A Good Christmas

What constitutes a good Christmas? For some people it is lots of gifts. For others it is having a day off from work...and getting a bonus. For me it is being able to enjoy the day in my home with my kids.

They got less presents this year. We had decided that there was nothing 'big' or major they wanted or needed...and with the uncertainty of what is up ahead and the bad economic times...they just didn't need a lot. They are teenagers. They have 'things'...although Ms. Divine is fixated with labels. We buy her clothes and things that are just as good and work just as well if not better for less...they just don't have THE labels. I told her that she needs to learn the difference between what you want and what you need and how to compare and save.

I was just happy that we were all around the tree this morning and laughing and joking. Even Max was having a good time...he got pigs ears and a couple of toys. Pete the Hamster was grateful for his new nut log...that he bit apart and tried to store in his cheeks.

I baked way too many cookies but we have been giving them away. Not all of them but just enough to pare it down to only what we may eat in the next week.

We had lights on the house, a lighted and decorated tree, a ceramic lighted village, wreaths, greenery,the nativity scene, etc. Just enough to make it look like Christmas and enjoy it.

Our first Christmas in our new home...all of us together. After we opened our gifts, we all said a prayer together to thank God for His generosity...His blessings. You should never take any of it for granted because it could be so quickly taken from you.

On the news tonight was a story about a family with 5 kids...on their way home from spending the Christmas day at Grandma's house. There was a crash...their van was hit. They aren't sure if they all are going to make it and one of the little girls is going to lose a leg.

In the blink of an eye...your world can change. Just like that it can be taken from you.

My prayer for everyone this next year is this...that you do not take anything or anyone for granted; that you count your blessings and focus on the positive; that you are thankful everyday for what God has done for you (even if the only thing you can be thankful for, it seems, is that you are still breathing and get another chance to spend another day with loved ones or trying to rectify mistakes); and may you be able to blink without your world drastically changing when your eyelids open.

Looking Forward to the Visits

I had to stop and wonder today...is it better to have all the 'ills' of the year dropped on you all at once in a big lump sum or have them spread out in increments throughout the year?

While getting hit with one thing on top of another is nothing easy to live through, I think, as long as God gives me strength to live through it, I'd rather have it all at once. Then, I can enjoy the 'boredom' the rest of the year.

I don't think people appreciate 'boredom' as much as they should! It has been unfairly maligned! Now me...I have learned to appreciate it. In fact, I have bought it it's own easy chair and put it by the heater with some soft, fuzzy slippers and the very softest blanket along with its own mug with 'boredom' printed on the outside. I will wait on it hand and foot. I treat it better than my bestest friend.

Yes, I have come to look very forward to those visits from Boredom and invite it to stay as long as it can possibly stand me.

As for the Troubles...I invite them to visit all at once...throw them a big shindig of a party then shoo them out the door while I clean up the mess...in anticipation of my visit from Boredom.

Perhaps, Boredom may learn to amuse itself so that during its visits I can duck out every now and then and visit with Volunteer...who always seems to know some pretty good ways to help others.

I am hoping the Trouble party will be over soon and I can get the mess cleaned up. I really want Boredom to stop by for a lengthy visit.

Taking In the Miracles

With the way things are going around the country...and so many desperate people...everything to up in the air and unsure...this is a weird unstable Christmas.

It always seems like there is something to hit you upside the head or kick you in the pants.

We have all decided that we are thankful to be together under one roof...where it is warm and cozy...we have food and love...and have been appreciating the true meaning of Christmas.

There has been a lot of Bible reading and praying as a family lately. TJ took over the devotions and prayer last night. His friend Steven joined in.

Today's church service was a very good one. The kids drank it in...as did we. There is always lots of 'love' to be had from various members of the congregation.

This is the time of year that reminds us that miracles happen.

Merry Christmas to all...and may God richly bless your new year!

DONE!

yep, I'm DANCIN'! It took me A LOT of hours but I FINALLY finished all the spreadsheets and databases. They got sneaky near the end and said, "There are some input/formula errors on this sheet. Find them and make the corrections." Luckily they weren't all that hard to find. There was one program add-in that I had a little difficulty getting to execute. So, I finally let it go (I was working on it Saturday) and came back to it last night...started over from the beginning and went through the steps and VOILA! Then I could fix the errors in my last database and send it back into the instructor. THEN I breathed a big sigh of relief. Pretty much like Bethany must have done to be going back to school today all caught up in her work already. She has one science quiz to make up but she'll be okay...she said she had studied hard for it and was ready.

She is breathing easier...she is blowing her nose a lot and coughing stuff out...this is a good sign when you consider that by the time I got her in to see the doctor Thursday she didn't have enough wind in her to expel anything. The doctor said to give her the breathing treatments with the nebulizer until she is breathing normal. I am hoping today will be her last day. The 'medicine' that she has to breathe in gives her the jitters and she has a hard time getting any sleep. I told her that tonight I will give her a treatment at 8 o'clock so that she will be able to sleep when it is time. Bonus: she had a treatment first thing this morning before she got ready for school...it WOKE HER UP!

I managed to get a little shopping done this weekend. I had to have a break from the classwork and the computer. I headed straight for Huber Heights and Kohl's. The kids both have clothes on their Christmas lists and I got a TON of things for them for not too much spent. The one good thing about the bad economy is that stores are slashing a lot of prices on things. I got most of the clothes at 50% off.

And Saturday night we had Amy and Steven spending the night. Max loved it! We opened the basement door and he would run up and down the stairs...in and out of the rooms. I was busy going up and down myself trying to finish laundry. There is this monkey down there...a stuffed white furred pot bellied monkey swinging on a candy cane and wearing a red and green jester's cap. It has a motion sensor in its belly button and it will go off...start shaking and laughing and yelling things like "I'm just WILD about Christmas!" Max like to attack it. He has learned though, the meaning of the words, "No monkey upstairs." He has tried a couple of times to bring it up the stairs with him but someone always catches him and says, "No monkey upstairs" and he will go and drop it on the carpet down there and then come upstairs.


He has a vet visit today for his last puppy shot and to get his itching checked out. The last vet we took him to (in the county that we got him in) sold us some antibiotic pills and they did NOTHING but cost us a lot of money. Troy gave him a bath with baby shampoo last night and he doesn't seem to be scratching quite to much today.

My sinuses are killing me! It is the weather...can't make up its mind...cold...warm...but always wet. Mold.

Well, I need to get moving. I have cookies to make and if we are going to get out and do ANY shopping today, we need to do it this morning...the weatherman says we just might get some freezing rain late this afternoon with snow on top of it tonight. AND I have to get the cards in the mail!

Welcome

"The best laid plans of mice and men...."

Yesterday didn't turn out exactly as planned. Nothing like planned. And my poor Bethany!

She was having trouble breathing...no more coughing...she couldn't. So, I made the choice to keep her home from school and call the doctor's office. I had an appt. to have my van at the mechanic's at between 9 and 9:30. The steering has been not right. I got an appt for the doctor's office at 10:20.

The doctor listened to her breathing and frowned. Looked in her nose and frowned. He had a nurse come in with a nebulizer and give her a breathing treatment. Then he listened to her breath again and frowned some more. Her sinuses were full of pus and he said there was very little breathing sounds...her bronchial tubes were spasming and she was laboring to breathe. The sinus infection had gone down into her chest. So...he sent us home with a nebulizer and I have to give her breathing treatments every 4 hours...antibiotics for 2 weeks...and allergy pills.

The breathing treatments give her the jitters. She didn't sleep well last night. Of course I kept her home from school today too. She was still laboring with her breathing and was very tired. The doctor's office sent a note to her school. She is, however, through all of this, keeping up with her school work.

TJ and Troy left yesterday afternoon to go to Canton. TJ had a field trip to the Pro Football Hall of Fame for today. TJ took his school computer with him and was doing his school work last night in the hotel room.

I am still trying to finish up my work. I am trying to get laundry done. I have vacuuming to do. So what am I doing here? good question.

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas!

FINALLY! I got my Christmas village all set up. I thought out of all the buildings I only had one actual house...and then I thought, that's odd! But last night I opened a box of my Snow Buddies to put on the mantel and under them was another house...and the skating rink. So now it is complete. I don't think I'll buy any more buildings because it would be too crowded otherwise.

I put my big snowman in the livingroom by the TV but Max wouldn't quit barking at it (he seemed rather threatened by the snowman) so I moved it in by the fireplace in the family room. I am thinking of setting it up as sentry by the Christmas tree.

I still have my door wreath to finish. I need my hot glue gun. I sent it to school with Bethany because the Science teacher asked to borrow some hot glue guns for a Rocket project they were doing. So, last night I told Bethany to bring it back home (they finished the projects last Friday) and I emailed her science teacher to make sure it gets here.

I have some odds and ends of Christmas stuff in another box but I am not messing with it all.

I am thinking I may have to put Mr. Snowman on the couch. It seems that Mr. Max has decided today that he wants to sleep on the couch. I don't know WHAT his problem is! He has never done that before. Just like a kid...everyday is something else. sheesh.

I also have to draper the greenery on the mantel...but I need to put the hooks up first. I have to FIND them...they couldn't have gone far becuz Troy bought them not too long ago.

And tonight I start on the cookies. I am not going too far out on a limb this year. I am only planning on 4 different kinds...right now. Unless the kids think of something they want that I had not planned on making.

It is another gray and dreary day...it was raining buckets this morning. It is all wet and hovering around freezing. You know what THAT means. I have to get out and go to Wal-mart to pick up Jr.'s pictures today...SOON. THEN I can get the Christmas cards out in the mail.

So...off I go! Have a good one everyone!

Splat!

It is snowing off and on today. Troy took Max out the back door and Max was so busy eating snow he wouldn't stop and do 'his thing'. Troy took a broom and was sweeping the snow off of the patio when a gust of wind hurled the snow in Max's face. I was watching from the diningroom window and started cracking up. He looked so funny! This white fuzzy face with two dark eyes poking out! He finally shook it off and went right back to licking snow.

I have a sore throat today. Troy and I went out to do some grocery shopping yesterday. We went to Aldi's first and loaded up on some Christmas cookie baking supplies. Then stopped at Kroger's on the way home. I was shivering the whole time. I think yesterday was the coldest day we have had so far. The high was supposed to be 32 but I don't think we made it..It didn't feel like it anyway. Wind chill factor...the wind was blowing pretty strong.

I have to finish up some more classwork. I have other things I want/need to do and am anxious to get all of this school work done with!

Troy's Christmas bonus hasn't hit the account, yet. He said he's been hearing something about Dec. 8th (which is Monday) and I hope so. I want to get this all overwith! At least the paycheck made it on time. And the bills all got paid up for another month. yay. Hey...I won't complain...at least we have money coming in to pay them with, right?

TJ has been going like gang busters on his school work...pulling in 100's right and left. He seems to be finally taking charge of his stuff. It only took me almost 6 years to get him to this point. Bethany still needs prodding. Hopefully she won't take as long to turn around as her brother, though!

Well, back to work. Everyone stay warm!

Hot DOG!

Super Squirrel to the rescue! Or not... @ Yahoo! Video

We got some sparkly snow today. Not a lot. But enough for Max to find out what a snowball is. Troy made one and threw it. Max pounced on it and took a bite. He pulled his head back and shook it, then batted at it with his front paws and took another bite. He continued that ritual until it was gone.

I only have this week and next week then I'm done with my classes. I got a wee bit behind becuz it got rather difficult there for a bit. My instructor doesn't seem to mind as long as I keep working on it and handing things in. I'll be glad when it's over!

Then the next phase happens...hopefully finding employment. I'd love to find a class in Grant Writing that I could take. That is the only other thing I'd like to add to my 'learned knowledge'.

Bethany got sent home by the nurse today. She was complaining late last night and this morning about her head feeling like it was going to explode and how nauseous she was. I gave her Theraflu and she went off to school...giving it a real try. But, around 10 a.m. the school nurse called me. She said Bethany didn't have a fever but she didn't look like she felt well...she was pale and complaining of nausea. I hesitated and she added, "We have a flu bug going around and the kids are just dropping like flies." Great. So I went and fetched her. I gave her some pain reliever when she got home and a decongestant becuz she complained of not being able to breathe. I don't think it is flu she has as much as a sinus drainage problem.

Other than that, it is rather quiet around here today. Just me and my homework...and TJ and his school work. Troy hasn't had many calls. Max is bored but he'll get over it. I placated him with some cut up leftover hotdogs. Now he just LOVES me!

Okay...back to work.