It's Someone's Special Day...

Hope it's happy and comes with CAKE. LOTS of cake!

Where is Everybody?

Okay, I know you all are busy - Jonna just left for Mexico, Teresa is getting married, Dave & Luby had a baby, etc., but it's been awfully quiet here for a while. So in revenge for having a life and leaving me here by my lonesome you are going to have to hear about the exciting adventures of life in the boondocks.

I survived Black Friday shopping without any scars and got most of my Christmas shopping done. I do not think I will repeat the experience next year. I've done the Martha Stewart thing and sewed them new Christmas stockings. Only one of them ended up with a crooked toe so while I still suck, I am improving somewhat.

A few nights ago when it was in the 20's we went over board and stocked the fire box up not realizing that we were blocking the chimney. When Gary went down in the basement to check on it, the stove pipe was glowing red and it was almost 90 degrees out there. We didn't get carbon monoxide poisoning or burn the house down, but even after spending the next day cleaning and inspecting it for cracks & build up we're still too chicken to use it.

We got done with our annual gingerbread house this morning. Or rather I got tired of the kids arguing over who used too many of the gumballs (both of them!) on their side of the house and who was eating all the candy (again - both of them) and declared it was going to be displayed "as is". They are looking forward to December 26th when they'll be able to eat it. I won't touch it myself. The thought of willfully ingesting any food that's been handled and slobbered on that much is not appetizing at all.

Daniel and Lea Anna are trying to talk me into making Sheba homemade dog biscuits for Christmas. I can get over the fact that I can buy them already made down the street for a couple of bucks since the kids will get a kick out of it, if only it wouldn't involve driving to Timbuktu to find wheat germ.

It's freezing out here so we can't watch the grass grow or the turkeys cross the road. Maybe if I get adventurous I'll take the kids hiking. As soon as I get over the fact that there is no central heat in the great outdoors.

And that's all folks. So what's up with you all?

Snow Jam '07

I've come up with a simple algebraic formula to more accurately predict snowfall in Middle Tennessee - a x b /c = n. Take the amount of inches predicted by your favorite network news meteorologist, multiply it by the number of spastic people in the Kroger milk isle, divide it by the number of even more frantic women searching for shopping carts in the parking lot, and the answer is two. Two as in the seemingly only two snow flakes that actually fell. Sound like Atlanta to Y'all? Sorry you didn't get a snow day out of it Daniel - I didn't either! Well, we are out of trashbags and they are predicting snow again tonight. Gary's turn to go shopping!

Shopping for Siblings

Lea Anna asked me to go to the store and buy her some Brothers and Sisters so She could have lots of kids to play with. I tried to explain to her in 3 yr old terms where babies come from and why you can not just go to the store and buy a baby, but She still has this idea stuck in her head that I can just pick one up at the store. I think this all stems from a conversation during a tantrum she had months ago when she screamed that She's not my girl anymore and my reply was something to the effect of if you don't want me anymore I'll just have to go to Big Lots and buy another little girl - I hear they have a sale on them in aisle 5. I am going to have to find a play group or something for her soon. This is not a closed subject with Her.

Merry Christmas to All

We had a visit from Santa (my nephew-in-law Robert in a very good costume) tonight. Lea Anna was scared at first, and buried her head under a blanket until he pulled out a present for her. She sure hopped up on his lap awfully quick then! I suppose little Miss Priss is finally over her Santa phobia. He also chatted with Daniel and told him "You were on my naughty list a few times". I could barely keep myself from falling down laughing. Daniel still got a present though, as He was "not on the naughty list tonight". So anyway, the kids promised they would be in bed at 8:30 so he can come back and deliver the rest of the presents and that they would leave milk & cookies for Santa and some food for his reindeer. I have plenty of milk, but I really don't feel like baking cookies right now. Perhaps I can interest them in a batch of Chicken in a Biscuit crackers or some cappuccino jelly bellies?

Merry Christmas Y'all!

No Fiestasmas for Us :(

As it turns out, our on-again-off again New Years plans have been scrubbed for good. Jazzmin's plane is leaving an hour (and a day) earlier than I thought so there's just no way we'll make it back to the airport in time. I'll miss you all and I hope you'll have a margarita or two for me.