treatment and extra attention they get.
So, today is number 3's birthday. She is an extremely bright and cheerful girl who loves animals and is an encyclopedia when it comes to animal trivia. I knew the day she was born, 9 years ago now, that she was a very clever girl. When the nurse placed her in my arms and she looked up at me with both eyes and checked me out for the first time, chills literally ran up my spine and I looked up at King and said, "We've just been outsmarted. This one is brilliant." I can't explain how I knew. I just did.
Ennyhoo, back to the present. So "Fluffy" as my kids call her, gets here yesterday and the kids are all over her like ants attacking a picnic. Number three asks if she had any "lip chap" in her purse. Of course she does, she's a grandma, right? So they take a dive into Fluffy's purse.
"What's more fun than a grandmother's purse?" my mom quips laughingly.
Without missing a beat, said birthday girl says, "Her wallet."
Yep. Clever, clever girl.