Christmas 2009

Merry Christmas!!!

Before I start telling you about our Christmas I have to tell you about our Christmas eve. It was typical, for the most part. We just hung around the house. After dinner we baked cookies for Santa and then snuggled in to watch a Christmas show we had DVR'd. (DVRd? DVRed? Recorded on our Digital Recording Device?) Anyways, we were sitting on the couch in the living room when we hear someone yelling out front. I figured it was the idiots next door or something. Larry got up and looked out the window. When he comes back he says "There are cops outside with assault rifles."

What!?! So of course I have to take a look. And sure enough, there are cops EVERYWHERE around our house. Like 10 cop cars and cops all over the place. Two cops were taking cover behind our van, one had an assault rifle drawn and he was the one who was yelling directions at someone I couldn't see. So I went upstairs to get a better look. By the time I got up there they had cuffed the guy and had him sitting on the electrical box in our side yard. His shirt was all torn off, it was a Tshirt and all that remained of it was the collar. Maybe one sleeve was left, I can't remember exactly.

When I get back downstairs Larry is on the phone with someone. I assume it to be his mom and I'm wondering if we are on the news. Is this the end of a high speed chase or something? But it turns out to be our neighbor from across the street calling to see if we are ok and if we know anything. We don't.

So, who in our neighborhood could have caused such a ruckus? Was it the idiots? Nope. Was it the dish guy? Nope. It was a perfectly nice family who has several perfectly nice boys, two of which come to our bus stop and never give me a lick of trouble. Weird. I can't wait to find out the story. I do know the cops have been over to their house several times before but I didn't think anything of it. I mean, I've had the cops at my house plenty recently and we aren't suspicious.

But anyways... with drama over we moved on with the business of Christmas. Last year I made a list of everything I got and I was surprised how long it was once it was all laid out. So I said I was going to do that every year from then on... so here we go, in no particular order.

The Body Bugg (Google it)
4 necklaces
Pajamas
Dexter seasons 2 and 3
The Christmas Sweater by Glenn Beck
Would You Rather board game
Calendar
Kitchen Radio
Homemade Ice Cream Maker
Desperate Housewives season 5
A little organizer set with to do lists and post it's and what-not
Big post its and pens
CD with Christmas songs
Earrings
Costco Gift Card
Blue Ray Player (shared with Larry)

Pretty cool. What did you get?

Polar Express

Yesterday, we got home from our trip to the North Pole. It was so fun. The train leaves from Williams, up near the Grand Canyon. I was hoping it would snow big fat flakes that stick to everything and make good snowballs. I got my wish.

It's a three hour drive from our house to the hotel. We had driven for 2 hours and 50 minutes when we hit a wall of blizzard. It took almost 2 hours to drive the last 9.5 miles. That's 5 miles an hour for those of you who are doing the math. It was total white out. Couldn't even see the trees on the sides of the road. It was crazy. We had left early so even with the two hour delay we had plenty of time to settle in before our train ride.

The hotel had a big fire and cozy couches set up. Big windows looked out over what is probably the lawn in the summer time... but it had been transformed into a winter wonderland. Christmas lights everywhere and all the trees were weighted down under the fresh snow. Someone had just finished a snowman that had a carrot nose and tomatoes for eyes. It was awesome.

They closed all the roads not long after we arrived so we felt pretty lucky to have gotten in. We were snowed in! I was loving it. The train left right from the hotel so we didn't have to drive anywhere. We just played in the snow and warmed up by the fire.

The train ride itself was really cool. They served hot chocolate and cookies made by Mrs. Clause herself. When we got to the North Pole Santa came on board and gave all the kids a bell. Then on the way back to the hotel we sang Christmas songs. It was so fun. The kids loved it.

It just kept right on snowing the whole time we were there. The news was saying that Williams got 15 inches while we were there. But the roads were open when we got up and by the time we were getting on the road the sun was out and the roads were fine.

Perfect.

4

4 days til Christmas!!!

Our tree looks awesome. We actually did it this year and didn't go CRAZY with the gifts. We always say we will get the kids fewer, but more expensive, gifts. You know... one $50 dollar gift rather than 5 $10 gifts. But I always start to get the thought that they won't have enough presents to open. That Christmas is more fun when you have more gifts. Is that true? I don't know, but every year I'm a little stunned at the sheer number of presents under the tree. And then when I add the Santa gifts and it's just plain ridiculous.

This year we did much better. Two things helped me keep it under control. First I kept a written list of what we were planning on getting each kid. Seeing it all laid out in one place helped see what they really have. And secondly I wrapped everything right away. That helped keep a visual of how many presents were really under the tree. No back of the closet surprises this year.

Worms

Today I dug a bag of worms out of the trash and kept it in my kitchen for several hours. On purpose. Why?

It started last night. We went out to get pizza last night and as we were waiting for the food to arrive Maddy mentioned that she has worms in her backpack.

Apparently they "grew" worms in dirt at school. She assured us that it's ok because they are in a zip lock bag.

"But you can't leave live animals in a plastic bag, they will die."
"I poked holes in it."
"But the worms could crawl out through the holes."
"No, the holes are at the top."
"But I'm sure your backpack is laying any ole' which way right now. And probably went in every direction on the way home from school."

So worms in her backpack in an unknown state.

When I got up this morning there was a brown paper bag with "Madison's worms" written on it with black marker. A peek inside revealed a ziplock bag (with holes poked in it at the top) filled with dirt and, I assumed, a worm or two. I told her that if she wants to set the worms free she better do it.

But after I came in from putting her on the bus I found the bag still sitting on the counter. So I just took the whole thing and put it in the trash.

But by lunch I was actually feeling bad. She is sentimental and if she thinks I killed her worms she will probably be upset. I took the bag out of the trash and put it back on the counter so she could "set them free" when she got home for school.

Cause that's the kind of mom I am.

Take a drink everytime I say "resolution"

It's getting to that time of year again. New Year's Resolution time!

First lets take a look back at last year's resolutions and see we did.

My 2009 resolutions were:
1. To be more stylish (not measurable, but I would say met.)
2. To make $5,000 through diversifying my income (met)
3. Paint a room (met)

I did a mid year review of my resolutions back in June. I'm pretty much is the same boat as I was then except that I painted Connor's room over Thanksgiving weekend. In June I had only painted the office, and I really didn't feel like that counted. But now I have an actual room in the house painted. So met. I'm very proud to have met all of last year's resolutions.

So looking ahead to the end of 2010. Connor will be almost 5. Maddy will be 9 and in 3rd grade. Wow and wow.

My 2010 resolutions are:
1. Get my associates degree: I'm on track for this. 4 more classes at two classes per semester = one year.
2. Pay off non mortgage debt and not take on any new debt: This should happen if everything goes to plan. I think the not taking on new debt will be the hardest part.
3. Get my hair done at least 3 times: Yes, 3 times a YEAR. What can I say? I'm not a typical girl.
4. Do something together as a family at least once a month: I know this is kinda sad to have to plan this. But it's actually hard since Maddy is gone for half the weekends. And by something I mean like, go to the movies, or play a game. Something where we are all having the same experience at the same time. Ha, easier said than done! Our excuse in the past has always been that Connor is too little. But we can't really use that one anymore since he's going to be 4 in like 6 weeks.

I tried to make them more measurable than last years. #4 is the first time I've made a resolution that requires a monthly action. So we'll see how that goes. I want to keep up my winning streak, so I'll do my best.

Done!

The semester is officially over!! Wohoo. I took my final today and with that the semester came to a close. This semester was the craziest so far and there were times I really didn't think I was going to make it though. But here we are... across the finish line. Phew!

So I haven't posted in a while and I'm sorry. But I'm excited to get back to it cause I've missed regular posting. I think of things I want to tell you about and then by the time I actually get to sit down for a second 10 other things have happened and yet I can't think of one thing to say other than complain about the speed of life.

But here are a few things that I wanted to say... real quick and then we will be up to speed.

On Thanksgiving I painted Connor's room. It was a little sad at first, but I LOVE it now. It was the right choice. I spend a few minutes mourning the loss of the nursery paint, but now it looks like a real, put together, little boys room. I realize now that his room looked kinda like Uncle Jesse's room from Full House. The rocker guy in the room with pink bunnies. Everything about Connor's room was little boy except this babyish paint. You can't really tell from the pic but it's Patriots colors. (I feel like I've already mentioned this... see I'm totally going crazy... but either way, I know I didn't post pics.)

The other thing I wanted to tell you is that we went to see the Imagination Movers a few weeks ago. So fun. I was actually surprised at how good the show was. If you dont' know who they are... and unless you have a Disney obsessed preschooler you probably don't... the Imagination Movers are a kid's band that has a show on Disney. They live in the Idea Warehouse and solve "idea emergencies". Its a cute show, but it's a kids show and while I knew Connor would love to see them live, I wasn't personally looking forward to it. (Other than getting to be outside at night, which is a whole other post.) I described them to a friend as "the new Wiggles". But I was wrong... oh so wrong. To call them the new Wiggles is an insult. Because unlike the Wiggles, the Imagination Movers actually have musical talent. It was a good time.

Ok, that's it.

Lost

The other day Larry stayed home from work. I asked him to take Connor to go get his hair cut while I went and ran some other errands.

I went to Walmart. It felt very strange to be out without kids. Larry off with Connor and me all by myself. I was surprised how quickly I was able to get stuff done. Crazy. So I walk out of Walmart in record time and I realize I don't know where I parked. I went down an aisle that seemed like where I parked but I didn't see the van. I try to think back to when I pulled in. I remembered that I didn't come in my regular entrance to the parking lot. I remembered that I parked pretty close because I was surprised how not busy Walmart was.

I saw a van that kinda looked like mine parked a few rows over. I go over there and it's not it. The spaces are slanted and I remember parking in a space facing the store and on the right of the row.

Ok, so that narrows it down. Only half the rows slant towards the store, and I know I parked on the right, and only 3 or 4 spaces in. That leaves maybe 10 total spaces in the whole parking lot that I could have parked in. So I decided to just walk the whole lenght of the parking lot and I HAVE to find it, right. So I start walking. After about 3 rows I get to where I really think I parked. I'm just sure I parked right THERE! But the van is not there. Instead there is a car that, actually... now that I'm looking at it... looks just like Larry's car.

Duh... Larry's car.

I'm an idiot.