Winner!

I won the lottery today! yes I did..

a whole whopping $55.40 Yay me!

It will be put towards this

Adam is taking me away for my birthday! Two romantic nights at a fancy hotel, dinner and maybe even to the theatre!

Not a bad way to start off the new year eh?

I almost forgot!!

Four years ago... I was 6 months pregnant with Megan
Four years ago... I had an almost 3 year old boy
Four years ago... I had very little sleep
Four years ago... I started this blog


Happy 4th Blogiversary to me!

Merry Christmas from our home to yours

You see this!!

Yes... that... the GREEN!! Someone please please please make it turn to blue!!!

I don't want all this rain to melt all my snow! TOMORROW IS CHRISTMAS EVE!!!

UPDATED!!!

THANK YOU!!!

To who ever did this

THANKS so MUCH!! it's now snowing like CRAZY out there! woo hoo I get a white Christmas!

My alarm didn't go off this morning. It's a miracle that I got up in enough time to get the little man off to school. I didn't even get dressed. Just threw on my coat. And without bothering to put socks on just popped on my boots. But he's there... on time... for his last day of school. When I got home Megan was trying to get into the chocolates I have out on the microwave. As I was getting her some eggs because I'm a horrible mother who won't let her child eat chocolate for breakfast, I smashed my thumb on the cupboard door. Right on the corner by my cuticle and it's like torture to even type this! What I really should be doing is cleaning right now. We have company coming tomorrow and my house looks as if a bomb went off. Yet I sit here in my p.j's and drink my coffee and enjoy the fact that Megan is sitting quietly eating her breakfast and watching TV. After school today we're bringing the kids to see Santa at the mall. Then by the time we get home it will be dinner time and then Adam will have to go to work. I found on the kitchen table this morning his "Christmas Bonus" from work. $50.00 for the mall. A mall that has pretty much no stores of interest in it. Maybe he'll use it to buy me a Christmas present from Cotton Ginny. If they even still have a Cotton Ginny. I wouldn't know because we have not been to that mall in years! Or maybe there is a store to buy camera's there and we can use it to put towards that. Our camera is seriously on the fritz. It takes pictures only if it feels like it, it shoots a flash at you so blinding that you'd think you'd been hit by lightning, and it doesn't keep the pictures you take in order.

There are two little birds sitting in the lilac bush outside my window. So cute and fluffy and shivering. Yet they sit there and have not moved in at least 20 minutes. The sun is glistening off the snow. It's suppose to rain in the next day or so. I hope it doesn't rain too much that it melts our 6 or so inches of snow. Christmas is in 4 days!!

Can I just tell you

First how proud of my son I am...

Here he is in his school play as Joseph

and second...

JUST HOW MUCH MY CAMERA SUCKS!!!!
Those are the two best pictures I got. And they SUCK! They're totally blurry!

AND...

This rain is melting MY SNOW!!!!

Grrrrrrr

I took some pictures today...

It's snowing

Yep it is :) A LOT!

I'm smack dab in the middle of a snow storm and I am LOVING IT! We're getting about 15-20cm (5.9-7.9 inches) if not more of snow! YAY

Now... only if it can stick around till Christmas I'll be one very happy girl

I've got a lot accomplished in the past two days. The kids went on a sleep over at Grandma and Grandpas. So I got ALL their presents bought, wrapped and hidden. Stayed up until 5am doing it but it got done! Then yesterday we had a very fun visit with our friend Cath and her girls. Exchanged presents and had a very yummy dinner made by my mother in law. She is the best I tell ya. The kids had a great time and played so well together. They haven't seen each other in 2 years yet they played like it was yesterday. So nice. Then after she left, Adam and I did more shopping and got a few more people marked off our list. When we came out of the store the snow had started. And by the time we were heading home the roads started getting bad. I kept thinking. Why didn't I take the kids home so that mom and dad didn't have to drive in the storm that's heading overnight and tomorrow? But they should be fine. Grandpa's got snow tires :) Can't tell you how much I'd love a set of those!

So this morning I got to sleep in until 10am. And I'm going to start some more wrapping and enjoy sitting there watching the snow come down. After you know where you can find me! Out playing shoveling the snow.

Dear Santa letter...

A friend of mine sent this to me... I just had to share.

Dear Santa,

I've been a good mom all year. I've fed, cleaned and cuddled my children on demand, visited their doctor's office more than my doctor, sold sixty-two cases of candy bars to raise money to plant a shade tree on the school playground. I was hoping you could spread my list out over several Christmases, since I had to write this letter with my son's red crayon, on the back of a receipt in the laundry room between cycles, and who knows when I'll find anymore free time in the next 18 years.

Here are my Christmas wishes:

I'd like a pair of legs that don't ache (in any color, except purple, which I already have) and arms that don't hurt or flap in the breeze; but are strong enough to pull my screaming child out of the candy aisle in the grocery store.

I'd also like a waist, since I lost mine somewhere in the seventh month of my last pregnancy.

If you're hauling big ticket items this year I'd like Fingerprint Resistant window
A radio that only plays adult music
A television that doesn't broadcast any programs containing talking animals
A refrigerator with a secret compartment behind the crisper where I can hide to talk on the phone.

On the practical side, I could use a talking doll that says, 'Yes, Mommy' to boost my parental confidence.

Two kids who don't fight.

Three pairs of jeans that will zip all the way up without the use of power tools.

I could al so use a recording of Tibetan monks chanting 'Don't eat in the living room' and 'Take your hands off your brother,' because my voice seems to be just out of my children's hearing range and can only be heard by the dog.

If it's too late to find any of these products, I'd settle for enough time to brush my teeth and comb my hair in the same morning.

The luxury of eating food warmer than room temperature without it being served in a Styrofoam container.

If you don't mind, I could also use a few Christmas miracles to brighten the holiday season. Would it be too much trouble to declare ketchup a vegetable? It will clear my conscience immensely.

It would be helpful if you could coerce my children to help around the house without demanding payment as if they were the bosses of an organized crime family.

Well, Santa, the buzzer on the dryer is ringing and my son saw my feet under the laundry room door. I think he wants his crayon back.

Have a safe trip and remember to leave your wet boots by the door and come in and dry off so you don't catch cold. Help yourself to cookies on the table but don't eat too many or leave crumbs on the carpet.

Yours Alw ays,

MOM

P.S. One more thing...you can cancel all my requests if you can keep my children young enough to believe in Santa.

Don't ask me...

" What do you want for Christmas"
To me that says " I don't want to spend the time thinking about you and shopping for you". A gift should be something that you want to give the person. Something that says... " I thought of you" something from the heart. Because that's what matters isn't it? We all learn from a very young age that " it's the thought that counts" so why every year come the holidays, do I hear. " what do you want for Christmas" " what do you want for your birthday" and my answer is always " what do you think I want" .... however if there is something I'd really really like to have I might say " ooooohhh you know what I'd really like is a ____"

When I go shopping, and this isn't even with an intended purpose like Christmas. As I'm browsing around things always catch my eye. "Oh cool... Adam would really like that" It takes effort to get to know someone. And if you're going to go out and pick up just anything off the shelf, then why bother wasting your money? " oh look a new kids on the block sweater.. I'll pick that up for Jen" there ..check her name off the list.

Now I'm not saying that I'm the best gift giver there is. I'm not saying I always know what the perfect gift is for someone. I'm just saying I do put some thought into it. Whether I'm even close I could not say. Today I wrote to someone asking them to tell me all they could about someone else whichI do want to buy for this Christmas. You see, I've only met this person once. And I've not heard much about her either. So instead of me just going out and buying just anything.. I thought it would be better if I ask about her. Try and get some ideas of what kind of person she is, what sort of things she's interested in. Maybe that's the same thing as " what do you want for Christmas" I dunno.

Oh and don't even get me started on how I choose which card to buy! If you've ever been shopping with me to buy a card... you KNOW I don't just pick up the first one I see.

Get elfed :)

I elfed myself hehe and the kids and Adam too :) Click Here

Friday Saturday Sunday and Monday

Friday:
Drop Connor off at school even though he complained the entire time about being tired. An hour and a half later go back to the school after getting a phone call that Connor had vomitted. Put him in his jammies, set the TV to his station and pray that he would not get sick again. Sit around and snuggle, play on the computer. Call to cancel our plans with cousins. Make dinner and not too long after put kids to bed. Go next door at 11pm and help friend bake an apple crisp.

Saturday: Woke up, made coffee, played on the computer, had a shower, played on the computer, watched TV, played on the computer

Sunday: Woke up, made coffee, played on the computer, had a visit from my Grandmother and Aunt. Made lunch, played on the computer. Got dressed. Made dinner. Went to Christmas concert at cousins church. Came home, put kids to bed, had popcorn, played on the computer, went to bed. Monday: Woke up at 2am went to the bathroom, woke up at 3:30am to my Nanny calling my name, Run upstairs to help Connor in the bathroom, tuck him back into bed, go back to bed can't fall asleep. Up again not long after to Connor calling me for help. Help him in the bathroom give him some Kaopectate and tuck him in on the couch, give him some water and climb back into bed. Wake up at 7:00am to Connor calling for help again. Nudge Adam tell him it's his turn. He gets up manages to make Megan cry and Connor cry and I get out of bed. Make coffee get Megan breakfast, play on the computer.

I think I'm going to go to bed early tonight!

Birthday Wishes

What have I done?

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said “I love you” and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb (I fed one)
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and didn’t care who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken- my kids count right?
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Gotten flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children (in the process)
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. Passed out cold
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery, twice
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating (do fish count?)
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life

Let’s read about the things you have done - leave you name in the comments if you also gonna do this one!

Just wondering...

What is Christmas like at your house?
What are your traditions? Do you have traditions? What do you eat, how do you give gifts, who do you give gifts to? and why? Are all these things you do because you are expected to, or is it you really want to do them?

Christmas at my house:

Putting up the tree in November as soon as I start to feel "christmassy"
We decorate the tree and the house the four of us while we listen to Christmas music

We buy gifts (because we want to) for my mom, my brother & sister-in law, my dad, Adam's Mom, Dad, two brothers and girlfriend(s), Adam, Me, and our kids, my grandparents, friends if we're exchanging gifts, and a $10.00 gift each to play at my family's Christmas.
Christmas Eve we spend with Adam's family. We have dinner, exchange gifts, and enjoy each others company talking, laughing, playing games.. whatever It's all very nice and relaxed and very enjoyable. Then we come home, give the kids their ornament to open and then put the kids to bed, and wait for Santa ;) Christmas Day...we wake up ( I usually wake up first and then can't wait to wake everyone else up) we open gifts the four of us on our living room floor. Then we go upstairs and open presents with my Mom and Nanny and Papa. My brother is suppose to be there too, but he and his wife sometimes don't make it. Then we usually go and visit my other grandparents ( dads family) We have brunch which consists of bagels, sausage, bacon, some sort of egg dish, and scrambled eggs, shrimp, chocolates, buns, orange juice, wine or champagne who knows I don't drink it. then we exchange gifts talk a bit and then go. It's nice but it's not all warm and fuzzy. Then we come home and put away, clean up, play with, look at whatever we got. Then we get ready for the big dinner. Turkey, stuffing, potatoes, turnip, corn, buns, Cole slaw, cranberries, wine. We sit at a table that stretches from one end of the room to the other end of another room, we jam 26 give or take a few people in for dinner, some clean up, some order others to clean up, we have a dessert of some sort then have a $10.00 gift exchange and the kids open gifts. * this year the kids are also doing a gift exchange* there is a lot of commotion, it's very loud, it gets hot being in a room with so many bodies, you have a group of smokers standing at the patio door, and you have some people in the living room talking about who knows what, the conversations get louder and louder, there's eyes rolling here and there (mostly mine) the kids 6 sometimes seven under the age of 7 and an older one that goes along with them running up and down the stairs screaming playing, you have conversations flying all over getting louder and louder, there's bound to be tears from this kid or that and the evening goes on and then they all go home. Try and get the kids to bed, try and tidy up as much as you can.
the end.

Sure there's lots I'd like to see different and there's stuff I wouldn't change for anything.

A meme for December 1st

What kind of soap is in your bathtub right now? Well I don't have a bathtub, but there's ivory in my shower

Do you have any watermelon in your refrigerator? No

What would you change about your living room? I'd make it a lot bigger if I could. I'm sort of limited when it comes to switching furniture around.

Are the dishes in your dishwasher clean or dirty? I have no clue as I heard Adam putting the clean dishes away last night, and so if I had to guess it's either empty or has a few dirty dishes in it.

What is in your fridge?


White or wheat bread? Wheat

What is on top of your refrigerator? A wooden Christmas tree that I built in high school, a lamp I'm trying to get rid of, a lot of papers that shouldn't be there a singing Santa Claus, and who knows what else.

What color or design is on your shower curtain? I don't have a shower curtain.. it's just doors

How many plants are in your home? Live? NONE. Does a fake Christmas tree count?

Is your bed made right now? No I never make my bed. Plus Adam just got out of it

Comet or Soft Scrub? Comet with Bleach!

Is your closet organized? Not a chance in hell

Can you describe your flashlight? I have a few small silver Smirnoff ice ones somewhere

Do you drink out of glass or plastic most of the time at home? Glass the kids drink out of plastic

Do you have iced tea made in a pitcher right now? No, but strangely enough I was thinking of having some the other day. It's just not a winter drink ya know? It's snowing right now.

If you have a garage, is it cluttered? No garage. Two sheds though. One is neat the other is sorta cluttered

Curtains or blinds? Both, although I'm in search of new living room/kitchen curtains

How many pillows do you sleep with? Four until Adam comes home then I guess he needs his two.

Do you sleep with any lights on at night? Well the light from the VCR is there and the light from the alarm clock, there is a night light in the laundry room and a nightlight in the bathroom.

How often do you vacuum? Pretty much never since someone else does it.

Standard toothbrush or electric? Standard. But I like an electric one

What color is your toothbrush? Toothbrushes, light green and white

Do you have a welcome mat on your front porch? We do actually, it's an old man and woman and very faded.

What is in your oven right now? A few racks, a frying pan, and a griddle

Is there anything under your bed? Not sure.

Chore you hate doing the most? cleaning the damn toilet

What retro items are in your home? an extensive collection of music

Do you have a separate room that you use as an office? Ha. Um, no.

How many mirrors are in your home? In my apartment there are three

Jenny accidentally deleted this question...so I can not do it either...

What color are your walls? Living room is a clay colour, the kitchen is dark garnet, my bedroom is a light tan, and the bathroom is a dark blue

Do you keep any kind of protection weapons in your home? We have quite a few yes

What does your home smell like right now? Plaster,coffee,smoke.. not nice.

Favorite candle scent? too many to list

What kind of pickles (if any) are in your refrigerator right now? No pickles do olives or relish count?

What color is your favorite Bible? Huh?

Ever been on your roof? No not this house.

Do you own a stereo? yes three actually. One is not working though

How many TVs do you have? One in the living room and one in the bedroom. there are 8 total in the entire house though.

How many house phones? I have four

Do you have a housekeeper? Sure, I do three actually. Adam, Megan and Connor ;)

What style do you decorate in? Whatever I like.

Do you like solid colors in furniture or prints? Solid, although my couch is a pattern

Is there a smoke detector in your home? six or seven I think.

In case of fire, what are the items in your house which you’d grab if you only could make one quick trip? We'll just assume the kids, husband and mom and grandparents are already safe. Then I'd grab the photo albums and baby books

that was fun wasn't it? I won't tag anyone, but if you do it let me know so I can come see.

I'm off to go shopping now. First I need to scrape the car off. It's snowing like crazy out there :)