Christmas is in the air!

Okay, so one of our family traditions is that we try to decorate the house for Christmas the weekend after Thanksgiving. Well we have started. It's wonderful! We have Christmas music playing. Alyssa being three this year is really excited about Christmas. Mostly I think that has to do with the fact that for the past few months whenever she asks for a toy or something from the store, I say maybe for Christmas. I believe that she thinks all her dreams are going to come true.

We have special ornaments that we put on our Christmas tree. We get a special one each year. Well, just about each year. We have one from Hawaii, one from the Christmas that we spent in Alaska. I have one from Alyssa's first Christmas. One from Bennett and I first Christmas. And many many others. But probably my favorite one is the "Parents-to-Be" 2004 one. I found out that I was pregnant with Alyssa just after Bennett had left for a 6 week deployment, (right after our first anniversary.) I wanted to come up with this amazing way to break the news of our first baby. While shopping one day I found the "Parents-to-Be" ornaments. It was perfect. And the look on his face when I gave it to him was great!

I love the traditions of our family. My mother has the tradition of a Christmas eve party. We have special things to eat, punch to drink, play games, etc. While Bennett and I where in Hawaii, we tried to keep that tradition alive by having our own parties. We have added to it by reading the Christmas story. We have another tradition of our Christmas journal. Each year we write things about our lives, and the things that mad that year special for Christmas.

So my question to you today is what kind of traditions do you and your families have. What are the things that you pass down to your children. Or what do you remember that was special about your Christmases as a child. I would love to hear your stories.

What a day!

Thanksgiving was beautiful! The night before, was not. Kayla has a cold. Ever few moments she would wake up, screaming, mad because she couldn't breath. Top all of that I didn't feel well. What was a scratchy throat, had turned into full blown, nasty bad, sore throat. What a time for this to happen. What do you do, call off Thanksgiving. Well that wasn't really an option. So armed with lots of pain killers, and many many cups of hot lemon water with honey, I made it through the day. And it was wonderful to get to see all my family, and celebrate the things that I am thankful for.

I am thankful for my family. I am grateful that I have a wonderful husband, who I am so in love with, but more than that he is my best friend. I am thankful that we have a wonderful house, a great car that runs, we have food on our tables. Bennett has a job. I am thankful that we are all healthy, except for the cold thing, (which hasn't happened in a long time.)

I am so thankful. For so many things. I could probably write for a long long time. But I have children that need me. That is another thing that I am thankful for. I have beautiful children that love me, and I get to be there mother. What better thing could there be.

I hope and pray that you had a wonderful thanksgiving. I hope that you where able to take a moment and think of the things that you are thankful for.

Almost There!

Thanksgiving Count Down!

T-26 hours till dinner is served.

My mother is on her way over. She and I had wanted to do some baking together. She was going to try to be here around lunch time...its now three and she just called me from Walmart. I love her!

I made rolls, (I have a tradition of making homemade rolls at Thanksgiving,) while having Makayla strapped to my front. Motrin eat your heart out! (and yes, my back is hurting, but it isn't hurting just so I will fit in....only Alyssa saw me.) They, that is the rolls, not the children, are in the oven rising. After which I will bake them, and then try to successfully resist the urge to eat them all before tomorrow evening. Lord give me strength!

The house is sort of, kind of, ready. Our room looks like some sort of bomb went off. But, every other room is unpack, and tidy. Save for the girls toys in the living area, but hey, those aren't really ever going to be picked up and stay that way. Oh, and I still have to de-doggie the back bathroom. We had been keeping the puppies in there at night until we found them homes. We have found all but one of them homes.

If you read this in the next couple of hours, come back later, I will be posting more of this crazy count down.

:-)

random

What a morning! Its a great morning. It will be a productive day. If I say it enough, it will happen right?

Thanksgiving is less than a week away. I love Thanksgiving. It is my favorite Holiday of the year. I really enjoy family and friends, gathering around delicious dishes, all prepared in that same way our grandmothers have been preparing them for years. I love the usually crispness of the air outside. My favorite is when its cool enough that you need to wear long sleeves, and perhaps a light jacket, but not cold enough to where you can't stay outside a while. I love enjoying cooking, that begins days before, carefully planning out my menu. I love dressing. It is my favorite of all the foods that I usually make.

This year I will be hosting Thanksgiving at my house. Which really isn't any different from the last few years, except that this year my family will be coming. And they are coming out in force. I believe my count is now at 19...possibly 20. Which is exciting...and a little nerve racking all at the same time. I want everyone to enjoy the holiday.

I have so many things left to do today. (I did just move) I want to get everything done on the house today that I still want to do, that way this next week I can just focus on cooking and all that kind of fun stuff this next week.

But for this moment, I am going to enjoy the moment. Sitting in my chair, Bennett fixed me a cup of coffee, writing on the computer. Bennett and the girls are watching Saturday morning cartoons. Bennett got back from his business trip yesterday. It is so good to have him back home. So I will enjoy this mome....well there it went, Kayla is fussing. She is done watching cartoons.

Moments come and go so fast.

I must be a mumbling idiot!

So I saw this TV report. Basically it was talking about how moms today have different things to teach their children, and mainly there daughters than moms of 5o years ago. My first thought was "wow you may really be on to something." But ultimately that isn't what made me so well really outraged. According to them, the people that they interviewed, and talked to...they where the "make at least 100K a year crowd." And they where able to help their daughters learn how to live financially.

Now, don't get me wrong. I don't think anything is wrong with women that make that much. It doesn't bother me if a woman decides to work out of the home. I personally believe that is her decision to make, and it is between her and her family. However, I didn't care for the insinuation that if I don't make that much, or if I chose to work from home, and don't work outside of the home at all, that I am some how inferior and don't have anything to contribute.

I got to talking to my husband about it. And the more I thought about it, the more it made me mad. I am a stay at home mom. That is my first job. But I have other jobs. I even run my own business from my home. But first and foremost for me, is the fact that I have two young children, and I am taking care of them. And just because I stay at home doesn't mean that I am not intelligent. It does not mean that I run around in my PJs and don't get out of bed till noon. It does not mean that I can not contribute to the next generation. And I know alot about finances. I contribute greatly in that department.

So my question is, how have you experienced this? What do you think.




******************************************************************************

So the other part of my day, was I had to meet a lady that was adopting one of our puppies. (three down, only one more to go) On the way Kayla is screaming, and I pull over at a gas station so that I can nurse her, and hopefully get her to go to sleep, so that the rest of our 45min drive isn't so terrible. I say, "now try and be quite so that I can get Kayla to sleep." To which Alyssa replies, "but then I can't hear my signing time song." Now I am trying to figure out what in the world she could be talking about. I didn't bring the signing time CD. "baby I didn't bring it, I am sorry, we will have to listen to it when we get home. Now try to be quite." "No, the one in my mouth." It took me a minute to realize that she had been singing the signing time songs, and now that I had told her to be quite, she couldn't hear them any more. :)

Alien Invasions!!!

It's 4:14 am, do you know where your children are?

Yes, yes I do. My oldest is sleeping in my bed....where I should be at...and my youngest is playing in the floor in front of me.

Wait a minute...strike that...the oldest has now joined the youngest in the floor. Did someone play a cruel joke? Is it really like the middle of the day? What happened to my daughters. What happened to my youngest who loves to sleep through the night. Please of please, do not let that be over. I don't think I will be able to endure if that is true. Seeing that my oldest still routinely gets up in the middle of the night. But I was used to that...I mean we have been doing that for what...oh three years now! But the little bundle, she sleeps, she was this wonderful gift. This gifted child who since she was just a few weeks old, preferred sleeping in her bed...alone....and all night long.

I am beyond exhaustion. I think the moving is finally catching up to me. Plus all of which Bennett has been having to go into work an hour earlier, and so we all feel off schedule...maybe that's all it is....PLEASE. Oh please let that be it.

I think that I am in need of peas. Yes, that's it. Just a few good hours of peas and I will be okay. I mean, I have gone on far less sleep. Gosh, when I was in college, I worked a 35 hour week, went to school full time, and had a very busy social life, and I only slept about 4 hours a night. And I don't think I felt half as tired then as I do now. Crazy is it. I must be getting old. But of course then it was I who chose not to sleep. It wasn't a cute little, drooling, pooping, smiling, giggling, crawling, sitting up on her own, trying to pull up, five month old.

My three year old, (who by the way thinks that this is the way we should live all the time. She is up often this time of night,) just came and asked, "Can I pick Kayla up?" When I said, no she needs to just stay on the floor and play, she replied, "But she wants to sit with me!" Truly they are so adorable together, it just about makes up for the sleep deprivation.

I have heard other mothers talking. In blogs, in mommy and me groups, etc. Many children aren't sleeping. Many children who usually are little angels, are turning into little monsters at night. I think it may be aliens. Yes, that must be it. Aliens, who know, to be able to take over our world, they must first make all mothers so tired, that they can't fight back. They must be planning an invasion. Be on the look out. They may have found other ways to fight back as well. I will be looking, and watching...I will let you know what I find.

:-)

No, I am not sleep deprived.

I make you smile!!!

So it was one of those days. You know the kind...it started something like this...

Mommy...Mommy...Mommy...open your eyes....

***baby monitor confirms my suspicion's that Kayla too was waking up***

I roll over...where is Bennett....I want to sleep in...

Mommy, can I have boobas.


I knew then that I had the high probability of having one of "those" days.

I got up, made some breakfast. Took a shower, got the girls bathed, and dressed. We all got ready to go to Wal-Mart. I just needed a couple of thing. (of course that to made me know that it was going to be one of those days, you never go into Wal-Mart with the whole family, and just get a FEW things.) I did however get some nice Thanksgivingy (is that a word?) things, and sad but true they where already on clearance...I mean, its sad, we haven't even gotten through the first full week of November, and things are already on clearance. I also got the girls matching outfits for our picture taking session this next weekend.

After what seemed like hours...and it very near was, we were done at good old wally world, and went to get some lunch. Lunch went fairly well, we got Arby's which was nice, cause I haven't gotten fast food like that in...well really since we moved into our new house. We went out into the parking lot, got the girls in the car, got behind a truck to pull onto the road, and suddenly she is backing up...Bennett couldn't back up himself, because there was a car behind us. He laid on his horn, but she just kept on coming. Now my front bumper has a huge crack in the right hand side. And to top it all off, did she stop, NO! In fact I believe she went faster.

Does my day stop there....no, then we went to Lowes...which was enjoyable. We looked at kitchen stuff, and bathroom stuff, for when we redo those. I really had a good time. But once again we stayed forever, and my feet where getting tired. We head out to the car, and had to make one more stop. After that, we got back in the car, and of course Kayla doesn't want to be in the car. So she cried just about the whole way home. One more stop at Wal-mart, (for something we forgot,) one stop at the drug store, and one stop at a convenience store, and we where finally home. I get all of our stuff in, set Kayla down. I sit down myself, and I must have looked pretty pathetic, because that is when Alyssa, my three year old says, "I can make you laugh mommy, its okay!"

And I did laugh, really big. So after everything, the day has been pretty good.

:-)

Does this day end...

Well, its .... (looks at clock at bottom of the screen)...later than I though. Almost midnight. And I am about to go to bed...at least I hope so. Alyssa took a really late nap...she didn't wake back up until 7:30ish. So, needless to say she was up late. But I have finally got the sleeping beauties off to slumber world, and hopefully I will join them there myself soon. But I had to just jot a few lines down. My mind seems way to crazy to sleep. I have so many thought swirling through my head, that I know even if I where to go and lay down, I would not be able to find sleep, and its peaceful rest.

I have had a pretty good day. Mom came over again today, and it was good to just spend a few hours with her. Yesterday she was here and we watched a movie. Becoming Jane It was good, I really enjoyed it, but of course I really like Jane Austen as a writer, so ... I did find this site where I can read her books online...which I find cool. Then last night I watched a movie with Bennett. This movie I didn't like. I shouldn't have bought it...but it was one of those impulse buys at the front of Wal-Mart. For the most part, I never get them. I resist the temptation, no matter what. I do not need Frebreeze in a small key chain form. There isn't enough frebreeze in there to cover up the smells that accompany motherhood, and having pets. Nor do I need the latest seasons best of things.

But on my last trip to that great Wally World...there was a bin of movies. 2 for $10....and that is another way that they get you...I just had to take a look. (Since we moved we have no TV channels what so ever...we still have antenna TV...and yes, I know...February 17....they tell us so every day...many time a day....but now I am getting off topic)

So, anyways, there was a movie called Just Follow the River...or something to that effect. Its about this early colonial woman, that is kidnapped by Indians. It looked good. I bought it...I should have known. It started out okay. I have always enjoyed historical movies. When the movie begins, the woman is taking care of her six year old son, and is very very pregnant...due any day, and she is saying good-bye to her husband as he goes out to work. The next thing you know, Indians strike, and she and her son, are carried away as slaves. A lot goes on...and possibly to really understand, you would have to know, and see the whole thing....but I got so mad, that I couldn't ever watch it again. At one point she actually leaves her baby, who is being wet nurse, because she is out of milk, and runs away. I must point out that their lives where not in danger. Her son had already been taken to another camp, and then she just leaves her baby behind because she "just had to get home to her husband." Maybe I am the weird one, but I do not believe it would be in my power to leave my baby behind. It would have killed me. I looked over at my husband and said, " I love you, but there is no way I would leave our children..." Thankfully he agreed with me.

End the end, she gets her kids back, and I guess all turned out well. I however did not like it, and I wishing that I hadn't spent the $5 on it.

Well, I really must try to get some rest. Tomorrow is going to be another day of unpacking, working, and getting rid of the puppies, (I hope.) But that in of its self is a whole other story.

Election '08

Here I sit. Watching...waiting....praying....groaning....

Election '08. It doesn't even matter who you are for, this election has been a roller coaster of emotions. No matter what the end result, I feel like America as we know it will change. The only question left being decided is into what?


As I went to go vote today...I paused. I felt like it was a big moment, as I am sure many Americans did. It may just be my age, I am younger, but it seems like this is such a huge election. So much at stake. As I made my selections on that bright computer screen, I though, it does matter right? I mean, I am just one woman. I am mainly just a stay at home mom, take care of my kids, my family...can I make a difference? Will it matter tomorrow that I voted? When I am sitting with my grandchildren someday, will this be one of those moments in history that I want to tell them about? Will we, as a nation, as the world, look back on this election, as the thing that started it all?

Or, will it be just another election? Will it just be another battle between "red & blue?"

I guess in the days and weeks to come we will find out. History will tell our story. It will sing our song.