SANTA CLAUSE

Well, it is that time of year again!!! Almost Christmas!! Yippee! (well maybe)



I have found out that Christmas was so much more fun as a kid. Anybody know what I mean?



All kids have to worry about is if they get what they asked for from Santa and well the parents have countless things to worry about like......



What am I going to cook for the 1,2,-10 places we have to go for Christmas.



Go grocery shopping the whole month of December for things you have to cook. (and still forget some ingredients and realize it on Christmas day when the store is closed)



Have I remembered to get everyone a gift that is on my list? (oh, how embarrassing that is to forget)



Playing Santa Clause.



Don't buy too much for the kids or they will be spoiled but don't buy too little or they will be disappointed.



Shopping and shopping for things that are on the kids list.(even though they won't play with it after Christmas)

Who is going to be mad at who this Christmas.

Having to go to family gatherings and talk to people you only see once a year and act like you are the happiest person ever and have the most perfect life. (I don't do that! :))



Fighting with your husband because he just don't understand what we as women go through during the holidays. All he thinks has to be done is just get ready and go 10 minutes before time to be there. I told him a couple of weeks ago that this year I was not going to be a scrooge. I told him in so many words that it is his fault that I am a big _ _ _ _ _ during the holidays. If I didn't have to tell him when to get ready,to turn that dern TV off so he can acknowledge that I am speaking, to help dress the two kids we made together,to not wash the car as we are walking out the door or any other thing that has needed to be done for weeks. ( he does that all the time, when we have somewhere to be is when he decides to do something.) That kills me. OK, enough already. I didn't mean for this blog to be bash husband day. LOL



It may just be me but the holidays can be really stressful. I have told myself, this year I am going to be better and not let things get to me. We'll see.



Back to Santa Clause..... This year we are really into playing Santa Clause up. With girls 5 and 2 they are really believing and wishing hard. Alayna has already wrote 3 letters to Santa. Because she will not sit in Santas lap. She was so excited this year because she knows how to write and does not have to go see Santa. She thinks she can write as many as she wants because her daddy delivers the mail and can send it straight to Santa. She is finding new stuff everyday she wants and will ask if she can write Santa another letter. I say sure, its not too late. Dwayne is loving it because he is having to find somewhere to hide the letters.


Santa Clause has really paid off when it comes to Aubree. She has been doing #1 in the potty for a long time but when it comes to #2 she would still want to go in a pull up. (why I don't know)
She was up at her Maw Maw's one day and she told her that if she would do #2 in the potty that Santa would bring her a baby doll. So, I kept it going at home and it has worked. It has been 3 weeks and she is still pull up free. A little bribery is not so bad!

I have always believed that Christmas is not about giving gifts and I try not to get caught up in all the "gotta give the best gift thing". After all it is Jesus' s Birthday!!!!
Giving gifts can turn into something Christmas is not even about. It can be so stressful that you can't even enjoy spending time with people you love.
My goal this year is to do everything I do out of true genuine love from my heart and not just because it is the thing to do.

I know, I sound like I don't enjoy Christmas. I really do. I love for it to come and I am glad when it is gone.

Oh and I must say..... Merry Christmas!!!! LOL (I do mean it)

Peppermint Bark

What are your favorite goodies around the holidays????
MINE IS GHIRARDELLI PEPPERMINT BARK. YUMMY!!!

If you have not tried it, YOU MUST. It only comes out around Christmas so you must stock up!


Thanksgiving is next week and Christmas is just around the corner and I have been thinking about what I am going to cook.
If you are like me, every year I want to make something new to carry to get togethers. (I get tired of the same old thing)

The angels are fixing up goodies to put in baskets for the elderly and I was racking my brain.
Then..... my good friend Amy sent me this email of all kinds of recipes. The website is www.northpole.com . Thought I would pass it along so you all could enjoy it too.

fphoto friday

Don't we all have memories of playing in leaves:)

This is a tree in my mom's backyard. Isn't it breath taking!

10 year Reunion

I know, I know, I am not old enough to have been out of school 10 years but next year it will be here.

Several of us are trying to plan a 10 year reunion and want it to be a good one, since we didn't have 5 year reunion.

Any ideas please let me know! I am up for anything. As far as, how to decorate, where to have it, and anything I wouldn't know as a first timer.

Thanks

I think I am addicted.

TO EBAY!!!!!!!!!!

YALL, MY GOAL IS THAT EBAY IS GONNA BUY ME SOME HARDWOOD FLOORS FOR THE GIRLS BEDROOMS. (lets all keep your fingers crossed)

I have this new found passion for ebaying all my yard sale stuff that is just sitting up stairs getting dusty.
I have always wondered about ebaying stuff but never took the time to actually do it.
I actually failed the first couple of times because my stuff did not sell, I was bummed and gave up for a while. Now, I guess I am gettin' good!

A couple of months ago is when i really got addicted. I put a Gap wool skirt on there that I had had at least 6 years that sold for $20.50 not counting shipping. I thought I was rich!! Right then and there I decided everything in my attic was gonna be on eBay. (not really)

So, anybody that needs some extra cash, now you know my secret... EBay. You can do it too.

Since, I am married to Dave Ramsey himself I had to find my own way to save up for some hardwood floors, that would never be in our budget.

If you have seen our carpet you would be donating to my fund!

Carpet and kids just don't' mix!!
I was stupid enough to put hardwood everywhere except the bedrooms when we built thinking.... ohhh, I don't want the kids to have to play on a hard surface or them to fall off and hit there head. (they will survive) My carpet didn't.

Thanks to Aubree not going to the bathroom to do #2 for almost a week really did it for the carpet.
Well, it was the first time I had ever given my kid Mira lax and was not sure how it would affect her.

I think she went 2 days straight and since she was potty training and had panties on, most of the #2 ended up on the carpet. Now, of all places in the house, why couldn't she just poop on the hardwood.
I actually showed her.... see, hardwood....carpet, if you can't control it use it on the hardwood not the carpet. Poor thing, those big brown eyes just looking at me like I am crazy. Like she wanted her beige carpet to be brown. (forever)
I think by the end of the week she had stained every carpet we have.
I KNOW, YALL ARE ALL THINKING.... I AM NEVER GOING TO HER HOUSE OR STEP FOOT ON HER CARPET!!!

I promise it has been cleaned numerous of times but it does no good. I refuse to give anymore money to the so called professionals. THE STAINS ALWAYS COME BACK!

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO DONATE TO THE H.C. CARPET FUND!

Whoo Hooo! A Federal Holiday.

Is anyone looking forward to Veteran's Day like I am.?????

Yes, I do love and respect all Veterans but my love for this day is for something else this year.

DWAYNE GETS A DAY OFF!!!!!!!!!!!

I know, you all must be thinking I'm nuts to want a day off with Dwayne so bad but......

It's been a year.

This month is one year that he has been working 6 days a week at the P.O. That means he has only had Sundays off and Federal holidays which, is far and few in between. If he is sick throwing up or got a broke leg he would still have to be there. (no kidding) Nobody knows his route besides him. Ya know, rain, sleet, snow, or hell the mail must go.

I don't want to sound like I am downing his job by no means but hey after a year...... somethings gotta give.

All I am asking for is a weekend with all four of us in the smokies. Is that too much to ask???

What I really want is a week at the beach or Disney World but I don't want to ask for too much right now! Maybe next year!

I have been dealing good most of the year and looking at it as a blessing while enjoying the extra money but now I am loosing it.

Especially, with the holidays coming up. I would like to have him around a little bit more.

Although, I know what will happen.... He will be home 2 days in a row and I will be ready for him to go back to work. LOL

Voting with the poots!

OHHHH, HOW AUBREE CAN MAKE MY FACE TURN 3 SHADES OF RED!!!

So, I tell Aubree early this morning that we needed to get ready so we can go vote. She didn't forget. All day she said, you ready go vote. I think she was more excited than I was.
So, after her nap we go and vote. She is always a hit at the town hall. Everyone just loves to talk to her and tell her how cute she is. She likes to play the shy game and lay her head on me like she is soooo Innocent. (yah, we all know the truth)

We take our ballot to the back room where there is two other men (one happened to be my neighbor and one of Alayna's bff's dad). The other I didn't know and hope to never see again :).

I have Aubree in my lap trying to make sure I mark the right circle when I feel/hear her roll one off.

I thought for a minute, surely that wasn't her...... well, yah I just felt it on my leg. So, I say well Aubree, excuse you. While R. says Holly excuse you! I am trying to get myself under control and say out loud, Aubree your dad is gonna be so proud. Those men laughed and agreed.
I don't know who I voted for after that. I was just trying to get out of there and get finished without losing it.

I DID GET THE PRESIDENT RIGHT BEFORE I LOST ALL TRAIN OF THOUGHT.

School and no nap!

SINCE, THEY DON'T HAVE NAPS ANYMORE IN KINDERGARTEN.

THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS!!!!!!!!

I WAS IN THE KITCHEN FIXING SUPPER AND HAD BEEN TALKING TO ALAYNA AND NEXT THING I KNOW SHE IS QUIET. I LOOK IN THE LIVING ROOM AND SHE IS LAID UP ON THE COUCH LIKE THAT.

CAN YOU BELIEVE SHE COULD FALL ASLEEP THAT WAY?

NOW THAT IS WHAT I CALLED TIRED!

IT IS SO SAD THAT THESE POOR LITTLE KINDERGARTNERS ARE FORCED TO GROW UP SO FAST AND NOT GET A NAP AT SCHOOL.

Halloween 08

I wanted to be a black cat but I think there was one too many out on Halloween this year.

Evil looking witch with her black cat. ( she really got into her costume)

Here we are, ready to go trick or treating.

This year was so fun, I didn't have to tote anybody around the whole time. They are old enough to actually know what Halloween is all about and really enjoy going door to door to get more candy.

We only had one cry the whole night. (that is good for us) We went to our normals first, my Maw Maw's and then through the neighborhood.

There is one house that most of you all know, that really goes all out.( I love it) Decorations in the yard, spider webs all over the porch and this year, 3 scary men sitting on benches out in the yard. (2 of them real) one of them was my nephew that has been waiting years to be big enough to scare the daylights out of people. ( well he did) My precious Alayna.

The scary men did not move a muscle when we walked up, not wanting to scare the little ones, so Alayna was convinced they were not real. We all walk up to the porch to get our candy when B. gets up off the bench and walks up slowly behind Alayna. I knew it was B. so I said Alayna look, well she freaks! Forget the candy! She made a few circles around her daddy, while holding back tears and ran to the car. The whole time I am saying, It's just B. She didn't care nor believe me. Dwayne followed her to the car and she lost it!!! She got in the car and I had to bring her candy to her. B. did a great job as a monster. I think if he didn't scare anyone else that night, he was pleased with Alayna's reaction.

Now Aubree, she loved the scary men. After we left, she kept saying, I want to go see the scary man. (Alayna yelling Nooooo!)


Oh, the fun of Halloween!!!

GO VOTE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TODAY IS THE DAY AMERICA HAS BEEN WAITING FOR. GO VOTE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BUT MOST OF ALL PRAY BEFORE YOU GO!

I THINK THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE EVER BEEN NERVOUS OF THE OUTCOME OF A PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.

I KNOW IT IS IN GOD'S HANDS NO MATTER WHAT.

USE YOUR FREEDOM. GO VOTE!