Almost rounding the home stretch ., . .

After 3 Chirstmas gatherings, too many kid's presents to put away, and a bazillion trips to the curb for trash pick-up, our Christmas season is just about over. One more party on New Years Day with my step-father's family, then it will be finito. I love Christmas, it's the reshuffling when it's over that stinks.

Thankfully, our household is almost well, Daddy is still hacking at night loud enough to wake the neighbors. The kids are definately better, and causing all sorts of turmoil, as toddlers do. I'm finally back to work. . . woohoo (she says unexcitedly)

My husband stuck with the easy gift . . . jewelry . . you gotta love that! I also stuck with easy . . .clothes. It's the only thing he will not buy himself, what choice do I have. We are much too poor this season for the beloved iPod he is lusting after, so that must wait. My 3 year okld son watches way too much television . . . he opened up a yo-yo at my mom's and said, "Wow, my very own Easy button!" That got a big laugh. Way too many staples commercials. He does however love the gift that we found out he wanted so badly on Thursday which daddy spent many hours and much gas trying to find. He finally found one at the mall that someone had aparently sat down and forgot about. . . a Bulls-eye Bouce and Roll. It must have been the last one in the city. He actually got accosted several times by others wanting to know if he was "going to buy that". Since then, we have been playing it's version of skee-ball. I just need cardboard pizza and tickets and I'll have my own Chuck E's.

The kids were fantastic. Even my adopted son Dustin had a wonderful couple of days. We have had a rough road lately with some juggling of the psychotropic meds, which is NEVER fun. He however is doing better.

Peace to all!

Merry Christmas!

I am sitting here about 1/2 hour 'til Christmas. My children are sleeping in the chair behind me. I don't wish to take them upstairs quote yet. You see, my children do not go to bed well . . we've tried everything . . . but that is another post.

I am enjoying my quiet after cleaning ALL day so that my immediate family could come over for Christmas Eve. OK, not all day, I did sleep until noon. My family would not have minded if my house was dirty, but it was nice to hear the first words out of my mother's mouth be, "Boy, it sure is nice and tidy here!" You see, with 2 toddlers and OCD medication, my house is not always tidy anymore. I do like things in there place, but it's not always tidy. Ok, I'll save that for another post too. Anyhoo . . .

I always loved the magic of Christmas eve. I loved that anticipation of Christmas morning. I was the kid up at 6:00 and bouncing on my younger brother's bed to wake him. Now, you must understand this was when I was 20. I believe I got this from my father . . . we LOVED Christmas. Now with children I love it more. My mom is the best when it comes to Christmas. She always indulged my brother and I and spent way more than she was supposed to becasue she loves giving. Now, she indulges my children. My kids have the best Nannie in the universe. I love seeing their faces light up when they see her. . . My stepfather is a wonderful PaPa as well. He loves them as if they were his own. But . . . I would have loved seeing my father's face as he saw my children open their presents.

It is my Christmas wish that we all enjoy those we have in our family, for all their faults, for we may not thave them next year and that each one of us takes the time to reflect on the fact that we are celebrating the birth of our Lord and Saviour.

Blessings!

Criminey . . .

Holy cow . . . what a couple of weeks. My entire household needs fumigated for germs. Over the last 12 days every member of our household has been sick with at least 3 different ailments. I have been to the pediatrician three times and have had 4 different prescriptions in the house for the kids.

Today I took my son outside to "blow the stink off him" as my mother would say. My daughter is has been fevering at 102 for the last 10 days. She is miserable and has puked the last two nights at exactly 1:45am. I am so tired of changing diapers, flushing toilets and wiping noses I could SCREAM!

Okay, enough about our crappy existence. . . by the way . . . have I ever told you I HATE wrapping presents?

Was I just raised differently . . .

It astounds me how people can just do things without thinking. I think too much. I guess it was how I was raised, but I truly don't like to dissappoint people. Is it because I like to please others? Is it because I want others to like me? I think it's because I was raised that your word stands for somehting. When you give your word, you mean it. When I have to change that, and break that word, I really stress about it. I mean REALLY stress about it. I made a promise, that promise has to be broken. (I belive it is for a good reason, but that doesn't help relieve my stress) I will not sleep tonight, my stomach already hurts, I will run through it over and over in my head becuase I have let a friend down by breaking that promise.

My father passed away 9 years ago. He never got to meet my husband, he didn't walk me down the isle at my wedding, he couldn't hold my babies, he didn't have the opportunity to be called Papa. I regret that he missed so much. He would be proud of my life. He would have loved being a grandpa. He would love that I stress over something like this. Ya know why? He made certain that my word meant something. He wanted me to be a strong person that held commitment and loyalty sacred. My dad raised be to be a good person always. We tell my son, "you do the right thing even when no one is looking." My dad would love that statement.

I understand sometimes, things happen. I understand you can't always forsee when things happen that could chagne the situation. I have broken my promise because I feel as though I have to. I don't take it lightly, but I will still worry about it and fret about it, and wish it could be different.

I'd like to say I wish I was a wishy-washy person that could change at the drop of a hat and break promises and it wouldn't phase me one bit . . . .wait . . . I don't wish I was that person. I like being loyal and faithful. I like having a conscience.

Imagine all the people, living life in peace. . .

Twenty-five years ago today, the world lost John Lennon. My husband wrote a wonderful blog over at Left of Centrist to remember John and the effect he had on him. Included is the following:

"Shoot me, shoot me," whispered John as the first words on the last Beatles' album. Perhaps the sick animal who took Lennon's life mistook the lyrics as a literal request but the refrain of that song took on an almost mythical precognition. In the days that followed the diabolical actions of 'he who shall not be named', many of us around the world came together over John. We stumbled around in shock listening to the music that had changed the world. We couldn't let go of the dream. Until that fateful day we held out a faint hope that our favorite band would reunite and regale us with more of the magic we had come to love. In one tragic moment, that dream was lost forever.