I Could Write a Book

    I love books. I think most people who know me know that tidbit of info about me. For Christmas this year, I received absolutely zero books as gifts. That bothered me. I can’t remember a single Christmas where I didn’t get at least one book. So, to remedy that, I went and bought myself 4 books today and used a gift card to pay for part of it, so now technically, I received a book (or books) for Christmas 2007.

    Just chalk it up to my weirdness.  

    It’s Christmas ! It’s Christmas! Merry Christmas, everyone.

   I peeked out under the tree a few minutes ago and Santa has already come. Go Santa. The stockings are filled. The presents are out. The children are sleeping. Now, it’s mommy’s turn to sleep.

   I hope Santa visited you. I’m sure he did. I know you all believe. He comes to the houses where you believe. I’ve never stopped believing. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. (Still haven’t figured out how to explain the pointy ears on the elves, though)

   Merry, merry Christmas. May you have a wonderful day.

Merry Christmas Eve to all. It is finally here. The big night. The night where we see if the children have been good enough over the past year to have Santa visit. Now, with my children, there is no doubt in the world that Santa will visit. Considering they are such perfect angels. (snorts) lol. I’m pretty sure that they’ve been great kids and Santa might even leave a "Wii" for the boys. (That might be a gift disgused for mommy.) Christmas Eve is our busiest night of the year. Two gatherings down so far today with 3 more to go tonight before we come back home and put out cookies and milk and for Santa.

Even though I’ve still got the very bad "Christmas Crud" going on I am finally in the spirit. Took me a little while to get there. I’m there, though. That’s the best thing. My most stressful gathering of the season is over and I feel like I have a huge weight off of my shoulders now. Whew. What a relief. Now if I could only get the weight off of my chest. Whenever I cough, I sound like I have the "smoker’s cough". My ears are still stopped up. I haven’t been able to breathe out of my nose in DAYS. That is so freaking miserable. But again - compared to Saturday when I felt like I was dying - I’m doing so much better. I’m concerned that 2 out of the 3 kidlets might be catching my crud, though. Dang.

I’m taking a new "finger food" tonight. Asparagus rollups. So easy. So yummy. So addictive. I could eat them all day long. I think you might have to like asparagus to like these though.  

I honestly can’t believe that tonight is Christmas Eve. It seems like it takes forever for this night to get here and then "bam" it’s here and I almost have my CELL PHONE. My "iphone’ baby. hehe. Who wants a phone call once I get it activated and figured out ? Now, I guess Santa could be really mean and not bring me one. Talk about a disappointed grownup child. LOL. (I’d just go buy it the next day)

Well, I wanted to let everyone know that I did manage to live through the Christmas Crud and stress and all the preparations that go into getting this all done. I hope Santa is nice to all of you.

with love,
Merry Christmas Eve ! 

This is how Santa visits us in Louisiana :  

    Happy Solstice to those of who you celebrate the first day of winter. It actually starts sometime tonight after midnight, but I know the celebrations are going on tonight. I view it as the shortest day of daylight and then summer is on its way again. Woohoo for us Southerners. Hey wait a minute. With it being in the 70’s this week, I don’t think I need summer to come. Can you imagine what our temps are going to be in the summer ? I am happy to know that we are going to be on the upswing of daylight time, though. I do like the longer days.

     I am finally done with Christmas shopping. Did you hear the angels sing yesterday ? I tried to listen for them inbetween my ears roaring, throat burning and my hacking cough. For the life of me I can not figure out what took me so long to do all the shopping this year. Oh, and that’s just presents. I haven’t even begun to do the food shopping or WRAPPING ? Who’s up for a wrapping party ? I’ll supply all the libations, you supply the moral support it takes for me to get my wrapping done. Gawd, I hate wrapping. I can’t stand it. If it was kosher to give people their gifts in the store bag, I would. Yeah, yeah, yeah - bah humbug me.

    The kids get out of school today at some crazy time like 11:15am. Who decides if it is going to be on the hour, quarter hour, or gasp - perhaps at 10 minutes after ? I know my house will be filled with craziness once they are home, but I am so excited about not having to get up so early every morning. That’s the best Christmas present I could get.  No, it isn’t. Lol.

    I’m big into gifts. Always has been. Did you really expect anything less from me ? grins. I know that Santa is bringing me my "iphone". I can not wait to have a cell phone again. It’s been a month with no cell phone and I’ve done amazingly well for not having one. It’s actually been a little nice to not be interrupted everywhere I go. However, there have been days when I really needed it regarding my children. I would be out and afraid they couldn’t get ahold of anyone incase there was an emergency at school. That really bothered me.  

    I hope everyone enjoys their last peaceful weekend before the Christmas Holidays. Merry Christmas to you if you’re going offline. 

I have happy December news to share. I’m officially a graduate student, now. Granted, I’m in the program under the "temporary grad status" at the moment but that is only until I finish all the legal paperwork. Anyone want to write a letter for me saying what a wonderful student I would make ? I am excited beyond belief. It took me forever to decide what major I would even get a Master’s degree in. How did I finally decide ? Someone asked me "what subject could you devour a book in ?" Once I started thinking about that I realized that I’ve known for a long time where my passion lay.

Incase you’re just dying to know I’m going to pursue a "Master’s in Communication Sciences and Disorders". Super excited. My first 600 level course (gawd that feels good to say that) is Neurophysiological Bases of Human Communication. When I am losing my mind next semester, please remind that I was excited to do this at one point. I honestly can’t wait to be back on campus. It is going to be so invigorating for me.  

I finished decorating my house on Wednesday. Finally ! I must say that I’m very pleased with the results and if anyone wants to stop by for a cup of coffee - just ring my doorbell. I may not have any food to serve you, but coffee I can do.

This has to be the most magical year of Christmas so far regarding my children. They are at the perfect ages in belief, excitement, wonderment, etcment. Everytime they notice a special ornament or a new present under the tree the get so excited and their eyes and face light up. Their joy over the season is truly contagious. Now, I have had to override a Santa request. That was fun trying to explain why Santa won’t be bringing a specific gift. I said "Santa knows if the mommy or daddy won’t allow certain toys. If he knows they won’t allow it, he can’t bring it". I was surprised at how well the children accepted that explanation. 

 My daughter calls the "Bratz" dolls "Ratz". "Mommy, can Santa please bring me a Ratz doll?" My response- Mommy doesn’t not allow any "rats" in this house. LOL. There is no way on this earth I would allow those hoochie-mama dolls in my house.  Here’s J telling Santa her list of things she wants him to bring for her.

My goodness! I honestly can’t believe that it’s December and that it is the 8th of December already. December is the month of "craziness" for me every year. The weeks are filled with "stuff" that has to be done - all the normal stuff - and then the weekends just become a complete mayhem of craziness.  I’m just getting home for the day and it is almost 9pm. That’s a long Saturday.

This was a Christmas tree triming party last weekend.

People ask me all the time how come I’m so busy ? How come I don’t turn down stuff ? Well, I do turn down stuff. I turn down easily half of everything that we are invited to. With three children going three different directions my days are just filled. I honestly don’t think I could fit another child in. Yes, every blue moon, I still think of one more. I’d love to have another. Just not so sure I’d love to do all the work required having one more.

Speaking of work, I was pretty much handed a job tonight. One that I would LOVE. I was at our third Christmas party for the day and mentioned that I’m hoping to start work on my Master’s degree pretty soon. (next semester, hopefully). I was asked in what subject and I told them what my passion was and the person asked "are you interested in working even part-tme?" Wow. Talk about being put on the spot. I do not have a licsense right now so that would be the first thing that had to be figured out and then I’d have to figure out if I had enough time to do it. "It" being work.  Lol.

Inbetween parties and basketball games today, I was a tiny bit productive. I got my Christmas cards ordered. Whew ! I bought a couple of Christmas gifts. Whew ! And I got to visit and spend some nice bits and pieces of time with friends I haven’t seen in a while. Maybe I’ll fit mowing my legs in sometime tomorrow. It’s getting close to time to call out the "bush hoggers".

Happy December, y’all. Remember the real reason of the season every once in a while.